Track officials of Texas’ well-known Texas Raceway, which has hosted drag racing in the city of Kennedale since 1961, announced that its gates will remain forever closed after the city government ruled against its continued operation.

Track owners Dave and Cindi McMillan issued a statement on the Texas Raceway website expressing their sadness over the decision and their appreciation for all of those who have been a part of their racing lives over the years.

“We had planned to race in 2017 but, due to circumstances beyond our control, it’s no longer an option. We are saddened by this situation but as I was reminded recently ‘sometimes life isn’t fair.’ As a result, Texas Raceway will not reopen for drag racing.

“We want to thank the racers, fans, our race crew and staff for their support all these years. It’s been a wonderful 15 seasons. We want to thank Gaylen Smith and Shan Morgan for their time and their dedication they bring to this sport. These folks have always supported the racers. We hope you will continue to support Texas Outlaw Pro Mod’s and the Redemption No Prep Series,” the statement from track owners Dave and Cindi McMillan said.

The city of Kennedale had long wished to gain tax revenue from the land by utilizing it for commercial and/or residential use, according to Dragzine. A contractual agreement with the city and the track was in place in November 2016 to shudder the strip, but the McMillans continued to host racing events, even going as far as issuing a schedule for the 2017 season, according to a report by the Kennedale News.

The now former strip is located along New Hope Road in Kennedale, Texas, just a few miles southeast of Fort Worth. It has been home to three different racing venues over the years, including Texas Raceway, the Kennedale Speedway Park, which is still operational but also reportedly slated for closure in the near future, and the Cowtown Speedway, all of which are located within less than half a mile of one another.

According to the Kennedale News report, the McMillans, who purchased the strip in 2002, were advised in 2013 of the city’s plan to close both of the remaining racing venues and have, in good faith, worked with developers interested in the property while continuing to run the dragstrip in the years since.

For more information and to read the full statement from the McMillans, visit here.

Jeff Day is the new owner and director of the Sprint Se­ries of Texas.

Day is now in charge of the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car series that visits six different tracks in Texas, Okla­homa and Louisiana in 2017. The first nine of 11 tour dates are scheduled during the IMCA Speed­way Motors Weekly Racing point season.

“I want to see this series thrive and continue the tradition of great Sprint Car racing in this area,” said Day, who won the Sprint Series of Texas championship in 2016. “We want to find more ways to get fans, especially the kids, involved and get more public­ity for drivers following the series.”

The Sprint Series of Texas takes its own command trailer and fire trucks to each event. Kids will be part of main event draw and winner’s circle activities and one very lucky youngster will go home with a new bicycle after each SST show.

The next event is Saturday, March 25, at the Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Also hosting SST events during the point season are the Super Bowl Speedway, Sabine Mo­tor Speedway, Wichita Falls Speedway and the 85 Speedway.

Series points will be given for September 29 and 30 races at Wichita Falls Speedway and Superbowl Speedway, respectively.

All features pay $800 to win, a minimum of $200 to start and $100 to the hard charger. Non-qualifi­ers receive $100.

Day, champion at the 1998 IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, ends a weekly racing career that spans nearly three decades.

“My dad raised us at the track so I’ve been around this sport all my life,” said Day, who will run a very limited schedule that includes the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Nationals in September. “With owning this series and getting to enjoy watching my sons Michael and Jeff Jr. race, not racing myself hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be.”

For the complete schedule and more information, visit here.

NHRA has announced the addition of a new contingency program for the School of Automotive Machinists & Technology NHRA Factory Stock Showdown, with more than 15 postings for the specialty event.
 


The SAM Tech Factory Stock Showdown will kick off the 2017 season at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, March 16-19, for its first of five events in 2017. The series has seen increased car counts across the country and high interest from fans of the series.
 


The program will also be contested at zMAX Dragway, April 28-30; Summit Motorsports Park, June 22-25; the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Aug. 30-Sept. 4; and Gateway Motorsports Park, Sept. 29-Oct. 1.

Event winner and runner-up will receive $300 and $100 respectively from posting sponsors. To be eligible, racers must adhere to all NHRA Contingency rules and guidelines as well as meet any additional requirements set forth by the posting sponsor.

All sponsors require the use of posted products and display of posted product decal beginning with the first round of eliminations. One decal (total of 2 per posted product) must be displayed on each outboard side of the vehicle and be clearly visible when viewing the vehicle from a 90-degree angle.


SAM Tech Factory Stock Showdown Contingency Postings
Company	Product
ATI	Torque Converter
ATI	Transmission
Coan	Torque Converter
Coan	Transmission
Harland Sharp	Rocker Arms
Hughes Performance	Torque Converter
Jesel	Rocker Arms
K&N	Air Filter
K&N	Oil Filter
Manley	Connecting Rods
Manley	Valve Springs
Mickey Thompson	Tires (Drive)
Moser	Axles
Pro 1 Racing and Safety	Seat Belts
Quarter Pro Racing	Electronic Shifter
Summit Racing	Catalog
Sunoco	Racing Fuel
VP	Racing Fuel

The Katech Track Attack high-performance driving event returns to M1 Concourse in the Detroit area this summer, July 22-23.

Open to all vehicles and drivers of all skill levels, the two-day experience enables owners to explore the performance capabilities of their car while honing their driving skills, all with plenty of track time.

"Track Attack is one of the most exciting and educational experiences you'll have with your car," said Steve Spurr, president of Katech. "More than simply the opportunity to push your car to its limit, you'll come away with a better understanding of how to drive it on the street and track with greater confidence. Everyone gets as much track time as they can possibly handle, and at the end of two days we've never had a single person say they didn't get enough."


Instructors will be on hand for every driving experience level, along with renowned professional racer Andy Pilgrim. Katech technicians will be available to assist with vehicle inspections and minor pop-up mechanical needs.


It is the second year for Track Attack at M1 Concourse, located on Woodward Avenue, in Pontiac, Michigan, north of Detroit. Built on a former GM factory site, it's a unique automotive community featuring more than 250 "car condo" private garages and the 1.5-mile Champion Motor Speedway road course. There's also a 2.5-acre skid pad.

"M1 Concourse is a marvelous facility built by enthusiasts to accommodate enthusiasts," said Spurr. "It's the perfect venue for Track Attack and we're looking forward to the best event ever this summer." 


The registration price of $949.99 includes the owner/driver and his or her vehicle in one run group, as well as a guest. It also includes in-vehicle instruction for beginner and intermediate groups at all times, while also being available to advanced drivers upon request. Additional highlights include instructional classes and instruction rides with pro drivers, including rides in Katech Aftermarket Operations Director Jason Harding's 800-hp Corvette Z06. Meals are also included.     



Space is limited and travel and lodging are not included. Additional details are available at www.katechengines.com and www.facebook.com/katechperformance.

Dennis Marcus has joined the Cruden company as the commercial manager. Marcus will be responsible for developing sales of Cruden’s simulator hardware, software, vehicle models, content and screens and projectors to the automotive and motorsport markets.

Cruden, headquartered in Amsterdam, is a designer, manufacturer and integrator of driving simulators for the automotive, motorsport and marine industries.

Marcus replaces Frank Kalff, former commercial director at Cruden, who has left the business to pursue a career in a new industry.

As a technical sales professional with over 20 years’ experience, Marcus previously held the position of manager of Pro Racing and Circuits at MYLAPS Sports Timing, where he lead business development activities in professional racing series such as Formula 1, MotoGP and IndyCar.

As simulators become more commonplace and affordable as an engineering tool, there are multiple sales avenues to pursue, not just among OEMs and in Formula 1 but also Tier 1 automotive suppliers, research institutes and smaller race teams, keeping Marcus busy. Driving simulators also have a big part to play in scenario testing for autonomous driving and ADAS.

For more information, visit here.

Revchem Composites, a West Coast composites distributor and retailer of specialty products, raw materials and consumables, announced the newest addition to its Southern California sales team as H. Marq Prince. Prince brings with him over 20 years of experience in the composites industry.

“I am excited about expanding my knowledge base in the world of FRP and advanced composites by joining an established reputable company like Revchem Composites,” said Prince. “I have always viewed Revchem as a tough but fair competitor with an extensive understanding of the products they represent.”
    
