Sauber has announced new owners after current shareholders Longbow Finance S.A. agreed to fully acquire the team’s holding company. They will continue to race as Sauber, though founder Peter Sauber is to retire from all functions.

“It is Longbow Finance S.A.’s clear intention to stabilise the group and create the basis for a competitive and successful future,” read a Sauber statement. “This transaction also secures the continuation of the brand Sauber in Formula One and will open opportunities to further grow the engineering activities of the group.”

Monisha Kaltenborn, who is to continue as team principal and CEO, commented: “We are very pleased that by reaching an agreement with Longbow Finance S.A., we can secure the future of Sauber at the pinnacle of motorsport.

“We are convinced that Longbow Finance S.A. is the perfect partner to again make the team competitive and successful in Formula One.”

The deal means Sauber remain under Swiss ownership, with Pascal Picci, President and CEO of Longbow Finance S.A., taking over from Peter Sauber as team Chairman.

“As a Swiss company, we are very pleased with having secured the future of a Swiss presence in a highly specialized and innovative industry,” said Picci.

Peter Sauber added: “I am very happy that my courageous investment to buy the team back, which I made six years ago, with the intention to secure the base in Hinwil and the place in Formula One has proved to be correct.”

Sauber, who made their F1 debut in 1993, have been enduring a tough season as management worked on securing the team’s future. They lie 11th in the constructors’ standings, having so far failed to score a point in 2016.

Richmond International Raceway president Dennis Bickmeier announced that Michael Waddell will be the track’s new Vice President of Marketing and Communications.

In addition, current Director of Accounting, Shawn Stack, has been promoted to Senior Director of Accounting.

Waddell, who has 27 years of leadership experience in intercollegiate athletics, comes to RIR from the University of Illinois, where he served as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for the past two years. There, he supervised all the marketing, promotions, ticketing, fan development, licensing, digital media, broadcasting, creative design, communications and public relations efforts for the Big Ten member athletics program.

“I am excited to welcome Michael to the RIR team and to our community,” said Bickmeier.  “His passion for the business of sports, as well as his proven leadership and marketing creativity at some of the largest intercollegiate athletics departments in the country, will benefit our fans and their experience and help elevate our business into the future.”

Prior to his position at the University of Illinois, Waddell served as the Director of Athletics at Towson University, and in Executive leadership positions with the athletics programs at the University of Arkansas, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Akron, the United States Military Academy at West Point and Appalachian State.

“It’s a thrill to join the executive team at Richmond Int’l Raceway and to work with Dennis Bickmeier and the talented staff at RIR,” said Waddell. “NASCAR racing is in my blood, as I grew up going to a NASCAR Home Track, Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway, along with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in Charlotte and Richmond.”

“From the biggest venue to the smallest, there is no sport that better engages fans, and the brands who support it, than NASCAR. The commitment that has been made by Dennis, and ISC Leadership, to create the best fan engagement in all of motorsports is exciting and it’s only going to get better in the future. September 9-10 cannot get here soon enough for me, and I know our loyal fans feel the same way.”

Over the course of his career Waddell has received numerous National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) awards throughout his career, including seven Gold Medals ranging from “Best New Revenue Generation Idea” to “Social Media” recognition.

Waddell has ties to the Commonwealth of Virginia as he served as the Director of Sports Marketing for Charlottesville Broadcasting Corporate and a sports broadcaster with the University of Virginia Sports Network.  He began his career as a play-by-play announcer and talk show host at WCHL-AM in Chapel Hill, NC, where he was also a member of the Tar Heel Sports Network broadcast crew.

A native of Newton, N.C., Waddell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sport Management from Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. – where he was also a letterman in Football.  He later graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Sports Administration from Ohio University.

Stack joined RIR in 2014, overseeing the accounting for the multi-purpose facility. In his new role, Stack will continue to lead the financial aspects of the business, as well as guide the overall strategic planning for the organization and work closely on new business development at the 1,000-acre facility.

“Shawn has not only provided strong financial guidance in his role, but has the great ability to pull together creative input from departments and formulate long term and short term plans of action for the business,” said Bickmeier.  “As leaders, Michael and Shawn will have extremely important roles as we progress on a path forward for Richmond Int’l Raceway.”

The FIA has given the F1 teams new guidelines on the use of radio messages following the controversy at the British GP.

One area has been relaxed, as restrictions now apply when the car is out of the pit lane, rather than the garage.

