First generation 1.8-liter cars are now eligible to compete in the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) Mazda Miata Heritage Cup.

Due to
ue to racer interest, the previously announced addition of early first generation Spec Miatas has been expanded to include all first-gen cars, both the early 1.6-liter models, and the later 1.8-liter cars.

The first weekend for the SVRA Mazda Miata Heritage Cup will be April 28-30 at Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana, California. The new series, which was announced in November of last year for aspiring racers, is a five-race points championship that will visit the Auto Club Speedway, Road America, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Portland International Raceway and Virginia International Raceway.
 
“Spec Miata has reached yet another milestone with our recent inclusion into the world of vintage racing. This gives our racers access to additional race weekends and the unique experience that only the SVRA provides. Expanding eligibility to include the 1.8-liter cars was in response to racer interest,” noted David Cook, business development manager, Mazda Motorsports.

Glen Cromwell has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Media and Marketing of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Cromwell begins his new role effective immediately.

Cromwell joined NHRA as a Division Director in 1997 and has been a key player leading the sport’s marketing efforts for the past 20 years.  

“I look forward to this next step in my career within NHRA Championship Drag Racing,” Cromwell, said. “The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is poised for unparalleled growth with the support of our partners. I welcome the opportunity to enhance our programs and continue to expand the sport.”

Cromwell will retain the responsibilities he has held as Vice President of National Event Marketing in addition to overseeing brand marketing, publications, media, television and broadcasting groups.

He will also retain his seat on the board of directors of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.

Prior to joining NHRA in 1997, Cromwell served in a variety of capacities with FELD Motorsports, producer of AMA Supercross and Monster Truck events.

The green flag has been waved for the new quarter midget track as members of the Terre Haute Quarter Midget Association, joined by representatives from Hannig Construction, gathered to break ground on their new track last weekend.

The new facility in Terre Haute, Indiana is scheduled to be completed this fall. The track is “moving” from its current location at 13th Street and Lockport Road to a 30-acre lot on the corner of Davis Avenue and South Houseman Street.

The facility will feature a dirt track, a tower with concessions and meeting rooms, a spectator parking that could double as an asphalt course, electrified parking for trailers and campers and video monitors.

Construction is scheduled to start next week.

Stan Hawthorne, secretary for Terre Haute Quarter Midget Association and president of the relocation committee, said it was great to finally be breaking ground on the facility after many years of work.

“It’s been a long process and it’s a great feeling to get moving,” Hawthorne said. “From here it’s all smooth sailing. We’ll get the thing done and be racing in the fall here.”

“And it’s privately owned. Many of the other contemporary quarter midget tracks are on fairground facilities and other places where they don’t really own the property. This organization owns the property.”

The FIA and ACO have extended their partnership to run the World Endurance Championship until the end of the 2020 season after ACO president Pierre Fillon and FIA president Jean Todt signed a contract this weekend during the "Meet The Presidents" conference at Silverstone.

This means the series will run for at least another three years, following its initial five-year contract signed in 2011.

On the subject of LMP1 and manufacturers, Fillon revealed that more projects are in the works for future seasons.

"There are other manufacturers than just Peugeot, Toyota and Porsche that we want to attract, with the target of retaining the same technology and performance levels, but at a reduced cost. We have to wait until the announcement at the Le Mans 24 Hours about the new regulations for 2020, though.

"Along with Ginetta's LMP1 project," he continued, "we have an SMP project, a Rebellion project and others in the works for 2018."

FIA Endurance Commission president Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, meanwhile, admitted that in LMP2, cost control needs to be a focus going forward.

"We need to keep an eye on LMP2 spending," Owen-Jones said. "The lease agreements have all been delivered as promised in terms of costs, but we feel that LMP2 teams may be spending more money in other areas. So we need to keep an eye on it and regulate it if we have to."

The Staubli Automotive Technology Day Open House will be held at Suburban Showplace in Novi, Missouri on April 20. The event will showcase the latest in the manufacturer’s robotics, vision, motion control and related technologies.
 
At the event, Staubli will unveil the full capacity of its new TX2 series of collaborative robots to the North American market. The company also will debut its new MPS tool changers, which enhance the productivity of automated production lines.

Staubli’s North American headquarters is located in Duncan, South Carolina. The manufacturer of 125 years makes textile machinery, quick release couplings and robotics systems. With a workforce of over 4500 employees, Staubli is present in 25 countries supported by a comprehensive distribution network in 50 countries worldwide.

Cumberland Raceway, the 1/2-mile dirt oval located in Cumberland, Maryland and formally known as Rock Allegany County Speedway, is holding its first race in over three years this weekend on Saturday, April 15.

Fans can see Super Late Models, Semi-Lates, Pure Stock and Four Cylinders race the recently renovated track on the Grand Opening Night on Saturday, April 15. New guardrails and concrete walls are among the renovations.

The Maryland track first opened in October 1924 but was originally used for horse racing.

In 1967, forty years after it’s opening, officials welcomed auto racing for the first time. Stock races and USAC sprint car events were soon hosted at the speedway.

The reopening of the track was a community effort. Members of the community volunteered time and money through bake sales, spaghetti dinners and more to raise funds for the track.

Pits open at 3 p.m. and racing begins at 7 p.m. for the Grand Opening Night event. For the track’s 2017 racing schedule, visit www.thegreatercumberlandraceway.com/events/.

