IMS Productions has hired veteran sports broadcasting producer Rich Feinberg as vice president and executive producer. During his career, Feinberg has managed all aspects of live video production for the ESPY Awards, NASCAR, NHRA, IndyCar, Winter X Games, X Games and professional tennis. Effective immediately, Feinberg will assume the newly created role and play a major part in continuing to strengthen market share and diversify IMS Productions sports and live entertainment event broadcast coverage.

Feinberg spent 23 years at ESPN in various roles, including for the past eight years as vice president of production. During his time at ESPN, Feinberg's team created the look and feel of what sports fans saw on their television, computer, tablet, and smart phone when they tuned into ESPN's media platforms.

"Rich has done an outstanding job overseeing the broadcast of sports and entertainment events over the course of his 32 year career," IMS Productions president Robby Greene said. "He's an exceptional leader with a keen sense of telling a compelling story to the sports fan. His attention to detail and level of client service will be a welcome addition to the elite group of professionals we already have on our team. As IMS Productions grows and evolves, Rich is the ideal candidate to expand and guide our content and live sports and entertainment productions to the next level."

Feinberg's decorated career overseeing live event coverage, technical innovation, event staging, and on-air talent recruitment started at ABC in 1984 as a programming research analyst. His path to Indianapolis has come full circle as his passion for motorsports production was ignited when he served as a production runner for ABC during the 1986 Indianapolis 500. From 2006 through 2015, ESPN's live production of the Indianapolis 500 was one of his primary responsibilities.

A visionary in advancing broadcast production and technology, Feinberg supervised the first-ever HD broadcast of the Indianapolis 500; utilized the "BatCam," a flying cabled camera above the race track reaching speeds close to 100mph; evolved the use of onboard cameras with the innovation of "Dual Path Technology;" introduced live, real time human biometrics from the cockpit; developed the ESPN Tech Garage to educate viewers on the technical aspects of NASCAR racing; and served as lead production innovator and an integral part of the executive event development team for the X Games and Winter X Games.

During his ESPN career, projects and staff managed by Feinberg earned 69 Sports Emmy nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Personally, Feinberg has won 13 Sports Emmys including a two-time winner of Outstanding Live Sports Series and is a three-time winner of the George Wenzel Technical Achievement Award. Feinberg has also won a total of 16 N.Y. Festival International Television & Film Awards, 14 of them for his work on the Indy 500 including the prestigious Grand Award for ABC's 2011 "Centennial Celebration" Indianapolis 500.

"I'm thrilled to join IMS Productions, whom I've had the privilege of working with for many years. Robby Greene and his team are true professionals, and I look forward to being part of an organization fertile with opportunity for growth and development," said Feinberg. "Indianapolis Motor Speedway has always been a special place for me, both career-wise and as a fan. Working with IMS Productions, Verizon IndyCar Series, and everyone at the speedway is the perfect next chapter."

A native of New Jersey, Feinberg graduated from Emerson College in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in communications. He currently lives in Connecticut with his family and plans to call Indianapolis home.

Dover International Speedway has completed two projects that extend SAFER barriers by almost 500 feet along the backstretch and into the entrance of Turn 3 and expand the pit stalls along pit road by 2 feet each. The work comes before the Monster Mile’s latest NASCAR tripleheader weekend on May 13–15. New asphalt has also been added along the area behind pit road, from the entrance of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage down to the Start-Finish line.
 
Facts on the recent construction are listed below:
 
•             479 feet of Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers were added to the one-mile, high-banked, concrete oval.
•             Seventy-eight feet of standard SAFER barriers were added to the existing inside backstretch wall and 401 feet of SAFER barriers were included in front of a new, steel post inside wall on a newly placed stretch of concrete in front of the grassy area at the entrance to Turn 3. The Monster Bridge near the Turn 3 entrance sits above the new construction area.
•             The SAFER barriers are 40 inches high.
•             Along the new stretch of wall, one foam block is placed every 5½ feet within the SAFER barrier to maximize safety from crash impacts.
•             190 cubic yards of concrete, 7-feet wide and 18 inches deep was added to the track.
•             Along pit road, three pit stalls were eliminated, leaving space for 40 cars. Each pit stall was increased 2 feet in length, to 34 total feet. All stalls remain 16 feet wide.
•             550 feet of new asphalt was added between the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage entrance and the Start-Finish line.
 
The May 13-15 NASCAR weekend includes the Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, May 13, the “Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200” NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash race on Saturday, May 14 and the “AAA 400 Drive for Autism” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, May 15.
 

IndyCar president Mark Miles sees a legendary road course in IndyCar's future this fall.

"We've been talking to Watkins Glen about Labor Day, and if we can figure out how to do it and be respectful to the Ferrari group, we'd be thrilled to go back to a place with such history," said Miles. "We think there's a strong IndyCar fan base and if we can work things out, we can move on this pretty quickly."

The "Ferrari group" Miles referenced is a traditional club racing event already scheduled for that weekend, but Miles sounded hopeful they and IndyCar could share the 3.4-mile road course.

With the Boston street race canceled last week, IndyCar looked for a replacement for September 2-3-4 and the only two logical candidates seemed to be Gateway in Madison, Illinois, or the famed track in Seneca Lake, New York, that first hosted Indy cars in 1979 but haven't been back since 2010.

As for booking The Glen going forward into 2017, Miles said: "You want it to be successful and, if so, it makes sense to try and stay there."

The last IndyCar race took place on July 4, 2010 and had a dismal turnout.

REPAC will partner the Asian branch of the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) for the 2016/2017 season.

The main objective of this partnership is to create a path for Malaysians into the Le Mans 24 hours through the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup.

