NASCAR and Chevrolet announced the winners of the second annual NASCAR Chevrolet Diversity Scholarship Contest during a press conference at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, November 6.
 
Four undergraduate students from across the country were awarded a total of $20,000 in scholarships and treated to a VIP experience at today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the AAA Texas 500.
 
The contest challenged students to identify a technology or innovation within NASCAR, then explain how STEM professionals came to its design in 90-second videos. Video submissions were judged on technical accuracy, creativity and production quality.
 
Rachael Frost, a mechanical engineering student at James Madison University, earned first place and a $10,000 scholarship by explaining the physics of drafting in her video submission.  
 
University of Houston student Nicole Dequina won $5,000 for her video on the innovations of Safer Barrier walls. Florida A&M University student Michael Sanchez and Brigham Young University student Joy Kaseke took third and fourth place, respectively, earning $2,500 scholarships each.  
 
"Together with Chevrolet, we’re proud to support great talent and recognize these students with a unique, behind-the-scenes NASCAR experience," said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. "We received several impressive submissions and we’re thrilled to see so many students interested in the science and technology behind the sport.”
 
Through this initiative, NASCAR and Chevrolet are said to continue their longstanding commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) education and promoting opportunities for college students pursuing technology related careers.
 
“There’s never been a more exciting time to be in the STEM field,” said Ken Barrett, chief diversity officer for General Motors. “At GM, we know diversity is our strength, and having diverse talent in the STEM pipeline keeps both the automotive and racing industries on the cutting edge of innovation.”

Before taking in the AAA Texas 500, the students had the chance to meet with Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott and Richard Childress Racing driver Ryan Newman, who graduated from Purdue University with an engineering degree. The VIP experience also included pace car rides, garage and pit road tour, and a meet-and-greet with Chevrolet’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Program Manager Alba Colon.

Ford Performance revealed an all-new, track-ready turnkey Mustang race car - the Ford Mustang GT4.

Unveiled at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the Mustang GT4 has been designed and engineered jointly by Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsports to compete in sports car championship racing series globally, including the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, Pirelli World Challenge GTS/GT4, and GT4 European Series. It’s inspired by the Ford Shelby GT350R-C that won the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship in October.

“As the Mustang nameplate continually expands its presence in markets throughout the world, so does our relevant motorsport presence,” explained David Pericak, global director of Ford Performance. “The Mustang GT4 is equipped to compete and win on tracks around the globe, and we expect it to be as popular with racers as its production sibling is with consumers.”

The Mustang GT4 is equipped with the next generation, naturally aspirated 5.2L V8 racing engine specifically tuned for GT4 competition. The race engine was engineered, validated and built by Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines.

A lightweight, compact six-speed Holinger paddle shift transmission delivers race durability with direct-pneumatic activation for fast, positive and consistent gear shifts, according to a press release from Ford Performance. The GT4 powertrain also carries a dry sump oiling system, ZF-developed twin-plate racing clutch and flywheel.

Chassis features on the Mustang GT4 include:
    •    Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) dampers from Multimatic for advanced predictability, accuracy, repeatability and ultimate vehicle control
    •    Rear lower control arms (designed specifically for coil-over springs) and front/rear stabilizer bars from Multimatic
    •    Lightweight 18” x 11” forged alloy wheels from Forgeline
    •    Rotors and six-piston calipers from Brembo
    •    Aerodynamic enhancements on the Mustang GT4 include a rear wing, the design of which was derived from lessons learned by the Ford GT racing program, front splitter, hood venting, diveplanes and rear diffuser

On the interior, the Mustang GT4 carries a full FIA-compliant roll cage and race-oriented dash logger from MoTeC.

The state known for its horsepower recognized the history and contributions of 11 individuals who have impacted the motorsports world as the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame inducted its 2016 class of honorees.

The ninth annual ceremony took place Saturday, November 5, 2016, at the Owensboro Science and History Museum, which houses the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame inside the Speedzeum.

