C&R Performance, part of the PWR Group, announced that Kunzman and Associates has become its manufacturer’s rep agency of record in 37 southern, eastern and midwestern states. Currently, Kunzman’s 24 associates represent some of the finest manufacturers in the automotive and truck performance aftermarket to every level of distribution including warehouse distributors, retailers, mail order companies, OEM, expediters, jobbers, installers, speed shops, engine builders, and specialty customizers.

Kunzman and Associates is very pleased to add C&R Performance to the portfolio of leading automotive aftermarket companies that they represent. As a measure of their performance, Kunzman and Associates has been honored five times as the Manufacturers’ Rep Agency of the Year by the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA), with their most recent recognition coming in 2013.

C&R Performance has designed and built racing components for the top professional teams in motorsports. For the past 25 years, every NASCAR Cup Champion, Indy 500 winner and Daytona 500 winner have had a component on their car that was manufactured by C&R.

C&R puts the same engineering and manufacturing into their aftermarket performance products as it does into its racing and custom products.

Two are following in the footsteps of their former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driving fathers. One is a long-time racer who competed on the reality television show “Survivor,” and later added a degree from Stanford University. Another is one of the fastest rising stock car drivers in the Midwest. There is even a pair of international phenoms.
 
From Charlotte to New York City, and from Quebec to Israel, the 11 drivers who were announced as the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class today are primed for a successful and impactful future in NASCAR. This is the sixth edition of NASCAR Next, an industry-wide initiative designed to spotlight to best and brightest rising young stars in racing.
 
“The NASCAR Next program has introduced current stars such as Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney to the NASCAR fan, and we believe this year’s class has the same potential,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president of marketing and industry services. “These drivers have shown the talent and intangibles to climb the NASCAR ladder, and we look forward to watching their careers grow.”
 
This year’s NASCAR Next class was selected through an evaluation process that included input from industry executives, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Drivers Council and media. Drivers must be between the ages of 15-25, have tangible and expressed goals in eventual competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and demonstrate the potential to realize that goal.
 
The following drivers have been selected to the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class:
 
Harrison Burton (@HBurtonRacing) – The 15-year-old from Huntersville, North Carolina, is the son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Burton. He has climbed to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series after setting the record last year as the youngest Division I race winner in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series history.
 
Collin Cabre (@CollinCabre12) – In his second season driving for Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, the 22-year-old from Tampa, Florida, captured his first career win last October after making the successful move from racing sprint cars.
 
Spencer Davis (@SpencerDavis_29) – The 17-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, driver has shown a proficiency in nearly everything he’s raced. After winning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award last season in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, Davis has transitioned to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, where he has established himself as a championship contender with top six finishes in his first seven series starts dating back to last season.
 
Alon Day (@Alon_Day) – One of two international drivers on the list, Day is the first NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver to earn a NASCAR Next recognition. Day, 24, from Ashdod, Israel, completed his first full season in the Whelen Euro Series as championship runner-up. Including the final two rounds of 2015, Day has won four of the last eight Elite 1 races and is again a threat win the title.
 
Tyler Dippel (@Tyler_Dippel) – An accomplished dirt racer, the 16-year-old from Wallkill, New York, has already scored his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory in March. Dippel previously competed in the DIRTcar Racing Series in the northeast, earning the rookie of the year title and becoming the youngest race winner in that series.
 
Todd Gilliland (@ToddGilliland_) – The son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran David Gilliland, the 16-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, made NASCAR history by winning his first four career NASCAR K&N Pro Series starts. He became the youngest winner in series history with his victory last fall, and has followed it up with wins in both the K&N Pro Series East and West season openers this year.
 
Noah Gragson (@NoahGragson) – The 17-year-old from Las Vegas finished second in the championship standings last year in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, collecting the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in the process. Gragson followed the path set by Kyle and Kurt Busch, learning his trade in the Legends and Bandolero Divisions at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He earned a pair of K&N Pro Series West wins in 2015 and is again a championship contender.
 
Gary Klutt (@Garyklutt) – The second Canadian to be named to the program and the first full-time driver from the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, Klutt represents a crop of young drivers making an impact on Canada’s championship stock car series. The 23-year-old from Halton Hills, Ontario, earned his first career pole and win last year en route to being named the Jostens Rookie of the Year. He finished fifth in series points and will be among the title contenders when the series opens later this month.
 
Julia Landauer (@julialandauer) – Landauer, 24, from New York City, got her start racing a variety of cars – from Formula BMW to Ford Focus Midgets to stock cars. The versatile Landauer was a contestant on the hit reality show ‘Survivor’ before graduating from Stanford in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Science, Technology, and Society. She became the first female to win a Limited Late Model division championship at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia, last year before graduating to the K&N Pro Series West this season.
 
