It’s always been maintained that electric cars in any form should never be underestimated and many a car manufacturer has showed us how electricity can transform the car and its performance. So, when we heard about an electric dragster, we weren't really surprised. It's called the Electric Fox and it hit the Tierp Arena in Sweden where it managed to take down the European record for an electric dragster in the quarter mile.

Behind the wheel of the Electric dragster was Maris Ozolins and he completed the quarter mile run in 7.631 seconds and was only 0.357 seconds off the current world record. Thanks to this impressive achievement, the Electric Fox has achieved the third spot in the NEDRA's (National Electric Drag Racing Association) overall standing and is first in the DR/A5 class.

To begin with, it's light and weighs in at just 725 kgs. It uses a SFI2.5C-spec chassis along with a bespoke 800V lithium-ion battery pack. There are six YASA electric motors that pump in the power to this dragster. The combined output stands at 1368bhp and there's 2160Nm of torque on offer. While achieving it's target of being the fastest electric dragster, the Electric Fox reached a top speed of 275 km/h.

The team behind the Latvian-built electric dragster won't stop here, as the ultimate goal is to complete the quarter mile in less than seven seconds and top out at 322 km/h. But beside this, the team is eyeing another record for a zero-emissions dragster and this will be at the forthcoming Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Rolling Mix Concrete Raceway located within NITRO Motorsports Park in Prince George, British Columbia, has become the latest IHRA-sanctioned drag racing complex in Canada. The park, which opened in 1978 as North Central Motorsports Park, was recently purchased by the NITRO club (Northern Interior Timed Racing Organization), a group of racers located in and around Prince George. Brian Barby is a longtime driver and president of the club. He's been involved with track operations for the last few years.

"The previous owner oversaw a lot of the current upgrades and renovations," he said. "We found four investors who were willing to back the club for funding, and the property was purchased in April from the previous owner."

The renovations done while under the old ownership include a 720-foot concrete launch pad, and new state-of-the-art bathrooms, complete with granite countertops and shower rooms in both men's and women's bathrooms. Barby also said they are building a new gate and apron for junior dragsters with donations from local businesses and members.

"When the track was built, junior gate was designed for the 17- and 18-second junior dragsters, but now, as you know, there are 7.90-second junior dragsters," he said.

The amenities make NITRO Motorsports Park a welcome destination for Canadian racers, especially those in the west. The park is one of three IHRA-sanctioned tracks between British Columbia and Alberta, and Barby says the closest is about five hours away. However, drivers are more than willing to travel, according to Phil Gingerich, Director of Track Development for IHRA.

"Our best events are held in Canada. [Sanctioning Rolling Mix Concrete Raceway] gives us [IHRA] a good strong hold in British Columbia," said Gingerich. "With so few tracks, spectators and racers think nothing of traveling 500, 600 miles to a race. It's a great market."

Barby agreed ("I'll travel and so will the other guys who are serious," he said), and is doing his part to grow that market. The NITRO club has grown to 125 members over the last few years, and the club's (NITRO) aim is to take full ownership of Rolling Mix Concrete Raceway in the near future. They want to maintain its function as a drag racing facility.

"That was past owner's vision as well," he said. "To sell it to someone he knew would maintain it as a dragstrip. We get a lot of support from Prince George area businesses, and there are key members in the club as well."

NHRA, through its partnership with Greenlight International Limited, has reached an agreement for FOX Sports Australia Pty Limited to televise programming of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events.

FOX Sports Australia will televise one hour shows that provide coverage of the exciting moments from each NHRA Mello Yello Series race that airs on FOX Sports 1. FOX Sports Australia also will have access to all the previous events from the 2016 season.

“We know all our fans in Australia have been anxious to see our new television coverage on FOX Sports, and we’re happy to provide that now through this agreement,’’ said NHRA president Peter Clifford. “We have so many loyal fans in Australia, so being able to expand our international coverage to the continent is extremely important to us.”

NHRA Top Fuel driver Richie Crampton, who hails from Adelaide in South Australia, was thrilled to learn that all his fans Down Under can see him race.

“This is the best news I’ve heard all week,’’ Crampton said. “All my mates will be excited. It’s hard to match the fans here in the U.S., but Aussies are about as close as you can get. They love drag racing just like Americans do. This is top-shelf stuff, and it will help a lot of sponsors, too.”

