The inaugural Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series event next July highlights the tentative Lucas Oil Speedway schedule, which was announced on Thursday by Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager Dan Robinson.

The new off road track, which is under construction southeast of the dirt track, will bring a new form of racing to Lucas Oil Speedway – and to this part of the country – in a big two-day show, July 22-23.

Otherwise, fans will find the schedule similar to last year’s with at least one special event each month plus 13 weekly shows featuring the USRA Modifieds, USRA B-Mods, Street Stocks and ULMA Late Models.

“We’re excited about what’s in store for our fans and drivers in 2017 with a schedule that has a little bit of everything,” Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager Dan Robinson said. “We run the gamut with our Weekly Series to big Late Model specials, the Open-Wheel shows, Drag Boats, Pro Pulling, Monster Trucks and, of course, the much-anticipated first Off Road weekend on the new track.

“The off-road form of racing, while new to this part of the country, is something that we feel fans will quickly embrace. We’re eager for 2017 to be out biggest, best season yet after a record-breaking 2016.”

Engines will fire for the first time on April 1 with an open test and tune for all four divisions. The season goes green on April 8 with the first Weekly Championship Series program Presented by KOLR 10 and Z 27 with the ULMA Late Models featured in a $1,000-to-win feature.

The first special of the season is set for April 14-15 with the fourth annual Lucas Oil MLRA Spring Nationals. The USRA Modifieds and Street Stocks join the MLRA Late Models.

May begins with the sixth annual Impact Signs, Awnings & Wraps Open Wheel Showdown with the ASCS Warrior/Red River Region Sprints, POWRi Midgets and WAR Sprints.

The month wraps up with the 25th annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 Presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com, May 25-27. Three-day passes for the Show-Me 100 will go on sale later this winter.

June finds Lake Lucas firing up June 9-11 with the sixth annual John Haas Memorial Drag Boat Classic. The ASCS Bob Westphal Memorial Cup Sizzlin’ Speedweek Finale for ASCS Winged Sprints and WAR Sprints is set for June 17.

Before the Off Road weekend, July finds the 11th annual CMH Diamond Nationals for the Lucas Oil Model Dirt Series and MLRA Late Models July 15. The Off Road weekend includes a Weekly Series program on July 22.

August commences with national-touring Modifieds in the spotlight, for the 8th annual USMTS Slick Mist Show-Me Shootout on Aug. 5. The month concludes – as does the regular season – with the Weekly Series Season Championship Night on Aug. 26 as the four division champs are crowned.

Labor Day Weekend is arguably the busiest of the season, with the three-day seventh annual Diamond Drag Boat Nationals Sept. 1-3 and the Lucas Oil MLRA Larry Phillips Memorial on the dirt track Sept. 2. USRA B-Mods join the Late Models in the big Saturday-night program after action on Lake Lucas earlier in the day.

Following a weekend off, the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling Nationals are set for Sept. 15-16. Then it’s the three-day Open-Wheel crown jewel, the seventh annual Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial for ASCS Sprints and WAR Sprints Sept. 21-23.

The season speeds to a conclusion next October with the 4th annual MLRA Fall Nationals and Big Buck 50 Presented by Whitetail Trophy Hunt Oct. 6-7. The Monster Truck Nationals-Eve of Destruction wraps the schedule on Oct. 21.

Mazda has confirmed the eight finalists for the 11th annual Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. This post-season shootout will award a $100,000 Mazda Motorsports scholarship to compete in the 2017 Battery Tender Mazda Global MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. The 2016 Shootout will take place November 15-16, 2016 at the NOLA Motorsports Park, in Avondale, Louisiana.
 
Winning a club racing championship with Mazda power is the primary entry channel into the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout. Two dozen racers were eligible for the shootout based upon success with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), the National Auto Sport Association (NASA), Teen Mazda Challenge, Formula Car Challenge or iRacing. These racers were then invited to submit a written and video proposal from which the finalists were selected.
 