The 11 inductees included:
    •    Powerboat and open wheel specialist     Bill        Cantrell    
    •    Custom car builder    Pat Keating   
    •    Drag racing team    Jackie Lawson   ,   Gary Eldridge  , and  Billy Adams  along with  Coo per Hay den  (of Owensboro)  and Conway Witten of  the straight line speedsters
    •    Circle dirt track specialists  Butch Shay  and Wayne Coakley 
    •    Pioneer Inductee David L. Green, the drag racer turned father to three NASCAR main series drivers
    •    Visionary Inductee CJ Rayburn, former Drag Racer who turned to a career of building and engineering racing chassis and motors

The Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame’s intention is to publicly acknowledge and commemorate the individuals, family or team of Kentucky-born contributors to the motorsports community on a local, state or national level that set a high standard of tradition and reputation that withstands the test of time and honors Kentucky roots.

Based in the Owensboro Science and History Museum’s Speedzeum, the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame houses plagues and memories of the inductees in addition to numerous exhibits of the various forms of Kentucky Motorsports.

Wild Bill Cantrell may be the most varied inductee in the 9 years of inductions to the Hall of Fame. Noted for winning four times in the Madison, Indiana Hydroplane race, Cantrell also was a three-time starter in the Indy 500, won the 1949 Gold Cup in Hydroplanes and even was a stunt driver in the movies To Please a Lady and The Big Wheel. Cantrell has previously been recognized in Madison with a historical plague riverside and is an inductee into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America that recently moved from Detroit to Daytona Beach.

Wayne Coakley’s induction recognizes a tradition in the motorsports community that distinguishes itself apart from stick and ball sports. Unlike other sports that retire numbers of milestone players, the motorsports highest praise typically takes the form of Memorial Races for passed legends at their home track they established their dominance at. For Coakley, that has taken the form of not just one track but a long list of tracks laying claim to the success and hosting memorial racers for the dirt driving Stock Car Racing driver.  Coakley’s track championships and wins established the former coal miner as the standard that many Kentucky stock car racers are compared to today. Killed in an accident with a drunk driver as he returned home from a race, Coakley will be posthumously inducted as is Cantrell, Green and Butch Shay.

Butch Shay joins Coakley as a dirt track racing standout being inducted as a multi-track champion and winner. Shay’s 50 years of racing dirt cars seen him win races in 8 states and collect track championships at Richmond and Florence, KY dirt tracks.

Inductee Pat Keating’s path to the Hall of Fame comes on the tails of recently being inducted into the National Custom Car Hall of Fame in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2015. Noted for being an outstanding builder of championship cars and custom cars, Keating’s work dates back to the 1959 and has been highlighted with numerous magazine covers of his detailed work.

Dating back to 1959 also, Cooper Hayden helped build the first drag strip in his hometown of Owensboro and turned that involvement into a lifetime of being involved in the go fast form of sports. Hayden’s winning drag race entries took him from Owensboro to the California coast as he established himself as a leading contributor to the sport. Building race cars, travel and aging eventually led the Owensboro-born back home to raise a family, but not leaving the impacting of the sport as he continues today in his 80’s to building and tinkering with hot rods.

For twenty years Willmoth Conway Witten Jr. was a winning drag racer, establishing some 30 records and winning 23 times including a national win in National Hot Rod Association competition before becoming one of today’s leading cylinder head specialist for NHRA Super Stock motors.

Inducted for their team effort, Gary Eldridge, Jackie Lawson and Billy Adams formed a drag racing team that took them to victory lane in some of the biggest drag races of the day. They won the NHRA Nationals at Indianapolis to gain the national stage spotlight. Two national wins highlight the team’s success as well as numerous class titles and numerous tracks.

The class of ’16 will also spotlight a Pioneer designated award winner as David Lloyd Green has been selected for the marque induction for his supportive and exemplary support of his three sons, David, Mark and Jeff Green. Making their mark in NASCARs top level of competition, the Owensboro born family, the senior Green used his racing and life knowledge to propel his son’s to their own success and contributions to representing their home state to a standard fitting of the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame.

The inductees will join family, friends and fans on Saturday, November 5, 2016 in downtown Owensboro at the Speedzeum for a reception and a mid-afternoon induction ceremony on the second floor of the Owensboro Science and History Museum.

As part of the day activities, inductee Witten will share his personal testimony in a pre-induction event held during the 2 pm hour on the second floor of the museum.

More information on the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame can be found on its website at KentuckyMotorsportsHallofFame.com or it’s Facebook page at the same name.

Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc. added various new lines to its speed and performance lineup this year, including HKS, Turbosmart, CSF Radiators, Spec (Specialty) Clutch, Dinan Performance, Driveshaft Shop, Innogoods, Titan Lifts, Power Service, Evans Cooling, Hubb Filters, JMS, Vogtland, FiTech and Mobil 1.

