Racing 4 A Reason is hosting two seminars titled “From Art to Part” in conjunction with the Factory Five’s annual car festival that takes place in Huntington Beach, California, the same weekend, April 28-29.

The first “From Art to Part” seminar is an introductory session on CAM efficiency and takes place on Friday, April 28 from 2-4 p.m. at the Urban Workshop, an 18,500+ square foot facility.

The second seminar delves deeper into CAM/Toolpath optimization and improving programming and cycle time starts at the Best Western Surf City conference room from 9-10:30 a.m.

Factory Five’s tenth annual Huntington Beach Cruise-In is an all-day car festival that features live music, awards, raffles and cars on display, many being Shelby Cobra replicas.

To register or for more information on the seminars, visit here. A schedule of events is detailed below.

Friday, April 28—CAM: The Fast Track to Efficiency
Urban Workshop
365-A Clinton Street  
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Registration 1:30-2 p.m.
Seminar: 2-4 p.m.

Saturday, April 29—CAM/Toolpath Optimization
Best Western Surf City
19360 Beach Blvd,
Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Registration: 8:30-9 a.m.
Seminar: 9-10:30 a.m.

McLaren announced that Fernando Alonso, Formula One's two-time champion and three-time runner-up, will compete in the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on May 28.

Alonso will drive for Andretti Autosport, which has won four Indianapolis 500s, including last year's race with Verizon IndyCar Series rookie Alexander Rossi at the wheel of the Honda-powered Dallara. Honda also powers Alonso's car on McLaren's grand prix team.

Alonso will miss the Monaco Grand Prix, as the races take place on the same day. A replacement driver will be announced at a later date.  

Alonso becomes the ninth driver to enter the 500 with a world championship on his resume. In recent years, Nigel Mansell's participation in 1993 as the reigning F1 champion was the most celebrated, with media interest at a fevered pitch. Mansell finished third.

Alonso's decision to join this year's 500 field adds to the momentum of the race and the Verizon IndyCar Series. Last year's 500 was sold out for the first time in history and broke attendance marks. The Verizon IndyCar Series has seen television ratings increases each of the past three years, a combined 55 percent, and Alonso's participation should provide an even greater spotlight on the “Month of May” activities.

In related news, Indianapolis Motor Speedway recently announced a new collaborative community effort, 500 Forward, to elevate and extend celebrations surrounding the Indianapolis 500.

500 Forward consists of 13 partner organizations paired with IMS to execute programming and events that celebrate the “Greatest Month in Racing” and support worthy civic initiatives through the legacy and appeal of the Indianapolis 500.

The 500 Forward programs and events include:
– 500 Fashion Fridays: A partnership with Downtown Indy Inc. encouraging downtown workers to incorporate racing and the Indianapolis 500 into their Friday outfits.

– Welcome Program: A collaboration with Visit Indy, the Indianapolis Airport Authority and Hamilton Country Tourism to ensure amped-up hospitality for visitors during the Month of May. This will include welcome signage at Indianapolis International Airport and more than 30 hotels in Indianapolis and Hamilton County. Taxi cab drivers will also receive special Indy 500 advocate training and checkered car flags.

– Indy 500 Porch Parties: A popular program returning through support from the Harrison Center for the Arts. Central Indiana residents are once again encouraged to celebrate the Month of May with officially registered porch parties. Last year, more than 500 events took place.

– 500 Gives Back: A grant program administered by the 500 Festival to support community organizations implementing life-enriching events, activities and programs, while also celebrating the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500.

– Bike to the 500: The second annual ride will take place on Race Day, Sunday, May 28. Last year, more than 800 fans participated.

– “Welcome Race Fans”: Five local artists have been commissioned by the Arts Council of Indianapolis to create unique, racing-themed pieces of art that will debut in late April and be placed throughout the community during the Month of May.

– Downtown Décor: A collaboration with Visit Indy to deck out downtown Indianapolis in racing-themed décor.

Organizations participating in 500 Forward include the 500 Festival, Arts Council of Indianapolis, City of Indianapolis, Downtown Indy, Hamilton County Tourism, Harrison Center for the Arts, IMS Museum, Indiana Humanities, Indianapolis Airport Authority, IndyHub, IndyCog, Speedway Chamber of Commerce and Visit Indy.

NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway announced the format for the 2017 Monster Energy All-Star Race, one that is said to bring more intense competition to the race.
 