However, there are now stricter guidelines on discussion of problems, which must now lead to a pit stop where the issue can be addressed.

Here are the key changes, with the first detailing when the rules apply:

Old: At all times the car is out of the garage with the engine running and the driver onboard (with the exception of any time the car is in the pit lane on the day of the race prior to or between reconnaissance laps). This includes all in laps.

New: At all times the car is out of the pit lane with the engine running and the driver on board (with the exception of the slowing down lap once the driver has crossed the Line at the end of the race).

Old: Indication of a critical problem with the car, any message of this sort may only be used if failure of a component or system is imminent and potentially terminal.

New: Indication of a problem with the car, any message of this sort must include an irreversible instruction to enter the pits to rectify the problem or to retire the car.

Old: Information concerning damage to the car.

New: Information concerning damage to the bodywork of the car.

Old: Instructions to select driver defaults for the sole purpose of mitigating loss of function of a sensor, actuator or controller whose degradation or failure was not detected and handled by the on-board software. In accordance with Article 8.2.4, any new setting chosen in this way must not enhance the performance of the car beyond that prior to the loss of function.

New: Instructions to select driver defaults, this must be for the sole purpose of mitigating loss of function of a sensor, actuator or controller whose degradation or failure was not detected and handled by the on-board software. It will be the responsibility of any team giving any such instruction to satisfy the FIA technical delegate that this was the case and that any new setting chosen in this way did not enhance the performance of the car beyond that prior to the loss of function.

Formula E's "futuristic" front-end design has been tested on track ahead of its planned introduction for the 2016–2017 season.

The electric single-seater series is set to feature a new nose shape and front wing design for its third campaign. Mahindra has been testing its 2016-'17 challenger at the Spanish Calafat circuit, where the M3ELECTRO was fitted with the new front wing.

Renault e.dams and Abt Audi Sport have also tried the new wing, which is being introduced for aesthetic reasons, not aerodynamic gain. Other changes for the 2016-'17 campaign include upgraded, lighter Michelin tires and a new steering wheel, although a mooted upgrade to a button-based brake-bias adjustment system has not come to fruition.

The appearance of the cars will take a more dramatic shift when a new chassis comes in for season five.

FE and the FIA have yet to announce who has won the tender for the single-chassis supply, but applicants were told to submit at least one "futuristic" bodywork design in their bid.

The NASCAR Foundation announced two key additions to its board of directors, further strengthening the organization’s leadership and its relationships with business communities on both local and national levels.

Katie Palmer, Florida Personal Lines Leader with Daytona Beach-based Brown & Brown Insurance, and Sunoco LP Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Cynthia Archer will join the board that is led by Chairwoman Emeritus Betty Jane France and Chairman Mike Helton.

The NASCAR Foundation is NASCAR’s charitable arm that works to improve the lives of children in need. It was founded in 2006 by France.

Brown & Brown was founded in Daytona Beach in 1939. The growth of its business model from regional to national scope coincided with that of NASCAR, which started in Daytona Beach in 1947. Sunoco has been the Official Fuel of NASCAR since 2004 and since then, has almost doubled the size of its retail network.

“The NASCAR Foundation is fortunate to now include two new board members who are leaders in their industries,” Helton said. “Their successes in each of their organizations represents the leadership that the Foundation is working to achieve as it stays true to its home community of Daytona Beach, while continuing to grow its role and impact all across America.”

Palmer, who has been with Brown & Brown since 2012, said she is “extremely honored to join The NASCAR Foundation and to be a part of an organization that is filled with such a passion and dedication for helping today’s youth live happier, healthier lives. Thousands of children have received much needed medical treatment and compassionate care through the support of The Foundation and, as an expecting mother, it gives me joy to know I have a hand in continuing the enrichment of children’s lives.”

Archer is a longtime Sunoco executive who was deeply involved with Sunoco’s entrance into the sport in 2004 and with the growth in Sunoco’s partnership with NASCAR since then. She has held her current positions since April 2015.

“Sunoco joined the NASCAR family in 2004 and over the last 12 years many of us at Sunoco have come to know so many members of that family and built wonderful relationships that are both professional and personal,” Archer said. “Generosity is a hallmark of the NASCAR community, and everyone at Sunoco has been very proud to be part of that. I am honored to join The NASCAR Foundation board and excited to have a chance to experience first-hand the important contributions being made to improve the lives of children.”