These new partners are examples of Keystone’s commitment to serve and support sport compact, domestic, import, classic, modern muscle and street rod segments, thus providing customers with deeper and broader access to an already-impressive selection of inventory, according to a press release from the company.

“These new lines are reputable additions to our existing speed and performance line card. We’re pleased to have them on board as a means of providing customers with greater opportunity to expand their businesses,” said Larry Montante, Vice President of Category Management. “It’s not just about the sheer number of lines, products and applications we carry; it’s about the depth, breadth and quality that we offer as the leading and largest wholesale distributor in the aftermarket. Buy it today, have it tomorrow and benefit from a team of experts to help you grow every step of the way.”

Keystone has more than 165,000 unique stocking SKUs and says it will continue to expand its footprint to meet the growing needs of its customer base.

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) announced a relationship with Mazda to jointly organize a new class of vintage racing.

The cars are first generation 1.6-liter spec Miatas of 1990 to 1993 vintage and will compete in a five-race points championship named the “Mazda Miata Heritage Cup.”

Each weekend will crown a Mazda Miata Heritage Cup race event winner. The races will be given a distinct class but will be presented on SVRA event weekends at Auto Club Speedway, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Portland International Raceway and Virginia International Raceway.

“This new offering associates us with a hugely respected brand in Mazda Motorsports but also opens the door to a terrific new entry point in vintage racing,” said Tony Parella, SVRA president and CEO. “We now have an affordable, more recent vintage race car that a younger generation driver can relate to. Younger drivers remember them and once they enter our sport they can build from there. As we infuse new blood into our sport it is also a nice tie to our recently announced driver school and accelerated path to competition licensing.”

The new vintage spec Mazda Miata Heritage Cup is the latest enhancement to what the SVRA calls its “season of motorsports festivals” where fans yearning for the days of wide variety in car design and engine noises can have their fill.

The new Mazda Miata Heritage Cup will have its own distinct races, as do other run groups, such as the Historic Trans Am cars. Professional Trans Am also shares the stage with the SVRA at various points throughout the season.

The festival format of America’s premier vintage racing series with cars spanning 100 years of history also frequently includes Motostalgia car auctions, car shows and music concerts by iconic bands.

Mazda Motorsports will provide support resources to the SVRA in organizing the Mazda Miata Heritage Cup events and season championship.

The Mazda races will run with the SVRA at the following 2017 events:
April 28-30, Auto Club Speedway
May 18-21, Road America
June 22-25, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
July 27-30, Portland International Racewa
September 21-24, Virginia International Raceway

Veteran motorsports television analyst Jim Tretow will be hosting the 2016 ARCA Racing Series, presented by Menards, national championship awards banquet in Indianapolis Saturday night, December 10. Coinciding with the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, both events will take place in the Indiana Convention Center.

"I am honored to be on stage with the deserving ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards drivers and award recipients," said Tretow. "I'm grateful to Ron Drager and Mark Gundrum for allowing me to share the stage on December 10th with all the deserving honorees."

The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native's broadcast roots reach back more than 30 years, beginning with his own radio show that he started in 1985. Since then, Tretow added television to his roster of broadcast responsibilities, announcing national ASA and ARCA race events for nearly 25 years.

The celebratory evening will take place in the Sagamore Ballroom inside the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis.

It’s also where Chase Briscoe and his car owner Briggs Cunningham will be crowned as first-time national champions. Briscoe is the 34th different ARCA national champion since 1953. Briscoe will also be honored as ARCA's Short Track Challenge champion by Protect Plus, the Bill France 4 Crown champion, Menards Pole by Ansell champion, Valvoline Lap Leader and more.

"To play a role in recognizing the first owner and driver championship for Cunningham Motorsports will be special," Tretow said.

In addition to celebrating with the top race team, the top-20 drivers and top-10 car owners will be honored on stage as will several other Special Award recipients including SCOTT Rookie of the Year Dalton Sargeant as well as the General Tire Superspeedway Challenge championship team Venturini Motorsports.

Other Special Awards include the Marcum award, one of ARCA's highest honors named after Series founder John Marcum, and the Spirit Award.

K&K Insurance and Sunoco Race Fuels will sponsor a pre-banquet reception from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. with the awards ceremony following promptly at 5:30 p.m.