The race format is as follows:
-  The race will feature four stages (20 laps / 20 laps / 20 laps / 10 laps), totaling 70 laps, an ode to the 1992 edition of the same distance.
-  The goal for all competitors: Earn a spot in the final 10-lap, 10-car stage.
-  The winner of each of the first three stages will lock up a spot in the final stage, as long as they remain on the lead lap after the third stage.
-  The cars with the best average finish in the first three stages will make up the remaining spots needed to fill the 10-car final stage.
-  The remaining 10 cars will be lined up by average finish of the first three stages and given the option to pit. Exit off pit road determines starting order for final stage.
-  The winner will be awarded $1,000,000.
 
Shorter stages and an elimination factor is said to almost certainly produce more intense competition when the 2017 Monster Energy All-Star Race takes place May 20 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

But there's a new twist to the format introduced this year that is expected to be the real game-changer—the availability of an "Option" set of tires, to be used at each team's discretion.

The softer compound tires are expected to be anywhere from three-to five-tenths of a second faster initially than the "Prime" tires that will also be used by teams. The prime tires will carry the traditional yellow lettering on the sidewalls while the option tires will feature bold green lettering, allowing fans to tell at a glance which teams are running which type of tire during the event.

The format for year's event is modeled after the 1992 All-Star Race, and consists of 70 laps total, run in three 20-lap stages followed by a 10-lap shootout. The final segment will consist of 10 drivers—winners of the first three stages and the remainder determined based on average finishing position through the first three stages. Any ties would be broken by highest finishing position in the third stage.


Teams will be provided one set of the softer tires for practice only and one set for the All-Star Race. The tires must be installed as a set; also, any team waiting until the final stage of the race to install the softer tires must start behind any team or teams running the harder, prime tires.

Details, including how to watch or listen to the race, are below.

When: Saturday, May 20, events start at 6 p.m. ET with the Monster Energy Open followed by the Monster Energy All-Star Race
Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway
TV: FS1
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Sunoco Hobby Stock and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod drivers can now chase points on eight Thursday nights this season at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Bottineau, as the North Dakota track is now sanctioned by the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA).

“We’re getting some interest from drivers in both divisions looking to race another night for national and state points,” said promoter Jason Laducer. “We been WISSOTA sanctioned and in keeping in line with other tracks in the area decided to go with IMCA.”

Race nights on the 2017 schedule at Thunder Mountain are May 4 and 18, June 8 and 22, July 20 and 27, and August 3 and 17.

“These divisions are good transitions for younger drivers to what we consider entry level divisions,” Laducer said. “Once the Hobby Stock and SportMod divisions are established, our eventual goal is to have special events for IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars.”

The all-volunteer Thunder Mountain Speedway Association is already getting the ¼-mile dirt oval ready for opening night and Laducer said “a few unique local sponsorships” are in place for the upcoming season.

In addition to IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and Allstar Performance State points being awarded in both divisions, Hobby Stocks running at Bottineau earn Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region points.

The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) announced the 2017 NASA Western States Championships presented by Toyo Tires will take place at the Thunderhill Raceway Park on October 5-8, 2017.

NASA competitors from all over the western half of the country will converge on the event in Willows, California, to challenge for the top step on the podium and claim a NASA Championship.

Registration for the racing and time trial events is now open. To register, visit here. The race and time trial schedules are detailed below.

In related news, NASA announced its Ford Performance Contingency Program for competitors in 2017. The program will provide cash awards to NASA racers competing regionally and at either NASA Championship event. The program provides awards to competitors in the American Iron Series, Spec Iron, Super Touring, Performance Touring, and Super Unlimited classes.

Spec Iron competitors are eligible for up to $1000 in cash awards for regional championship top three finishes. Additionally, Spec Iron along with the other classes in the American Iron Series, Performance Touring, Super Touring, and Super Unlimited classes are eligible for $2250 in cash awards for top three finishes in their respective regional championships.

Ford Performance will offer NASA competitors at both Eastern and Western States Championships the chance to collect $4250 in additional cash awards. The 2017 NASA Eastern States Championships takes place October 19 through 22 at the Sebring International Raceway Circuit.

The contingency program is available beginning immediately to all NASA competitors in these respective classes at each NASA regional and Championship event. For complete information on the contingency program, visit http://www.nasaproracing.com/contingencies.


