Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. announced that it has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire Air Liquide’s subsidiary, Air Liquide Welding.

The proposed acquisition is still subject to an agreement between the parties.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is acting as the financial advisor and Jones Day is acting as legal advisor to Lincoln Electric.

Lincoln Electric designs, develops and manufactures arc welding products, robotic arc-welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment, and has a global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market.

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Lincoln has 47 manufacturing locations, including operations and joint ventures in 19 countries, and a worldwide network of distributors and sales offices covering more than 160 countries.

Air Liquide Welding is a manufacturer of welding and cutting technologies. Air Liquide Welding has approximately 2000 employees across the world. It offers, through several brands, a large range of related equipment, consumables, and services on the market.

For more information on the acquisition, visit here.

* Taking Ownership: Congratulations are in order for Drake and Kimberly Nelson, who recently took over full operation and ownership of Oregon’s Coos Bay Speedway. The couple in late January announced the deal with longtime owner/promoter Chuck Prather, who had rebuilt the multi-track facility over the past decade.

In fact, the Nelsons are no strangers to the role, having been involved in race promotion since the early 2000s. What’s more, Drake’s father and grandfather promoted Meridian Speedway in Meridian, Idaho, in the 1970s and ’80s; Drake’s brother runs the track today. And Drake himself has been associated with Chaparral Speedway in Eagle, Idaho, and Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Oregon. He spent five years with Prather at Coos Bay Speedway, and recently returned after two years of operating Macon Speedway in Macon, Illinois, which is owned by Bob Sargent and racing legends Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace and Tony Stewart.

“The move to Coos Bay Speedway will definitely put a lot of work on Kimberly and me,” Drake said, “but the Speedway is such a great place, and I want to see it continue with success just as it has with Karin and Chuck.” Among other developments at Coos Bay Speedway in 2017 are a newly minted website (www.coosbayspeedway.us) and the return of its Pony Village Mall Car Display program, where competitors can show their cars inside the local shopping plaza from March 10–12. Best of luck for the upcoming season!

* A Hire Authority: As crew chief for both Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.—including Junior’s big victory in the 2014 Daytona 500—Steve Letarte scored more than a dozen wins in NASCAR’s top series dating back to 2005. In recent years he’s worked alongside race announcer Rick Allen and fellow analyst Jeff Burton in the NBC Sports broadcast booth during the network’s coverage of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and XFINITY Series races.

Yes, the man knows racing. So it made perfect sense when, just last month, Letarte rolled out a brand new website, RacingJobs.com, designed to match race teams with prospective employees. The site itself uses a smart, searchable database that creates anonymous but detailed online profiles for job candidates. Race teams can then narrow their searches based on criteria like education, work experience, skills and pay scale. And it’s inclusive, incorporating a range of positions—from pit crews, road crews and race shops, to engineers, interior mechanics, fabricators and more—across multiple series and racing types, from NASCAR to drag racing to IndyCar.

By keeping profiles anonymous, the site strives to create a truly level playing field, where qualifications and skill sets are valued above “who you know” or word-of-mouth networking. “This project has been several months in the making,” Letarte added, “and I’m excited about the site going live and making a positive impact in the industry.”   

* Island Drags: Efforts to bring side-by-side racing to Long Island (NY) received a powerful shot in the arm last month when Suffolk County lawmakers announced the formation of a committee to investigate potential sites for a drag strip. Demonstrating public-private cooperation, the committee includes members of the local drag racing community alongside county legislators and planning department personnel.

In addition to a site search, for the next 8 months committee members will study the negative effects of illegal street street racing on their neighborhoods, as well as the potential economic impact of a privately owned drag strip; at least one estimate indicates new jobs and tourism could bring upwards of $100 million in revenue.

Indeed, Long Islanders haven’t had a drag racing facility to call home since 2004, when the Westhampton Drag Strip officially closed shop. And, as advocates are quick to note, a local track would prevent area racers from traveling to—and spending money at—out-of-town venues. For more information, visit the website for “Long Island Needs A Dragstrip” at www.lineedsadragstrip.org.      

* Challenge Accepted: Billed as “Three Days Of Serious Car Fun,” the 9th Annual Motor State Challenge and Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car event has become a must-attend gathering for performance enthusiasts. This year’s program, which takes place July 20–22, includes a cruise night and dinner, a track day at GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan, and a full day of autocross action at The Tire Rack in South Bend, Indiana.

Complete event details, including registration information, can be found at www.motorstatechallenge.com. Space is limited, however, so interested participants are encouraged to register ASAP. 

Muncie Dragway is the latest track to sign a sanctioning agreement with the International Hot Rod Association.

The Albany, Indiana, facility opened on Easter Sunday in 1960, and features a quarter-mile drag strip and racing four days a week.