Banquet tickets are available to the general public. For more on ARCA's national championship awards banquet or to purchase tickets online, visit the ARCA Racing website.

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) introduced a multiyear partnership with NanoFlowX, a product that makes electronic devices water resistant, during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The partnership makes NanoFlowX the Official Electronics Protective Coating Partner of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

In addition to NanoFlowX, the Commerce, California-based company will showcase another of its products, SnapGuard Solutions, on fabric, such as firesuits, in the IMSA environment through the partnership.

“IMSA prides itself on offering a platform for innovation in North American motorsports,” said David Pettit, IMSA Vice President, Marketing. “With races as long as 24 hours in length and run rain or shine - and a season that lasts from January to October each year, our flagship WeatherTech Championship exposes electronic devices, uniforms and many other items to a variety of elements. There are plenty of applications for both NanoFlowX and SnapGuard Solutions in IMSA, making this partnership a natural fit.”

NanoFlowX offers nano-coating solutions for electronic devices and components to be resistant to liquids, corrosion, humidity and dust.

The SnapGuard Solutions fabric protectant will make fabrics such as the firesuits worn by IMSA officials on event weekends stain free and water repelling for up to 25 washes.

The 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship kicks off with the 55th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29 at Daytona International Speedway.

Following a year filled with record-setting racing at Summit Motorsports Park is the release of its 2017 schedule.

Among the offerings are the 36th Annual Spring Warm-Up on April 15 followed by the 11th Annual Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser, which is billed as the largest NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in the country, May 19-21.

Super Summit, which sees sizable increases in racers and race fans each year, is June 9-10, and the 11th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, which is heavy on high horsepower and high mph Top Fuel dragsters, Funny Cars and fireworks, is June 22-25.

Fords will be the focus for Fun Ford Reloaded 2, July 7-9, and street-rodders will cruise in for the Sweet 16 Wanda Brand AkzoNobel Blue Suede Cruise, July 14-16.

Dusters, Demons and other Chryslers will come together for the 5th Annual Monster Mopar Weekend, July 28-30, and everything from Grand Safaris to GTOs will gather for the 26th Annual Ames Performance Pontiac Nationals, August 4-6.

The 40th Annual Kelly Services Night Under Fire will feature more than fifty performers, a new $125,000 fireworks show, new theatrical light show and new special effects from August 11-13.

Cars with turbo, blower, nitrous and naturally aspirated combinations will captivate at the 16th Annual NMCA All-American Muscle SuperNationals, August 25-27.

The Summit Racing Equipment Shakedown at the Summit 15 presented by Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels will see a $150,000 combined purse, including $66,00 for the event's quickest and fastest category, ProLine Outlaw Pro Mod, with $40,000 of that for the winner, Sept. 14-17.

Hundreds of sportsman racers will gather for a week-long Halloween party - and racing - during the Halloween Classic XLIV presented by Harland Sharp, Oct. 22-29.