For the first time in the sanctioning body's 65-year history, an NHRA event airs live on broadcast television as FOX delivers the Mopar Mile-High Nationals from Denver's Bandimere Speedway on Sunday, July 24 (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET). This weekend's event is the first of three consecutive NHRA races on FOX, with the prestigious U.S. Nationals also scheduled to air on FOX over Labor Day weekend.


"What grows our sport is exposure," said 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force. "We are going onto the FOX broadcast network for our 'Western Swing,' and that is huge. For our sport, growth is very important and getting new fans is important. We love the bigger ratings we have seen on FS1, but to move up to what I call 'prime time' with FOX, where all of America can see NHRA drag racing, is very exciting. The positive growth for our sport and sponsors and fans has me ready to get in my hot rod. I would just say we've done good."


Dave Rieff and two-time NHRA Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon call the action for FOX, with Jamie Howe and Bruno Massel reporting from the pits.


"It is a historic time for the NHRA," Pedregon said. "The sport has stood the test of time and with many of the teams peaking in time for their broadcast television debut, the drama of two fire-breathing machines racing to the finish line at 330 mph needs only additional exposure to continue to grow ... and that's what the FOX Sports partnership is delivering. I still have vivid memories of watching drag racing on TV when I was 11 or 12 years old, and those races weren't even live. It's exciting to think that some viewers will have that same experience this weekend on FOX."


In addition to live broadcast network coverage of the final round on FOX, FOX Sports also delivers NHRA Qualifying on Friday, July 22 (8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET) and Saturday, July 23 (11:00 p.m. to midnight ET) on FS1.

Tony Stewart’s Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions will come to the American Sports Network beginning this Saturday and Sunday, July 23-24, with scheduled air times all across the United States.

Sprint car enthusiasts from coast to coast will be able to witness Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions action on the American Sports Network, available on select channels including those in major areas of the Midwest and Northeast where Arctic Cat All Star competition is headquartered.

Network affiliates on the broadcast schedule include My Network TV, FOX, ABC, CBS, CW, Retro, and CBS2.

Tape delayed competition from the Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wis., will be the first of six Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions events to be shown on American Sports Network.

Competition from Attica Raceway Park, Eldora Speedway, Sharon Speedway, Kokomo Speedway and Atomic Speedway will also be broadcast over the course of the next several months. Television viewers will have the opportunity to witness a few of the season’s more memorable Arctic Cat All Star programs such as Ohio Sprint Speedweek, the Lou Blaney Memorial, Dirt Classic Indiana, and the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions season finale.

Each event broadcast will be an hour in duration, complete with a qualifying recap, heat race results, b-main, and the evening’s main event. Check your local listings for exact air times and broadcast dates.

Tape-Delayed Television Schedule

May 21 – Wilmot Raceway – Wilmot, Wis. – July 23-24, 30

May 27 – Attica Raceway Park – Attica, Ohio – July 30-31

June 25 – Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, Ohio – Ohio Sprint Speedweek Finale – Aug. 6-7

July 9 – Sharon Speedway – Hartford, Ohio – Lou Blaney Memorial – Aug. 13-14, 18

July 23 – Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, Ind. – Dirt Classic Indiana – Aug. 20-21, 24

Oct. 21-22 – Atomic Speedway – Chillicothe, Ohio – All Star Championship Finale – (Air Date: TBD)

WELD Racing will once again hold its annual Go-Kart Spectacular during the 2016 Knoxville Nationals in Knoxville, Iowa, on Thursday, August 11. This is the fourth year WELD Racing has been a sponsor of the Go-Kart Spectacular, which raises proceeds to support the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation on pediatric cancer research.

"WELD Racing is a longtime supporter of sprint car racing and it is our pleasure to join forces once again with Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation to sponsor the charity go-kart race at the 2016 Knoxville Nationals,” said Norm Young, president and CEO, WELD. "Raising money for the serious cause of battling children's cancer is something that we are proud to support.”

The event will be hosted by Slideways Karting Center in Knoxville, Iowa, and will include a diverse all-star lineup of NASCAR and sprint car drivers racing against some of their biggest fans. NASCAR champions Gordon and Tony Stewart, 17-time Sprint Cup winner Kasey Kahne and 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson are scheduled to race against 50 race fans in winged go-karts.

Fans can sign up at http://www.kick-it.org/games/2016/08/2016-weld-racing-go-kart-spectacular for their chance to compete with their NASCAR heroes for some wheel-to-wheel racing action.