The 2016 finalists are:
1)     Michael Carter, Savannah, Georgia – At-Large Nominee – SCCA Spec Miata
2)     Matt Cresci, Los Gatos, California – At-Large Nominee – NASA Spec Miata
3)     Julian Garfield, Mount Airy, Maryland – At-Large Nominee – SCCA SOLO
4)     Justin Hille, Ypsilanti, Michigan – SCCA Runoffs Spec Miata Champion
5)     Tyler Kicera, Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania – NASA East Spec Miata Champion
6)     Daniel Langon, Alamo, California – Teen Mazda Challenge Western Region Champion
7)     Matthew Machiko, Wexford, Pennsylvania – SCCA Runoffs Formula Mazda Champion
8)     TBD - iRacing Global Mazda MX-5 Combine Cup Champion (to be confirmed Nov. 8)
 
“Each year we say that this is our strongest class ever, and 2016 is no exception.  It’s amazing how tough the competition is and that it gets more competitive every year.  Taking the shootout to a new venue will add to the challenge.  May the best racer win,” John Doonan, director of motorsports, Mazda North American Operations, said,
 

World Rally Championship's leading manufacturer Volkswagen will cease its involvement in the category at the end of the 2016 season.

The announcement brings a conclusion to VW's ultra-successful WRC program, with the marque capturing four successive manufacturers' titles and four drivers' titles – all courtesy of Sebastien Ogier – since its full-time entry in 2013.

Arriving three days on after VW clinched its 43rd WRC victory and its fourth title at Rally Wales, the news follows on from fellow Volkswagen Group manufacturer Audi's recent exit from the World Endurance Championship.
 
Both developments are believed to be intrinsically tied with the losses VW Group suffered from its highly-publicized emissions scandal in 2015.

"The Volkswagen brand is facing enormous challenges. With the upcoming expansion in electrification of our vehicle range we must focus all our efforts on important future technologies.

"We far exceeded our sporting goals in the WRC, now we are realigning Volkswagen Motorsport and moving the vehicle technology of the future more starkly into focus,” said VW's Frank Welsch.

“At the same time, Volkswagen is going to focus more on customer racing. As well as the Golf GTI TCR on the circuit track and the Beetle GRC in rallycross, we also want to offer customers top products and will develop a new Polo according to R5 regulations."

With Volkswagen bowing out, the WRC is set to feature four constructor teams – Citroen, Hyundai, M-Sport and the newly-arriving Toyota – in the 2017 season, where new technical regulations will come into effect.

Ogier and teammates Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen, who have looked set to continue in the WRC on an already-developed 2017-spec VW Polo R, will now all have to find new avenues for the continuation of their careers.

"I want to give our heartfelt thanks to our drivers and co-drivers for their outstanding achievements. They are not only unbelievably quick, but also extremely effective ambassadors for the Volkswagen brand," added Welsch.

Chevrolet has revealed at the SEMA Show 2016 its new Camaro SS Drag Race Development Program, alongside two prototype Camaros, to showcase its efforts to the racing industry.

The goal of the program is to develop durable, high-performance parts for the sixth-generation Camaro, which come straight from the brand itself.

To do this, engineers created test vehicles. They both utilize the same 6.2-liter LT1 V8 engine, but boast significant upgrades and modifications. Chevrolet has swapped the differential for a higher ratio, installed a heads and cam package and continues to test a high-stall torque converter for greater launch capability.

These modifications have sent power upwards from 415 hp at stock configuration, to 600 hp.

With more than 100 passes down the drag strip, engineers have managed a 60-foot time of 1.425 seconds, eighth-mile time of 6.764 seconds at 100.85 mph and a quarter-mile time of 10.685 at 125.73 mph.

To support the power, engineers dug into the sixth and fifth-generation Camaro ZL1 parts bin, including half-shafts and prop shaft. The Chevrolet Performance driveline upgrade, with a 250mm, 3.73-geared rear-axle center section, was also cherry-picked to complete necessary upgrades.

Engineers have nicknamed it the “Gravedigger” because, simply, they have been unable to break it.

Furthermore, the prototype cars wear DOT-approved racing slicks with 16-inch racing wheels. Hiding behind the wheels is a small-brake kit, too, developed to fit inside the test car’s wheels.

Mark Dickens, director, Performance Variants, Parts and Motorsports Engineering, stated the program is still well under development, but the brand is serious about offering drag-racing packages in the future for the sixth-generation Camaro.

“As we continue to develop the car, we’ll be listening intently to customers’ reactions to it and what they believe would help them the most on the drag strip. This is only the beginning.”

