* Short Track Epicenter: The Dirt Track at Charlotte next month plays host to an all-new three-day extravaganza showcasing some of the best “weekly racers” from across the US, according to DIRTcar Racing officials, as some nine divisions will contest a purse in excess of $120,000 during the Thursday (October 20) to Saturday (October 22) World Short Track Championships. Suitably, it’s slated for the weekend before the Bad Boy Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals, also at The Dirt Track.

“This massive event will make Charlotte the epicenter of dirt track racing in the United States and bring the best and brightest from around the country together for two incredible weeks,” noted Brian Carter, CEO of World Racing Group, which owns and runs WoO and DIRTcar. Participating divisions for the World Short Track Championships include: DIRTcar/SECA Pro Late Models; DIRTcar UMP Modified; DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds; DIRTcar/SECA Pro Modifieds; 360 Sprint Cars; DIRTcar Pro-Sprints; SECA Crate Sportsman; MMSA Mini-Stocks; and FWD/Hornets.

A four-hour open practice on Thursday will be followed by qualifying events for all divisions on Friday, with six of the nine divisions running all-star invitational features. On Saturday, racers will make a run for the gold. For full competitor information and division payouts, visit DIRTcar.com.

* Welcome Addition: ECR Technologies announced last month that it is now a wholly owned division of Richard Childress Racing (RCR), with whom it shares an impressive campus in Welcome, North Carolina. The business will retain the name (ECR Engines) that has seen it through the last nine years and more than 250 race wins in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck series, among others.

Beyond NASCAR, ECR also produces engines for the Corvette Daytona Prototypes competing in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (after winning titles in 2014 and 2015), the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, SCCA, dirt and asphalt short track, and sprint car racing.

ECR, which sprouted from the union of RCR and Dale Earnhardt, Inc., today enjoys technical partnerships with Chevrolet, WIX Filters, Lucas Oil, Zeiss, PTC, Cometic Gasket, Bosch, Clevite, ARP, Smith Brothers, Spring Technologies, Total Seal, and others. For more, visit www.ecrengines.com.

* Off-Road Honors: On Halloween night (October 31), the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame opens its doors to five new honorees in a special induction ceremony at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Festivities, which are open to the public, include a cocktail hour, silent auction and banquet alongside the enshrinement of inductees Don Amador, Bud Feldkamp, Jim Ober, Larry Ragland and Tracy Valenta.

A tireless land-use advocate, Amador currently serves as Western Representative for the Blue Ribbon Coalition and owns the recreation consulting company Quiet Warrior Racing. For more than 20 years he has spearheaded political and legislative strategies on both the state and national levels to fight unnecessary restrictions on off-road sports.

Current Glen Helen Raceway president Feldkamp rode his blue and white Funco SS II (aka The Belray Bullet) to overall wins in two Baja 1000s, three Baja 500s and two Mint 400s in the mid-1970s and ’80s. He also earned two consecutive desert championships (1977 & 1978) along with two Bilstein Madonna awards.

Trackside Photo is virtually synonymous with off-road photojournalism, and Ober kept it going for more than 40 years. Being named SCORE Photographer of the Year an astonishing 17 times only begins to illustrate the profound impact of Trackside Photo on the sport, in particular its historical preservation.

Desert racing legend and trophy truck virtuoso Ragland is a five-time winner of the Baja 1000 along with dozens of class and overall victories in the BitD Nevada 1000, Baja 500, Nevada 500, Parker 400, Mint 400, Gold Coast 300, Primm 300, San Felipe 250, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and more over a career spanning four decades. Depending on the source, he’s either the winningest or second-winningest driver in the history of desert racing.

Notwithstanding his exploits behind the wheel, Valenta’s Party Ice team was considered one of the premier off-road racing organizations of the 1970s and ’80s. His stable of drivers included iconic names like Malcolm Smith and Feldkamp, Rick and Roger Mears, stunt drivers Bobby Ferro and Kitty O’Neal, and rock superstar Ted Nugent.

Tickets to next month’s induction ceremony are $125, with member and sponsorship options available, too. For more information, visit www.ormhof.org.

Audi is set to intensify its future commitment in the FIA Formula E Championship - the world’s first fully-electric racing series. Starting in the 2016-2017 season with the opening round in Hong Kong on October 9, Audi will increase its involvement with the ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport Formula E Team. In addition, it is planned to incorporate Formula E into a factory-backed motorsport program as of the 2017-2018 season.