Prince started his composites career in the rapid prototype industry in 1997. Over the following 20 years, he developed strong relationships with companies in the aerospace and prototype industries. He has worked with advanced composites in aerospace, and a variety of urethanes for foundry patterns, movie studios and stereolithographic service bureaus.
    
“Marq’s technical skill and experience from his impressive composites background will benefit our entire team and our valued customers,” said Britton Dennis, Director of Sales at Revchem Composites. “We look forward to his many contributions at Revchem Composites, especially in the greater Los Angeles region.”

Revchem Composites offers an extensive selection of composite materials, supplies and equipment. Revchem Composites offers more than 4000 products from over 200 suppliers. The company has six West Coast distribution centers, offering worldwide shipping with customers throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
   
For more information, visit here.

NASCAR and SiriusXM announced a six-year renewal to extend their broadcasting and marketing agreement through 2022.

SiriusXM will continue to deliver 24/7 racing content to millions of listeners across North America, including live broadcasts of every race, plus daily NASCAR talk and interviews with voices across the industry through its exclusive SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel. NASCAR content is available to SiriusXM subscribers in their car, at home or on the go on satellite radios, on the SiriusXM app and online at SiriusXM.com.
 
SiriusXM and NASCAR’s agreement extension marks another important milestone in the history of collaboration between the two organizations, as 2017 is NASCAR’s 16th season on satellite radio and listeners will have uninterrupted access to the sport for more than two decades. SiriusXM will also retain exclusive category rights to utilize NASCAR branding and trademarks for advertising and promotion.
 
“We have more than a successful decade of partnership already under our belts with SiriusXM and look forward to continuing our relationship over the next six years,” said Steve Herbst, senior vice president, broadcasting and production at NASCAR. “SiriusXM provides robust coverage of both our live events and breaking news, acting as a trusted resource for our sport and helping NASCAR content to reach new, diverse audiences nationwide.” 
 
“For the last 15 years we’ve proudly delivered the excitement of NASCAR to fans nationwide, providing them with a level of coverage unmatched by anyone in audio entertainment, and we are very pleased to continue our relationship for years to come,” said Steve Cohen, SiriusXM’s SVP of Sports Programming. “NASCAR has always had one of the most loyal fan bases in sports, and it continues to innovate to constantly improve the racing on the track. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will continue to give fans, no matter where they are in the country, a terrific platform to follow and discuss the new format put in place this season, and stay connected with their favorite drivers as they vie for the championship.”
 
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to the track this weekend with the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, live March 12 at 3:30 p.m. ET on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
 
SiriusXM NASCAR Radio delivers in-depth racing coverage and inside access to NASCAR news, including live broadcasts of every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. Fans can call into the channel to share their opinions and be a part of the daily discussion, and can also access SiriusXM NASCAR Radio programming when they want it on SiriusXM On Demand. The channel’s roster of expert hosts features current and former drivers, crew chiefs, crew members and a host of NASCAR insiders. For more info on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s programming and personalities go to www.SiriusXM.com/NASCAR.

Route 44 Speedway, formerly known as the Union County Speedway, is expected to open with dirt-track races in late April, and new track manager Shawn Crouch said there’s plenty of work to do to between now and opening day.

The speedway is located in Liberty, Indiana. The opening night for the 2017 racing season is April 28 with A-Mods, Bombers, and Hornets competing in one night.

Closed for a year and a half, the speedway is showing some signs of neglect, with grass growing where cars once raced. The facilities haven’t suffered vandalism, but the pigeons have been very active there, Crouch said. MacAllister, a Richmond company, has provided equipment to remove the grass that’s overtaken the track, he said.

“I’ve got a lot of friends who are helping us get ready,” Crouch said. “One is coming from Michigan to help. The help we’re getting has been awesome. There’s a lot of work to get it ready for racing.”

Reviving the track is a labor of love for Crouch, who says dirt-track racing is in his blood. He grew up with the sport because his father was a racer, Crouch said.

Operating a race track is no small task, and Crouch said he kicked around the idea for a while before he approached owner William Daniels.

“He said, 'It’s all yours,'” Crouch said.