The Southeast Conference has released its 2017 SCCA U.S. Majors Tour competition calendar. A total of six weekends, 12 races in all, make up the schedule that runs from January to early July.

Of note are three Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour events on the Southeast Conference schedule.

One is at Sebring International Raceway, the very first Hoosier SCCA Super Tour of the racing season.  The second is a dual event with the Southern Conference at NOLA Motorsports Park, and the third is another shared date at VIRginia International Raceway with the Northeast Conference. 

The calendar is subject to change, but the 2017 U.S. Majors Tour Southeast Conference calendar is comprised of the following:

- January 6-8: Homestead-Miami Speedway; Homestead, Florida
- January 13-15: Sebring International Raceway; Sebring, Florida
  Hoosier Super Tour
- March 4-5: NOLA Motorsports Park; Avondale, Louisiana
  Hoosier Super Tour (Dual Southeast Conf./Southern Conf. Event)
- March 17-19: Road Atlanta; Braselton, Georgia
- April 14-16: VIRginia International Raceway; Alton, Virginia
  Hoosier Super Tour (Dual Southeast Conf./Northeast Conf. Event)
- July 1-3 – Roebling Road Raceway; Bloomingdale, Georgia

Schedules for the remaining five SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Conferences will be published as they are finalized. Drivers competing in the U.S. Majors Tour or Hoosier Super Tour can now apply online for Series Registration at MotorsportReg.com. 

Those paying the $50 Series Registration fee can reserve a single or two-digit number in a Conference of their choosing with payment deferred until January 1, 2017.  The same number can also be reserved in other Conferences for an additional $25 per Conference.

A Series Registration fee of $100 allows drivers to register a three-digit number, with the leading digit required to be “1,” for all Conferences. And drivers with a 2016 U.S. Majors Tour series registration will have until November 7th at 9 am CST to reserve the same number within a Conference for the coming year.  At that time, unreserved numbers will be released back into the general pool.

Only SCCA Full Competition and SCCA Pro Racing License holders may register for the U.S. Majors Tour or Hoosier Super Tour series. For complete rules and regulations, including fee prices, visit the SCCA website.

The SCCA U.S. Majors Tour will see some changes next year with a focus on cost containment and providing greater control of non-Super Tour events to Regions and Divisions. 

One such change is the expansion of racing conferences from five to six. 

The newly-formed Southern Conference, which includes Texas and Louisiana, was created to reduce travel costs in what was the largest geographic area, the Mid-States Conference, and provide more racing opportunities in Texas.

For non-Hoosier Super Tour events in the U.S. Majors Tour program, also known as Conference events, regions will have greater flexibility in planning and event structure to meet local needs. While annual calendaring will be approved by the central office to avoid conflicts wherever possible, host Regions or race groups will have sole management responsibility of events, leading to potentially lower costs for racers due to a reduction in series staffing and services.

Hoosier Super Tour race weekends include segmented timing and scoring, and have a dedicated “Super Tour Radio presented by Hoosier Racing Tire” team of announcers providing insight and entertainment at tracks and online at SCCA.com. 

Dedicated staffing with a series race director, administrator and technical inspector working in conjunction with local event personnel is an additional feature of the Hoosier Super Tour.  Up to three static cameras will broadcast races live online at SCCA.com, and onsite SCCA public relations staff will provide weekend media coverage. Hoosier Super Tour dates will also have enhanced weekend social activities.

Both the U.S. Majors Tour and Hoosier Super Tour serve as paths to the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs with race days being Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Sports Car Club of America, Inc., founded in 1944, is a 67,000-member motorsports organization that incorporates all facets of autocross, rally and road racing at both club and professional levels. With headquarters in Topeka, Kansas, the SCCA annually sanctions over 2,000 events through its 115 Regions and professional subsidiary.

J&A Service, an oil and gas well-servicing company, has signed an agreement to extend their series sponsorship of the popular NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

The NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series also announced the 2017 racing schedule which will expand to 12 events for the coming season.
 
New for 2017 will be an event at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at ZMax Dragway, April 28-30. The 12th event will be announced at a later date.
 


The season will come to life March 16-19 at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL. at Gainesville Raceway. The next event will take place at the NHRA SpringNationals at Houston, April 21-23, and then heads to Atlanta for the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, May 5-7.
 
June will be a busy month for the series with three events in consecutive weekends. The action kicks off with the NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., June 8-11.

