Infiniti's global search for the best up-and-coming student engineering talent for 2016 has begun. Now into its third successive year, the academy provides a 12-month money-can't-buy opportunity for seven world-class students to work at the Infiniti's Technical Center for Europe and the Renault Sport Formula One Team.


"Year on year, we continue to strive to improve the Academy, and now, with our new and deep-reaching Technical Partnership with the Renault Sport Formula One Team, we can offer seven engineers a truly technically rich, multi-discipline engineering placement," said Tommaso Volpe, Global Director, Infiniti Motorsport. 


As ever, the selection process is comprehensive. Using a third party international recruitment organization, candidates are initially vetted by their CV before going through to a video interview. Passing the interview phase will mean further consideration by veteran engineers at Infiniti and the Renault Sport Formula One Team.


If adjudged to have the technical and personal skills that the academy is looking for, candidates will be shortlisted for one of seven Regional Finals (China, Europe including Russia, Canada, Mexico and Asia-Pacific. US and Middle East to be confirmed at a later date) to be held this summer with all travel and accommodation expenses covered by Infiniti.


Each Regional Final will play host to assessments testing aptitude, team work, individual knowledge and focus under pressure, resulting in one successful finalist per region. 


The seven successful candidates will have all necessary arrangements made to commence work in the UK this October. All current students (except first year students) of engineering-related disciplines can apply for this year's Infiniti Engineering Academy and they must be both a resident and a student of a participating region to qualify.

"We're now in our third successive year, and year-on-year we've grown the number of Infiniti Engineering Academy placements available. From three, to five, and to seven for 2016; our global engineering talent search continues to offer the ultimate work placement for the cream of engineering talent. This year we'll take a winner from each participating region—truly global talent on an international stage,” Volpe explained.


"In 2016 our close relationship with F1 brings direct benefits to the development of our road cars,” he continued. “As the Technical Partner to the newly formed Renault Sport Formula One Team, specifically for the co-development of the Renault Sport R.E.16 Power Unit's Energy Recovery System (ERS), our Academy engineers will work across both road car and race car hybrid systems; cross-pollenating the application of the mirrored technologies.


"We are looking for candidates for the Infiniti Engineering Academy that dare to be different. Engineers who think about challenges from fresh angles; brimming with the kind of creative human talents that we believe drive the greatest advances in high performance technologies. 'Game changers' may sound cliched, but the automotive industry and F1 have never been more competitive, so we need the best of the best."

After the Ford-Ferrari duel in 2015, cars that symbolize the involvement of Americans in the Le Mans 24 Hours will be on display in a 1200m2 hall on the esplanade of the former museum, in the year when Ford, the only US manufacturer to have won the race outright, is making its official comeback with the descendants of the GT40. Sixteen cars that have raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours will appear in this exhibition devoted to the adventure of North American manufacturers and prominent figures in the Sarthe.

From the first Le Mans 24 Hours to today, these mythical cars will illustrate the great moments of the remarkable adventure of the Americans at Le Mans. From the Cunninghams arriving at Le Havre in 1952 to the sculptural IMSA cars of the 1970s as well as Ford’s triumph in 1966 and through men and makes, America has left its mark on the history on the greatest endurance race in the world. So a homage was called for.



16 exceptional cars that have left their “American” mark on the Le Mans 24 Hours including:

• The three Ford GT40s that filled the first three places in 1966. It was an all-American podium with victory going to Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon! Ford made it a point of honor to end Ferrari’s domination of the Le Mans 24 Hours by giving its teams free rein.

• The Porsche 908 Cam Car S of the famous actor and passionate motor sport fan, Steve McQueen. This car raced in the 1970 event and helped him to make his famous film, Le Mans.  

• Corvette Spirit of Le Mans. As a result of the petrol crisis and changing regulations there were fewer cars on the grid. The race organizer wanted to see John Greenwood’s incredibly powerful Corvette, which was a magnet for the media, on the grid and contacted the American to ensure that he would race in the 1976 event. Greenwood got his hands on a Corvette specially prepared for the IMSA championship. The beautiful American machine carries the colors of the bicentenary of the founding of the United States. This Corvette was entered in the NASCAR category thanks to the creation of the Daytona-Le Mans Trophy.

• This Porsche 935 driven by famous actor Paul Newman finished second overall on his one and only outing the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1979.

• Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S 2000: Don Panoz, a passionate fan of motor sport and Le Mans, is an emblematic figure of the Le Mans 24 Hours. Together with the ACO he created the Petit Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series, races representing the association between Le Mans and the United States on American soil. It was the first agreement signed to spread the Le Mans brand throughout the world.

• The Corvette C7R entered by Corvette Racing is the latest model Corvette to race at Le Mans winning its category in 2015. The car on display is the reserve for the 2016 race.

And there is also a 1923 Model T Ford, a Cunningham C4-R from 1954, a Corvette entered by Briggs Cunningham in 1960, a 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra, a Ford Torino and a Dodge Charger from 1976, a 1998 Viper GTS C9 and a 2001 Chrysler LM P. 



All these cars will return to the Le Mans 24-Hours circuit for a unique parade on Saturday, June 18, at 12:35 p.m. 



Thanks to a carefully designed and well-researched scenography, this exhibition will also highlight the stories of the people involved using portraits, film shows, a display of drivers who have left their mark on the race, as well as works of the American Pop Art movement inspired by the Le Mans 24 Hours. 



The current ACO collections will be on sale in a specially dedicated boutique and fans can also find posters of the different Le Mans 24-Hour races. 



This exhibition will be open to the public from Wednesday–Sunday, June 15–19. 


Over a year ago, Holley and Hooker Headers purchased a 2015 Ford Mustang GT. The 5.0L Coyote V8 packed 435 horsepower, and the optional Performance Pack added 19" wheels with sticky Pirelli PZero tires, Brembo 6-piston calipers and 15-inch rotors up front, a front splitter, a Torsen rear differential with 3.73 gears, and several other chassis enhancements. But Holley and Hooker aren't known for touting stock cars. After being used for R&D, the Hooker BlackHeart Mustang was ready for its next phase in life: to find its way into a lucky owner's garage.



Holley and Hooker teamed up with several companies to bring the Mustang to its full potential. After the Hooker BlackHeart exhaust system was installed to free up a few horsepower and give it the sound a muscle car deserves, the focus turned elsewhere. A set of Eibach springs, Forgeline wheels, and an MGW shifter were added to make the Mustang even more well-rounded. We also decided to give the winner a set of Hooker BlackHeart longtube headers, a DiabloSport T1000 programmer, Airaid cold air intake, and an NOS nitrous system to make the car track-ready if they chose to do so. 



Over the course of the contest, tens of thousands entered to win the Mustang as it made several appearances across the country, including a long haul on the Hot Rod Power Tour. When it was finally time to draw, Ron Masters of Frankfort, Indiana, had the winning ticket.

Design Engineering, Inc. announces the company’s inaugural Cruise-In car show planned for Saturday, June 18, at the company’s headquarters at 604 Moore Road, Avon Lake, OH. DEI is located three miles from Interstate 90 (exit 153 north, left on Chester Road and a right onto Moore Road). The event begins at 10 a.m. and concludes at 3 p.m. This show will bring some of the area’s most exciting custom cars and hot rods to DEI as part of the 2016 Cruisin’ Times Magazines Lucky 7 Road Show.

Tim Musiek, DEI’s Account Manager, said, “DEI is very excited to host this custom car show at our facility. In the past we enjoyed hosting a stop for race cars and drivers who were competing in the annual Tire Rack’s One Lap of America and invited the local community and media to visit the event at the DEI facility. That event was so successful that we wanted to develop more events that will allow DEI to share our passion with others.”

A 50/50 raffle will be held during the Cruise-In to benefit the Friendship Animal Protective League in memory and deep respect for Ken Moore, a prior DEI employee who lost his battle with cancer in February.

The DEI Cruise-In will include music provided by Its Show Time D.J. services, great barbeque with all the fixin’s can be purchased from Jones Bones BBQ, raffles, DEI T-shirts and hats will be for sale and a scratch and dent sale area will be open.   

A rain date has been set for Sunday, June 19, in the event of inclement weather.  Admission and parking is free for this public event. DEI hopes everyone will come out to have fun and support a good cause.

For more information about DEI’s Cruise-In event, visit www.DesignEngineering.com, call 800-264-9472, or e-mail: TimM@designengineering.com.

Ferrari is set to introduce a Formula 1 power unit upgrade for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix as it continues its bid to close the gap to rival Mercedes.

Both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will receive the update, which is believed to focus on the turbo and requires a spend of two development tokens. That would take Ferrari's total token spend to 28 and leave it with four remaining for this season.

Ferrari was the biggest spender of tokens before the start of the season with 23 and spent three more before the Russian GP. The Scuderia suffered its worst result of the season in Monaco, scoring just 12 points as Mercedes pulled 67 points clear in the constructors' championship.

Red Bull, meanwhile, closed the gap to Ferrari to just nine points and will have the updated Renault engine for both its cars in Canada.

Honda is the only manufacturer yet to have used any tokens during the season and has 14 remaining. Mercedes has 11 while Renault, which used three for its latest upgrade, still has 21 – the most of any manufacturer.

Modifying race cars isn’t just a hobby for PRO-FABrication founder and president Steve Sousley—it’s his livelihood. So he’s doing what he can to ensure that the future of motorsports is secure.

Sousley invited his US Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC) to his Concord, North Carolina, custom auto racing parts and racing exhaust systems business to highlight the need to protect the future of motorsports and thousands of industry businesses and jobs by passing the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act.
 
“Failure by Congress to pass the RPM Act would be devastating to the motorsports industry,” said Sousley, a SEMA member and PRI Trade Show exhibitor. “I want to thank Rep. Hudson for his leadership on this issue. We were thrilled to host him here at PRO-FABrication.”
 
The RPM Act is a Congressional bill that remains essential to the future of motorsports. Despite recently withdrawing language from a proposed regulation, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to claim that it has the authority to regulate street cars modified exclusively for the track. If the EPA decided to enforce this authority, it would have a devastating impact on businesses that supply motorsports products, jeopardizing the jobs and communities the industry supports.
 
The RPM Act would give the motorsports industry certainty regarding how the Clean Air Act is applied, and its passage is the only way to confirm that modifying street vehicles into race cars used solely on the track—and the businesses that support the practice—is legal.
 
“Not only is Pro-FABRication a national leader in custom auto racing parts, it’s also an important source of jobs and economic growth in North Carolina,” Rep. Hudson (NC-08), original cosponsor of the RPM Act. “I’ll continue to advocate for the RPM Act and stand up for jobs, common sense and the future of racing.”
 
While many lawmakers have signed up to cosponsor the RPM Act, including Rep. Hudson, more support is needed to move the bill forward.
 
“Our livelihood in the racing industry remains under the threat of EPA enforcement,” said John Kilroy, Vice President/General Manager of PRI. “We urge business owners like Steve Sousley, employees, customers, racers and racing fans to tell your elected leaders in the US House and Senate to support the RPM Act.”
 
SEMA encourages other businesses like PRO-FABrication to contact their federal lawmakers and ask them to support the bill. Businesses interested in hosting lawmakers at their facility can contact the SEMA Washington, DC, office at san@sema.org. Individuals can also support the RPM Act by writing their federal lawmakers at www.sema.org/RPMAct. Complete details are also available on SEMA’s website, www.sema.org/epa-news.

Champion drivers Dale Blaney of Ohio and Frankie Kerr of Ohio, supplier Shirley Kear Valentine of Ohio, official Doug Clark of South Dakota, and media member Gene Crucean of Indiana each took center stage June 4 for their official inductions into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (NSCHoF) in Knoxville, Iowa.

Emcees Dave Argabright and Dr. Pat Sullivan entertained a crowd of 340 guests during the three-hour ceremony, which honored the exceptional careers of eight inductees. 
 
The families of deceased inductees Roy “Bud” Grimm, Jr. (wife Sally) and Mark Light (daughter Markey Henning) were on hand to accept their relatives’ honors, as was Lynn Paxton, who accepted for the late Gus Linder. 

National Sprint Car Hall of Famers in attendance included Johnny Anderson, Argabright, Mike Arthur, Allan Brown, Ralph Capitani, Shane Carson, Jack Elam, Rick Ferkel, Ray Lee Goodwin, Kenny Jacobs, Jean Lynch, John Mahoney, Gene Marderness, Paxton, Newton “Buzz” Rose, Ron Shaver, Jimmy Sills, Gil Sonner, Steve Stapp and Bill Utz.

Also in attendance in the Dyer-Hudson Hall on the Marion County Fairgrounds were family members of the following NSCHoF inductees: Bobbie Adamson (son Brett Adamson), Dave & Lou Blaney (Kate Blaney), Fred Brownfield (niece Joanne Beaver), Bud Carson (son Shane Carson), John Gerber (son Jim Gerber), Elbert “Babe” Stapp (son Steve Stapp), Bob Trostle (wife Dorotha Trostle), Kramer Williamson (wife Sharon Williamson) and Chet Wilson (daughter Donna Wilson). 

