Encouraged by positive results so far this year, NASCAR will continue to experiment with reduced downforce aerodynamic packages at upcoming races at Michigan International Speedway and Kentucky Speedway.

NASCAR reduced downforce prior to the start of the season, and it has produced much improved racing in 2016.   

The 2016 package cut downforce by 900 pounds, from 2700 to 1800 pounds and the sanctioning body is looking to shave another 500 pounds off with this latest rules tweak.

The teams gained back some of the downforce through ongoing development, so the goal now is getting downforce as low as 1500 pounds, said Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR’s vice president, innovation and racing development.

Some of the technical changes include cutting the rear spoiler dimensions from 3.5 inches high and 65 inches wide to 2.5 inches high by 53 inches wide. The width of the ends of the front splitter are also being cut from roughly 5 inches to 2 inches.

The new package will also feature a tapered decklid fin and no rear-end toe or skew.

NASCAR tried this package during a May 17 tire test at Michigan and was pleased with the results. It will be tested again there June 12 and at Kentucky June 13-14.

If the results of the tests and subsequent races prove successful, this could form the basis of the 2017 rules package but it was unlikely to be adopted for this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Last year, NASCAR followed a similar protocol, testing what became the current aero package at Kentucky and Darlington, but holding off on implementing it until 2016.

Two phenomenally successful contemporary car owners, a champion driver-turned-beloved-broadcaster, a driver with a prolific winning history and the man described as NASCAR racing's "original car owner" are the newly elected members of the 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
 
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France introduced the new inductees on Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, calling this group of five perhaps "the greatest class yet."
 
The new members, selected from a group of 20 nominees, include 1973 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and 1975 Daytona 500 winner Benny Parsons, who later became one of the most revered television broadcasters in the sport's history; team owner Rick Hendrick, who has notched a record 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles; driver Mark Martin, whose 96 career victories across NASCAR's three national touring series are sixth all-time; car owner Raymond Parks, whose cars won the first NASCAR modified title in 1948 and NASCAR's first premier series title a year later; and car owner Richard Childress, whose pairing with Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt produced six championships and 67 victories in NASCAR's top division.
 
Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles is this year's recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

Parsons, who succumbed to lung cancer on Jan. 16, 2007, was named on 85 percent of ballots cast by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Committee. Parsons had been on the ballot for eight years.
 
"This is the biggest honor of Benny's life," said Terri Parsons, his widow. "It summarizes everything he has ever worked toward. Every job he has ever had, be it as a race car driver in all divisions, host of NASCAR radio shows, NASCAR color commentator for TV networks each were just as important to him as the next.
 
"He lived his life for NASCAR fans and helping to make the sport of auto racing a better sport for them to enjoy. I know he is smiling his big smile tonight saying, 'Unbelievable!' "
 
In a career that spanned 25 years, Parsons won 21 Sprint Cup races in 526 starts, but he was a top-10 machine, recording 283 for a staggering percentage of 53.8.
 
Hendrick, who received 62 percent of the vote, has won car owner titles in the Sprint Cup Series with three different drivers—six with Jimmie Johnson, four with Jeff Gordon and one with fellow Hall of Famer Terry Labonte. Hendrick's 242 owner wins in the premier series rank second all-time.
 
"I'm extremely proud to go in with Benny Parsons and Mark Martin, who drove for me, and then Richard Childress, who's one of my closest friends in the sport," Hendrick said. "Parks… I watched the video on him, and he kind of helped the sport get started.
 
"So I'm really humbled to be in the position I'm in. I've been doing it now for 33 years, and I hope that we've got some more things to accomplish, but I'm very, very appreciative of the fact that I got voted in while I’m still racing."
 
Martin, who garnered 57 percent of the vote, boasts the highest Sprint Cup victory total (40) of any eligible driver not already inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In addition, Martin has 49 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins to his credit (second all-time), along with seven wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
 
His 56 Sprint Cup poles rank seventh on the all-time list.

Martin, who was runner-up in the final Sprint Cup standings on five occasions, most recently in 2009 at age 50, described his selection to the Hall of Fame as the "crown jewel of my career."
                                                                                                                                                                                   

"I didn't expect it," Martin said. "And I'm so grateful to the people who helped me get there… I have so many great memories of the sport. The class that I'm being inducted in, I’m humbled to no end."