The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will follow over Father’s Day weekend, June 16-18, at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn. The busy month will conclude with the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, June 22-25, at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports in Norwalk, Ohio.

The series will again be featured at the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Aug. 30-Sept. 4. And then head to Charlotte, N.C., for the NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 15-17, at zMax Dragway.

The penultimate race of the 2017 NHRA Pro Mod season, the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, will be held at Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis, Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
 
The 2017 season will conclude and a Pro Mod champion will be crowned at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the NHRA Toyota Nationals, Oct. 26-29.
 


“We are very excited to return for a third year as the title sponsor of the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series,” said Jim Whiteley, owner of J&A Service. “Our partnership with the NHRA and the Pro Mod Series has provided our business with such great exposure and opportunities to expand our business as well as the events are just a great place to entertain clients. We love that the popularity of the Pro Mod class continues to grow and we’re looking forward to once again working with the NHRA as drag racing continues to cultivate new fans.”
 


As part of its series sponsorship, J&A Service will provide a $200,000 purse that pays the national champion $50,000 and the series runner-up $20,000. Each individual event winner will earn $10,000 and the event runners-up will claim $3,000 each.
 


The NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series is supported by the Real Pro Mod (RPM) Association, a group of NHRA Pro Mod Series team owners who works closely with NHRA on many initiatives to maintain the series.
 


“J&A Service and the dedication of Jim and Anne Whitely have been integral in the growth of the Pro Mod category,” said Brad Gerber, NHRA vice president, and chief development officer. “This category is not only popular with the racers but is also a proven fan favorite. We look forward to the start of the coming season.”
 


The NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series is highlighted by historic muscle cars, like ’67 Mustangs, ’68 Firebirds and ’69 Camaros, as well as a variety of late model American muscle cars. With more than 3,000 horsepower, the suspended door pro mod cars travel the quarter-mile in less than six seconds at speeds exceeding 250 mph.
 


J&A Service, owned by veteran racers Jim and Annie Whiteley, is located in Grand Junction, CO. The company, a national oil and gas well-servicing business, leases and operates all forms of well-completion equipment and is the innovator of its patented Green Completions Unit, a self-contained, high-capacity mobile flowback separator that contains 99 percent of all airborne contaminates. Mobile units are available for sale or lease.
 


2017 NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series Schedule:
 


March 16-19                  Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals                Gainesville, Fla.

April 21-23                     NHRA SpringNationals                                       Houston

April 28-30                     NHRA Four-Wide Nationals                                 Charlotte, N.C.

May 5-7                        NHRA Southern Nationals                                   Atlanta

June 8-11                      NHRA Summernationals                                     Englishtown, N.J.

June 16-18                    NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals                          Bristol, Tenn.

June 22-25                    Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals          Norwalk, Ohio

Aug. 30-Sept. 4             Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals                  Indianapolis

Sept. 15-17                   NHRA Carolina Nationals                                    Charlotte, N.C.

Sept. 29-Oct. 1              AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals              St. Louis

Oct. 26-29                     NHRA Toyota Nationals                                      Las Vegas

*12th event to be announced at a later date.

Union County Dragway, located minutes south of Union, S.C., has joined the NHRA Member Track Network in the Southeast Division, NHRA’s Division 2, which features tracks in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico.

The facility, originally opened in 2008, will run a full schedule of events for the 2017 season from February to November. Track owner Gilbert Jacobs and track consultant Kurt Johnson of Total Venue Concepts will run a range of events, including a season-long points series, grudge racing, and an active slate of small tire shootouts.

Jacobs, a promoter of live music events as well as drag racing events, will bring his passion and energy to the facility, according to an NHRA press release. He has raced at facilities along the East Coast and is ready to use what he has learned behind the wheel to make Union County Dragway a top-tier facility for racers and fans.

Johnson, an industry leader in track preparation and in knowledge of drag radial racing, will bring his years of expertise to Union County Dragway.

“Mr. Jacobs is a great partner to help us reintroduce NHRA Drag Racing to racers in South Carolina that until now didn’t have a local NHRA member track,” said Rich Schaefer, Division 2 director. “Gilbert and I have talked about reaching beyond existing NHRA programs and building more diverse events and appealing to the small tire contingent. It’s exciting to see what we can do together at a great track like Union County Dragway.” 