Greenlight International Limited, the largest syndicator of international motorsport television rights in the world, entered into a multiyear exclusive agreement to represent NHRA’s international television rights across the globe. Australia is a major addition to NHRA’s international television coverage.

“We know how passionate our NHRA fans are in Australia,’’ said Ken Adelson, NHRA vice president, executive producer & chief content officer. “We’re happy we can provide this programming to help them follow and enjoy all our events.”

The format for the 45th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup presented by Jack in the Box at Washington’s Skagit Speedway has been released and will follow the ASCS Heat/Qualifier Format.

With this format, the only time drivers will draw for position is the start of the night to determine heat race lineups. Lineups for qualifiers, B-Mains and A-Main will be determined through the driver’s combined passing point totals.

The top 30 in passing points from heat races will move into qualifiers. The remainder will fall to the tail of the night’s B Features. The top 18 will be inverted with the highest point earner from heat races starting sixth in the first qualifier. Qualifiers will be eight laps each. Passing points will be utilized with the driver’s total points combined with their heat race total.

The top 16 in combined passing points will advance to the A-Main. Drivers will not redraw for their starting position. Lineup is straight up by the combined passing point total. The remainder will fall into B-Mains. The number of B-Mains is dependent upon the number of cars.

If one B-Main is needed, the top 6 drivers will advance to the A-Main. If two B-Main’s, then the top three will advance, if three B-Main’s, then the top two will advance.

Following Friday night, driver’s combined points will be tallied with the top 16 drivers locked into Saturday’s A-Main. Drivers ranked 17-48 will be split among two B-Mains with 17th to the pole of the first B-Main, 18th to the pole of the second B-Main and so forth through the field of each B Main. The remainder will fall into a Last Chance qualifier, taking the top four drivers with the winner and third place taking the final two spots in the first B-Main. Second and fourth will take the final two spots in the second B-Main.

Expecting another star studded field, fans and teams alike are excited to see what the new surface on the Skagit Speedway will offer, as local teams have already been outspoken on the improved conditions of the track’s surface.

Drawing 51 drivers to Skagit Speedway in 2015, the event was topped for the first time by Washington’s Jason Solwold. With a pair of wins on the season around the Pacific Northwest, Jason will again pilot the Mike Anderson owned No. 18.

It was announced this week that the NASA Western States Championship format now has two qualifying races, which will set starting positions for the Championship race on Sunday. As a result, drivers will be given a variation and additional challenge during this pinnacle event that takes place at Buttonwillow Raceway Park near Bakersfield, California, on October 13–16.

Thus, Friday qualifying races will feature two additional turns as NASA begins the competition portion of the event, with race course configuration #1 that includes the section of track known as “bus stop.” For the subsequent days and Championship finale race, NASA will switch to the more open race course configuration #25, which will give competitors more passing opportunities in this longer and extremely competitive event.

According to organizers, this is not a configuration the usual NASA SoCal competitors typically uses.

Course Configuration Schedule
Wednesday Test Day- #1 CCW
Thursday Test Day- # 25 CCW
Friday - #1 CCW
Saturday/ Sunday - #25 CCW
 
Track Maps
Configuration #1
Configuration #25

For more information, visit www.nasaproracing.com.

The bipartisan Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act recently surpassed 100 Congressional co-sponsors, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 103 in the House of Representatives and 18 in the Senate.

Despite this important milestone, the bill to clarify that street vehicles can be converted into race cars for competition must continue to gain support in order to move through committee and be approved by the full Congress.

Until the RPM Act is passed and signed into law, the motorsports industry remains at risk. Although the EPA withdrew a proposed racing regulation earlier this year, the agency continues to claim that it has the authority to regulate street cars modified exclusively for the track. The RPM Act is the only solution that would clarify that the law allows emissions-certified street vehicles to be modified and converted for competition use.

Our community and industry have made remarkable progress, but the effort isn’t over yet. Racers, race fans and the entire motorsports industry are urged to rally together and keep up the momentum by contacting their Congressional representatives. The site www.sema.org/rpm makes it quick and easy to contact the appropriate legislators.