2017 Summit Motorsports Park schedule:

April 15: 36th Annual Spring Warm-Up
April 21: Friday Test & Tune
April 22: Accel Super Series - Opening Day
April 28: Friday Test & Tune
April 29: Accel Super Series
May 3: Wednesday Fun Night
May 5: Friday Test & Tune
May 6: Accel Super Series
May 7: 29th Annual High School Nationals
May 10: Wednesday Fun Night
May 12: Friday Test & Tune
May 13: Accel Super Series
May 17: Wednesday Fun Night
May 19-21: 11th Annual Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser
May 24: Wednesday Fun Night
May 26: Friday Test & Tune
May 27: Accel Super Series
May 31: Wednesday Fun Night
June 2-4: 20th Annual No Box Bonanza
June 7: Wednesday Fun Night
June 9-10: Super Summit
June 14: Wednesday Fun Night
June 16: Friday Test & Tune
June 17: Accel Super Series
June 22-25: 11th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
July 5: Wednesday Fun Night
July 7-9: Fun Ford Reloaded 2
July 12: Wednesday Fun Night
July 14-16: Sweet 16 Wanda Brand AkzoNobel Blue Suede Cruise
July 17-18: Frank Hawley Drag Racing School
July 19: Wednesday Fun Night/Frank Hawley Drag Racing School
July 20: Frank Hawley Drag Racing School
July 21: Friday Test & Tune
July 22: Accel Super Series
July 23: 20th Annual Oldsmobile/Buick Race/Show Nationals
July 24-25: Frank Hawley Drag Racing School
July 26: Wednesday Fun Night
July 28-30: 5th Annual Monster Mopar Weekend
August 2: Wednesday Fun Night
Aug. 4-6: 26th Annual Ames Performance Pontiac Nationals
Aug. 11-13: 40th Annual Kelly Services Night Under Fire
Aug. 16: Wednesday Fun Night
Aug. 18-20: 25th Annual Shootout presented by Buschur Racing
Aug. 23: Wednesday Fun Night
Aug. 25-27: 16th Annual NMCA All-American Muscle SuperNationals
Aug. 30: Wednesday Fun Night
Sept.1-3: 25th Annual Ten Grand Nationals
Sept. 6: Wednesday Fun Night
Sept. 8: Friday Test & Tune
Sept. 9: Accel Super Series
Sept. 13: Wednesday Fun Night
Sept. 14-17: Summit Racing Equipment Shakedown at the Summit 15
Sept. 20: Wednesday Fun Night
Sept. 22: Friday Test & Tune
Sept. 23: Accel Super Series
Sept. 27: Wednesday Fun Night
Sept. 29: Friday Test & Tune
Oct. 4: Wednesday Fun Night
Oct. 6: Friday Test & Tune
Oct. 7: Accel Super Series Season Championship
Oct. 11: Wednesday Fun Night
Oct. 13: Friday Test & Tune
Oct. 18: Wednesday Fun Night
Oct. 22-29: Halloween Classic XLIV presented by Harland Sharp

Plattsburgh, New York's Airborne Speedway will be switching from asphalt to dirt for the start of the next racing season. It was primarily a declining interest in asphalt racing that led to this decision. Racetrack leaders say the switch should appeal to a wider range of drivers in this area.

Airborne Speedway has been around since 1954, opening originally with a dirt track.  Since that time it's switched from dirt to asphalt, back to dirt, and back to asphalt again for the last 26 years. 

Throughout the last few months, track leaders have been traveling the northeast, looking for the right mixture of dirt and clay for the transition. The plan is to lay the new cover right over the existing track.

The 602 and 358 car classes will race on the new track next season.

"Right now there's not a lot of asphalt cars out there doing what we do in our particular area. We're primarily dirt country, on this side of New York and over on the western part of New York, so the decision wasn't about the excitement, the decision was about the car counts and how we can work with other tracks," said John Walker, an Owner and Promoter for Airborne Speedway.

Walker says the track change should take about 3 weeks. Walker expects the transition to cost anywhere between $85,000 and $125,000.

He hopes to have it done before the snow hits, or early next spring. He expects the 2017 Airborne Speedway season to open in May.

Editor’s Note: Corey Perlman will present an exclusive seminar, “Social Media Overdrive,” at the 2016 PRI Trade Show on December 10, from 8–9 a.m., in Room 242 of the Indiana Convention Center. In it, he will discuss best practices for your website, Facebook, Instagram and content creation.
 
I realized something today – I never buy from a cold call. Never have, never will. I get cold calls, cold emails, even cold knocks on the door. But I never buy. Not sure if it’s lack of trust, a frustration from the interruption, or just something inside me that screams WARNING WARNING WARNING!

But I buy products and services all the time. So the question is, when DO I buy?

95% of the time, I buy based on a referral. When a friend or family member shares their positive experience with me. That’s when I buy.

Sales experts often say that the way you buy is also the way you sell. This makes sense, as I took cold calling out of our marketing arsenal a long time ago. Almost ALL of our clients have come from a referral.

When we need to increase our referrals, here are a few things we do:

1. We seek to give more referrals. #reciprocity.
2. We ask. People are not motivated when they’re happy as when they’re unhappy. If we ask, they are usually happy to deliver.
3. We ask when the time is right. Timing is everything. If you’re a car dealership, the best time to ask is after the “first drive.” It never gets better than that.
4. We must ask on the platform where our customers and prospects are spending time.

Actions to consider:

1. How often do you ask your happy customers (to refer your business)? Increase it.
2. When is the right time to ask for a referral in your business? Make sure you have a process in place to request referrals at that time.
3. Which platform (LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Local, Website, email, etc.) is the right place for you to get the recommendation? Use those platforms.

My favorite places to be referred:

1. Over email
2. Through a LinkedIn introduction
3. Via a referral to our website and through our contact form

Go forth and give and get referrals!

Corey