“We at Union County Dragway anxiously await the start of the 2017 season and the partnership with the NHRA,” said Jacobs. “Their wide range of racing options and benefits to the racers will help us grow the sport in an active drag racing part of the state.”

As an NHRA-sanctioned track, the facility will be eligible to offer racers a variety of NHRA racing opportunities, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, NHRA Jr. Street, and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA.

Additionally, the track has the opportunity to host NHRA’s specialty events, including the NHRA National Dragster Challenge, NHRA Summit King of the Track, and NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Challenge, where racers compete for the coveted Wally trophy.

NHRA Division 2 facilities host NHRA-sanctioned competitions throughout the year along with countless other events for the heartiest of drag racing competitors and fans. For more information, including schedules, point standings, and more, go to the Division 2 website, NHRADiv2.com.

Memphis International Raceway (MIR) announced the addition of Dianna Dawson as the new Director of Corporate Partnerships. Dawson will be instrumental in developing strategies to drive substantial year-on-year revenue growth at the Mid-South’s premier facility, according to a press release from the raceway.

Dawson joins MIR as Director of Corporate Partnerships from Morris Marketing Group in Memphis, Tennessee. She held the position VP of Sales and Development and was responsible for securing sponsorships, in-kind donations, building new relationships while maintaining and growing current relationships.

Dawson was instrumental in bringing new ideas to the table which enhanced fundraising initiatives for West Cancer Center: Cycle, Run, Walk event and Athens Sip Around the World. In addition to securing sponsorships for both non-profit events, her responsibilities included bringing in new clients for Memphis Marketing Group.



Prior to that, Dawson held management positions at the American Heart Association, Race-On Driving Experience and Staples Business Advantage.

She is no stranger to the motorsports industry as she held a position at MIR as Business Development Manager from 2002 to 2005 before transferring to Virginia with her husband, where he served in the U.S. Navy.



“We are very pleased to announce the addition of Dianna to the MIR family,” stated Pam Kendrick, MIR President and General Manager. “She understands our industry and brings with her a vast amount of knowledge in sales and marketing. She will be a key asset in the future growth of our facility and bringing awareness to the company.”



In her new role, Dawson will be responsible for bringing in new sponsorship partners, group ticket sales, hospitality and maintaining the overall business development of the multi-use motorsports facility. 



MIR is a Mid-South racing destination for racers and spectators alike. MIR boasts three complete tracks including a road course, drag strip, and a NASCAR ¾-mile paved tri-oval. MIR is owned by IRG Sports + Entertainment, a TPG Specialty Lending company, and is sanctioned by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).

The Racing History Project announced its event schedule for 2017.

Coming off a string of fundraisers in Pomona and Monterey, the non-profit dedicated to preserving and promoting racing history has developed a series of events for the next year.
 
All events will take place at the Wally Parks NHRA Museum in Pomona, California, located just East of Los Angeles on the LA County Fairgrounds.
 
First on the 2017 schedule is the "Tribute to IMSA - The John Bishop Years" set for Saturday night, April 1, featuring a world class gala dinner provided by Executive Chef Adam Haverland of the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel, followed by a slide show presentation of IMSA history by John Bishop's son Mitch, and a roundtable discussion with racers and team members of the era. Plus, a short never-before-seen film of IMSA racing will also be shown.  

A number of well known authors will also be on hand at the tribute event to autograph their books and supporting sponsor AutoBooks-Aerobooks. The sponsor will have a display of racing related titles on hand for sale, and to top off the evening, there will be an auction of treasured motorsports memorabilia.
 
Each tribute attendee will receive a complimentary gift bag, commemorative event poster, a unique collector's event medallion, and a special event T-shirt. Keeping with the intimate and personal style that the Racing History Project events has established, only 100 tickets for this gathering of racing aficionados will be available for purchase at www.tributetoimsa.com.
 
On June 25th, "Autofest 2017" takes place. Autofest is a combination automotive collectible, automobilia, automotive art, and literature swap meet that will take over the Parks. 

Complete with automotive authors autographing their books, the 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM event is expected to draw over 200 vendors and will spread out around the grounds of the NHRA Museum. Admission is free. Attendees can visit www.autofest2017.com for complete details and vendor information.

On Saturday, October 14th, the "Riverside Revisited" event is expected to bring together the people and the memories of the legendary raceway.

