Mario Andretti will be honored on Aug. 31 by the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) with the 2017 Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Motorsports.
 
Andretti is considered by many to be the greatest race car driver in the history of the sport, posting victories at virtually every level of motorsports in a career that spanned five decades.
 
Andretti will receive the Argetsinger Award at a gala dinner presented by NASCAR, International Speedway Corp., Watkins Glen International and IMSA. The dinner, which is open to the public, will be at the internationally renowned Corning Museum of Glass in nearby Corning, N.Y.
 
The dinner precedes the Verizon IndyCar Grand Prix at The Glen weekend at WGI.
 
The 2017 award will be the fourth presented by the IMRRC. Chip Ganassi was the inaugural recipient in 2014. Richard Petty was the 2015 honoree, and Roger Penske was cited in 2016.
 
The award memorializes Cameron R. Argetsinger, founder and organizer of the first races at Watkins Glen almost 70 years ago.
 
“Watkins Glen’s impact on auto racing can’t be measured, and we have Cameron Argetsinger to thank. This award represents the influence he had on our sport, and to follow Chip Ganassi, Richard Petty and Roger Penske to receive the Argetsinger Award is a tremendous honor,” Andretti said.
 
Andretti has supported the work of the Racing Research Center since its opening in 1999. He serves on the Center’s Drivers Council and twice has been chairman of the annual membership campaign.
 
“The Racing Research Center is doing valuable work, taking care of the history of racing. The collections are a great source of information, and they’re always expanding,” Andretti said. “This success shows that we in racing understand how important the work is, and I’m proud to have been involved with the Center from the beginning.”
 
Bobby Rahal, chairman of the IMRRC’s Governing Council, described Andretti as "an icon of the world, let alone the sport of auto racing.”
 
“The name 'Mario' is immediately recognized around the globe in the same way other one-name celebrities have become household words, such as Elvis and Pele,” Rahal said. “It's a privilege for the IMRRC to honor Mario with the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award. His impact on the sport for more than 50 years cannot be measured."
 
The Cameron R. Argetsinger Award Dinner is open to the public, but tickets are limited. The ticket price is $250 per person.

Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Racing Research Center at (607) 535-9044.
 
Complete details about the event, including information about sponsorship opportunities, can be viewed on the here. For further information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Judy Stropus at jstropus@earthlink.net.
 
The Racing Research Center is an archival and research library and a 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to the preservation and sharing of the materials of motorsports, all series, and all venues, worldwide. The Argetsinger Award was established to honor a person in the motorsports industry who is recognized universally for having advanced and improved the sport. The honoree brings prestige to motorsports and demonstrates a commitment to the future of racing.
 
Andretti exemplifies the qualifications for the Argetsinger Award, Joie Chitwood, executive vice president and chief operating officer of ISC, said.
 
“As the only driver in history to win the Formula One Championship, the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, Mario Andretti is in a class by himself,” Chitwood said. “His passion, skill and success in racing are legendary, and it is extremely fitting that he be recognized with the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Motorsports.”
 
Andretti won the IndyCar National Championship four times and was a three-time winner at Sebring. In a competition career that began in 1959 at the age of 19, four years after arriving in the United States from his native Italy, Andretti earned 111 racing victories. He won races in formula cars, sports cars, sprint cars and stock cars and on ovals, road courses, drag strips, dirt and pavement.
 
“The label ‘living legend’ is perhaps a bit over-used these days, but when referencing Mario Andretti it’s a statement of fact,” Scott Atherton, IMSA president and chief operating officer, said. “His long list of accomplishments at the highest levels of multiple forms of motorsport places him in a category all his own and has established a benchmark that is unlikely to ever be duplicated. For these reasons and many more, he is a most appropriate and deserving recipient of the Argetsinger Award.”
 
"He is a racer, a champion, a family man and a father. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better person in motorsports than Mario,” said Michael Printup, president of Watkins Glen International.
 
The Glen was the site of Andretti’s triumphant homecoming in 1978, wearing the crown of World Champion into the U.S. Grand Prix. Driving for Lotus, Andretti had become the first driver in motor racing history to win the Formula One and IndyCar titles. He joined Phil Hill as the only American ever to capture the world title.
 
Andretti was named Driver of the Year in three different decades: the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. He was named Driver of the Quarter Century in the 1990s, and the Associated Press named him Driver of the Century in January 2000.
 

Two of the best-known names in motorsports history are the newest inductees into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti and legendary driver and constructor Bruce McLaren have been voted into the prestigious pantheon by an esteemed panel of auto racing journalists, participants and historians.

Franchitti won 31 races in his illustrious IndyCar series career, taking the Indianapolis 500 in 2007, 2010 and 2012. The Scottish-born driver won four series championships (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) and lost a fifth on a tie-breaker in 1999. Franchitti also was part of a winning effort at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2008.

McLaren was a highly successful driver, designer, constructor and engineer, whose name lives on in the eponymous Formula 1 team that has captured eight constructor's championships and 12 driver's titles. As a driver McLaren won four Formula 1 races, two Can-Am Series championships, and co-drove to a win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 with fellow Kiwi Chris Amon.