Parks, named on 53 percent of the ballots, funded his racing operations through his successful real estate ventures in Atlanta. With mechanic Red Vogt tuning his cars, Parks dominated stock car racing in the 1940s and 1950s, teaming with Red Byron to win the inaugural modified title in 1948 and the first premier series championship in 1949.



Also included on Parks' roster of drivers over the years were Bob Flock, Roy Hall, Fonty Flock and NASCAR Hall of Famer Curtis Turner. Park, who has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for eight years, passed away in 2010 at age 96.



Childress, who was included on 43 percent of voting panel ballots, started his career as a driver but found considerably more success in the sport as an owner. In addition to the races and titles he won with Earnhardt, Childress holds 11 owner's championship trophies in NASCAR's top three series, second only to Hendrick's 14.



Childress performed the posthumous induction of close friend and driver Dale Earnhardt into the first NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.



"I was really, really honored and proud that day," Childress said. "I didn't really expect to get in because I was told that the only way you were going to get in was to retire or be deceased -- and I sure liked the first one better, and I haven't got plans to retire yet either."



Landmark Award winner Earles had a simple business philosophy that made Martinsville Speedway one of the most pre-eminent short tracks in the country.



"The secret to success in our business is giving the customer what he wants," Earles said before his death in 1999. "When a man plunks down his money, he deserves the best. You try to make him comfortable, give him a great show and make sure he gets his money's worth. And we've always tried to do just that.



"Your customers are your greatest assets, and that will never change. You actually sell the customer a memory as much as a race. If their memories are good, they’ll keep coming back."


WELD, manufacturer of maximum performance wheels, received a proclamation signed by Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Sylvester “Sly” James during a ribbon cutting and open house May 19 at its Kansas City headquarters.

The proclamation was presented by Scott Wagner, Kansas City mayor pro-tem and 1st District-at-Large councilman on behalf of Mayor James and the City Council. The document congratulated WELD on the expansion of its manufacturing facility and declared “May 19, 2016, as a day to honor WELD throughout the City of Kansas City, Missouri.” Tony Miller, Jackson County 3rd District-at-Large legislator also provided remarks on behalf of Jackson County.

Other local dignitaries who attended included, Theresa Galvin, Jackson County 6th District legislator and 2016 vice chairwoman, Quinton Lucas, Kansas City 3rd District-at-Large councilman, Jermaine Reed, Kansas City 3rd District councilman, Teresa Loar, Kansas City 2nd District-at-Large councilwoman and David Pruente, director of membership, Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

WELD brand ambassador and NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force of John Force Racing delivered remarks before the ribbon cutting. Also in attendance were WELD ambassadors Clay Millican, NHRA Top Fuel driver, Erica Enders-Stevens, NHRA Pro Stock driver, Robert Hight, NHRA Funny Car driver, World of Outlaws star Brian Brown and Formula Drift driver Justin Pawlak.

“WELD was humbled and honored to celebrate our growth with so many Kansas City area officials and with several of our brand ambassadors who represent our company to various racing communities throughout the U.S.,” said Norm Young, president and CEO of WELD.

On display were a number of vehicles featuring the company’s wheels from its leading brands including WELD Racing, WELD Street & Strip, CCW Forged Performance, REKON Off Road and HiPer Technology by WELD.

WELD expanded its manufacturing operations earlier this year with the addition of HiPer Technology, the leading manufacturer of high performance “super structural” carbon fiber wheels for all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and side-by-side (UTV) vehicles. By the end of 2016, WELD will also add the operations of CCW Forged Performance to its Kansas City facility.

WELD was founded in 1967 and has more than 150,000 square feet of space that includes manufacturing, distribution, offices and an in-house engineering and test lab. Participants in the open house had the opportunity to tour WELD’s facility where the company designs, engineers and manufactures one, two and three piece wheels from aerospace grade forged alloy. WELD manufactures all rim shells in-house to insure quality and performance.

WELD manufactures the highest quality forged race wheels for dirt, oval and drag racing, along with wheels for performance street cars and trucks. Each WELD wheel is precision engineered for maximum performance on the street, off road and at the track.

A shortage of fuel caused by strikes and protests in France could impact next weekend’s Le Mans Test Day, and potentially—if unresolved—the 24 Hours of Le Mans next month.

Unions have blocked oil refineries across the nation, either through protests or strikes, over reforms of employment law, leading to mass shortages of gasoline and diesel for motorists in large parts of the country.

According to a report from the Independent, one-quarter of France’s gasoline stations were closed or running short of fuel as of Wednesday morning.