“We’ve had a great time racing against the fans and each other over the past couple of years. It’s always a grudge match against Jeff, Kyle, Kasey and myself and we’re as competitive racing go-karts as we are racing Cup cars,” said NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Tony Stewart.

His former competitor also shares the same sentiments. "This karting event is one of my favorite events of the year. The sprint car community has embraced this cause, and I am just amazed how much bigger and better this event seems to get every year,” exclaimed fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Jeff Gordon.

The WELD Racing Go-Kart Spectacular begins at 1 p.m. local time on Thursday, August 11. It will consist of eight heat races, a last-chance foot race showdown and a 20-lap feature event. The event is open to the public for a $5 admission per person (children 12 and under are free) with all proceeds benefitting Jeff Gordon’s Children’s Foundation.

IRG Sports + Entertainment (IRGSE), a TPG portfolio company, announced the promotion of Pam Kendrick to President and General Manager of Memphis International Raceway (MIR). The announcement was made by Chris Lencheski, Vice Chairman and CEO of IRGSE.

"Ms. Kendrick's aptitude and contributions to Memphis International Raceway since IRGSE took ownership of the facility has been invaluable," stated Lencheski. "She is an innovative thinker, hard worker and embodies all the traits a company needs to be successful. We appreciate all that she has done at Memphis International Raceway and her commitment to the new culture within the organization."

Kendrick has worked in the motorsports industry since 1998 where she worked for Dover International Speedway on the operations and management side of the business. In 2002, she transferred to Dover Motorsports owned Memphis Motorsports Park as the Director of Administration and remained with the facility until it closed in 2009. IRGSE purchased the facility in late 2010 and reopened it under the direction of Kendrick as the Vice President and General Manager.

This year the Mid-South's premiere facility was tabbed as the new home of the world's longest continually running drag race event, the World Series of Drag Racing. Kendrick has spearheaded the addition of the major sporting event to MIR and has worked with the local community to promote the historic race. In addition, MIR celebrated 30 years of hosting the Super Chevy Show in April and the turnout was record setting. Fan attendance exceeded numbers from previous shows.

Memphis International Raceway is a multi-faceted facility located minutes outside of Memphis, Tennessee. The property features a championship ¼-mile drag strip, a tri-oval built to NASCAR specifications, and a 1.8-mile road course. Over 150 events are hosted at the facility annually ranging from weekly programs to national events.

NASCAR experimented with extra timing loops on pit road for the Xfinity and Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, a week after a penalty to Martin Truex Jr. raised questions about drivers accelerating past a competitor while heading to their pit stall.

The extra timing loops were not live because NASCAR wanted to ensure they would work within the software in place. NASCAR hopes to implement the expanded system soon, a statement Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief racing development officer, noted Monday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This isn’t the first time NASCAR has added extra timing loops at a track after questions about the issue. Jeff Gordon called for extra timing loops after the 2011 Bristol night race, saying that Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski both sped to their stalls, passing cars, once they passed the final timing line before their pit stall. Extra timing loops were in place there for the spring 2012 race.

At Kentucky, Truex passed leader Kevin Harvick after crossing the last timing line before his pit stall. That helped Truex beat Harvick off pit road, but NASCAR penalized Truex for the move. Truex later said he was doing what others had done. NASCAR reiterated the rule on passing on pit road in the drivers meeting for both the Xfinity and Sprint Cup Series last weekend at New Hampshire.

“You go back to (Truex) and because it was passing the leader, everybody is looking at that,” Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief racing development officer, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “As we went back and talked to Martin’s team about what happened, there certainly were some areas we could clarify in the rules.

“We really wanted to look at what causes that. When we looked at the timing loops, the distance between those allows for what you saw occur with (Truex). He’s doing his job trying to win races. We’re looking also on background at additional loops that we can implement to help police that on a race-by-race weekend.”

O’Donnell also was asked on “The Morning Drive” if there could be another system used to better control pit road speeds by competitors.

“We like the fact that it’s in the driver’s hands and team’s hands instead of flipping the switch (to run pit road speed), we feel like that is part of the NASCAR experience, NASCAR racing, but I think what you can see us go to is more consistent GPS data, which we are working hard on,” O’Donnell said. “We’re not there yet. So, short-term, it will be some additional (timing) loops. As NASCAR develops new technologies, we’re going to embrace those. It’s an area we can get more data out to the fans as well and that’s something we’re going to look at for sure and is in the works and excited about the possibilities in that space.”