Businesses can take further action by inviting Congressional representatives to tour their facilities, especially since lawmakers will be in their home districts during the summer break. RPM Act sponsor Rep. Richard Hudson was recently hosted by SEMA member PRO-FABrication.

To view the entire list of co-sponsors or for more information, visit www.sema.org/epa-news.

Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. has announced the promotion of Randy Gaetz to senior vice president of sales. Gaetz joined Toyo Tires in September 2013 as vice president of sales and has been instrumental in growing consumer tire market share in the US, and in successfully relaunching the brand’s US truck and bus tire business.

A 38-year veteran of the tire industry, Gaetz is now responsible for the sales of all Toyo Tires product lines through all channels of distribution in the United States, and serves as a member of the Toyo Tires senior leadership team.

“During his three years with Toyo Tires, Gaetz has provided critical leadership resulting in significant growth, both in terms of sales and our distribution channels,” said Roy Bromfield, president, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “His hard work has positioned the company for sustainable future growth.”

Gaetz is a graduate of Norwich University, America’s oldest private military college, located in Northfield, Vermont. He then received a master’s degree in human resources management from Pepperdine University in California. Gaetz also served his country as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.

The initial eight 2016 inductees into the USAC Hall of Fame have been announced and four more, selected by popular vote from a list of 16 eligibles distributed through social media, will be announced June 20.

The fifth annual USAC Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be held July 21 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana, in conjunction with the “Rich Vogler Classic” USAC Silver Crown race.

The eight-member class of inductees includes five drivers, two officials and a car owner-chief mechanic. They are (alphabetically) Russ Clendenen, Jimmy Davies, Bob Higman, Tommy Hinnershitz, Dick King, Pat O’Connor, Tony Stewart and Bob Tattersall.

Online voting for the final four 2016 inductees into the USAC Hall of Fame will be available on the USAC website Monday (June 20) at www.usacracing.com.

Clendenen, of Dayton, Ohio, probably supervised more USAC racing events than anyone in history, spanning several series, primarily including the National Championship Series and the National Sprint Cars. Involved in Midwestern oval-track racing for more than five decades, he started as a mechanic for driver Everett Saylor, the 1937 Central States Racing Association champion. After the war, he turned to officialdom and was an assistant to AAA Midwestern Supervisor Bob Martindale. In 1958, he succeeded Martindale and, after his retirement as a full-time official, he was honored in 1982 with the prestigious Eddie Edenburn Award for his lifelong contributions to the sport. He passed away in 2002 at the age of 94.

Davies, of Gardena, Calif., was a three-time USAC National Midget Champion, taking consecutive titles in 1960, 1961 and 1962. His 48 career Midget victories still rank sixth on USAC’s all-time National Midget win list. A winner at age 20 in the ill-fated 1949 Del Mar, Calif. AAA 100-miler which claimed the life of Rex Mays, Davies would eventually compete in five Indianapolis 500s, recording his best finish of third in 1955. He also won USAC’s Pacific Coast Midget title in 1960 and scored three victories in the prestigious “Night Before the 500” classic. Proficient in his appearances “down under,” Davies won the 1963 Australian Speedcar Grand Prix and the 1963 and 1964 South Australian Speedcar titles. He lost his life in a 1966 Midget race at Santa Fe Park Speedway in Hinsdale, Ill. and in 1984 was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

Higman, of Lafayette, Ind., was instrumental in the growth of USAC’s National Midget Series in so many ways, from providing top-flight cars for the top drivers to his insightful assistance into rules making as part of USAC’s Advisory Board of Directors. His list of major drivers ran the gamut of America’s greatest talent and he was directly responsible for USAC Midget Championships for drivers Bob Wente (1963), Mike McGreevy (1966) and Larry Rice (1973). The only man to build a successful turbo-charged Offy Midget engine, he served as the crew chief for Indianapolis 500 driver Jigger Sirois who nearly stole the pole starting position in 1969. Bob’s enormous contributions resulted in his induction into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1995. He was also awarded USAC’s “Jim Blunk Award” for contributions to Midget racing in 1973 and the prestigious Eddie Edenburn Award in 1988. Bob passed away January 13, 2010.