Since taking over ownership of track in 2013, Scott and Dawn Daniels have seen a significant increase in the number of spectators.

The move back to IHRA for the first time since 2006 is a natural progression in promoting Sportsman racing, according to track officials.

“At our track, we cater to the Sportsman racer,” said Scott Daniels, who races a 1971 Monte Carlo in No Box competition. “And, the IHRA is focused on the grassroots, Sportsman racer.”

The track has a full schedule of events from March through October, including its popular Spring Fling 25’s weekend in May.

For more information, visit here.

Last month, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart announced the formation of Team One Cure, a primary program of The Tony Stewart Foundation that supports fighting cancer in humans and animals. The announcement also confirmed an entry for the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500. Now, Team One Cure announced the driver of the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) No. 77 entry as Jay Howard.

"I can't begin to tell you how honored I am to have this opportunity," said Howard. "I'm not one to give up on a dream and I have every bit of determination to make this a successful effort for Tony, Team One Cure, and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. I'm in the best condition both mentally and physically, and my race craft is on point. We will be more than ready when [Indianapolis Motor Speedway] opens for practice this May."
 
Like Stewart, Jay Howard started racing go-karts at 7 years of age. Like Stewart, Howard has open-wheel driving experience at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Further, the two have a huge heart for children and animals, making Howard a great choice to represent Team One Cure in its race for potential cures to cancer, according to the company.
 
Stewart remarked, "I have every bit of confidence in the skills of Jay behind the wheel. Growing up 45 minutes from the Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 is an important part of my racing history. Participating in this year's race with Jay and [SPM co-owner] Sam through Team One Cure, we will be making a difference in both the 500 and the race against cancer."
 
Howard, long considered a "driver's driver," claimed the 2005 U.S. Formula Ford Zetec Championship and Rookie of the Year award in his first year racing in the U.S. In 2006, while driving for SPM, Howard won the Infiniti Pro Series championship (now Firestone Indy Lights)—an essential stepping-stone to the top level of American open-wheel racing. He qualified for his first Indy 500 in 2011. More than ready, Howard is poised to return to IMS as an advocate for people and pets battling cancer while pursuing a victory for Team One Cure.
 
"We are pleased to have Jay competing with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports once again," said SPM co-owner Sam Schmidt. "Given our impressive winning record together in the past, we have high expectations for the 101st Indy 500. Jay is extremely talented in the car as well as being a great advocate for the Team One Cure initiative."
 
Team One Cure, in partnership with the Colorado State University Flint Animal Cancer Center, will help educate people about comparative oncology and improve the lives of all cancer patients, whether pets or people.
 
For more information on the Team One Cure program, visit here.

Shayne Laws was named the new race director of Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia.

Laws has previously held the position of Langley Speedway’s competition director for years, supervising the crew that ensures the race cars are built to specifications. As race director, he’ll move to making decisions on how the races unfold and will penalize competitors for improper driving.

A fixture at Langley Speedway for decades, Laws has built a reputation for impartiality. He also brings experience working in the tower, having assisted race directors at big Late Model events at Martinsville and Myrtle Beach.

“It’s really not a big change (because) you’re still working with the same people,” Laws said. “You pretty much have learned everybody over the years, their driving style.

“Going to the tower is really an honor for me.”

The official 2017 racing schedule was also recently announced.

Langley Speedway’s April 1 Opening Night schedule includes Late Model 100, Super Street 40, Super Truck 25, Legends 25 and Bandolero 15.

Five more divisions will move into action April 8—Modified 50, Grand Stock 40, Pro Six 30, UCAR 25 and Enduro 30—with the Wing Champ Karts debuting April 15 with a 20-lapper.

Other notable dates on the 2017 schedule are listed below:

May 13 – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
July 1 – Fireworks
July 22 – Hampton Heat 200
Sept. 2 – K&N Pro Series East
Oct. 7 – Day of Destruction

For the complete 2017 Langley Speedway schedule, visit here.

With seven decades under its belt and an eye toward the future, historic Martinsville Speedway has officially flipped the switch. The facility debuted its new LED lights, the first major motorsports facility to do so, after its “Light Up Martinsville” project concluded this month.
 
“Today is truly a historic day in the history of Martinsville Speedway,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell when the lights were first unveiled. “This is a venue which has a long and storied past, but with these lights now in place, we’re looking forward to a bigger and better future—and certainly a brighter one.”
 
The LED lighting solution, located around the perimeter of the facility and the infield of the track, will provide better illumination as well as greater flexibility and efficiency than traditional metal halide lights. This will lead to a better visual experience for fans at races, in addition to providing better clarity for television viewers.

The installation was managed by Graybar, a distributor of electrical and communications products and services, featuring Eaton’s Ephesus Stadium 750 LED professional sports lights.
 