Featuring a signature world-class gala dinner, provided by Executive Chef Adam Haverland of the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel, followed by a slide show presentation of Riverside Raceway by noted historian and author Pete Lyons, the event will also unveil a short, never-before-seen film of racing action at Riverside and a roundtable discussion with racers and team members of the era.

Supporting sponsor AutoBooks-Aerobooks will, again, have a display of racing related titles on hand for sale, and there will also be an auction of treasured motorsports memorabilia.

Just as with the IMSA event, each attendee will receive a complimentary gift bag, commemorative event poster, a collector's edition event medallion and a special event T-shirt and again, only 100 tickets for this exclusive gathering of racing aficionados will be made available at www.racinghistoryproject.com.
 
For more information on the Racing History Project, please visit www.racinghistoryproject.com.

The Off-Road Championship, presented by AMSOIL, has announced its 2017 season schedule featuring 13 PRO racing rounds over seven event weekends at many of the country's most popular off-road tracks. The 2017 schedule will continue to build a solid foundation encouraging further growth and public awareness of off-road short course truck racing, the drivers and the series. MSI, the owners of the TORC series, remain focused on improving the overall racing experience for both fans and drivers.

"In 2016, we began the process of renewing the stability of the TORC series. The 2017 schedule will further connect short course off-road racing to its roots in an inclusive manner centered around drivers and fans," said Adam Comey MSI-TORC CEO/President. "We appreciate the devoted fanbase of outdoor enthusiasts, families and fans who support
 the sport through watching our broadcast coverage and by coming out to races. The TORC community can look forward to seven eventful weekends of the best racing the series has ever seen."

The 2017 season will continue to include PRO 4WD, PRO 2WD and PRO Light truck racing at all 13 rounds. Following the successful addition of PRO UTV racing in 2016, with over 50 drivers getting in on the action, TORC series will host both classes of PRO UTV at all race locations. Every race weekend will also include Sportsmen class drivers; with the goal of encouraging new talent to get behind the wheel.

"With the 2017 schedule, we will further elevate the overall TORC experience while also refining the professionalism and structure of each race," said TORC Series Director Ben Nelson. "We will continue to listen to our drivers and remain sharply focused on developing a solid racing product. TORC appreciates that we are a community of fans, drivers and their teams. We strive to serve this community to the best of our ability."

The TORC racing season will kick off with Rounds 1 & 2 in Chicago May 6-7. From there, the series will head to Elk River Motor Park (ERX) for Rounds 3 & 4 June 10-11. ERX hosted TORC racing for the first time in 2016. Both organizers and drivers were thrilled with the racing as well as the enthusiastic turnout. The series and the venue look forward to an even larger showing of fans in 2017.

Next, the championship will return to Crandon International Off-Road Raceway on June 24-25 for Rounds 5 & 6. The facility has hosted off-road racing events for more than 47 years and was home to the inaugural Crandon World Cup in 2016, a Red Bull Signature Series event.

Rounds 7 & 8 will reunite TORC with the fans of Michigan's Upper Peninsula July 15-16 at Bark River International Raceway, which features one of the series' most  demanding tracks with some of the fastest corners and biggest jumps in the sport. In 2017, Bark River will be celebrating its 42nd year of hosting off-road racing in the Upper Peninsula.

Dedicated motorsports fans will also be excited to learn that TORC will return to Red Bud, Aug. 12-13 for the first time since 2012. Rounds 9 & 10 will take place at this iconic location featuring a purpose-built track designed specifically for TORC racing.

For Round 11, TORC will return to The Big House, joining Crandon's Labor Day weekend celebration. The 2016 season saw more than 49,600 fans gather at this legendary event over the course of the weekend.

Finally, the season will conclude with The Final Round: TORC National Championship, Rounds 12 & 13; a second weekend of racing at ERX Motor Park. Fans from across the country will be able to gather for a special weekend of racing solely dedicated to crowning the 2017 Champions.

"The 2016 season was awesome! I had a lot of fun battling with everyone all year long and can't wait till 2017," said 2016 TORC PRO 4WD and PRO 2WD Overall Champion CJ Greaves. "We have a few big changes going on, and the TORC crew did a great job with the new schedule. I am really pumped to be going back to ERX and Red Bud."