The program was dedicated to the memories of deceased National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee Bob Trostle, National Induction Committee member Bob Sheldon, and past museum foundation board presidents Lester “Tex” Gatrel and Jack Housby.

Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation board president Jeff Savage reminded those present that the 2016 President’s Award had previously been presented to Clyde and Marion Lamar in Chico, California. This year’s NSCHoF induction banquet again featured dual large-screen televisions showing photos organized by videographer Kris Krohn. 

Next year’s 28th NSCHoF induction weekend is tentatively scheduled for June 2–3, 2017.

Katech announced that it will hold its 8th TRACK ATTACK high-performance driving event at the all new M1 Concourse track in Pontiac on July 16-17. TRACK ATTACK is one of the first instruction-oriented events to be held at the new motorsports venue, that is open to the public.

“TRACK ATTACK began in 2008 mainly as a Katech customer appreciation event,” said Jason Harding, Director of Aftermarket Operations for Katech, and founder of the event. “TRACK ATTACK is open to anyone with an interest or passion for high performance driving. In addition to high performance it is also high-value, meaning we limit the number of participants to ensure lots of individual instructor attention and track time, we provide full vehicle support, the food is great, and, every participant has the opportunity to ride with legendary pro-driver Andy Pilgrim at the wheel.”

The event is open to beginner through advanced level performance drivers. Beginner and intermediate drivers receive expert training and plenty of uncrowded track time with their instructor in their vehicle. Registration ends July 1 and is limited to the first 50 participants. The cost for the three-day event is less than $1000 and includes instruction for you and your guest. For more information and to register, visit www.katechengines.com.

“We are very excited to be hosting Katech TRACK ATTACK at M1 Concourse,” said Brad Oleshansky, Founder and CEO of the $50M motorsports development on north Woodward in Pontiac. “The Katech team knows how to run a first-class instruction-oriented track event, and it is a great opportunity for us to showcase our track and all the amenities it will have to offer.”

“We could not be happier bringing this event to Michigan,” added Warren Frieze, Katech’s General Manager. “Katech has been a Michigan company and member of the performance engine industry for nearly 40 years. The M1 Concourse project gave us the opportunity we were looking for to bring the event to the Motor City.”

David Kennedy, who has spent the last two decades helping to build multiple automotive media brands, has been named NHRA director of multimedia content. It was announced by NHRA Vice President-Executive Producer and Chief Content Officer Ken Adelson.

In his new role at NHRA, Kennedy will develop and execute coordinated editorial strategy and content production plans across all NHRA media platforms, including print, web, mobile, digital, video, television and social media. The position will ensure consistency in editorial voice, identify and elevate key storylines, and coordinate internal content production for each medium with the goals of satisfying both existing and new fans while growing total audience over time.

Kennedy will manage a team including editors, photographers, graphic artists and social media experts to achieve shared objectives and further establish NHRA media platforms as the source of record for the sport of drag racing.

“We are fortunate to have someone with David’s versatile background and deep experience in the world of automotive and high-performance publishing to take on this very important position,” Adelson said. “David will manage and execute the day-to-day flow of all editorial content, ensuring a consistent voice throughout NHRA’s multimedia platforms.”

Kennedy spent the last three years as editor-in-chief of Hot Rod Magazine where he directed the editorial plan and social media content for the popular 650,000-circulation publication. Prior to that he was publisher for the Custom Truck Group at Source Interlink.  He previously held top editorial positions with several Source Interlink publications, including Diesel Power and Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine.

“It is a very exciting time for NHRA and there is a ton of positive momentum building for the sport throughout the motorsports industry,” Kennedy said. “I am excited about this new challenge and looking forward to being able to contribute to the growth trend by strengthening NHRA’s digital content.”

Kennedy holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Massachusetts and lives in the Los Angeles area.

Joe Moriarty, Sr., founder of Total Seal Piston Rings, lost his battle with heart disease and passed away June 1 at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. He was a prolific inventor, holding several patents on piston rings, including Total Seal’s Gapless and Diamond Finish rings.

Born Maurice Joseph Moriarty in 1928 in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, he started Total Seal Piston Rings in 1967 with a rotary engine design that was intended for OEMs. The company experienced tremendous growth over the last several years, producing some of the most advanced steel ring manufacturing capabilities available today.

Moriarty was inducted into the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) Hall of Fame at the 2014 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. His namesake, Joey Moriarty, will continue to run Total Seal Piston Rings in Phoenix, Arizona.