Additional strikes and/or protests on electricity at nuclear power plants, as well as the country’s rail network have also been planned this week.

The Independent reports that the government has dismissed any possibility of disruption of the Euro 2016 soccer championship, which is set to begin in France on June 10, one week prior to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

While the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic is still more than three weeks away, the official test day - mandatory for all teams and new drivers competing in the race—is scheduled for June 5.

Media reports indicate there are concerns the dispute could continue for “many days” and could worsen.

Reuters, meanwhile, reports that France has mobilized its fuel reserves, for the first time since the last major refinery strike in 2010. It’s unclear how much fuel they have in reserve.

It’s not the first time there have been strikes in France around June, potentially disrupting travel to and from Le Mans, the most recent being a nationwide rail strike impacting many high-speed trains in 2014.

Martinsville Speedway Founder H. Clay Earles is the recipient of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s 2017 Landmark Award.

The award is given annually to a person who has made “Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.”

“It’s a great day for Martinsville Speedway,” Earles’ grandson and current Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said. “It’s an honor for my grandfather to be recognized for his contributions in the sport by his peers, as a pioneer in the sport.

“It’s a special day and quite an honor.”

Earles built the half-mile speedway in 1947 and held the first race on September 7 of that year.

Currently hosting two Sprint Cup Series races, Martinsville Speedway is the only track that was on the schedule in the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season that still hosts the series today.

An innovator, Earles was known for putting top priority in the fans’ experience.

“The secret to success in our business is giving the customer what he wants,” Earles said before his death in 1999. “When a man plunks down his money, he deserves the best. You try to make him comfortable, give him a great show and make sure he gets his money’s worth. And we’ve always tried to do just that.

“Your customers are your greatest assets and that will never change. You actually sell the customer a memory as much as a race. If their memories are good, they’ll keep coming back.”

In 1988, Earles named Campbell president of Martinsville Speedway and moved to Chairman of the Board, a role he would stay in until his death at the age of 86 in 1999.

Champion Brands, LLC, a developer and manufacturer of specialty lubricants, announced that WCS Distributing, Inc., headquartered in San Bernardino, California, now offers the complete line of Champion motor oils, chemicals, additives, and lubricants.
   
“It is extremely important for Champion to identify a wholesale partner that specializes in small engines and power equipment. Steve Sykes, owner of WCS Distributing, understands our formulated technologies and has the ability to provide his customers with first class service and support,” said Karl Dedolph, Director of Sales and Marketing at Champion Brands.

 “Steve is truly a one-of-kind individual being ex-military, having an MBA, CPA certified, and speaks fluent Vietnamese and Spanish,” added Dedolph. “His background and management style of WCS clearly fits our tactical business plans in the western region of the U.S. to distribute our products in numerous key demographics, applications, and strategic markets.”

Founded in 1990, WCS Distributing is capable of bringing many years of experience and coverage to California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, and Nevada.  In addition to Champion lubricants, WCS offers ProGard 2 Cycle and Bar & Chain Oil.  Beyond chemicals, their hard parts distribution division includes chain saws, chippers, edgers, blowers, generators, pressure washers, sprayers, gardening tools and accessories.  

Sam Schmidt took the newest generation of Arrow's semi-autonomous car to 152mph at IMS earlier this week, smashing his previous mark of 107mph.

"It was a thrill to be back in control and hitting racing speeds on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway again," said the SPM co-owner, who set his previous top speed in a semi-autonomous car at IMS in 2014. "The SAM project is a great example of what's possible when the right people come together to innovate and push boundaries."

Schmidt, who has been a quadriplegic since a testing accident in 2000, achieved the speed in the project's new modified 2016 Corvette Z06, which boasts more than 200bhp more than the Stingray that it replaces.

Other updates include improvements to the electronic steering, acceleration and braking systems. Schmidt still controls the car with his head, but now sends input via an updated headset. Meanwhile, a new IoT [Internet of Things] platform allowed both Schmidt and Arrow engineers to make real-time adjustments to the car while it was on the track. In the cockpit, nine-time Pike's Peak Hill Climb winner and two-time Indy 500 starter Robby Unser has been recruited as co-driver.

"Arrow's engineers incorporated insights learned from the previous model to build an advanced car design that incorporates cutting-edge Internet of Things technologies and live data-streaming, among other exciting improvements," said Joe Verrengia, Arrow's global director of corporate social responsibility, who oversees the company's SAM project. "We hope the SAM car continues to inspire and drive technology innovation forward."

