Bristol Motor Speedway and its parent company want to expand operations to include a track in Nashville. Track officials confirmed they had applied to be the promoter of the historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

In a statement released to News Channel 11, BMS track General Manager said his company would be “honored” to be the city’s choice to promote the speedway.

“Bruton Smith, executive chairman and Marcus Smith, chief executive officer, have a vision that the venue can again become a premier destination and they have a solid reputation of creating world-class facilities,” BMS GM Jerry Caldwell said in a statement released Wednesday night.

According to The Tennessean, at least one other bid has been submitted to manage the track near Nashville’s downtown.

The Mayor of Nashville is on record as supporting the city’s investment in improvements at the track which was once on the NASCAR circuit.

“If selected, the BMS team stands ready to work in collaboration with the city of Nashville to boost the fan experience, improve safety and produce iconic events at the Fairgrounds Speedway,” Caldwell said. “We are confident that great success can be achieved for the racetrack while balancing the quality of life for its surrounding neighbors.”

Mello Yello, Coca-Cola Company’s popular citrus-flavored soft drink brand, will extend its relationship with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) sanctioning body by continuing its longstanding association as the sponsor of NHRA’s premier series.
 
Racquel Mason, vice president, Sprite & Flavors brands for Coca-Cola North America, and NHRA President Peter Clifford will join NHRA Top Fuel driver Antron Brown to celebrate the announcement on Friday evening at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis during the Chevrolet U.S. Nationals prior to the first round of qualifying for Nitro Funny Car and Top Fuel dragster.

The group will also unveil a new and exclusive car design for Antron’s Matco Tools Toyota dragster, prominently featuring the Mello Yello brand.

Throughout this sponsorship, which began in 2002, Mello Yello plays a significant role at NHRA events, offering fans and drivers alike refreshment and fun.

In its time as the banner brand for NHRA’s premier series, Mello Yello has gained significant market share and shows no signs of slowing down. The NHRA announced preliminary plans to implement services and interactive experiences specifically tailored to first-time attendees at all 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events.

E3 Performance Products has announced Kunzman and Associates has joined the company’s expanding roster of manufacturer representation for E3 spark plugs and performance products.

The 24 member expert staff of Kunzman and Associates services over 3000 accounts across 37 states east of the Rockies.

“With such a strong presence in the performance and racing marketplace, E3’s brand recognition is at an all-time high,” says Jonathan Kunzman, vice president of business development. “Timing could not be better for the introduction of their new DiamondFIRE line of ignition products. We look forward to turning the line into one of our fastest movers.”

The DiamondFIRE name comes from E3’s patented DiamondFIRE ground electrode found on every E3 Spark Plug. The design of the DiamondFIRE ground electrode promotes faster flame kernel growth, a more turbulent explosion of spark and Edge-to-Edge spark discharge for improved spark direction as well as extended plug life without the use of precious metals, according to E3.

For more information about E3 ignition products, visit e3sparkplugs.com.

Motovicity Distribution, a leading automotive performance aftermarket distributor, has announced it has added Torque Solution to its line card.

Torque Solution has been a manufacturer of performance engine mounts for many automotive markets since 2008. According to Motovicity, “countless” requests have put Torque Solution’s engine mounts, short shifters, exhaust mounts, Polyurethane bushings, and shifter bushings onto Motovicity’s shelves for the first time ever.

Torque Solution products are now available for wholesale purchase through Motovicity Distribution. For product inquiries, call 888.SPEED.16 to speak to a representative and visit the all new Motovicity.com.

Eight new members will be inducted into Calistoga Speedway’s Hall of Fame this Friday night on the eve of the speedway’s traditional Louie Vermeil Classic on Labor Day weekend.

Rendy Boldrini, Duane Bonini, Dave Bradway Jr., Jack Gordon, Chick Lastire, Jack McAfee, Don Melvin and Galen Unruh will be inducted into the Calistoga Hall of Fame on during the Calistoga Hall of Fame Reception and Dinner Friday, September 1.

For a short biography on each new inductee, visit the Calistoga website here.

In addition, Johnny Anderson, the 1976 Northern Auto Racing Club champion and member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, will preside over the weekend as Grand Marshal of the Louie Vermeil Classic. Anderson, who also raced midgets and competed throughout the country and in Australia, won NARC races in three separate decades in the 70s, 80s and 90s, and is ranked fourth on the all-time Calistoga Speedway winners’ list.