Joining Campbell in the ceremony to mark the official lighting of Martinsville Speedway were NASCAR Hall of Famer Leonard Wood, 2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Champion driver Matt Bowling, 2005 Whelen All-Amercian Series National Champion driver Peyton Sellers, and Vice President of Brand, ValleyStar Credit Union Lori Cauley.
 
This year’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300 on September 23 will be the first night race to be held in Martinsville’s 70-year history.
 
“It’s super exciting,” Cauley said. “We were so excited to hear that our race was going to be the first race under the lights. I’m really excited for the drivers too, but having our name on it is just the icing on the cake.”
 
To mark the occasion, Bowling and Sellers turned laps under the lights for the first time, while Wood, at 82 years old, stole the show by turning laps in the 1937 Ford his brother Glen drove at Martinsville in 1960.
 
“That was awesome,” Wood said. “Glen and I were standing on the backstretch watching Red Byron win the first race.
 
“It was just a high honor that he (Campbell) would call me and ask me to come over here and run it. When I was driving it around the track it brought back a lot of memories.”
 
This year, the historic track celebrates its 70th anniversary.

Racing returns to Martinsville Speedway March 31-April 2. Kids 12-and-under are admitted free Friday and Saturday.
 
The weekend starts on Friday with Virginia Lottery Pole Day and continues on Saturday, April 1, with the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race.
 
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be in action on Sunday, April 2, with the running of the STP 500.
 
The race is the first short-track race of the season, and marks the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ return to the east coast after the “West Coast Swing.”

The Cup Series returns to Martinsville Speedway and will qualify and race on the same day, on Sunday, October 29.

Saturday, October 28, will have an "old-school" feel, as NASCAR will return to a true "happy hour" practice session, immediately following the Alpha Energy Solutions 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. All kids 12-and-under are admitted free on this day.

Martinsville Speedway and NASCAR are also planning a fan event on Friday, October 27, featuring some of NASCAR's top stars. More information on the event will be available in the coming months.

For more information or tickets, visit www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

For many NASCAR drivers, Atlanta Motor Speedway’s worn asphalt racing surface is like a favorite easy chair. The older it gets the better it sits, but at some point, it deteriorates to a point that it has to be replaced.

That’s where AMS is now with its track, which hasn’t been repaved since a reconfiguration from a true oval to the current quad-oval in 1997.

When the track was repaved 20 years ago, speeds increased dramatically initially, making it one of the fastest tracks in NASCAR.

Geoff Bodine won the pole that November with a track-record speed of 197.478 mph. Last year, Kurt Busch won the AMS pole with a speed of 191.582 mph. Even with 20 years of technological advancement in his favor, Busch was nearly six miles per hour off Bodine’s speed.

Over the years, as the asphalt became worn and abrasive, it made for slower race speeds and multiple grooves, which allowed the kind of side-by-side racing many fans pay to see. Many an AMS race over the years has ended with the top two drivers running door to door at the finish line.

But the years have caught up with the track, and after this weekend the surface will be repaved.

“There is a time where every track has to do that, whether they want to or not,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said during the sport’s media tour. “It will be good to get that placed smoothed out. It will age up pretty quickly again.”

Ryan Newman, who is tied with the late Buddy Baker for most Atlanta poles, with seven, said he looks forward to one last run on the old surface.

“It has always been a fun racetrack,” he said. “I started racing there in 2001 in the Busch (now Xfinity) Series. The pavement was four years old then, and we had to put new tires on every stop we could possibly get.”

Newman said that with the changes in technology in tires and asphalt, he wonders if the new surface will ever be as good as the one he’ll race on this weekend.

“I don’t see that happening four years from now,” he said. “I think we will still be running the tires we started the race on type of a deal, so I don’t know. … We will see. …

“I don’t know that you can do anything to make it as good as it is.”

Jimmie Johnson, the defending winner of Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 and a five-time AMS winner, is among those who hate to see the old pavement go.

“I’m heartbroken like everybody else,” he said. “I know there is a time when it comes, and believe me, every driver and team representative were begging the track to hold off another year, but it had to be done.”

Johnson said that means, among other things, that there will be new drama come 2018.

“Somebody is going to break the track record,” he said. “I think we are going to have the fastest 1.5-mile speed in the history of 1.5-mile (tracks). There will be some storylines, but we just all love that old surface so much.”

Motor State Distributing has added the Racepak product line to the company’s list of performance vendors.

Racepak is a recognized data acquisition manufacturer offering solutions for street, strip, track and off-road applications.

One of the products offered is the Racepak IQ3D logger dash, which is said to combine an all-in-one solution that offers removable SD card data storage. The unit includes built-in support for more than 20 popular EFI systems.

The complete Racepak product line is now available from Motor State Distributing.

In related news, Champion Brands has named Motor State Distributing the exclusive distributor of its new Micro Sprint Racing Oils.