Hinnershitz, of Oley, Pa., was one of Eastern America’s all-time motorsports heroes, claiming USAC Eastern Sprint Car crowns in 1956 and 1959 after winning AAA Eastern titles in 1949-1950-1951-1952 and 1955. He grabbed 11 victories in USAC Sprint racing and competed in a trio of Indianapolis 500s in the 1940s, scoring a ninth-place in 1948 and a 10th in 1941. Inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1990, he also was honored by the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1975. Hinnershitz died on August 1, 1999.

King, of Niagara Falls, N.Y., joined USAC as an official in 1966 and as its Safety Director for the Championship Series in 1967. Three years later, he became the chief steward for the Championship Series and in 1972 became Assistant to the USAC Executive Director and Competition Director. He served as USAC’s President and Chief Executive Officer from 1976 to 1997 and also held the title of Chairman of the Board between 1979 and 1981. In 1984, he also took on the additional responsibilities of President of USAC Properties, Inc. King directed USAC through its most turbulent times, after the 1978 plane crash in Indiana which claimed the lives of eight key officials. In 1997, he was awarded USAC’s most prestigious honor, the Roger McCluskey Award of Excellence. He passed away in 2004 at the age of 73.

O’Connor, of North Vernon, Ind., earned the respect of everyone with is demeanor on and off the race track and in 1958 graced the cover of Sports Illustrated in a build-up to that year’s Indianapolis 500. He unfortunately perished in a first-lap crash in that year’s race, but his career in the sport is legendary. Despite his somewhat brief career (10 years), he captured USAC’s inaugural Midwest Sprint Car championship in 1956 and earlier had won 1953 and 1954 Midwest titles under AAA sanction. He scored eight wins in USAC’s Sprint car campaign and was generally regarded as one of the “Kings of the Hills,” extremely proficient at the high-banked Salem and Winchester, Ind. and Dayton, Ohio ovals. In 1956, he scored a popular victory in the “Pee Dee 200” National Championship race at the Darlington, S.C. Raceway. In 1957, he led the American contingent as they tested at the spectacular Monza, Italy Autodrome, then competed in the famed “Race of Two Worlds.” His best Indianapolis 500 finishes in five starts were eighth-places in 1955 and 1957. In 1995 he was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.

Stewart, of Columbus, Ind., became the first driver ever to claim all three of USAC’s National championships in a single season (in 1995) and is one of only six USAC “Triple Crown Champions.” He won the 1994 USAC National Midget title, then added the Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown honors the next season. Proficient in virtually every form of motorsports, he has earned three NASCAR Cup championships (2002, 2005 and 2011) and a 1997 Indy Racing League title. He has 27 USAC National Midget wins to his credit, as well as 10 wins in the Sprint cars and three in the Silver Crown series. A member of the National Midget Hall of Fame (2001), his list of impressive motorsports awards and accolades continues to grow. In five Indianapolis 500 appearances, he started first in 1996, finished fifth from the front row in 1997, was ninth in 1999 and sixth in 2001. His charitable contributions through his Tony Stewart Foundation are endless. In addition to his USAC driving titles, he also has seven Sprint Car Owner championships as well as seven in the Silver Crown Series as an owner.

Tattersall, of Streator, Ill., continues to rank fourth on USAC’s all-time Midget winners list with 63 total victories. In 1969 he claimed the USAC National Midget Championship. As an ambassador for America, he travelled to New Zealand and Australia, winning over 50% of his races during a 13-year stretch! In 1966, he passed a Rookie Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but was unable to secure a starting spot in the 500. Starting in stock cars, he switched to Midgets in 1950 and earned a pair of UARA Midget crowns. He debuted in USAC in 1960 and, in the ensuing 11 years, he never finished worse than eighth in the standings. In 1971, he passed away after a bout with cancer. In 1984, he was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

Today, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest held its annual press conference in the museum before the 84th Le Mans 24 Hours, which will take place on June 18-19, 2016. The ACO announced its innovations for the LM P1 private teams’ category, LM P2 and the future path of the LM P1 category.

During the conference, Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, and Frédéric Lénart, the ACO general manager, reminded those present that in 2016 the ACO is celebrating its 110th anniversary and its aim is evolve and add to this great heritage. The innovations come from the digital revolution with the launch of myACO Community, the publication of Spirit of Le Mans, a high-class quarterly magazine devoted to the ACO, as well as the evolutions of the ACO Club offers. 