The 77th annual Turkey Night Grand Prix will have an interesting twist November 23 at Ventura Raceway as Automotive Racing Products announced its sponsorship of the ARP Midget & Sprint Car $50,000 To Win Challenge.

The bonus will pay $50,000 to a driver who can win the headlining USAC National Midget feature and the Ventura Racing Ass’n 360 non-winged sprint main event on Thanksgiving night at the fifth-mile Oceanside dirt track.

While both classes had healthy car counts last year, the bonus is in part to encourage the country’s top drivers to do double duty on the night.

This will be the second consecutive year the Turkey Night Grand Prix will be run at Ventura Raceway, which previously held the annual midget classic in 1997.

The first Turkey Night Grand Prix was run at California’s Gilmore Stadium in 1934. Kyle Larson is the reigning Turkey Night winner.

Engine and Performance Warehouse Inc. (EPWI) has named Duane Zook as its new general manager for the South Division. He is succeeding John Clark, who has retired after 23 years with the company. Zook has completed several months of training with Clark and has now assumed the new position with EPWI.

In the new position, Zook will join EPWI’s senior management team and will be responsible for the management and direction of 10 branches throughout the United States.

“Duane is a great asset to this company and we are lucky to have had him as a branch manager in Albuquerque for the past 10 years. He has some big shoes to fill, but he is an extremely hard worker and has great leadership skills. I am confident that he will get the job done,” said Paul Van Woensel, president of EPWI.

Zook brings more than 33 years of automotive and engine parts aftermarket experience to his new position with EPWI. Duane started his automotive career in 1984 and has held various roles within the automotive retail and wholesale markets working for companies like G&M Performance, Competition Specialties, Engines and Components and more.

Zook will perform his duties from the corporate office in Dallas.

McLaren Technology Group has appointed Matt Dennington as Group Director, Partner Strategy—working across McLaren Racing and McLaren Applied Technologies. Dennington will report to McLaren Technology Group's Chief Marketing Officer, John Allert.

Dennington will lead a newly formed Partner Strategy and Insight team, working with McLaren’s Partner Activation team and the Group’s partners to maximize the value of their investment in McLaren’s marketing platform.

Dennington has more than 17 years’ experience in sport and entertainment. Dennington joined motorsport marketing agency JMI (now CSM Sport and Entertainment) six years ago to oversee global brand partnerships in Formula 1 and Formula E.

More recently, his remit expanded across all of the agency’s sports properties in his role as Head of Client and Business Development for its Brands division.

Previous to Dennington’s time at CSM, he led partnerships and athlete marketing for Red Bull in the UK.

Dennington’s appointment is said to further underline McLaren’s partner-first business philosophy, and its continuing drive to enhance McLaren’s position as an iconic sports and technology brand.

Dennington worked closely with the McLaren Group and a number of its partners in recent years—including Diageo and Johnnie Walker, GlaxoSmithKline and NTT Communications. He starts at McLaren on October 1.

All three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires will continue to enjoy competition at three high profile venues as Andersen Promotions and Green Savoree Racing Promotions announced a new multi-year contract.
 
Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda will all be in action on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, through 2020.

All three events—respectively known as the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Honda Indy Toronto and Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio—will be highlighted by rounds of the Verizon IndyCar Series.
 
Mazda Road to Indy’s relationship with Green Savoree began eight years ago with the USF2000 at St. Petersburg.
 
The waterfront street course at St. Petersburg, the cosmopolitan Toronto street circuit, and picturesque Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course have played host to the Mazda Road to Indy since the inception of the INDYCAR-sanctioned ladder system in 2010.
 
The Mazda Road to Indy provides opportunities for drivers from around the world to progress all the way from the grassroots to the pinnacle of the sport in North America. All three levels will wrap up the 2017 season this weekend at Watkins Glen International.

The New England Auto Racers (NEAR) Hall of Fame has announced that it will induct eight new members to the class of 2017. It will be the 20th year for the region’s most prestigious honor roll.

A wide-ranging group of drivers, car owners and builders, one crew chief, and one multi-faceted contributor will join the NEAR Hall of Fame, raising the total to 225 members enshrined.

Steve Bird, Ben Dodge Jr., Tom Dunn, Russ Wood, Bobby Gahan, Gardiner Leavitt and racing brothers Jeff and Rick Fuller will be formally inducted into the NEAR Hall of Fame on Nov. 12 at Maneely’s Banquet Hall in South Windsor, Connecticut.

The New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame was established in 1998 by the New England Antique Racers. For short biographies on each new member’s racing career, visit here.