The oils are recommended for Micro, Lightning Non-Winged and Winged Outlaw, A Class, Stock Non-Winged, Restricted A Class, Jr. Sprint, 1200cc Winged, and Non-Winged Sprint engines.

“Micro Sprint Racing Oils are specifically formulated with premium synthetic base stocks and special additives for exceptional wet-clutch performance with superior engine and valvetrain wear protection,” according to Champion.

The oils are offered in quart bottles and cases.

For more information, visit www.motorstate.com.

Evergreen Speedway in Monrow, Washington, will host the penultimate event of the Red Bull Global Rallycross season for the second year in a row.

Red Bull Global Rallycross Seattle will be expanded to a doubleheader this year, staging rounds 10 and 11 of the 12-round schedule on September 9-10 at Evergreen Speedway.

“Red Bull GRC fans showed up in full force to support the series’ return to the Pacific Northwest in 2016, and we can think of no better way to reward their unwavering support than to bring them more action packed racing with a doubleheader event at Evergreen Speedway,” said Red Bull GRC CEO Colin Dyne.

“Red Bull Global Rallycross is a world class racing series that we are proud to host at our facility. Fans that missed out in 2016 have been waiting for this release for the past six months. We know this year will be even bigger and 'badder' than last,” said Evergreen Speedway President Doug Hobbs.

Drivers will return to action on the same course layout this year, charging down the front stretch into the banked turns one and two before diving into the dirt infield and conquering the dirt, Joker Lap, and signature 70-foot jump.

In last year’s Supercar final, Tanner Foust became the first driver to win both drifting and rallycross events at the track, while also reclaiming the championship lead. In GRC Lites, Washington-based DirtFish Motorsports scored a dominant victory with Conner Martell.

Two-time Formula One World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who also won a pair of Indianapolis 500s, will be honored by the Road Racing Drivers Club at the “RRDC Evening with Emerson Fittipaldi Presented by Firestone” in Long Beach, California, on Thursday, April 6.

This is the RRDC’s ninth consecutive annual banquet honoring auto racing’s most influential leaders and icons. It will be held prior to the 43rd Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Previous honorees were Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Roger Penske, Jim Hall, Brian Redman, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser and George Follmer. These “RRDC Evenings” are acknowledged as one of the highlights of the auto-racing social calendar, drawing fans and luminaries from all forms of motorsports.

The Firestone brand will return as presenting sponsor of the RRDC banquet for the eighth consecutive year.

“It’s an honor to have Firestone present the RRDC Evening with Emerson Fittipaldi,” said RRDC President Bobby Rahal. “They’ve been such an iconic brand in all forms of motorsports since as far back as 1911. We salute them for all their success and for their contributions to the sport. The RRDC is grateful for their continuing support.”

The dinner’s proceeds will help support the RRDC’s young driver initiatives, including its groundbreaking SAFEisFAST.com program and the Team USA Scholarship, which the RRDC has backed since 1997 and has been providing opportunities for talented young American race car drivers since 1990.

Born in Brazil in 1946, Fittipaldi made his racing debut for Team Lotus as a third driver at the 1970 British Grand Prix, earning that ride less than 18 months after arriving in Europe to chase his dreams in 1969. After Jochen Rindt’s death, he became Lotus’ lead driver in only his fourth Grand Prix. He went on to win the 1972 World Drivers’ Championship at the age of 25, which at the time made him the youngest F1 world champion. He held that record for 33 years.

He later moved to McLaren in 1974 and won the title once again. But then he made what might be called a somewhat curious career decision. He left the championship-winning McLaren team to drive a brand new – and totally unproven – F-1 car, built in his homeland of Brazil by his brother Wilson and funded by the Brazilian sugar and ethanol giant, Copersucar.

The project proved challenging, to say the least, and the uphill battle eventually proved too much even for Fittipaldi. In 1980 he reluctantly announced his retirement from racing.

At age 33 he appeared to be done, but four years later he made a comeback at the 1984 IMSA Miami Grand Prix. A move into IndyCar racing followed, and by the end of 1984, he was in a first-rate car driving for Ueal Eugene “Pat” Patrick. He won the 1989 Indianapolis 500 in a dramatic duel with Al Unser Jr. and claimed the IndyCar championship that year. Then it was on to Marlboro Team Penske, with whom he won another Indianapolis 500 at the age of 46, making him the third oldest Indy 500 winner ever, behind only Al and Bobby Unser.

“There’s no question that Emerson Fittipaldi is an outstanding champion and personality,” said Rahal. “He’s not only demonstrated his legendary talents on the F1 and IndyCar circuits, he’s also left his mark on IMSA racing. The RRDC is privileged to have such a charismatic honoree, with or without his famous mutton chops.”

Photo courtesy Indianapolis Motor Speedway.