“Electric mobility is one of the key topics in our industry,” says Dr. Stefan Knirsch, Member of the Board of Management, Technical Development, AUDI AG. “We intend to evolve into one of the leading premium car manufacturers in this field. By 2025, every fourth Audi should be an electric vehicle. The first model for this is planned to be an SUV we’re going to present in 2018.”

Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, said: “In the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Audi was the first manufacturer to have achieved victories with a TFSI engine, a TDI and a hybrid race car, so writing motorsport history on several occasions. “Now we intend to repeat this in fully-electric racing. Formula E with its races being held in the heart of major cities is an ideal stage for this purpose and ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport a logical partner for us.”

Audi Sport has been giving its name to the team ever since the inaugural 2014-2015 Formula E season and making Lucas di Grassi one of its factory drivers available throughout the course of this cooperation. In addition, the team has been able to use Audi Sport’s infrastructure in Neuburg.

From next season, Audi is going to intensify the existing partnership with ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport with financial and technical support. For the 2017-2018 season, on the road towards a fully-fledged factory commitment, Audi Sport will be joining the development step-by-step in close cooperation with technology partner Schaeffler.

With immediate effect, the four rings will be prominently featured on the sides and the rear wings of the ABT Schaeffler FE02. The fully-electric single-seater race cars will be sporting their new liveries on the race track for the first time September 5-7 at Donington Park in the UK, where the final test will be held before the Formula E season starts in Hong Kong.

VP Racing Fuels Inc. has announced the appointment of Gary Jaiman as regional manager branded wholesale business development, to support its retail branding program in the Western region.

Jaiman started his career in the oil industry with Shell Oil Co., in a district manager role in Phoenix. That was followed by district manager positions with ConocoPhillips in Chicago and Southern California, as well as a tour in Dallas/Ft. Worth as a wholesale branding manager.

Most recently, Jaiman worked for Red Bull as a key account manager, focusing on sales and marketing with independent convenient store chain owners.

As a motorcycle enthusiast and frequent track day rider, Jaiman has been a longtime customer of VP Racing Fuels.

Jaiman is based in Murrieta, California, and will be responsible for a region encompassing California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona.

Originally reported in After Market News.

In conjunction with a NASCAR industry-wide effort to offer free NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series tickets for children 12 and under next season, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. announced a price drop on select children's tickets, $10 each to Cup Series events at its eight speedways, beginning in 2017.

"Coming to the races should be about fun, not finances," said Speedway Motorsports' President and Chief Executive Officer Marcus Smith. "Now a parent can get his or her child through the gates for an entire weekend of NASCAR events… for just $10." 

With an adult ticket purchase, fans can buy up to two $10 tickets for children ages 12 and under to that same event in select seating sections. This offer is available at all of the 13 Sprint Cup Series events.

For more information on which events qualify, visit NASCAR. 

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not return to competition during the remainder of the 2016 season as he continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms.
 
Kendrick Motorsports officials made the announcement Friday morning, saying that Alex Bowman and four-time series champ Jeff Gordon would split time in the No. 88 Chevrolet for the remaining 12 races of the season. Gordon is scheduled to drive the No. 88 as Earnhardt's replacement this weekend at Darlington Raceway.
 
"I wish I could return to the No. 88 team this season," Earnhardt said in a release provided by the team. "To say I'm disappointed doesn’t begin to describe how I feel, but I know this is the right thing for my long-term health and career. I'm 100 percent focused on my recovery, and I will continue to follow everything the doctors tell me. They're seeing good progress in my test results, and I’m feeling that progress physically. I plan to be healthy and ready to compete at Daytona in February. I’m working toward that."
 
Earnhardt has missed the last six Sprint Cup Series races with lingering concussion-like symptoms. According to his Hendrick team, Earnhardt has undergone regular evaluations at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program under the direction of Dr. Micky Collins and with Charlotte neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty.
 
Earnhardt will address the media Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET at Darlington Raceway, site of Sunday's Bojangles' Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). He will be joined by team owner Rick Hendrick and Dr. Collins from the Pittsburgh Medical Center.
 
A crash at Michigan International Speedway in June is believed to be the cause of Earnhardt's injury. While the impact of the Lap 62 incident was significant, Earnhardt said afterward that "it wasn’t too bad, actually."