Photo courtesy Hot Rodders of Tomorrow.

Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (HROT) Junior Engine Challenge, the new contest series based on the popular HROT Engine Challenge, held its first official event at the Gateway Motorsport Park in Madison, Illinois.

Junior Engine Challenge is a contest made of several teams with two members each. One team member must be 5 to 18 years old and the pair has to completely disassemble and reassemble a single cylinder OHV engine, utilizing only basic hand tools.

More than 20 competitors disassembled and reassembled a small single cylinder OHV engine at the Gateway Motorsports Park event.

A team of brothers, 9-year-old Kyle and 8-year-old Billy from Frankfort, Illinois, even ran through the engine not once, but twice.

Father-son, uncle-nephew, mother-son and teams of racers and their brothers all competed at Gateway Motorsports Park, the first of ten qualifying events. The contest will be featured and hosted as a part of the Midwest Junior Super Series, held during racing events all across the central US.

Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Junior Engine Challenge will continue at the Protect the Harvest Midwest Jr Super Series at Byron Dragway on May 5-7 in Byron, Illinois.

Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Junior Engine Challenge is a new competition series from the popular Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge. The events were created to help children aged 5 to 18 years old develop communication skills, self-esteem, problem-solving skills and an understanding of an internal combustion engine.

For more information, visit HotRoddersofTomorrow.com or connect with the group on social media. To start a team or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Rodney Bingham at RBingham@hotroddersoftomorrow.com or call 815/722-5460.

John L. Bickford and Anthony (Tony) La Russa have been elected to the board of directors of the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. Their election was announced at Phoenix Raceway concurrent with the naming of the Hall of Fame’s 2017 class of seven inductees.

Bickford, 70, is the step-father, mentor and manager of NASCAR premier series champion Jeff Gordon. The Napa, California-native was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in June 2016.

Bickford purchased a quarter-midget race car for Gordon, who began racing at small, California dirt tracks at the age of five. Gordon was ready to compete in sprint cars at age 13 but, because of age restrictions, could not race in his native state. Bickford and his wife Carol made the decision to move the family to Indiana, where Gordon’s career quickly ascended.

La Russa, on the other hand, spent 33 years as a Major League Baseball manager
and is a member of baseball’s Hall of Fame. While he does not have a big background in motorsports, La Russa does have a background in management.

La Russa, 72, and his wife Elaine are the founders of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, which saves abandoned and injured animals as well as runs programs to bring dogs and cats to abused children, hospital patients, seniors and shut-ins.

The 2017 West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame Inductees are Walker Evans, Michael Gaughan, Joe Leonard, Gene Price, Scott Pruett, Frank Secrist and Kenneth (Kenny) Takeuchi.

The West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame was conceived in 2001 as a means of recognizing significant contributors and contributions to the sport of stock car racing. While the Hall of Fame currently only exists in digital form, the Hall’s future goal is to share it with the public at various locations yet to be determined.

The mission of the Hall of Fame is to preserve the history and heritage of the west coast stock car competitors and to recognize outstanding individuals and groups within the sport such as, but not limited to, designers, engineers, mechanics, drivers, race track owners, promoters, publicists and members of the motorsports media.

More information can be found at www.westcoaststockcarracing.com.

Tri-State Speedway will open the season this weekend with a “Spring Showdown” featuring the United States Auto Club (USAC) Sprint Cars along with those following the Midwest Sprint Car Series (MSCS). This will be a co-sanctioned event offering fans the ultimate experience in watching 410 non-wing sprint car racing.

USAC and MSCS competing together on the race card only happens twice a season. Both will race the 1/4-mile oval at Haubstadt, Indiana. The feature will be contested over 30 laps and will pay $5000 to win and $500 to start. For this first combined show on April 15, all the events on the sprint program will be conducted using the USAC format.

The race originated at the Tri-State Speedway in 2012. Chase Stockon won the 2016 version of the USAC-MSCS “Spring Showdown,” with Brady Bacon winning the year prior.

Qualifying on Saturday, April 15, will begin at 6:30 p.m. (Central). Racing will begin with heat races at 7:30 p.m. The UMP Open Wheel Modified Cars will also be racing to create a double bill that adds to the action.  

All MSCS licensed drivers will be receiving full series points even though the “Spring Showdown” is a co-sanctioned event.  

For more information, visit the Tri-State website. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or by calling 812/768-6025.

Cordova International Raceway (CIR) track officials announced management is accepting job applications for the 2017 racing season.

CIR is a 190-acre facility featuring a 1/4-mile drag strip sanctioned by the IHRA. Located in Cordova, Illinois, the track is home to the World Series of Drag Racing, set for August 25-27.

Dominic Blasco, CIR president and general manager, said all positions on the race track are open, including racing director, grounds and maintenance, trackside and food stand positions.

The biggest job open is the racing director, which involves planning of the track.

"We're looking for somebody with experience in bracket racing and kind of all phases of racing," says Blasco. "Somebody that's been in the field for awhile and the more experienced the better."

Not all jobs require several years of experience. In fact, office manager Brenda Stuart says they hope to hire several teens for their first jobs.

"It's nice to help the local economy out," she explained. "It's kind of exciting for us to hire local guys who have gone on to bigger and better things."

To find out more information on how to apply or view the racing schedule, visit www.racecir.com.