2017 NASA Western States Championships (Oct. 5-8)

Race Schedule:
Thursday – Optional Test/Tune

Friday – Practice, Qualifying and Qualifying Races

Saturday – Qualifying Races

Sunday – Championship Races gridded by points from Qualifying Races

TT Schedule:
Thursday – Optional Test/Tune

Friday – One Warmup Session near end of day

Saturday – Competition Sessions

Sunday – Competition Sessions

In late March, scores of enthusiastic racers took to the grounds of Rockford Speedway in Loves Park, Illinois, for an early-season test of speed and endurance. Some had prepared all winter for the event; and some brought family and friends to lend support.

But this particular race was like no other in the 70-year history of the high-banked quarter-mile oval known as “Mid-America’s Finest Racetrack.” For one, prizes were awarded not to the top finishers, but for those with fun and/or creative costumes. Nor was the race subject to rain-out—the show would go on, weather be damned!

In fact, the rules were quite simple: Competitors in the Shamrock Beer Run 5K would drink 3 oz. of beer at the start of the race, and be able to re-fuel at five different brewery pit stops along the way—plus a pint at the finish, for a total of 31 oz. Requirements included preregistration and, naturally, a valid ID on race day (no kids allowed).

Not your typical short-track contest, to be sure. So what would compel speedway officials to host such an event?

“We have an incredible history here, and I know that in previous years the speedway had always sold itself,” explained Rockford’s events coordinator Sam Conness. “But recently our General Manager David Deery has been looking to reach out to the community in different ways, to bring in more of the younger crowd, and just explore new ways to get more people to come to the facility. Something like [the Beer Run] is a great event for a smaller venue like ours. Hopefully people will see and appreciate the history and tradition that is all around our place and decide it’s something they want to come back to and experience again.”

Indeed, Rockford’s foray into the world of ale-powered distance running represents a strategic effort by some of today’s savvier race track operators to generate additional revenue while opening their gates to a broader audience. It’s also the subject of an in-depth and well-researched feature article in this month’s issue of PRI Magazine penned by contributing editor Bill Sessa.

For the piece titled “Crowd Control: Utilizing Creative Fan Attraction Strategies,” Sessa spoke with officials from Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis, Missouri; Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio; Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington; and others to learn more about the events that take place before, during and after their features and A-mains. Depending on the venue and time of year, those could include anything from concerts and music festivals to rodeos, fitness challenges and holiday light displays.

Promoters are getting clever on race day, too, as evidenced by the growing number of attractions—kid-friendly and otherwise—appearing at ovals, drag strips and road courses across the country. Rather than give away the steak, however, I invite you to read Bill’s article, as you may just come across an idea or two that could help heighten interest and jump-start attendance at your own local speedway!

Kokomo Speedway, a 1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval in Kokomo, Indiana, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this racing season.

The next event of the season is the King of Kokomo which takes place on Sunday, April 30 and features sprint cars, modifieds and hornets. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. while grandstands open at 4 p.m. Tickets to the event are $20 for general admission and $30 for admission with pit access.

The track originally opened in 1947 with partners Albert Miller and John Rose. The pair, along with track builder and promoter Ted Everroade, opened the facility with the intent of it being exclusively a midget track.

Today, the track primarily races open-wheel cars and is owned by the O’Connor family, with Jarrod O’Connor serving as the race director and head of drivers’ meetings. The track underwent modifications including the addition of more banking to the track and widening the surface, new walls and a NASCAR- and IRL-approved catch fence.

Over the years the track has played host to virtually a who’s who in racing history. A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Lloyd Ruby, Troy Ruttman, Johnny Parsons, Parnelli Jones, Bill Vuckovich, Pancho Carter, John Andretti, Steve Butler, J.J. Yeley, Steve Kinser, Jack Hewitt, Rich Vogler, Tom Bigelow, Tony Stewart and Mike Groff are among those who have both raced at the track as well as in the Indianapolis 500.

The 2017 racing schedule features 21 events including special fireworks events on Monday, July 3 and Sunday, September 3.

For a complete schedule and more information, visit www.kokomospeedway.net.

Summit Motorsports Park and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) have agreed to fund a study to look at possible solutions involving three light poles on the park's property that are in proximity to the Huron County Airport.

As an immediate step, both parties have agreed that the poles will be marked with red beacons and striped with reflective tape to ensure visibility for pilots approaching the Huron County Airport. One of the poles has been in place for nearly 20 years, while the other two poles were part of a $400,000 lighting upgrade at the park last year.

"I appreciate the amount of time ODOT officials spent looking at our situation, and they made it clear that they are not in the business of closing businesses or impeding economic development, so we're working together to find a win-win solution," said Bill Bader, Jr., Summit Motorsports Park president. "The outpouring of support from the community, our racers and fanbase was nothing short of miraculous. Our collective voices were heard."

