Justin Elkes, a veteran motorsports tuning consultant, has launched Modern Racing to better serve his client base.

Located in Mooresville, N.C., Modern Racing will serve as a source for purchasing high-quality electronics and data acquisition components made by Racepak, MoTeC and more.

Modern Racing also offers tuning, consulting, data acquisition analysis, wiring, fabrication, machining, and complete racing operation housing and management.

“Not only is Modern Racing a Racepak Elite Dealer and a MoTeC supplier, which allows us to offer competitive pricing, but it’s also the best place to buy these components because of the expertise we have with using and applying them,” said Elkes.

While Modern Racing was originally formed in 2006 as a solo venture, the growth of Elkes’ business has made expansion necessary. Elkes and his team recently moved into a new facility in the racing-heavy Lakeside Business Park in Mooresville.

The location will feature multiple bays for wiring, tuning, and setup, as well as a retail counter and showroom. Modern Racing has also launched an all-new website and online store.

Acura will hold a global vehicle debut during Monterey Automotive Week, August 15–20, showcasing its latest racing vehicle.

The ARX-05 marks Acura’s anticipated return to prototype racing. Along with legendary partner Team Penske, Acura will campaign two ARX-05 race cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, beginning with the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January 2018.

The Acura ARX-05 [Acura Racing eXperimental, generation 5] is the latest in a successful line of endurance prototypes fielded by Acura beginning more than 25 years ago (1991). The prototype race car was styled by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, Calif., and the multi-year program will be administered by Honda Performance Development, the racing arm for both Acura Motorsports and Honda Racing in North America.

Acura is also debuting a redesigned 2018 RLX, its Sport Hybrid street vehicle. For a complete schedule on the debut campaign, visit the Acura website.

Jessica Hatcher, an experienced public relations executive with deep family ties to NHRA racing, has been named senior director of public relations and communications, according to the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).

In her new role with NHRA, Hatcher will lead and create the strategic direction for corporate communications and public relations for the world’s largest motorsports sanctioning body. She will report to Glen Cromwell, NHRA senior vice president of media and marketing.  

“Jessica knows NHRA Drag Racing from the inside, and her background in public relations, communications, and the creative world provides a great combination to help NHRA move further into the mainstream,” said Cromwell.

Jessica has led brand awareness and public relations campaigns for a multitude of nationally recognized brands, including Capriotti’s, Applebee’s, SKYY Vodka, PopChips, Corner Bakery Cafe, Fatburger, JC Penney, and No Kid Hungry. Her experience working with a wide range of organizations required her to serve multiple constituencies, including franchisees and customers.

This multi-focus approach will translate well to serving the many NHRA constituencies, including racers, teams, spectators, sponsors, track owners and operators, television viewers, and more.  

“NHRA drag racing is quite literally in my genes. I attended my first NHRA event when I was only 2 weeks old! NHRA racing has so many phenomenal stories of courage and triumph, not to mention camaraderie and the resilience of the human spirit,” Hatcher said.     
 


Hatcher holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Media and Marketing from Washburn University. She resides in Los Angeles.

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund awarded $160,000 to 60 individuals this year, including 53 SEMA scholarships to current students and seven loan-forgiveness awards to employees of SEMA-member companies.

“This year’s pool of scholarship winners represents the diversity of interests and disciplines that the automotive industry attracts,” said Wade Kawasaki, chairman, SEMA board of directors. “SEMA is committed to offering support to the next generation of young men and women that will drive this industry for years to come.”

More than $2.2 million has been awarded to more than 1,300 students since the program’s establishment in 1984.

“The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund and the SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program are dedicated to fostering the next generation of automotive aftermarket industry leaders and innovators by helping them get off to a successful start in their education and automotive aftermarket careers,” Kawasaki added.

The online application for next year’s awards will be accepted Nov. 1, 2017, through March 1, 2018, at www.sema.org/scholarships.

Visit the SEMA website for the complete list of 2017 Memorial Scholarship & Loan Forgiveness Winners.

The PRI Show Student Breakfast was introduced at PRI 2016 and received an overwhelming response with over 400 students and faculty in attendance. Building off the momentum of last year, the PRI Show will introduce the Inaugural Student Career Day that will immediately follow the breakfast during PRI 2017.

The program serves to highlight the diversity of career opportunities in the performance and racing industry and promote brand awareness, all while addressing the immediate employment needs of the participating companies.
 
Participating companies will interact with hundreds of high school and college students from the across the US. This platform provides PRI Show exhibitors with a special opportunity to meet and inspire the next generation of automotive professionals.

More information on the inaugural event is detailed below.

When: Friday, December 8, 2017
Where: Indiana Convention Center, Sagamore Ballroom Corridor
Time: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. (Student Breakfast takes place 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.)
 
PRI will provide participating companies with a table, chairs, and basic signage.
 
To REGISTER YOUR COMPANY, email SEMA’s Senior Director of Education Zane Clark at zanec@sema.org. Space will be limited, REGISTER TODAY.

The National Street Rod Association presented Joe Petlick with the 2017 NSRA Person of the Year Award during the recent 48th Annual Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. Petlick is a sales manager at Motor State Distributing, a leading distributor of racing equipment and high-performance auto parts.

Petlick has spent a lifetime involved in the Street Rod community, according to Motor State. Not only is Petlick a fellow enthusiast and owner of several hot rods—including his red 1939 Ford Coupe—but his occupation at Motor State has allowed the Southwest Michigan native to champion many of the causes that keep the hobby and the industry alive.

Petlick also serves on the SEMA Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Select Committee and is the Chair of Education.

