Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) officials recently announced the 2018 season Speedweeks dates, which takes place over ten days at three different venues in Georgia and Florida.
 
The 2018 LOLMDS campaign will begin February 1–3 at Golden Isles Speedway with the annual Super Bowl of Racing. The 4/10-mile oval will host an Open Practice for all drivers on Thursday, February 1 followed by two nights of racing.
 
The tour then heads to the Sunshine State for the 42nd Annual Wrisco Industries East Bay Winternationals. The LOLMDS will invade the 1/3-mile bullring on Sunday, February 4 for an Open Practice—followed by six straight nights of racing action.

From February 5 through February 10, the nation's top dirt late model drivers will battle in pursuit of nearly $200,000 in prize money. Each day will feature a full program that includes: Hot Laps, Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, Strawberry Dash, and the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series main event.
 
The LOLMDS Speedweeks slate wraps up at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, FL on Sunday, February 11. The Lucas Oil Winter Nationals will include a complete program of Hot Laps, Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win main event.

For a complete breakdown of the schedule, including Laps and prize amounts, visit here.

For more information on event tickets, visit the links below:
Super Bowl of Racing- www.gisdirt.com
42nd Annual Wrisco Industries East Bay Winternationals- www.ebrp.co
Lucas Oil Winter Nationals- www.bubbaracewaypark.com

Mike Copeland, CEO of Diversified Creations, has purchased Virginia-based Arrington Performance. The more than 50-year-old company works in parts sales, engine assembly and vehicle builds for Chrysler and Dodge HEMI-powered vehicles.

Under Copeland’s direction, Arrington will focus on growth and improvement of the existing business, as well as expand the operation to include Jeep, RAM truck, resto-mod and off-road.
      
As part of the purchase, Copeland is moving Arrington Performance from Martinsville, Virginia to Brighton, Michigan. The new location will be adjacent to Diversified Creations facility in Brighton, with its own full complement of specialized salespeople and fabricators.

The new Arrington Brighton location will include vehicle build, engine build, dyno and warehouse facilities. Diversified Creations will display Arrington products in its showroom, as Arrington will not have its own retail showroom.

Copeland plans to expand the brand globally from its new Brighton location.

Arrington Performance will continue the use of its existing website www.shophemi.com. Arrington Performance can be reached by calling 866/844-1245 or via e-mail at sales@shophemi.com.
    

A ground-breaking ceremony for the new $39.2 million (£29million) Lake Torrent track in Northern Ireland has taken place, with construction work on the circuit set to begin next month.

The 2.23-mile, 12-turn circuit was granted planning permission by Mid Ulster District Council earlier in September, according to AutoSport.

Officials from Manna Developments, the private development company in charge of the project, hope to start the build in October with an opening date in early spring 2019.

Race track design firm Driven International has also been working on the project, developing the concept circuit design with Manna Developments.

Lake Torrent will be located on a former clay pit site near the town of Coalisland in County Tyrone.

A unique feature of the track's design is a submerged quarter-mile straight that will have a retaining wall opposite a grandstand, which it is hoped will produce a tunnel-like experience.

Along with the race circuit and pit garages, the first phase of work will include a medical center, restaurant, hospitality suites and six business units.

NASCAR and Comcast released a new NASCAR XFINITY Series identity mark, with a full rollout coming in 2018. The new look was broadcasted onto the big screen at the NASCAR Hall of Fame as NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs Media Day was underway across the street in Charlotte.

The shared vision of the new series identity reinforces the character of the series with a bold, simple look that conveys precision and momentum.

NASCAR and Comcast collaborated on the new mark, showcasing both brands’ aesthetics.

Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer, extolled the season-long effort to devise the new branding.

“We’re excited about it, and we think it reflects all the great things about the XFINITY Series,” Gregory said. “Comcast and NASCAR spent a lot of time building the brand and talking about ‘Names are made here.’

 “The new mark is bold, it’s simple, but it will still communicate all the great things about the series.”

NASCAR also recently unveiled a new brand identity mark in December 2016, replacing the bar mark used by the sanctioning body since 1976.

Welding solution designer Lincoln Electric recently announced its new educational website that will provide students, educators, corporate trainers and design engineers with a common interface and access to leading welding information and products.

With the new site, users will be able to more easily locate the education assets they need to enhance their career or train the next generation of welders. Users can browse products designed specifically for welding education, including:
 
    •    Virtual reality welding simulators
    •    Welding training systems
    •    Robotic welding training systems
    •    CNC plasma cutting systems
    •    Welding booths
    •    Student apparel, helmets and more.

Instructors considering U/LINC curriculum for welding and cutting can see sample documents from the library of more than 1000 lesson plans, student lab activities, assessments, videos and presentations.
 
Those seeking to advance their welding career can preview the new Lincoln Electric Welding Technology & Training Center, scheduled to begin operations in late 2017. The school will house nearly 200 welding booths and expanded facilities for professional development – both for school instructors and industrial trainers, as well as welding design engineers.

The site also serves as the registration portal for Lincoln Electric customers, authorized distributors and service facility training, as well as motorsports and other specialized weld training. An online resource center delivers technical articles, training equipment tips, research and case studies, a video library and ROI calculators.

