Federal-Mogul Motorparts’ Champion brand is extending its popular ‘Search for a Champion’ sponsorship contest to an additional audience and increasing the program’s awards payout for 2017.

The contest, which encourages racers and maintenance enthusiasts to demonstrate their passion for superior performance both on and off the track, will open for entries November 2, 2016, at www.SearchForAChampion.com.

Federal-Mogul Motorparts is a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation and exclusive global marketer of Champion spark plugs, filters, wipers and other products.

Search for a Champion in 2017 will award $125,000 in racing sponsorships – including one $50,000 grand prize sponsorship – to grassroots racers competing in an “On the Track” category covering the dirt, asphalt and water/snow racing environments.

In addition to the grand prize sponsorship, the contest will offer $5,000  sponsorships to each of 10 runners-up and $1,000 sponsorships to each of 25 Finalists.

For the first time, the contest also will include an “Off the Track” category spanning everything from lawn-and-garden and marine/powersport equipment to automotive and performance maintenance specialists.

Federal-Mogul Motorparts will award one $5,000 Search for a Champion grand prize sponsorship, 10 $500  runner-up sponsorships and 25 $100 Finalist sponsorships in this new category.

The contest will also include a sweepstakes for exclusive Champion apparel for those who register and vote for their favorite entries at www.SearchForAChampion.com. Voting is open from January 5, 2017 through March 23, 2017.

“We are expanding #TeamChampion to include grassroots drivers, crew members, automotive industry professionals and others who understand the importance of relying on world-class products both on and off the track,” said Dana Bubonovich, manager, social media and digital promotions, Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “Search for a Champion shines a spotlight on the thousands of talented and passionate individuals who have learned how to maximize the performance of their engines.”

To enter the contest, entrants simply must visit www.SearchForAChampion.com and submit photos and a 300-word essay describing why they deserve to join #TeamChampion. Participants may also submit an optional two-minute video.

The contest entry period extends from November 2, 2016, through January 3, 2017. Voting for the Finalist Round runs January 5 through February 2, 2017. Grand Prize Round voting runs February 23 through March 23. Federal-Mogul Motorparts will announce the 2017 Grand Prize winners on April 4.

For Official Rules, visit www.SearchForaChampion.com.

Sydney Dragway recently announced that the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Australia is now the preferred sanctioning body for the world class venue located at Eastern Creek in the Sydney Metropolitan area.
 
Sydney Dragway Vice Chairman Rick Gauci today confirmed, "This is a momentous day for our racetrack. It gives us stability and continuity heading into the future and allows us to plan with confidence the schedule of racing events at our venue for the years ahead."
 
"This is another example of the nexus of our decision to move heavily into Australia and into new markets," stated Chris Lencheski, IRG Sports + Entertainment vice chairman & CEO. "We're very happy with the progress and momentum coming from our IHRA team in Australia, along with Mike Dunn and Maurice Allen. Sydney is the largest market in Australia and by them confirming their relationship with the IHRA it secures our position as an international series."

The announcement comes on the heels of the IHRA announcing the addition of Wide Bay Motor Complex to the IHRA Australia portfolio of member tracks. The IHRA currently sanctions Australia's professional drag racing series, 400 Thunder as well as four Australia drag racing venues - Sydney Dragway, Willowbank Raceway, Springmount Raceway and Wide Bay Motor Complex.

The world's second-largest drag racing sanctioning body started the international movement into Australia in 2015 and continues to focus on taking drag racing to non-traditional and mainstream audiences around the globe.
 
"The commit to expand our international presence into Australia continues and we couldn't be more excited about Sydney Dragway's continued relationship with the IHRA," stated Mike Dunn, IHRA president. "Sydney Dragway is an incredible multi-use facility in the heart of Australia and to be able to secure our future there is key to our expansion."
 
Sydney Dragway has already run sanctioned events under IHRA Australia, including the regular Race for Real off street event, Grudge Kings, The 400 Thunder Series and regular Test and Tunes to name a few.