Petlick was sure to thank his wife who surprised him on the stage during the ceremony for their 42nd anniversary.

Automotive aftermarket industry veteran Jesse Jones has joined Cometic Gasket, Inc., and will serve as the northeast Ohio-based organization’s Vice President of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Production Engine Remanufacturer (PER) Sales.

Jones comes to Cometic with over 35 years of industry experience following a lengthy tenure with Dana Incorporated, including a stop at Mahle Clevite.

Most recently, the Northwood University Alumnus was the Senior Manager, Special Markets, for Dana where he was responsible for developing new markets. In that role, Jones led Dana’s reintroduction and launch of the companies’ engine sealing product line incorporating strategy, product offerings, marketing and distribution.

Jones will focus his efforts on identifying new opportunities with OEMs and PERs while mining and implementing high volume private label programs within the automotive, powersports and marine markets.

Jones, who is a member of several professional organizations including Auto Care Association (ACA) Speciality Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA), Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), will begin his new role effective immediately.

Eight new members have been selected for Calistoga Speedway’s Hall of Fame and will be inducted Sept. 1, on the Napa County Fairgrounds at a dinner that traditionally begins the Louie Vermeil Classic on Labor Day weekend each year.

The 10th annual Louie Vermeil Classic features non-wing, “traditional” sprint cars from the Southern California-based USAC/CRA, and USAC Western States midgets for two nights of racing at the Calistoga Speedway half mile oval on Sept. 2-3.

A list of the inductees is detailed below.

Rendy Boldrini, the 1975 NARC Rookie of Year who went on to claim many victories at Calistoga in an era where all sprint cars on the half-mile oval were non-wing. According to racing historian Bobby Gerould, “Boldrini is one of the most underrated non-wing drivers in the track’s history.”

Duane Bonini, a rising talent who won the first sprint car race he entered at Calistoga Speedway, and two additional races over the subsequent year. Almost a year to the day of his first win, Bonini succumbed to injuries from a crash at the speedway.

Dave Bradway, Jr., a seven-time winner at Calistoga Speedway from 1982-87 and only the second driver to break the 100 mph barrier in qualifying, which was a major accomplishment in those days. Bradway perished in a sprint car crash in Skagit, Washington, in 1987.

Jack Gordon, a veteran racer who won many championships in both Super Modifieds and Sprint cars. He won his first race at Calistoga in 1982 and claimed the 1987 NARC car owner’s championship.

Chick Lastire, one of the founders of the Bay Cities Racing Association in 1939, which continues to sanction midget races. Initially sanctioning roadsters, the BCRA ran one of its first races at Calistoga Speedway in 1939. Lastire continued to field cars as an owner and won the ARA championship as a car owner before retiring from the sport in 1959.

Jack McAfee, an owner of sprint cars that were driven by more than 20 of the region’s top racers, many of whom are Hall of Fame members. McAfee built cars in his own two-car garage without major sponsors but finished in the top 10 in championship point standings for 25 consecutive years before retiring from the sport in 1998.

Don Melvin, who consistently finished in the top 10 in the NARC driver’s championship standings from 1970-78. One of his five wins on the NARC circuit was at Calistoga in 1974, when he won the feature race from the back of the field after winning the semi-main to earn his spot in the main event.

Galen Unruh, a NARC president who was instrumental in the growth of sponsorship for the series and for its individual sprint car teams from 1988-96.

Irwindale Speedway and Irwindale Dragstrip officials have announced that the track property owners have set the date of January 31, 2018, as the last day of operation for the Irwindale Event Center.

Team 211 Entertainment CEO Jim Cohan announced that the owners of the Irwindale Event Center property, where the tracks are located, notified officials earlier this week.  

Cohan also noted that Irwindale Event Center will continue to operate “right up to our final weeks” and the full 2017 schedule of NASCAR, Draft Strip, LA Racing Experience events, and special events will run as published.

"I simply want everyone out there to understand that this team is going to work just as hard to keep this a great fan-friendly facility running strong all the way until midnight January 30, 2018,” Cohan said.  

Irwindale Event Center is comprised of a 6000-seat twin track NASCAR stadium that opened in March of 1999 and an NHRA-sanctioned 1/8-mile drag strip that followed a year later. The center is also home to the LA Racing Experience, a popular stock car driving school, as well as Advanced Driving Dynamics, a hands-on safety course taught on the facility's parking lot.

Many other well-known events have called Irwindale home over the years including the X Games, Formula Drift and Global Rallycross, along with concerts, and hundreds of feature film, TV, and commercial shoots, according to officials.

NASCAR XFINITY Series teams will have the option to use flange-fit composite bodies at three races later this season. The move is designed as the first step for the series to move toward incorporating flange-fit bodies into full-time use by 2019.

Five Star RaceCar Bodies will supply the body parts. The only parts they will not supply will be the hood, upper nose and fenders, which will be supplied by Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota, depending on team manufacturer alliance.

Teams will have the option of using the bodies at Richmond Int’l Raceway, Dover Int’l Speedway and Phoenix Raceway later this year. The body will remain optional in 2018 at all tracks with the exception of superspeedways before being used in full in 2019.

“Definitely the amount of labor it takes to re-tool a car (is a big benefit),” XFINITY Series director Wayne Auton told NASCAR.com. “The labor…is where the owners are going to save the money. The body parts are about the same as what a steel body costs but the (savings will be in) labor time, the turnaround time.”

Unlike the current steel bodies, which are welded to the chassis, the composite bodies are bolted on via bracing and can be removed with ease.