Doug Herbert, one of the most dominating drivers in Bristol Dragway history, will join an esteemed group when he is inducted as a Legend of Thunder Valley at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 16—18.

Herbert, a six-time IHRA Top Fuel winner at Bristol, will be inducted during night qualifying on Friday, June 16. He is the latest drag racing star to be inducted into Bristol Dragway’s Hall of Fame, joining such names as former track GM Jeff Byrd, Speedway Motorsports executive chairman Bruton Smith, NHRA legend Don Garlits, NHRA legend and current Funny Car driver John Force and NHRA team owner Don Schumacher.

The nitro pilot has won six consecutive events from 1992-1997. Going up against names such as Shirley Muldowney, Del Worsham, Paul Romine and Jack Ostrander, Herbert never faltered, adding to his Bristol lore.

In addition to his numerous victories, Herbert also produced a number of firsts at Thunder Valley. In 1996, he was the first driver to break the four-second barrier at Bristol. Herbert followed that feat a year later with another first: becoming the first driver in track history to clock a speed at more than 300 mph.

Herbert’s biggest impact may have come off the racetrack. In the late 2000s, Herbert created B.R.A.K.E.S., a non-profit organization whose mission is to train and educate teen drivers and their parents about the importance of safe and responsible driving. He founded the organization following the tragic loss of his two sons in a car crash in 2008. Since then, Herbert has made an amazing difference in the lives of numerous families through his comprehensive at-track driving programs, including at Bristol Dragway.

Tickets for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 16—18, are still available by visiting BristolTix.com or calling 423-BRISTOL.

Nearly 1100 top motorsports parts, equipment and service providers have been plotted on the initial 2017 PRI Trade Show floor plan, which is now available online at www.pri2017.com/floorplan.

As the world’s premier motorsports trade event, each year PRI plays host to exhibiting companies showcasing the latest products, services, machinery, simulation and testing technologies, and trailers for racing. Tens of thousands of buyers from all 50 states and 70 countries will be on hand for this year’s 30th anniversary PRI Show, December 7—9, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

“The online floor plan features maps of both the green and yellow halls, outside trailer exhibits, and seminar rooms on the second floor; it’s a great PRI Trade Show planning tool,” noted PRI General Manager Bill Miller, who added that exhibit space is still available, as reflected on the floor plan, which will be updated as more exhibitors are added.

To register for the 2017 PRI Trade Show and secure hotel reservations, log on to www.pri2017.com.

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) announced its 2018 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule, which will once again feature 24 races from coast-to-coast, all broadcasted exclusively on FOX Sports and the FOX national network.

As is tradition, the season will again begin and end at the Auto Club Dragway in Pomona, California. The NHRA Winternationals will take place in Pomona February 8—11 while the Auto Club NHRA Finals will take place November 8—11.

The annual Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois, which currently takes place in early July, has shifted up in the schedule to the weekend of May 31—June 3. Likewise, the New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire, will take the place of Chicago event on July 6—8. The Englishtown, Bristol and Norwalk events will maintain their place on the schedule before the series shifts to Epping and then on to the traditional Western Swing races in Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, California.

The Countdown to the Championship will again comprise six races: Charlotte, Reading (Pennsylvania), St. Louis, Dallas, Las Vegas and Pomona.

To view the entire NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series 2018 schedule, visit the NHRA website here.

MAHLE’s takeover of electronics specialist Nagares SA is now complete. Following approval by the antitrust authorities, the Spanish company will now be integrated into the group.

MAHLE originally announced the acquisition in March of this year.

With this move into vehicle electronics, MAHLE is strengthening its competence in products for the e-mobility sector and will now be in a position to offer systems solutions across the broad product portfolio of electric drives, auxiliary components and thermal management, according to MAHLE.

The new product area includes control units and power electronics for electric auxiliary components and thermal management systems, as well as power converters for e-mobility solutions. In conjunction with MAHLE’s existing business segments, product developments will include integrated powertrain solutions for hybrid and electric vehicles as well as battery charging technologies.