The site has unpaid property taxes of $3,337, but it isn't yet eligible for a delinquent tax sale, according to the Union County Auditor’s Office.

Crouch is hoping to hold 20 races this summer, with the first held on April 28 and the last held on September 29. A sprint car event might be held in late July, he said.

Union County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Melissa Browning said she hadn’t spoken yet with Crouch about the re-opening of the dirt track, but she said if the racetrack is well run, it'll be an asset that can help all local businesses.

“We’re working on helping our merchants collaborate on special events and activities this summer, and this could be a part of that effort,” Browning said.

Union County’s population soars on summer weekends, when Whitewater Memorial State Park and Quakertown State Recreation Area are busy, so offering another activity is a plus, Browning said.

Crouch said he’s already been welcomed by J’s Dairy Inn owner Brian Bias, whose restaurant is located on Indiana 44, the direct route to the speedway.

“He said if the racetrack does better, his business will do better, too,” Crouch said.

Crouch also has assembled a committee that’s presenting ideas for race nights. Tentative plans now call for a sprint car event July 28.

“It ought to be a heck of a show,” he said.

A fire destroyed a storage facility owned by Jerry Bickel Race Cars last weekend about an hour from St. Louis, near Moscow Mills.

Saturday morning, Bickel’s storage facilities went up in smoke damaging several vehicles inside and destroying supplies.

“I had people calling me from all over the United States,” said Bickel. “I had one customer call me from Kuwait this morning, another from Bahrain, and another one from Qatar.”

But Bickel’s business wasn’t their main concern.

“Believe it or not, they wanted to know how my cat was; Pete,” said Bickel. “‘Is Pete OK?’ And I said, ‘Yep Pete’s fine.’”

The fire did destroy an estimated $1 million in supplies, including an RV, trailer and several customer’s vehicles that were in storage waiting to be worked on.

Under normal circumstances, Bickel has about a six-month backlog of orders. The fire has put him even further behind schedule and catching up will take a lot of work, but he says his staff is up to the task.

“I’ve got a crew of about 35 people that work here and they are all just hard working country boys and girls, and that’s all they know; is to get the job done,” said Bickel.

Bickel says, a fire like this can happen to anyone, and he is grateful he has so much support.

“It just makes you feel so good,” said Bickel.

Bickel says he is confident they will be able to recover from the fire without it impacting his chances at building more championship cars for 2017. For the last three and a half decades, Jerry Bickel race cars have been known as winning NHRA, IHRA and PDRA world championships.

The fire remains under investigation. Authorities say preliminarily it appears to be accidental.

Cayuga Speedway, located in Ontario, Canada, has been renamed Jukasa Motor Speedway. Racing will return to the 5/8th-mile paved oval for the first time since the track closed its doors in 2009.

Area businessmen Jerry Montour and Ken Hill purchased the track and has since set about the task of restoring it.

According to Jukasa general manager Alex Nagy, all the fine-tuning at the speedway will be done in time for the August 26-27 running of two APC United Late Model events.

"We should have the top coat of asphalt on the track this spring," said Nagy, who took over the GM duties last fall. "There is still some infield work to do, along with a safety fence and the scoring tower, but we're making progress, and most should be done by the end of June."

After a couple of coats of a new surface were applied last year, both a Thunder-class car and an open-wheel Modified car took to the track for testing. According to Nagy, the session was positive and worked to the design of the repaving.

The August races are the only events on the card for 2017 and will feature two 75-lap races along with a 75-lapper for the Outlaw Super Late Models. The APC races will be the eighth and ninth of the Ontario-based 10-race series.

According to officials, the track was hoping to get open-wheeled events for the 2017 racing season, but the timing was not good as most groups have their dates set already. More events and a full slate of weekend special events are to be expected at the track in 2018.

"We're doing our diligence for next year,” Nagy said.

Built in 1965 as a dirt track, the speedway saw its first racing in 1966. It was purchased by Bob Slack the following year and paved with asphalt, running weekly Friday night shows but later dropping that format for a specials-only arrangement with major weekend events until 1994.

The track then went through various owners until closing its doors in 2009. After the purchase by Hill and Montour in 2014, the facility has received major updating and rebuilding.