Ty Majeski (@TyMajeski) – The 21-year-old from Seymour, Wisconsin, showcased his ability with a dominating display at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway in February, collecting three wins and earning the 2016 Super Late Model championship in the 50th Annual World Series of Stock Car Racing. Majeski added a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model track record and victory in the FrostBuster at Wisconsin’s LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in April.
 
Matt Tifft (@Matt_Tifft) – A development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, the 19-year-old from Hinckley, Ohio, is driving part-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for JGL Racing as well as JGR, and racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Red Horse Racing. He earned his first career pole in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Talladega earlier this month.
 
Since its inception in 2011, 27 of the 35 drivers who have been selected as part of the program have gone on to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national series. Nearly a third of the drivers have made a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start, with nine drivers winning a NASCAR national series race.
 
The last two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookies of the Year have been NASCAR Next alum, as are the top two contenders for this year’s award: Blaney and Elliott. The last three Sunoco Rookie of the Year winners in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series were also part of the NASCAR Next program.

McLaren Applied Technologies has announced the appointment of Rodi Basso as Motorsports Director, where he will spearhead and continue to develop the company’s longstanding and highly regarded motorsport offering.

Basso is a well-known figure in motorsport and will arrive at McLaren from Magneti Marelli, where he headed up sales and marketing, first for the motorsport, and latterly the innovation division.

With an engineering background, he started his career as a race engineer at Scuderia Ferrari before moving to Red Bull Racing, and then went on to form his own successful engineering consultancy in motorsports electronics, vehicle dynamics and driving simulators.

Basso will lead the Motorsports arm of McLaren Applied Technologies and be responsible for partnership development, project delivery, product strategy and business growth. Basso is expected to take up his new role later this summer and will report directly into Chief Executive Officer Ian Rhodes.

Rhodes said, “As a well-regarded motorsport person, Rodi’s appointment is great news for McLaren Applied Technologies, for our many existing customers who depend on our high quality products to go racing around the world, and also for future customers. Rodi’s insight, experience and leadership skills will be invaluable assets as we continue to develop this important part of our business, and his appointment reaffirms our clear commitment to motorsports.”

Commenting on his new role, Basso said: “McLaren is renowned worldwide as a symbol of performance and excellence, and McLaren Applied Technologies has always represented the industry benchmark. It’s therefore a privilege for me to be charged with leading the development of Applied’s motorsport business, and I’m excited to start building on its many successful relationships and to talk to customers to help evolve our product offering in line with their needs.”

After eight Hot Rodders of Tomorrow events so far this season, teams continue to challenge and compete to score under the 34-minute mark to qualify for the National Dual Championship Playoffs at SEMA Show and PRI Show later this year. To date, 36 teams will be making travel plans. The most recent team to qualify was team ThermoTec from Calabasas High School this past weekend at the Edelbrock Car Show in Torrance, California, with a time of 25:52, coming in third place.
 
Coach Josh Landerer, from Calabasas High School in Calabasas, CA, stated, “Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge is an amazing program for his students. Students get to meet Vice Presidents and CEOs of Manufacturers. Hot Rodders is an inexpensive program that students get to participate and earn scholarship money once they qualify for the Dual Championship.

“The Edelbrock Car Show is awesome! There was a lot to do between the food, show and the competition. It has a great set up and I couldn’t ask for anything better at the show.
 
“My program has grown from 26 to 37 students this year, and that’s not including freshmen. You can say it’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) at its best,” says Landerer.
 
Team Meziere from Katella High School earned first place with an enhanced time of 23:03. Coming in second with also a great time was Team Magnaflow from Rancho Alamitos High School with an improved time of 25:06. These two teams from California had qualified in previous events earlier this season. Once qualified, teams may continue to compete to improve their time and move up in the ranks for the Dual National Championship Playoffs at SEMA and PRI.
 
In the coming months these teams will be occupied with practice to improve their sharpness and efficiency to prepare for the 2016 National Dual Championships.
 
In the next couple of weeks, teams will converge upon Watervliet, Michigan, to compete at the Lane Automotive Car Show on May 28, 2016.
 

Today, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest has published the list of the 60 cars entered for the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours, plus the complete driver line-ups. 180 drivers will take part in the French event, which is the pinnacle of the FIA World Endurance Championship, on June 18–19. Again this year the entries emphasize the international appeal of the race with 27 countries represented.  

The names of the three drivers for each of the 60 cars entered for the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours had to be sent in to the ACO by May 12. After the usual checks, this list was unveiled today. All the drivers and cars must go through scrutineering and administrative checks to be allowed to compete in the event.



The 180 drivers hold licenses issued in 27 different countries and the 60 cars in the race represent 19 nationalities.


The highest number of drivers comes from Great Britain with 38 in front of France (32), America (23), and Germany (11). America is the country which supplies the highest number of cars with 12.