The two inductees were chosen from a star-studded ballot of 16 nominees, 7 of which received at least 50 percent of the vote. A nominee needed to be named on 75 percent of the ballots, or finish first in his or her voting category to be inducted.

The 2017 inductees were announced on "Founders Day," March 20, 2017, the 108th anniversary of the day the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company was officially formed.

The Auto Racing Hall of Fame at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum honors and celebrates individual contribution to the sport of automobile racing. It was founded in 1952 under the auspices of the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association (AAA). The Hall of Fame was moved to the original Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1962 under the direction of then-Speedway president Anton "Tony" Hulman.

Lincoln's combined Rotary Clubs have named Speedway Motors as their 2017 "Salute to Business" award winner.

The Salute to Business award, which is in its 25th year, recognizes businesses in Lincoln, Nebraska, that contribute to the community through employment and good works.

Speedway Motors and its real estate division, Speedway Properties, employ several hundred people in Lincoln and also have invested in several local startup businesses.

Speedway will be honored at a luncheon April 4 at The Cornhusker Marriott hotel. For more information, visit www.rotary14.org/current-projects/salute-to-business.html.

The City of La Junta (Colorado) has signed a lease agreement with Victory Motorsports for management of the La Junta Raceway. The lessees are partners Allan Lasater and Shane Pritchard.

The lease will bring many more club engagements, as well as actual racing back to La Junta with the clubs Sports Car Club of America and SouthWest MotorSport from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Also, on the weekends when the track is not leased to individual clubs, lapping days will be held at the track.

Lapping day hours begin at 9 a.m., and there is a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m. On club-leased dates, Dickey's Barbecue will be on hand to serve food and drinks (non-alcoholic).

The following dates have already been set: April 8 and 9, Porsche Club; April 29 and 30, La Junta Raceway Drivers Club; May 6 and 7, Sports Car Club of America; June 3 and 4, LJRDC; July 8, Colorado Exotic Car Association; Sept. 9 and 10, LJRDC; Sept. 16 and 17, SouthWest MotorSport; Sept. 23 and 24, Denver Corvette; Oct. 14 and 15, SCCA; Oct. 21 and 22, LJRDC.

On March 26, the track will host a team testing their car for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

"Victory Motorsports will actively promote the track outside La Junta and bring wheel to wheel racing back to the track," said Pritchard.

For more information, visit Victory Motorsports' website at lajuntaraceway.net.

Jeff Byrd, the late Bristol Motor Speedway president and general manager who is largely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential promoters in all of motorsports, was recently inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

Byrd, who died in 2010 after a battle with cancer, was inducted by his family: Claudia Byrd, his wife and executive director of the Bristol chapter of the Speedway Children’s Charities; Christian Byrd, his son and executive director and GM of zMax Dragway; Belton Caldwell, his daughter; and son-in-law Jerry Caldwell, the current executive vice president and GM of BMS.

Jeff Byrd made a huge impact on the sport of drag racing during his tenure as a senior executive with the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., whose Winston brand served as the title sponsor for touring series of the biggest drag racing sanctioning organizations in the United States: the National Hot Rod Association and International Hot Rod Association.

Bruton Smith hired Byrd to oversee BMS and Bristol Dragway. Byrd guided a total rebuild of Bristol Dragway and returned the track to NHRA sanction. The dragstrip hosted two successful all-star events before joining the NHRA touring circuit as host of a national event. The track’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, held every Father’s Day weekend, continues to be one of the most anticipated events on the NHRA schedule for fans and race teams alike.

Also inducted were legendary Los Angeles drag racers Jeep and Ronnie Hampshire; Mooneyes founder Dean Moon; husband and wife speed shop owners Joe and Dellie Reath; racer and promoter “Gentleman” Joe Schubeck; wheelstander founding father “Wild Bill” Shrewsberry; and Larry Sutton, a longtime chief starter at several Southern California dragstrips, most notably the famed Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach.

The International Drag Racing Hall of Fame is located at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida.

Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels has named Perry Lease as the Vice President of sales.

Lease previously served as director of national retail sales for Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.’s North America Tire Operations. He will now be responsible for driving sales and growing global market shares for Mickey Thompson across all segments, including street, strip, racing and off-road. Lease reports to Mickey Thompson President Dominick Wycoff.

“We are excited to have Perry join the team,” Wycoff said. “His decades of experience in the tire industry and his enthusiasm for Mickey Thompson will benefit us greatly as we continue to position Mickey Thompson as the tires and wheels leader in our many market segments.”

Lease joined Cooper in 1996 as a management trainee and has held a number of positions with the company, including roles in operations, finance and sales.

US 41 Motorplex has become the latest Indiana track to sign a multi-year sanctioning agreement with the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).

The Morocco, Indiana, facility features a quarter-mile asphalt dragstrip. It also plays host to mud bog and drifting competitions.