Visit education.lincolnelectric.com to view the site, browse the company’s education portfolio or make contact quotes, questions or making plans.

Dirt World Motorsports Complex in Statesville, North Carolina is now open and attracting off-road enthusiasts from all over the region. What was a 70-acre farm that motorists passed by is now a professionally developed off-road riding and event facility that is already driving new economic benefits to the area.

Owners Todd and Alycia Stewart combined their backgrounds in real estate, property management and off-road racing to develop the concept and business plan behind Dirt World. The United States Motorsports Association (USMA) worked with the ownership group early on to help secure a right fitting location, guide the permitting process and consult on community relations, according to the association.

The off-road park has something for every age and skill level with four tracks and over five miles of trails through the woods. Motorsports businesses and series have already taken notice of the new facility.

Jarit Johnson, a professional off-road racer and former NASCAR Driver, has already opened mechanic services with plans for a driving school at Dirt World. The Kryptic Side by Side Series held a test day at the track and has scheduled a racing event later this month. More special events are in the works, according to the company.

"This was a case where everyone recognized the win-win,” said Robert Johnson, USMA director of government affairs. “The community understood the positive economic benefits and the track was careful to work with the community early on to address any concerns. The USMA helped guide the process and we are always encouraged when we see everyone enjoy the positive impacts of Motorsports.”

Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas announced that veteran television anchor and producer Brian Sandler has joined the speedway’s media relations staff as its broadcast media relations manager.

Sandler is a 14-year veteran in the television news industry with the bulk of his career being spent with Time Warner Cable News and SportsChannel in New York and Texas.

He served as a sports anchor, producer and videographer for Time Warner Cable News (now Spectrum News) in Syracuse, N.Y. from 2009-14. He joined Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (now Spectrum Sports) in 2014 and covered all of the major sporting events in the Dallas/Fort Worth market, including race events at Texas Motor Speedway.

During his career, he has been an instrumental part of the sports staffs that have garnered various accolades in both New York and Texas, totaling seven awards in all ranging from “Best Sportscast” to “Best Feature.”

Summit Racing Equipment—e-commerce, mail order and retailer of top performance parts—is opening its new retail superstore at 2200 E. Interstate 20 in Arlington, Texas. The grand opening will run from Friday, Sept. 29 through Sunday, Oct. 1.


The new facility—a 32,000-square-foot retail superstore—will stock automotive parts for almost any type of racing, classic and muscle cars, trucks, SUVs and off-road vehicles. In addition, it will also carry parts for motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, tools, paint and body supplies, and apparel.


Among events at the grand opening will be appearances by Dan Wilkerson’s National Hot Rod Association Nitro Funny Car and the Summit Racing/BIGFOOT monster truck, and representatives from the Texas Motorplex, Kennedale Speedway and the Texas Motor Speedway.


The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, except on major holidays.


With its headquarters in Tallmadge, Ohio, Summit operates distribution centers and retail stores in Tallmadge; Sparks, Nev.; and McDonough, Ga., in addition to the new center in Arlington.

One of the most beloved figures in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will bring his popular traveling road show home to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum for a special question-and-answer session November 8.

"An Evening with Donald Davidson” will give fans an opportunity to ask questions and hear stories from the British-born Davidson, who is believed to be the only full-time staff historian for any race track in the world.

The event is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, 4790 W. 16th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46222.

Perhaps best known for being a member of the Speedway's worldwide radio network continuously since 1965, the British-born raconteur has also hosted, since 1971, The Talk of Gasoline Alley on WFNI, Indianapolis (formerly WIBC).

Davidson was inducted into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2013. On May 20, 2016, he was awarded the State of Indiana's highest civilian award when named a Sagamore of the Wabash by then Governor Mike Pence.

Tickets are available at the door, but spots can be reserved by emailing museumevents@brickyard.com. Museum members and one guest are $10 each, while non-members may purchase tickets for $20. Ticket prices include admission to the museum.

Seven dates for the 31st annual edition of Indiana Sprint Week have been set for the 2018 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car season.

The prestigious summertime tradition will have a familiar look with seven races in nine nights from July 20-28, 2018, featuring a slate of the top sprint car tracks in the Hoosier state.

For the eighth consecutive year, Indiana Sprint Week will begin at Gas City I-69 Speedway on Friday, July 20 before following it up a night later just a little over 30 miles to the west at Kokomo Speedway on Saturday, July 21. The first weekend concludes Sunday, July 22 in the southeastern part of the state at Lawrenceburg Speedway.

After a two-day hiatus, the series returns for a final four-day stretch that begins at the Terre Haute Action Track on Wednesday, July 25. Then, it’s off to Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville on Thursday, July 26, Bloomington Speedway on Friday, July 27, and concludes with the ISW finale Saturday, July 28 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt.

The changing landscape on the racing calendar within the Midwest region opened new opportunities, instigating a change to a slightly later date in the month of July for ISW to create a better balance for the series’ drivers and teams during a busy summer stretch.

Indiana Sprint Week debuted in 1988, but first became USAC-sanctioned in 1996. Since then, the event has grown from three races to seven, and has become the marquee event on the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car trail.

For more information, visit www.usacracing.com.