Two women will take part in the 84th Le Mans 24 Hours: Inès Tattinger from France with the Pegasus Racing team entered in LM P2, and Danish driver Christina Nielsen in the LM GTE Am category at the wheel of the Formula Racing Ferrari 458 Italia.



At present the list entries breaks down as follows: 9 LM P1s, 23 LM P2s, 14 LM GTE Pros and 13 LM GTE Ams plus the 56th garage.

Entry list: http://www.24h-lemans.com/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Pdf/2016/24-heures-du-mans/entry-list-24-heures-du-mans-2016.pdf

Premium synthetic lubricant and performance chemical manufacturer, Royal Purple announced it is renewing its partnership with the premier vintage racing organization, the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) for 2016.

As the official motor oil of the SVRA, Royal Purple branding will be prominently featured at each of the 16 vintage racing events held across the country. Royal Purple will also have its truck and hospitality trailer onsite at a number of events throughout the season, where Royal Purple lubrication experts will be available to assist racers and attendees with technical advice and product recommendations for their vehicles.

“We’re thrilled to once again be the official lubricant of the SVRA,” said Royal Purple Vice President of Marketing, Debby Neubauer. “As one of the most colorful competitor car lineups in all of racing, it’s one of the most exciting motorsports series to watch. We look forward to seeing our products help racers gain the competitive edge throughout the season.”

"We are proud to continue our relationship with Royal Purple, as SVRA's Official Motor Oil for 2016," said Tony Parella, President and CEO of SVRA. "We realized early on that we had the foundation for a very good working relationship on which we both could build on and grow."

The 2016 SVRA season features vintage racing events at 16 of the most coveted race tracks across the U.S., including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Circuit of the Americas and Sonoma Raceway. A complete schedule of 2016 events can be found by visiting www.SVRA.com.

In 2015, the first Pavilion for Women at the Le Mans 24 Hours was a huge success. This year, it will be open from Wednesday, June 15 to Sunday, June 19. For the second year running this venue exclusively reserved for women will bathe in a glamorous, modern, muted ambiance. A relaxation zone, an exhibition focused on the motor car, entertainment and exchanges with well-known figures will be at the heart of this 650 m2 haven of peace in the center of the Village. It will really grab the spectators’ attention with its new restyled setting. Elysia Dumas-Morel and Gaëlle Duval-Exposito will be the ‘grandmothers’ of this pavilion and car collector, Julia Baldenza, its guest of honor.

For the past few years the ACO has made a point of providing a personalized approach to all its visitors, and to female fans in particular. In 2015, all the women who came to discover this venue for the first time were unstinting in their praise whether they were ordinary spectators, drivers’ wives, doctors at the circuit, track marshals, actresses, etc. A quick look at the queue, which was sometimes up to 30 meters long, leaves no doubt that this year women will be in a hurry to access this new oasis in its 2016 guise to enjoy what it has to offer.



For the second year the ACO is providing both interior and exterior venues over an area of more than 650m2. As Marie Alvaraz-Garzon, ACO vice president and treasurer, said: “Women have their place at the heart of the Le Mans 24 Hours. From the racing aspect we’re always very happy to see young women joining the world of endurance, whatever position they occupy, as they can talk about their adventure with real humility and they have the gift of being able to pass on strong values. Being a woman is neither an advantage nor an inconvenience; what really counts is involvement! And there’s an essential lever to attract women to this exciting world – dreams! So if the Women’s Pavilion can help to develop vocations and make them dream, this will add an extra touch of magic to its purpose!”


The pavilion will consist of several spaces:

•    A big 150 m2 garden with a lawn, plants, flowers, shrubs and palm trees, deckchairs and tables as well as a photo call. The big innovation in 2016 will be the Jacuzzi for six people in the very heart of this green paradise.

•    Discovering the motor car: an exhibition of photos of women in the world of the motor car will punctuate the visit of the venue.

•    Driving and following the race: a race simulator will give everybody the chance to test themselves on the track in a virtual environment. The event will be shown live on different screens. Each driver can stop at the Tattoo pit and restart with an exclusive ephemeral tattoo!

•    Self care: A cocoon to freshen up including relaxation and professional care put in place in partnership with Sarthe Esthétique will be available. Hair dressing, relooking, blow drying - the trainees will make every woman look her best in addition to the makeup, manicure and hydro jet workshops. This year women can come and test the latest innovation, facial cryotheraphy, in addition to the traditional massages.

•    Refreshments: a bar open at all hours will provide non-alcoholic cocktails thanks to Jonjon’s Coconut, which will transport them to the islands.

•    Workshops and entertainment will be provided by the Galeries Lafayette bloggers who will be partners of the Pavillion.

•    A special Pavilion boutique to do some shopping.