Originally reported by NASCAR.

F1 driver Felipe Massa will retire at the end of the 2016 racing season.

The Williams driver made the announcement Thursday morning during preparations for this weekend's Italian GP in Monza.

The 35-year-old Brazilian driver has raced in Formula One for 14 years, the last three of which have been with Williams. He will make his 250th race start at his finale in Abu Dhabi this year.

"I must start by especially thanking my wife and my father, my whole family, my manager Nicolas and all the people who have supported me throughout my career," said Massa. "Thank you to God for giving me the opportunities I have had in life and, above all, for protecting me. A huge thank you as well to everyone I have worked with over the years.

“Every team I have been a part of has been a special experience, and not only in Formula One. I have so many great memories over the years and thank everyone in all the teams I have come through to help me get to where I am today. My career has been more than I ever expected and I am proud of what I have achieved.

"Finally, it is a great honor to finish my career at such an amazing team as Williams Martini Racing. It will be an emotional day when I finally conclude my Formula One career with my 250th Grand Prix start in Abu Dhabi."

Massa has taken 11 wins in his F1 career, all of which came during his time at Ferrari. Massa sits 10th in the points heading into this weekend's Italian GP.

Led by former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and short-track ace Jeff Fultz, Fury Race Cars has purchased the intellectual property and manufacturing equipment from LFR Chassis and will build and service super late models and modified race cars.

“The new company gives us stability and room for more growth,” said Eury.  “Nothing is changing as far as manufacturing of the modified chassis or super late model chassis.  We will still be giving the customers the quality of parts they deserve at affordable pricing.”

“We have hired some of the people that LFR recently let go and we believe our super late model and modified cars are among the most technologically advanced in the industry,” said Fultz.

Fury Race Cars will build and sell super late model and modified cars that are identical to what LFR has provided.  All customers that currently own LFR brand cars will be able to buy all replacement parts and service from Fury Race Cars.

One of the many reasons why Eury and Fultz believe in Fury Race Cars is because they both work on the cars, and Fultz is even willing to hop behind the wheel of the car himself to make sure that it’s as good as it can possibly be.  In fact, Fultz recently won in whats now known as a Fury Race Car.

“I believe in the cars because I was involved in the original design and engineering of the cars and they are a proven race winner,” Fultz said.  “I personally just won a race in the super late model at South Boston (Pro All Stars Series) only a couple weeks ago, so I know it’s a good car.”

LFR’s founder, Rob Fuller, will continue to operate LFR as a separate entity in the Northeast.  LFR will offer support and services to its base of LFR Modified racers by utilizing the cars and parts that will be manufactured by Fury Race Cars.

Females In Action (FIA) is holding a two-day Motorsport Seminar on October 7–8, called “Making a Difference,” and is aimed at discussing key issues that affect women in motorsport in Lisbon, Portugal.

Hosted by the Portuguese club, Automovel Club de Portugal (ACP), and its president, Carlos Barbosa, ASN/ACN Presidents, National Representatives, invited guests and speakers from across the globe will gather in Lisbon, Portugal to share knowledge and ideas, as well as formulate plans that will further encourage and identify opportunities for women in the sport.

Hosted by broadcaster Louise Beckett, the seminar will focus on a variety of areas, including looking back at the success stories of recent years, reviewing the recommendations made by the National Representatives at the 2012 Seminar and considering how these can be built upon.

“The involvement of women in every aspect of motorsport is something that is very important to me and I will continue to promote and support it as much as possible,” FIA President Jean Todt said. “We are fortunate that ours is one of very few sports where all people can compete on a level playing field, not just in driving but also engineering, team management, media and so on, so we must lead the way in creating equal opportunities and encouraging participation through education. This will have benefits not just on the sport side, but also in road safety.”

A variety of high-profile speakers will add their input to the discussion, including Michèle Mouton, President of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, Silvia Bellot, the first and currently only FIA Formula One steward, Jutta Kleindschmidt, winner of the Paris Dakar Rally and Nathalie McGloin, an inspirational tetraplegic racing driver. Among the FIA representatives will also be Deputy President for Sport, Graham Stoker.

With a combination of plenary sessions, interactive sessions and discussion groups, attention will turn to the plan for the future, and the strategy for the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission and all national sporting organizations at all levels for the next four years will be established.