Sunday’s 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil will be the first sellout in the history of the race.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced Wednesday morning that all suites, reserved seating and infield general admission tickets for the historic event are sold out.

“There’s no event in the world like the Indy 500,” said Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles. “This sellout is a testament to the enduring legacy of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the thrilling racing of the Verizon IndyCar Series and the bright future for both.”

“The Indy 500 is a uniquely Hoosier event,” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles. “The community support for the this race has fueled excitement for the 100th Running and paves the way for the next century for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500.”

In conjunction with the sellout, it was announced that the long-standing practice of delaying the television broadcast in Indianapolis will be suspended for 2016. This is only the third time the race will be broadcast live on Central Indiana television and the first time since the early 1950s.

“With no way to accommodate more fans at IMS, we are delighted to be able to suspend the television delay in Indianapolis, making it possible for those cannot be with us on race day to watch the 100th running live,” Boles said. “The traditional delayed coverage on WRTV will continue, so race fans who attend the race will be able to go home with their families and watch the broadcast Sunday evening.”

Tickets for Carb Day and Legends Day still remain.

IMSA has unveiled a new website.

The redesigned site at IMSA.com features a new-look homepage, enhanced driver and team profiles and easy access to help new fans "Discover IMSA,” plus much more.

Click here: http://www.imsa.com/

Twenty-six of the best and brightest college students from across the country and abroad ventured to Charlotte Motor Speedway this past weekend as the sport introduced the 2016 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) class at the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Weekend.
 
The 10-week, paid program exposes multicultural college students to employment opportunities within America’s number one motorsport, whether in departments within the sanctioning body or with organizations that NASCAR partners with to enhance the fan experience both on and off the race track. Through an all-inclusive orientation experience, the interns gain a behind-the-scenes look at the business of the sport and insight into prospective careers in motorsports.
 
“The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program has grown to become one of the most popular and attractive internships in sports,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “This program has given talented students an opportunity to gain relevant work experience and opportunities for careers in our industry since 2000."
 
NDIP continues to grow in popularity year over year. The key to that growth is the ongoing support of industry partners. Companies such as International Speedway Corporation, Roush Fenway Racing, Rev Racing, Daytona International Speedway, Octagon and Taylor have been longstanding supporters of NDIP. Recent partners include Toyota, Switch and Pocono Raceway. These valued partners increase the number of internship opportunities for young talent and contribute to the program’s overall success.  
 
Interns will work in multiple departments including in the areas of engineering, finance, marketing, licensing and public relations. In addition to receiving hand-on experience, the interns will also participate in professional development workshops, networking events and volunteer opportunities throughout their internship experience.
 
Victoria Kim, a recent graduate of Penn State, participated in the program last summer. Kim also received the NASCAR Diversity Outstanding Intern Award at the 2016 NASCAR Diversity Awards and was recently hired at NASCAR.
 
“The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program was an incredible opportunity to get a hands-on, behind-the-scenes look at NASCAR,” Kim said. “NDIP was a stepping stone and helped me get to where I am today, a full-time employee in the Daytona office for the Touring Series Racing Operations. I am grateful to have been a part of the NDIP class of 2015 and am thankful for the opportunity to pursue my dreams.”
 
More than 300 interns have participated in the NDIP since its inception, and many secured full-time jobs in motorsports following their internships. Recent graduates have found roles at Phoenix International Raceway, Richard Petty Motorsports, event marketing agency Switch, and many other companies tied to the industry.
 
Several NDIP alumni are now employed at NASCAR within multiple business units, including: Brandon Thompson, director, racing operations; Marvin Aylor Jr., manager, marketing; Lauren Houston, senior account executive, multicultural development; Kathryn Lee, manager, events; Jusan Hamilton, senior account executive, industry operations; Ade Herbert, senior coordinator, social media; Jason Simmons, licensing account coordinator; Victoria Kim, coordinator, touring series operations and Cameron McCarty, pit road technician.
 
“The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program has proven to be an effective pipeline for hiring top talent across the industry,” said Paula Miller, NASCAR senior vice president and chief human resources officer. “We have hired several former interns who are important contributors to the sport’s continued growth.”
 
The 2016 class participated in NASCAR 101 and received guided tours of the NASCAR Research & Development Center, NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Motor Speedway before watching the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
 
The class includes the following students from colleges and universities across the country: