Brickyard 400 weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) will be a bit smaller this year after the track announced plans to condense the weekend.

The schedule for the Brickyard 400 will still include three days on July 21-23, but practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series will take place on July 22, with the 24th annual Brickyard 400 set for 3 p.m. (ET) on July 23.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will take to the track for two practice sessions on July 21 with the qualifying and 250-lap Xfinity Series races set for July 22 at 3:30 p.m. (ET).

A new Friday Fan Fest featuring stars of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the popular Hauler Parade on July 21 will complete the opening day of race weekend at IMS.

The announcement by IMS follows similar announcements from Martinsville (Virginia) Speedway and Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Both tracks have announced condensed NASCAR weekend schedules that include qualifying and racing for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series set for the same day.

The qualifying race same-day format will be used at Martinsville on Oct. 29 and at Pocono on July 30.

Image by AP.

Jusan Hamilton hit a milestone Saturday when he debuted as the first black race director in NASCAR history for the Xfinity Service King 300 event. The race took place at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Hamilton was raised in New York and found a passion for racing through working on cars in his grandfather’s garage. He landed his first full-time job with NASCAR four years ago overseeing various competition duties as well as a pit crew minority program.

Hamilton likens a race director to a quarterback. Wearing a headset in the control tower high above Auto Club Speedway, Hamilton communicates with track and race officials while overseeing everything that occurs in the race, including penalties, crashes and cleanups.

"I think this sport is open to everyone," Hamilton said. "Like myself, if you find a passion in this sport and it's something you enjoy, I think there's an opportunity for everyone to come into the sport."

The 150-lap race at the 2-mile paved tri-oval track took place Saturday, March 25. The No. 42 driver Kyle Larson placed first ahead of No. 22 Joey Logano and No. 18 Kyle Busch.

Image by NHRA.

Former vice president of competition Steve Gibbs has stepped away from the NHRA after a 48-year association with the sport. Gibbs made the announcement on his Facebook page after the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida.

Gibbs is best known as a former NHRA director of competition. Before working on the competition side of things, Gibbs started in ad sales at National Dragster. Later, he served as the original director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at Fairplex and as one of the founders of the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield.

“I have been fortunate enough to have been involved in many of the sport’s major developments, but I have to say that my role in the creation of The California Hot Rod Reunion is probably the thing I am most proud of,” Gibbs said in a 2005 interview with National Dragster.

Gibbs stated online he is not retired and is now a free agent, free to pursue several new independent projects within drag racing.

Making its debut at the 10th annual Race & Performance Expo in Schaumburg, Illinois, in late February, the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Junior Engine Challenge presented by Racequip proves that age is just a number when it comes to cultivating a passion for motorsports.

The competition itself is an offshoot of the popular HROT Engine Challenge that pits top teams of high schoolers from across the country against one another in a months-long series of contests to determine who can disassemble and reassemble a small-block Chevy in the fastest time. In the Junior version, teams of two—one of whom must be between 5 and 18 years old—tear down and re-build a complete single-cylinder OHV engine using basic hand tools. It is designed to foster communication and help youngsters build self-esteem while at the same time honing their problem-solving skills and, concurrently, their understanding of an internal combustion engine.

A total of nine Junior Engine Challenge events are scheduled throughout 2017. In fact, they’re run alongside the HROT Junior Dragster Series and the Midwest Junior Super Series, whose season kicks off April 7–9 at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois. For more information or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Rodney Bingham at RBingham@hotroddersoftomorrow.com or call 815/722-5460.

Image by LAT.

Two-time USAC Silver Crown champion Dave Steele passed away Saturday night after a sprint car crash at Desoto Speedway in Bradenton, Florida. He was 42.

Steele was racing in the Southern Shootout Sprint Car shootout series when he crashed while trying to lap slower cars on the 3/8th-mile asphalt track, according to SpeedSport.com.

Desoto Speedway released a statement saying "Desoto Speedway owners and staff are saddened by tonight's passing of David Steele in the Sprint Car feature. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends who were all in attendance, to see him try to win his 100th Florida race."

Steele's résumé included back-to-back USAC Silver Crown championships in 2004 and 2005, three IndyCar starts, several ARCA and Busch Series races and a few in the Infiniti Pro Series. He won the 2001 and 2003 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Irwindale Speedway and earned 60 USAC feature victories.

Richmond International Raceway in Virginia and Chase Elliott have partnered to bring a unique race day experience to college students called Chase University, or Chase U. For $24, current college students can enjoy a ticket to the Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, April 30 with an exclusive college pre-race party and an appearance by the driver of the No. 24 himself, Chase Elliott.

“Chase U continues to grow with Richmond coming on board with this program,” said Elliott, 2016 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year. “The racing at Richmond is always exciting, and I want to help provide the best experience possible before that action begins. The zone overlooking Turn 3 will make for a great college pre-race party.” 

Chase U was launched by Elliott in October 2016. The program combines the elements of a great race day experience: live music, food, beverages and tailgate games.

“It’s a testament to the future of NASCAR that one of our top young drivers is focused on growing the sport with young fans,” said Richmond’s President Dennis Bickmeier. “With outstanding education institutions like Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Richmond and Virginia Union University based in Richmond, we want to offer the best race day experience to college students. Partnering with Chase Elliott will take our college program to the next level.”

The Chase U ticket package is available to all college students with a valid student ID and includes a grandstand ticket and access to the exclusive Chase U pre-race party. To purchase this package or for more information, visit rir.com/chaseu.

NASCAR racing returns to the Capital of the Commonwealth on April 28, 29 and 30. The action starts with Pole Day on April 28, followed by the ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash4Cash race on Saturday, April 29 at 1 p.m. Richmond’s spring weekend concludes with NASCAR’s best in the Toyota Owners 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, April 30 at 2 p.m.

Ace Speedway in Elon, North Carolina, has been put on the race track market. The 4/10-mile asphalt bullring has an asking price of $1 million. The property also includes a go-kart track, a tractor pull strip and a mud bog track.

The speedway was originally constructed as a dirt track under the guidance of Roy Maddren in 1956. Formerly a 1/3-mile track titled “Southern Speedway,” it was expanded to a 3/8-mile in 1984.

In 1990, the speedway was transformed from a dirt track into a bullring asphalt track under the guidance of Fred and Jim Turner.

The new asphalt surface brought in new racing sanctions when it became a NASCAR-sanctioned Winston Racing Series member track (now the Whelen All-American Series).  

In 1999, David Morton took over as the new owner and the track went under transformation again. New seating to hold a total of 5000 fans was installed as well as an expansion of the racing surface to a 4/10-mile paved oval with 12-degree banking in the corners, which remains today.

Abraham Woidislawsky, a former car mechanic turned real estate developer turned racetrack owner operator, became the fourth and current owner in August 2006.

Interested potential purchasers can contact Brian Jortner at brian.jortner2@gmail.com.

The FIA has dropped the 'Max Verstappen rule' governing Formula 1 driver conduct in braking zones as part of its bid to allow greater freedom on-track in 2017.

Late last season, the FIA clarified the rules regarding drivers battling wheel-to-wheel in response to complaints about the way Verstappen, in particular, moved under braking to defend his position on occasions.

Those changes resulted in Sebastian Vettel being penalized for the way he defended against Daniel Ricciardo in the Mexican Grand Prix. Over the winter, however, the FIA made clear it wanted to give drivers more freedom to race each other.

"Some of the incidents that we saw last year may be handled slightly differently, simply because the so-called 'Verstappen rule' has gone," said F1 race director Charlie Whiting ahead of the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

Before, any move under braking would be investigated. Now, a rule states that if a driver moves erratically, goes unnecessarily slowly or behaves in a manner that could endanger another driver, they will be investigated.

Whiting said that simplifying the rules was a desire of the teams for this year, and the FIA has been working with stewards ahead of the season-opener.

To help improve the consistency of decisions, a video archive of key incidents has been put together for stewards to access at short notice. This allows them to instantly refer to other incidents of a similar nature.

Whiting clarified that the strict rules governing drivers only making one move while defending a position remain in place.

Universal Trailer Corporation, a manufacturer of lifestyle and commercial cargo trailer brands, unveiled a new manufacturing plant in Bristol, Indiana, for the production of Wells Cargo and Haulmark brands cargo trailers.

The $25 million-plus facility features modern lighting, shop floor break rooms and other amenities.
 
Located on 43 acres in Elkhart County, Indiana, the 200,000 square foot facility features technological advancements to build frame kits including robotic welding, an anti-corrosion dip tank and more.
 
To verify its new materials, semi-automated production and fastening methods, Universal Trailer implemented research, testing and on-the-road trailer quality assurance for over a year, according to the company.

“The modular production process enables us to continue to scale to meet global market demands, producing twice as many Haulmark and Wells Cargo trailers per week vs. the traditional production methods used, all the while keeping our quality high,” said Terry Carlson, CEO of Universal Trailer. “The new plant also takes our employees’ experience into account with an open, modern architecture and internal windows to the show floor throughout the facility.”
 
Universal Trailer recently added 35 new hires for the new facility and plans to hire an additional 175 full-time and part-time employees over the next 18 months, according to Carlson.

Turn 14 Distribution has added Advanced Clutch Technology’s lineup of clutch and driveline products to its line card.

ACT products are used by a wide range of champions in many forms of racing competitions, according to the company.

"The quality clutch and driveline products manufactured by ACT are sought after by our customer base. The company has cultivated an atmosphere of success through their design and engineering efforts,” said Kyle Shelley, Turn 14 Distribution director of sales.

ACT, since 1994, has specialized in performance clutches and flywheels for the sport compact, domestic and diesel truck markets, as well as the for the racing industry.