Challenges facing women in all areas of motorsport, from competition to volunteering, stewarding and roles in the media, will be addressed. Bringing people together in this way will help to create a cohesive system that will make a significant difference and continue to push motorsport towards a totally equal and inclusive future.

For more information on FIA and this seminar, visit http://www.fia.com/fia-women-motorsport.

As reported by WHIO, Dirt late model driver Scott Bloomquist and four other drivers filed a $16.5-million lawsuit against World Racing Group and subsidiary UMP DIRTcar Racing, Eldora Speedway and track owner Tony Stewart last week, according to a report by Courthouse News Service.

The five drivers – Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens, Gregg Satterlee, Brandon Sheppard and Ricky Thornton Jr. – were disqualified after failing a tire test following the Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora on June 11. Rubber samples taken during the three days of racing from June 9-11 did not meet established benchmarks supplied by the tire manufacturer in a chemical analysis, according to DIRTcar racing officials.

The drivers were declared in violation of the rule that states, in part: “Chemical alterations, vulcanizing, tire softening, defacing and/or/altering the face of the tire lettering and/or tire stamping will not be permitted. Chemicals or tire softening is not permitted at any time.”

The drivers forfeited their earnings for the three days, were fined and suspended for three months from all DIRTcar sanctioned events, including the World 100 – one of dirt racing’s crown jewel events – at Eldora from September 8-10. The suspension ends September 11.

The financial loss (forfeited winnings, fine and cost of tire analysis) was $19,630 Sheppard, $10,930 for Thornton, $7,630 for Owens, $6,105 for Bloomquist and $4,655 for Satterlee.

In addition to the failed tire test, Bloomquist is also suing to regain his $100,000 victory in the 2015 Dirt Late Model Dream.

Bloomquist was disqualified after coming up 21 pounds light of the mandatory 2,300-pound minimum weight at the post-race scales. According to the CNS report, Bloomquist claims a second attempt to make weight showed the car was again too light, but by a different amount.

The lawsuit, according to CNS, said Bloomquist had his reputation, including that as a sports celebrity, damaged and hurt his marketing ability for sponsors.

Eudora Speedway officials, however, do not believe that this lawsuit has merit.

“Our team at Eldora Speedway is amidst the final days of preparation for the Baltes Classic and the 46th running of the World 100 – our sport’s showcase event. As always, we are committed to providing a one-of-a-kind experience for our loyal fans, drivers and race teams,” Eldora Speedway general manager Roger Slack said in a statement. “We will not be distracted by news of meritless lawsuits. Our legal team will deal with that and we will comment further at the appropriate time.”

Team owners R & W Motorsports LLC, Best Performance Motorsports LLC, JR Motorsports LLC, Gary Satterlee and William G. Satterlee & Sons Inc. are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

An agreement was finalized for Larry Collins to fill the position of General Manger at Kern County Raceway.  Collins, a managing partner of the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series and former General Manager of Mesa Marin Raceway, will take on his new position at Kern County Raceway starting October 1.
 
“We look forward to having Larry join our team as we start to work on next season,” stated Rusty Risi, one of the owners of Kern County Raceway.  “Larry’s 30 years of experience in motorsports should be invaluable in moving KCRP in the right direction into the future.”
 
Collins’ family owned and operated Bakersfield’s Mesa Marin Raceway from 1977 to 2005, when the track was sold for future housing development.  Since 2005, Collins has maintained his involvement in the motorsports industry, first working with the Destefani Family, who initially funded the Kern County Raceway project, then Collins became a managing partner of the SPEARS Southwest Tour, a stock car series that competes on racetracks throughout the southwest region.
 
“I look forward to working everyday to make Kern County Raceway better, at this time my focus is to work to build a great 2017 race season,” stated Collins.  “I appreciate the opportunity, and have to thank the ownership group for their confidence in me to help move KCRP forward.”
 
He will fill the position that was vacated by previous general manager Lee Baumgarten in June.
 
“Having worked with Larry at Mesa Marin Raceway, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series, and the Winter Showdown, I’ve seen firsthand the passion and professionalism he possesses for motorsports, especially short track stock car racing,” stated Steve Hughes, Media and Marketing Director at Kern County Raceway.  “I’m confident Larry will be a great asset to our team at Kern County Raceway.”
 
The remainder of the 2016 season at Kern County Raceway is a busy one, with six more events on the paved half-mile, two more races at the Dirt Track and the grand reopening of the MX track next month.