Other surprises and entertainment will mark the five days when the Women’s Pavilion is open in the heart of the 24-Hours Village. The aim of this venue is to play down the glamour of the Le Mans 24 Hours, and to show through all the activities on hand and the well-known figures expected to visit the Pavilion, the involvement of women in the world of the motor car, technology and motor sport.


The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association has announced that the field is full for its Father’s Day weekend Brickyard Invitational Indy Legends Charity Pro-Am at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 16–19.

John Martin, Tom Bagley, Dennis Firestone and Billy Roe round out the field of drivers that includes two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr., 2003 Indy car series champion Paul Tracy, 24 Hours of Le Mans winners Geoff Brabham and Davy Jones as well as Trans-Am legend Willy T. Ribbs, the first black driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

Some of the drivers competing in the event for the first time include A.J. Foyt IV, Larry Foyt, Roberto Guerrero, Josele Garza and Ana Beatriz.

“I am so proud of the amazing talent we have been able to assemble for the Pro-Am this year,” said Tony Parella, SVRA president and CEO. “These drivers are all very accessible in the more relaxed atmosphere of the Brickyard Invitational and they look forward to greeting fans.”

The Pro-Am is a 40-minute competition of American muscle cars on the Speedway’s 2.43-mile Grand Prix road course. All drivers will be in 1963 to 1972 vintage Corvettes, Camaros and Mustangs of the Group 6 SVRA class. Professionals in the Pro-Am will be paired with amateur drivers, splitting stints at the wheel at their discretion.

While Indianapolis 500 fans may best remember John Martin as a five-time starter of the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’—easily the crown jewel of oval track events—he boasts outstanding credentials in road race competition. Martin launched his career in sports car racing. An excellent mechanic he converted his 1963 Corvette Sting Ray into an A-Production race car and went SCCA racing. He was national champion in 1964 and went professional in 1966. He drove an AMC Javelin in the classic days of Trans-Am and tackled the Indianapolis 500 in 1972.

Bagley is another driver who accomplished much with limited resources. A three-time Indianapolis 500 starter, he was Indy car rookie-of-the-year in 1978. He competed in 42 Indy car races with top four finishes on three occasions and placing in the top ten 23 times during a period when some of the greatest legends in history were at the zenith of their careers.

Roe qualified for the Indianapolis 500 twice in 1997 and 1998. From 1997 through 2002 he started in 16 Indy car races, fielding his own car at Las Vegas in 1997. Prior to Indy car he competed in Formula Atlantic and Indy Lights races. He also raced in the Infiniti Pro series for two years following his appearances in the Indianapolis 500. Early in his career he raced Formula Super Vee.

Firestone is a five-time starter of the Indianapolis 500 with a top-ten finish in 1981. He was rookie-of-the-year for the Indy car series in 1980, finishing in the top five twice. On his way up the ladder he competed in the American Super Vee series, USAC Gold Crown and was 1979 USAC Mini-Indy series champion.

The Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame will induct seven members at its October banquet.

New members announced are Marlin Bogner of Kearney, Noel Chadd of Lincoln, Fred Garbers of Columbus, Tom Gutowski of Omaha, John Larson of Lincoln, C.B. "Pop" Miller of Gothenburg and Tim Schulz of Lincoln.

Bogner has won multiple national drag racing titles since the 1970s. Chadd was a sprint car owner and crew chief from 1975 to 2008. Garbers was an owner for about 40 years. Gutowski has been a driver, promoter and official since the 1970s.

Larson was an owner for some 50 years. Miller owned sprint cars and competed in the California Racing Association from 1953-75. Schulz regularly went 300 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in his MacKichan/Schulz streamliner.

Nick Ferri, co-owner of Patterson Elite Performance and builder of engines behind 57 national NHRA Pro Stock victories, has volunteered to create a custom-tuned Mopar 6.4L Gen lll Hemi racing engine for this year's Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes, to be held at the 2016 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in December.

Sunnen sponsors the sweepstakes, which donates 100 percent of ticket proceeds to Victory Junction, a North Carolina children’s camp co-founded by Kyle Petty to provide medically supervised activities for kids with serious health conditions.

Ferri said he is working on a power plant that will thrill any race team or performance enthusiast. "The work at Victory Junction deserves all the support we can give it, and we intend to create a 'must have' engine that we hope will produce record breaking ticket sales," Ferri said.

Ferri's team built the engines that delivered consecutive national championships in 2014 and 2015 for NHRA Pro Stock driver Erica Enders-Stevens. "Our goal is to bring some of that winning technology and know-how to the sweepstakes engine, so the winner of the engine can have plenty of confidence in always being competitive."

Online ticket sales for the 2016 sweepstakes will begin July 1 at the Performance Racing Industry website, www.performanceracing.com and the Sunnen website, www.sunnen.com.

Tickets also will be sold at the Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes booth (No. 852) at the Show in December. The 2015 sweepstakes generated more than $59,000 for Victory Junction.

For additional information, visit sunnen.com.