There are several other innovations on the program of the 84th Le Mans 24 Hours to satisfy the spectators and help them to discover new universes like the Virtual Room for a plunge into the heart of the race that’s true to life, the Le Mans Passion-Share Pavilion – Armée de l’Air to experience what a fighter pilot feels, and the exhibition Americans at Le Mans. The new application 24 On Site is the best tool not to miss a moment of what’s going on. The Women’s Pavilion has been continued after its success last year and then there’s the Fun Area, the concerts and the Fun Fair. 
 
New technical regulations were announced whose aim is to help entrants and develop performances. Thus, modifications will be made to the aerodynamic performance of the LM P1 Hybrids in 2017. The ACO has also reaffirmed the importance of private teams in the LM P1 category, and regulations will be introduced in 2017 to make this category a more attractive one for them.
 
The new Gibson Technology GK428 engine, which will power the LM P2s in 2017, was unveiled at the conference. The company was selected after a tender was put out by the ACO and the FIA. It will be the sole engine supplier for this category for cars entered for the Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the European Le Mans Series, the Asian Le Mans Series (2019) and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The evolutions of the LM P1 regulations coming into force in 2018 were also unveiled whose aims are to retain the technological leadership in the world of motor sport, to pursue the evolution of safety and integrate the notion of gas emissions reduction.

He's made no secret about wanting to race in the Indianapolis 500, but it was still a surprise to see Brad Keselowski—in his Miller Lite NASCAR Sprint Cup uniform—get in one of Roger Penske's Indy cars during a test at Road America.

Keselowski got in the No. 22 Chevy of Simon Pagenaud after getting some pointers from his Penske teammate.

“I was just making sure the car was comfortable and well set up for him to start,” Pagenaud said. “He’s pretty excited, he’s always wanted to drive an Indy car. Hopefully he likes it and maybe we can do a ride swap someday.

“It’s a very different beast. Our Indy cars are now predominantly aero, so the grip level you get is very speed dependent. … The Cup car is very mechanical, so you have to be very academic about your driving. You transfer weight and the front of the car turns.

“We have it a different way. Our braking is so strong it might take him a while to find the limit of braking. I think the car is going to be quite impressive for him. I can’t wait to see his reaction after his first run.”

Keselowski, who called it "a heck of an opportunity," was amazed by the difference between an Indy car and a stock car.

"It sure was getting in the corners a lot deeper," he said. "I think the Indy car just pulls so many G's through the center of the corner and in the brake zone. You have to build confidence in it because the stock car does everything it can to wreck your confidence and in the Indy car it's important to have confidence. So you have to kind of unlearn everything you learned in a stock car to be good in these cars. That's a heck of a process but a fun one.

"It's certainly a different feel, trying to get acclimated to a different seat and you lean back more. I was kind of sitting in Simon's seat and it doesn't always fit you perfect, so it wears you out pretty quick. But it's a good way to get worn out."

Keselowski said he told Pagenaud afterward that "he has a very secure job, at least from me."

"I've always wanted to drive an Indy car, I think (Penske Racing President) Tim Cindric knew that," Keselowski said. "The opportunity came up to dip my toes in the water and kind of expand my knowledge base and put it in the back of my mind for wherever it goes, I don't know. But it was a heck of an opportunity and I'm glad to have a chance."

Keselowski had a "blast," but Tim Cindric said not to read too much into the special test session.

"It's something he's always wanted to do and we fit him with a seat awhile back in case the opportunity came up," Team Penske's president said after spending the afternoon spotting in Turn 5. "This worked out well because he's been here before and obviously knows the track, plus it's got some decent runoff areas. He spun once at Canada corner but was right on par on the slow speed corners. He learned your head and upper body take a hit because of the G-forces.
"But we put in a lot more downforce, handed him the keys and he had a blast."

The 2012 NASCAR Cup champion has always been very open about his desire to run in the Indianapolis 500 some day for The Captain.

"I can't say it's imminent or that it's a prelude to next year but we'll see what happens," Cindric continued.

Several teams, including Andretti Autosport, Schmidt Peterson Motorsport, Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and, of course, Penske, tested Wednesday. The Verizon IndyCar Series returns to Road America June 23-26.