Under the ownership of co-owners Tim Ringer and Bill Hupke, the track has undergone a series of upgrades, including the addition of more lights. The goal is to create a better experience for the racers, according to the IHRA.

The agreement with IHRA, with its commitment to the grassroots and Sportsman racers as seen through its involvement with ESPN3, is the latest move in that direction.

“IHRA has such a great reputation working with the Sportsman racer,” said Ringer, a veteran of the Midwest grudge racing scene. “The racers are the ones who really came to me and told me that they wanted this. What they want is what we want to give them and we felt like IHRA had the best program. We’re looking forward to the future.”

A schedule of events, featuring both heads-up and bracket racing, will be announced soon at facebook.com/US-41-Motorplex.

Forgeline Motorsports' GS1R is the FIA Homologated wheel for the Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R—a competition-ready race car built by Pratt and Miller to global GT4 standards.

The American-made G1SR wheel is designed exclusively for racing, featuring one-piece forged monoblock construction with strength-enhancing I-beamed spokes. It is machined from a single forging of 6061-T6 aluminum and carries a 2100-pound street tire load rating.


"It's an honor for Forgeline Motorsports to be selected as a supplier to the exciting Camaro GT4.R program," said David Schardt, president, Forgeline Motorsports. "With two decades of racing experience under our belt, Forgeline has a proven record and understands what it takes to design and build a strong, lightweight wheel for the rigors of the racetrack."


Forgeline wheels were used on the 5th gen Camaro in Continental Challenge with Stevenson Motorsport two years ago, winning a GS championship in 2015. Ironically, the Stevenson Team will be the first team in Continental Challenge to compete with the new GT4.R Camaro.

Black Dog Racing will be fielding a two-car team in Pirelli World Challenge (GTS class). It is also eligible for additional GT4-based series around the world. 


Eibach, a manufacturer of performance racing suspension parts, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in the United States. Eibach is headquartered in Finnentrop, Germany. 


To celebrate this landmark, Eibach will be conducting an open house at its factory, including tours and refreshments, on Thursday, April 6, 2017.

“We have built a strong foundation of partnerships and friendships over the past thirty years and we hope that you help us to celebrate these relationships by joining on the day,” the company said in a press release.

Factory tours and refreshments are available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 264 Mariah Circle, Corona, CA 92879.

Send an RSVP with the expected time of attendance to jsilva@eibach.com.

Due to high interest within the short track racing community, Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) officials announced that each of the six categories scheduled to compete in the inaugural Short Track U.S. Nationals presented by Vore's Welding, May 19-21, will be capped with a max number of participants.



The event will showcase some of the world's best short track racers competing for the first time on the high-banks of the “World's Fastest Half-Mile” at BMS.



More than 500 race cars split among the six classes will be in competition during the three-day event, with the participation limits set at 80 entries each for Super Late Model, Pro/Crate Late Model and Modified, 60 for Late Model Stock and 110 each for Street Stock and Compact.



"The response from the short track racing community has been impressive for the inaugural Short Track U.S. Nationals," said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager, Bristol Motor Speedway. "At Bristol, we always strive to exceed expectations and with that in mind, we feel like keeping each class at a manageable number of participants will ensure a quality experience for the competitors and fans and give our competition staff the appropriate amount of time to run all six categories."



All entries for the event need to be submitted to the respective sanctioning body by the deadline date of March 24. Entry lists will be published on March 27. Below are the categories and their allocated number of participants, along with links to the corresponding entry forms and race entry guidelines:



Super Late Model - 80

Super Late Model Entry Form: 
https://carstour.wufoo.com/forms/r1jq57kr0e9ybdh/
 


Pro/Crate Late Model - 80

Pro Late Model/JEGS Tour Entry Form: 
https://carstour.wufoo.com/forms/s1gthq3e1035xd0/
 


Late Model Stock - 60

Late Model Stock Entry Form: 
https://carstour.wufoo.com/forms/s1ulryl91ww8oph/
 


Modified - 80

Modified Entry Form: 
https://carstour.wufoo.com/forms/sjjers408hmw4z/
 


Street Stock - 110

Street Stock Entry Form:
 https://carstour.wufoo.com/forms/s30h5ao0d2ld8g/
 


Compact - 110

Compact Entry Info: 
http://www.voresracing.com/



Additional details for the Super Late Models can be found at www.cra-racing.com, www.southernsuperseries.com or www.carsracingtour.com.

Information on the Late Model Stocks can be found at www.carsracingtour.com, while information for Pro Late Model/JEGS Tour race and the Street Stock portion of the show can be found at www.cra-racing.com.  



Additional info for the Modified and Compact portion of the event can be found at www.topspeedmods.com and www.vctsracing.com respectively.



For all additional questions, below is contact information for each sanctioning body:



Super Late Model:  (CRA) 812-883-0455 (CARS) 704-662-9212 (SSS) 850-944-8400

JEGS/Pro Late Model: 812-883-0455

Late Model Stock: 704-662-9212

Modified: 317-292-2494

Street Stock: 812-883-0455

Compact: 765-215-6320