The development center in Valencia will operate under the name MAHLE Electronics SA with immediate effect and will be substantially expanded by MAHLE in terms of both infrastructure and personnel. The objective is to establish the location within the MAHLE Group as a global competence center for the electronics business.

MAHLE is an international development partner and supplier to the automotive industry, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. For more information, visit www.mahle.com.

S&W Performance Group announced the promotion of Tom Hoosigian to general manager.

"Tom will be directly responsible for refining our operations and implementing process improvement strategies. For many years ahead, this will improve product production and many services that we provide to our commercial and motorsports industry customers," S&W President Michael Weney said.

The Spring City, Pennsylvania race car and component manufacturing facility/corporate headquarters employs more than 24 full-time employees.

Hoosigian’s education and corporate business background, combined with his 48 years of racing and motorsports industry experience, helped put him in this new position, according to S&W Performance Group.

In 2009, Hoosigian relocated from his home state of Connecticut to join the company and become a sales manager. He holds an associate's degree in automotive technology and computer programming. Prior to joining the S&W team, he spent 15 years as the general manager of a privately owned cell phone retailer, with 47 locations in five states.

His life passions include his wife, two daughters, grandchildren and drag racing. In fact, the Hoosigian family has been drag racing since 1969.

Hoosigian has competed in a number of weekly bracket racing series behind the wheel of his Super Comp dragster. He is also an accomplished crew chief and car builder, working with his wife and driver Lynn at NHRA races.

S&W Performance Group is a drag racing chassis builder that also carries products for use in pro/street cars, street rods and off-road trucks and RV’s. For more information, visit www.swracecars.com.

Summit Racing Equipment recently announced the promotion of Al Noe to Chief Marketing Officer.

Noe replaces Jeff Winters as Chief Marketing Officer, who, after 15 years of service to Summit, retired on June 2, 2017.

In his new position, Noe will provide leadership and direction for all marketing activities. He is responsible for the following departments and their respective managers: Advertising, Business Development, Catalog Production, Costing and Pricing, Events and Motorsports, Internet Marketing and Purchasing.

Noe started with Summit as a Manufacturing Team Manager in 2007, where he later was promoted to the Performance and Aftermarket Team Manager in 2010 and then to the Chief Product Officer position in 2014.

Before Summit, Noe worked for SuperTrapp Industries and Stainless Works.

Summit Racing Equipment is a mail order automotive performance equipment company, with thousands of performance parts, aftermarket accessories, tools and equipment. For more information, visit www.summitracing.com.

IndyCar announced that longtime partner Dallara Automobili will manufacture the universal bodywork kit that will fit the current Dallara IR-12 chassis for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

The universal kit to be used by all teams next season was a collaboration between IndyCar and Dallara with the style design support of Chris Beatty, a concept design and 3D animation consultant based in the United Kingdom.

The process of creating the next-generation Indy car began in April 2016 when sanctioning body IndyCar set the criteria for potential manufacturers. The design process commenced in November with hand drawings outlining the general design of the car.

Dallara has supplied safety cells for the Verizon IndyCar Series since 1997 and been the sole chassis supplier since 2008. It has also supplied since 2015 the chassis used in Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, the top level of the IndyCar developmental ladder. Dallara will continue to support Verizon IndyCar Series teams through its U.S. headquarters and engineering center a few blocks south of Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.

“2017 marks the 20th anniversary of our presence in IndyCar, and it is a great honor for us to continue our partnership with the Verizon IndyCar Series,” said Andrea Pontremoli, Dallara CEO and general manager. “Our main goal for the new aero kit was to work on the style, trying to maintain the American essence of the car and the series keeping a good level of performance and safety.”

IndyCar has scheduled the first test of the universal kit’s superspeedway oval configuration for July 25-26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The road-course configuration will be tested Aug. 1 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, two days following the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, the 13th race on this year’s Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. Other tests are scheduled for Aug. 28 (at Iowa Speedway) and Sept. 26 (at Sebring International Raceway).

IndyCar unveiled first renderings of the 2018 car design Jan. 12 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Additional, more detailed images followed in March and May.

For more information and a video rendering of the bodywork kit, visit here.

A new prototype bearing the name of four-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Henri Pescarolo has been launched.

Le Mans-based Pescarolo Sport, a company in which its famous founder no longer has any involvement, has unveiled the Chevrolet-powered 04-LM as the basis of a new one-make racing series.

The Pescarolo Racing Series is scheduled to start next year with seven endurance races for teams of two or three drivers.

The Pescarolo-Chevrolet 04-LM will also be eligible for the VdeV Endurance Series and Creventic 24H Proto Series.

Pescarolo Sport boss Jocelyn Pedrono said: "After several intensive working months, we are very proud to introduce the new Pescarolo 04-LM."

Nine-time Le Mans participant Jean-Bernard Bouvet, who is running the sporting side of Pescarolo Sport, explained that the new car will be positioned between Group CN and LMP3 machinery in the endurance pyramid.

The company also revealed that it has plans for another, faster car to be known as the Pescarolo 05.

Henri Pescarolo's successful privateer LMP1 team, which finished on the podium at Le Mans in 2005-07, was bought out by the Sora composites group in 2009.

Its Sora Racing arm, which manufactured the Pescarolo 02 prototype used at the Le Mans racing school, was purchased last year by Pedrono, an industrial engineer who competes in rallies.

The new car had been developed out of the patents held by Pescarolo Sport for the school car, though the manufacturing techniques and materials are new.

Pescarolo, who subsequently returned to the tracks as a team owner in 2011-12 under the Pescarolo Team banner, stated that he is not supportive of the company using his name.

"I am not involved at all and I do not support it at all," he told Motorsport.com.

For more information on the new series, visit www.pescarolo-sport.com/pescarolo-racing-series.

After 12 seasons, Doug Duchardt will leave Hendrick Motorsports at the end of this month.

Duchardt joined the company in 2005 and has served as the executive vice president and general manager since 2013.

“Being a member of this family of talented people for more than 12 years has been an unparalleled privilege,” Duchardt said. “It was a difficult decision to make, but I feel this is the right time in my life to pursue other goals.

“I’m incredibly thankful to Rick (Hendrick) and all of my teammates for a truly rewarding experience and for the countless relationships that will continue on.”

Duchardt originally worked as the vice president of development. He managed the operations race car design, engineering and production. Over the last four seasons, race operations were under his watch.

Since Duchardt joined Hendrick Motorsports, they've scored 118 wins and seven NASCAR Cup championships. 

Prior to joining Hendrick Motorsports, Duchardt oversaw General Motors’ NASCAR effort.

Hendrick Motorsports has no plans to fill the GM role. Duchardt’s duties will be divided between Hendrick Motorsports president Marshall Carlson, chief financial officer Scott Lampe and vice president of competition Ken Howes.

For more information, visit the Hendrick Motorsports website.

The NASCAR Foundation appointed Nichole Krieger as the new Executive Director. Krieger previously served as Acting Executive Director since February following five years as Senior Director, Development and Marketing.

Krieger – who served as Acting Executive Director since February following five years as Senior Director, Development and Marketing – will assume her new role effective immediately and report to NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton.

As Executive Director, Krieger will build on the legacy of the Foundation’s late Founder and Chairwoman Emeritus Betty Jane France, whose mission was to improve the lives of children. Since 2006, The NASCAR Foundation has raised more than $30 million and positively impacted more than one million children.

“Nichole has been an invaluable leader who has led key programs and helped grow the impact of The NASCAR Foundation,” said NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton. “She was instrumental in leading our 10th-anniversary celebration last year and has the skills, experience and passion to take us into the future. We are thrilled to announce this well-deserved appointment.”

Since joining The NASCAR Foundation, Krieger has helped grow the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide, the Speediatrics Children’s Fund and led a wide variety of philanthropic events in communities across the country.

In September 2016, Krieger was instrumental in developing a multiyear partnership with NYU Langone which expanded the Speediatrics program nationally and donated $1 million to the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.

Prior to joining The NASCAR Foundation in 2012, Krieger served as Senior Director, Corporate and Direct Marketing at Paralyzed Veterans of America. The Georgia Southern University graduate also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Halifax Hospital Foundation in Daytona Beach.