Summit Motorsports Park will begin this year's race season with the 36th Annual Spring Warm Up on April 15, before offering the 11th Annual Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser, May 19-21, Super Summit, June 9-10, 11th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, June 22-25, 40th Annual Kelly Services Night Under Fire, August 12, 16th Annual NMCA All-American Muscle SuperNationals, August 25-27, Summit Racing Equipment Shakedown at the Summit 15 presented by Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, September 14-17 and many other events.

The track is located at 1300 State Route 18, Norwalk, Ohio. For more information, visit www.summitmotorsportspark.com or call 419/668-5555.

Air Flow Research, a manufacturer of high-performance cylinder heads and manifolds, announced its V8BUILDS event will be held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on Saturday, May 20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

V8BUILDS is an event for car enthusiasts that will feature an SCCA Autocross course, a "show and shine" area, car manufacturers answering questions and a vendor village packed with companies offering deals and the latest in product offerings for V8-powered cars.

All makes and models of V8-powered vehicles are invited. For more information or to register for the event, visit www.V8BUILDS.com.

Air Flow Research is a manufacturer of high-performance cylinder heads and manifolds in Valencia, California. For more information on Air Flow Research, call 661/257-8124.

Indiana-based ISC Sports Network and the Ohio-based Rick’s Truck and Equipment Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series (BOSS) announced a partnership that brings each of the 19 BOSS Sprint Car events to the ISC Sports Network.

The ISC Sports Network features select statewide programming from several different sources around the Hoosier state. All 19 BOSS races will be aired the following Monday morning after a race weekend. Races are also available to watch on demand online at ISCSportsNetwork.com or by downloading the ISC Sports Network app, which is available on Apple and Android.

Founded in 2011 by Aaron Fry, the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series (BOSS), now backed by Ohio-based trucking company Rick’s Truck and Equipment, utilizes 410 non-winged sprint cars at every event.

The season features 19 races in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Now race fans around the world can watch BOSS action on their phone, laptop or from the comfort of their home on TV for race fans in Indiana.

“In the short history of the BOSS series, we have developed a competitive series with big car counts,” BOSS Series Founder/Owner Aaron Fry said. “I’m excited that we can now share this with a much bigger audience worldwide”

All 19 BOSS events will feature a true television production from Southeastern Indiana-based ETC Sports producing the content and BOSS announcer Ryan Kent Jr. as the television voice of the series.

Along with full program video being available to fans the Monday morning after the events, fans can now watch A-Main highlights on the BOSS YouTube page along with other driver-based content about the BOSS series.

The 2017 BOSS series schedule is below.

    1)    Sat. April 22:  Atomic Speedway; Chillicothe, OH
    2)    Sat. May 13:  Fremont Speedway; Fremont, OH
    3)    Sat. May 20:  Lawrenceburg Speedway; Lawrenceburg, IN
    4)    Sat. May 27:  Mercer Raceway Park; Mercer, PA
    5)    Sun. May 28:  Mansfield Motorsports Park; Mansfield, OH
    6)    Fri. Jun 9:  Limaland Motorsports Park; Lima, OH
    7)    Sat. Jun 10:  Portsmouth Raceway Park; Portsmouth, OH
    8)    Fri. Jun 30:  Lernerville Speedway; Lernerville, PA
    9)    Sat. July 1:  Pittsburgh PA Motor Speedway; Imperial, PA
    10)    Sat. July 8:  Waynesfield Raceway Park; Waynesfield, OH (Spencer Memorial)
    11)    Fri. July 28:  Route 44 Speedway; Liberty, IN
    12)    Sat. July 29:  Lawrenceburg Speedway; Lawrenceburg, IN (Soudrette Memorial)
    13)    Sat. Aug 5:  Waynesfield Raceway Park; Waynesfield, OH (Hewitt Classic)
    14)    Fri. Aug 11:  Mansfield Motorsports Park; Mansfield, OH
    15)    Sat. Aug 12:  Mansfield Motorsports Park; Mansfield, OH (Great Lakes Nationals)
    16)    Fri. Aug 25:  Atomic Speedway; Chillicothe, OH
    17)    Sat. Aug 26:  Atomic Speedway; Chillicothe, OH (Open Wheel Championship)
    18)    Sat. Sep 9:  Montpelier Motor Speedway; Montpelier, IN
    19)    Sat. Sep 30:  Fremont Speedway; Fremont, OH (Hensel Memorial)