The remaining rounds of the 2016 ATURA Championship Series will be run under the IHRA Australia sanction. To accommodate racers who hold ANDRA licenses, a day license will be available for these two events (October 22 and November 19, 2016).
 
The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) is owned and operated by IRG Sports + Entertainment, a TPG Speciality Lending company. The IHRA promotes professional and sportsman racing for drivers of all levels. The IHRA sanctions more than 100 motorsport facilities in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Bahama's and has more than 14,000 racers as members.

The IHRA Drag Racing Series is said to star some of the fastest and loudest race machines on the planet with multiple events a year. The IHRA also oversees multiple sportsman racing programs including the Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour, Summit Racing Equipment SuperSeries, and Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions.

ProMedia Events, home of the NMCA Muscle Car Drag Racing Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs, announced the 2017 schedule for the Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series.

Developed from the excitement of the LSX Shootout, the Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series features vehicles equipped with Chevrolet LS and modern LT powerplants taking all-GM racing to a whole new level.

With six classes for all levels of participants and Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center as the official Chevrolet dealer at all events, this series is geared toward racers and enthusiasts of late-model GM-equipped vehicles.

The Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series will run at four events:

May 18-21, 2017
16th Annual NMCA Bluegrass Nationals
Beech Bend Raceway Park - Bowling Green, KY

August 24-27, 2017
16th Annual NMCA All-American Nationals
Summit Motorsports Park - Norwalk, Ohio

September 8-10, 2017
9th Annual Holley LS Fest
Beech Bend Raceway Park - Bowling Green, KY

September 21-24, 2017
16th Annual NMCA World Street Finals featuring the LSX Shootout
Lucas Oil Raceway - Indianapolis, Indiana

The Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series takes place as a part of the NMCA Muscle Car Nationals, except in Kentucky where it is part of the Holley LS Fest. NMCA events include Xtreme Pro Mods, Factory Super Cars, NMCA Pro Stock, all-domestic car shows on both Saturday and Sunday, manufacturers' midways, swap meets and more.

The day after NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLV concluded, track crews began the process of removing the more than 500 loads of clay that were temporarily dumped on Oswego Speedway’s asphalt racing surface to hold Racing’s Biggest Party.

Beginning early Monday afternoon, all remaining clay is expected to be lifted from the “Steel Palace” by the end of the day on Friday leaving a full two weeks for final preparations leading to the speedway’s next on track activity.

Utilizing everything from front loaders to skid loaders and even shovels, crews have been working diligently to gently remove the clay from the fast five-eighths-mile as Race of Champions officials prepare to conclude their racing weekend October 29 at Oswego.

Once the clay and all temporary jersey barriers are removed, a series of water trucks will slowly force a steady stream of water on the surface to push all remaining fine particles to the bottom side of the speedway, where motorized brushes will then sweep away and collect those particles for final removal.

The clay that is being removed from the speedway will not go far, as it will be stock piled outside the Speedway’s second turn where it will sit in waiting for Super DIRT Week XLVI next fall.

The finale will feature the Race of Champions 250 for the Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Series.

Included in those remaining main events will also be Oswego Speedway’s small-block supermodifieds.


Story by Speed Sport.

The Performance Racing Industry 2016 Trade Show is quickly approaching, and with over 1100 exhibitors, it is going to be the biggest business weekend in racing.

From December 8-10, the PRI Trade Show plays host to countless new product launches for hardcore racers and the businesses that serve them in the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Shop the Trade Show floor from thousands of businesses with countless of the latest products and technology in racing.

Have you and your employees registered for PRI 2016 yet?  Register on the PRI 2016 website, or call PRI at (949)373-9224, now to attend the annual epicenter of top-level motorsports technology and solutions. You don’t want to miss this year’s jam-packed schedule of seminars, conferences and even racing celebrity appearances.

Visit www.pri2016.com for more information.

Martinsville Speedway is shedding a lot of light on its 69-year-old half-mile track.

NASCAR’s oldest venue on the Sprint Cup schedule will be illuminated when fans and competitors return in 2017.

“Most of you remember last year’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 where Jeff Gordon won here in the twilight,” Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell said on Wednesday. “Following that race, I remember hearing a quote from Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) here, and he said…”

“When are you going to put in some lights,” Earnhardt said.

“We thought it was very fitting to have Dale here today to announce the largest capital project and investment in Martinsville Speedway by International Speedway Corporation’s ever,” Campbell added. “Starting after the Goody’s Fast Relief 500, this year, we will begin installation of permanent LED lights. It’s a project we’re calling ‘Light Up Martinsville’.

“We’ll be the first major motorsports facility anywhere with LED lights, which we’re really excited about. I think it’s going to be great, the opportunity that presents us.”

Martinsville will hold its 136th Cup race on October 30. Jeff Gordon, who has been subbing for Earnhardt this season, will be defending his win.

“For years, fans have been asking us, ‘When are you going to put in lights? How about lights at Martinsville?’ Dale has mentioned it. Other drivers have mentioned it. So, it’s coming to fruition. We’ll have that project done by the end of this year and we’re really excited about it.

“It’s basically, right now, for an insurance policy to extend our day. If you look at the picture of Gordon when he won last year, if we had had one more caution or one more delay we would not have finished the race and that’s a Chase race. So it’s very critical and very important that we get these races finished and we’ve listened to our fans. We have for 70 years. We’ve listened to them and that’s what they want. They know now they’ll get to see a full race.”

Earnhardt, who won the Chase race in 2014, is thrilled with the opportunity lights will offer to Martinsville.

“I think it’s great for the race track and it certainly opens up a ton of possibilities for the future of the track itself,” Earnhardt added. “Martinsville is one of the best short tracks in the country and we always see some of the best racing throughout the season at this very track. It’s a race that all the drivers really want to win because of the uniqueness of the track and the history of the trophy as well. So adding lights can only add to its legacy and add to the specialness that this track has held for so long.

“I’m really happy for the track. I believe that it will open up a lot of possibilities for the future and the fans can come knowing that if we are pushed back early in the morning, there’s still a great opportunity — if we get good weather — to get the race in. We can run late. It’s awesome. It’s a long time coming and it’s good for the track.”

The Trans Am Series has announced the addition of Ricky Brooks as Technical Director for the TA2 class. Brooks brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience with the TA2 class platform, as the series prepares to up its investment in technical compliance and cost containment.

"From the very beginning, Ricky Brooks was our number one target for the position," said John Clagett, President of The Trans Am Race Company. "We did not want someone who could just maintain the status quo or simply handle the work; we wanted a true expert for the class – someone who knows the ins and outs of this racecar platform and is capable of instituting a technical program that upholds the value that TA2 was founded under: cost control and driver competition."

Brooks brings with him a vast array of experience in and out of the race car, primarily in chassis nearly identical to those manufactured by Series' Official Chassis providers Howe Racing Enterprises and Mike Cope Racing Enterprises.

From 1984 to 2013, Brooks manufactured and repaired Late Model and Modified chassis race cars, while taking those very cars to the track – winning two Super Late Model Championships and one Open Wheel Modified Championship.

Since 2005, Brooks has worked as a technical director for a multitude of competitions, including: The Snowball Derby, All American 400, Speedweeks, Winter Showdown, Southern Super Series and Sunoco Challenge Series. Aside from day-to-day technical staff management and inspection, Brooks also wrote and maintained rules and regulations for many of those series while instituting a rigorous technical compliance system.

"I'm thankful and excited that the ownership has given me with an opportunity to take on TA2 and provide a level playing field for all competitors," said Brooks. "In my eyes rules are black and white with no grey area and I'm here to enforce them. I'm excited with the opportunity to crossover into the road racing world from circle track racing. I just hope road racing is ready for rules to be enforced because I'm not going to look the other way for anyone – I'm here to make sure that TA2 competition is the best it can be."

Brooks will be in attendance at NOLA and Daytona as the 2016 Trans Am series winds down, and at all events in the 2017 Trans Am Championship.

The AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals and the Dodge NHRA Nationals are switching their event dates for the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship.

The Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Penn. will move up one week to September 21-24 and the AAA Insurance NHRA Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill. will move back one week to September 29-October 1.

“I think we will see some benefits from this by moving off the weekend of the NASCAR races at Dover (Delaware),’’ said Lex Dudas, vice president and general manager at Maple Grove Raceway. “We know fans over the years wanted to do both, but they had to pick and choose.”

The Dover race track is only 100 miles south of Maple Grove Raceway, which now becomes the second race of the Countdown to the Championship, the six-race playoff at the end of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season that determines the champion in the four professional categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

The AAA Insurance NHRA Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park now becomes the third race in the Countdown.

“Hosting our event on the last weekend of September should provide more enjoyable conditions for our fans,” said Chris Blair, Gateway Motorsports Park’s executive vice president and general manager. “In addition, many of the racers would like the opportunity to attack our racing surface under ideal conditions for shattering records.”

Editor’s Note: Mike Brown will present an exclusive seminar, “From the Sponsor Side: Building Successful Business Relationships,” at the 2016 PRI Trade Show on December 9, from 8–9 a.m., in Room 243 of the Indiana Convention Center. In it, he will discuss achieving success in the racing business through key partnership lessons.


Waiting at O’Hare airport for my flight, another business traveler stopped in front of me, and asked, “Mike Brown?”

He was a former corporate sales executive where I used to work. He’d been pointed in my direction to talk about content marketing strategy and social media and just happened to run into me in the hallway at O’Hare. He is now the C-level sales and marketing executive at a B2B service company.

His big question about social media and content marketing strategy was, “Why would a B2B company engage in these areas?” He’d never heard of a B2B company gaining business from their efforts.

Incredible as that statement may sound, I understand his reluctance. I told him The Brainzooming Group is a B2B company, and we gain business from our social media and content marketing strategy. And we are definitely NOT by ourselves in that!

For a B2B company, a content marketing strategy, along with a social media presence, allows it to:

1. Tell stories of interest to customers and prospects to help them better understand the brand
2. Share valuable information and tools to help customers and prospects perform more successfully
3. Share engaging, entertaining, and sought after information for the audience
4. Answer questions prospects have about the brand before they reach out to talk with anyone from the company
5. Educate customers so they are smart in ways that helps the brand serve them more effectively and efficiently
6. Grow its prospect list and gain additional points of content within current customers
7. Let prospects know about the advantages (both professionally and personally) of being associated with the brand
8. Soft sell benefits and advantages on an ongoing basis
9. Serve up content employees can share within their own professional networks

Those are only nine reasons. There are plenty more.

Those provide a fantastic starting point for identifying and quantifying the benefits for a B2B company to dive into content marketing – even if it feels late to the game to start!

– Mike Brown


Mike Brown is founder of The Brainzooming Group and a frequent keynote presenter in marketing best practices, innovation, strategy, and social media. He is the author of the eBook, Taking the NO Out of InNOvation, a guide to breaking through personal challenges to living a more creative and innovation-oriented life. Additionally, he authors the daily Brainzooming blog (www.brainzooming.com) on strategy, creativity, and innovation, reaching readers in nearly 200 countries. He has been recognized as one of the top six innovation bloggers on the Web.

Kentucky Speedway announced Monday that it will add another surface layer of asphalt to the 1.5-mile track this month.


The Bluegrass State circuit underwent a full reconfiguration earlier this year that included a increased banking in Turns 1 and 2, improved drainage, additional energy-absorbing SAFER barrier and a total repave. The work was completed ahead of a tripleheader NASCAR weekend for all three national series July 7-9.


"When our team examined the race track, portions of the paving performed earlier this year did not meet the construction specifications," Kentucky Speedway general manager Mark Simendinger said in a release provided by the track. "These deficiencies had no impact on this year's racing and would affect only the long-term viability of the surface if left uncorrected. In order to remedy these issues, an additional surface course of asphalt will be applied. The track will cure over the winter and be fully in use in the spring."


The speedway indicated that all work would be complete in October. The track hosts two NASCAR weekends on the 2017 schedule, the first for all three national series July 6-8 and a return trip for the XFINITY Series in September.