REPAC will organize the REPAC Route To Le Mans, an accessible national race series for entry-level local teams to pursue their racing passion and develop their race-craft. Winners of this series would be invited to campaign as a team in the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup for the following season. REPAC and the Asian Le Mans will both support their progression into the Sprint Cup.



REPAC will also expose the world of the Asian Le Mans to its program members through its important network of automotive businesses and build the Malaysian fan base for the series.


The cooperation between the Asian Le Mans and REPAC will also contribute towards enhancing Malaysia’s automotive & motorsport industry ecosystem by encouraging local technology development particularly on energy efficiency and to provide access to the Asian market.


In addition, as part of social responsibility, REPAC will leverage on this partnership to raise awareness on safe and responsible driving through special program and courses during the REPAC Route To Le Mans events.




Jaafar Fareed, CEO, REPAC, said, “I am very delighted to be a part of the Asian Le Mans and the Le Mans family. The aim of this partnership is to provide the ladder for Malaysian motorsport talents to reach the pinnacle of endurance racing and to assist the Malaysia automotive industry to raise competitiveness through technical and commercial initiatives with the Asian Le Mans. This is also aligned to Malaysia’s National Automotive Policy 2014 which aims to transform Malaysia into the regional hub for Energy Efficient Vehicles. I look forward to a long and exciting relationship with the Asian Le Mans.”



Cyrille Taesch Wahlen, Asian Le Mans Managing Director, added, ”I am very happy that we secured that partnership with REPAC. It will give Malaysian teams and drivers the opportunity to step in the Asian Le Mans environment as well as exposing our brand through the REPAC networks and towards hundred thousands of people in the country.”


Responding to the rule changes in Pro Stock that took effect this season, Elite Motorsports and championship-winning team owner Richard Freeman partnered with Ben Strader and EFI University to bring a wider base of knowledge to the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock and Sportsman ranks.

"Like everyone in Pro Stock, we are in the middle of quite possibly the largest transition in class history to take our four race cars from carburetors to fuel injection," Freeman said at the beginning of the season. "We were fortunate enough to get together with Ben and all of his folks at EFI University, and they've been so incredibly helpful that we started thinking about a broader picture.

"As the back-to-back champions, we certainly want to do all we can to carry our program forward, but at the same time we feel a larger obligation to help the entire sport. So we are literally bringing the EFI University classroom to the racetrack, not just for our benefit but for everyone in the sport that is fuel injected, including our fellow competitors in Pro Stock. It's all inclusive."

Beginning in preseason testing through subsequent national events, Strader and his staff have been and continue to be available to all racers wishing to learn more about EFI and how it will benefit their racing programs. For consulting fee info, contact EFI University at 866-316-7744 or via email at info@efi101.com.

The program can be as involved as each team desires, from consultation to hands-on training under the hood. Each client will only be charged for what specific needs they may have.

"These guys have a lot to offer," Freeman said. "We've got a pretty darn good group of tuners and engine builders over here who have been around race cars their entire lives, and all of them have been very impressed with Ben and his staff's ideas and techniques. These guys are first-rate all the way.

"We want to be good stewards of the sport. Part of that is helping out one another at times, and when you have something as big as this upcoming switch is going to be, it only makes sense to work together. We're all on a learning curve. Plus, I think we can all agree that we want to continue to keep the fans' interest up for our class and even grow our fan base now that our cars are more relatable to what people drive every day."

Registration and housing for the 2016 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show are now open!

Hotel rooms sell out quickly, so call the PRI housing department today to make accomodations that best suit your needs. Or go online to make reservations: https://aws.passkey.com/event/14810808/owner/9284/home

This year's PRI Trade Show offers new, extended hours, as follows: Thursday, December 8, 2016, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Friday, December 9, 2016, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; and Saturday, December 10, 2016, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Attendees can register online now: https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=604&VIP=269660&lID=D42536

For additional information regarding the 2016 PRI Trade Show, visit: www.pri2016.com.

The 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series championship wraps up at Sonoma Raceway in California on Septemebr 18.

However, that may not be the last time we see the cars and drivers on track during this calendar year.

IndyCar took to Twitter on Monday to announce plans for a non-Championship event in the Fengtai District of Beijing, China in Oct. 2016:



IndyCar currently has one race outside of the United States, with the Honda Indy Toronto taking place in mid-July.

An official announcement regarding a replacement for the Boston race has yet to be made.

IndyCar returns to action this weekend with the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the Indianapolis road course.

The Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) plans to give Ronnie "The King" Davis a king-sized tribute.

With the blessings of Top Sportsman sponsor MagnaFuel, PDRA will rename the eliminator as Ronnie Davis Top Sportsman presented by Magnafuel.

“We could see no better way to honor the memory of our friend, competitor and one of the greatest advocates of Top Sportsman than to name the class after him,” said PDRA Director, Bob Harris.

Davis was critically injured in an accident during qualifying on Saturday, April 9, 2016, at the PDRA Spring Nationals, when he lost control of the Corvette he was driving, and the car spun around at the finish line and went airborne. The projectile race car also struck veteran journalist Ian Tocher, who remains hospitalized in a Chapel Hill, NC.-based trauma center.

Davis succumbed a day later to his injuries shortly after the race completed at Rockingham Dragway.

Davis was instrumental in bringing Top Sportsman to both the eighth-mile drag racing series as well as NHRA Division 2 and inevitably the big stage of the NHRA. He was also the defending PDRA Top Sportsman champion.

Davis was a staunch supporter of the PDRA. Last fall he was quoted as saying, “Racing in a 16 car really fast field is what it’s all about to me and I love it. PDRA is still my favorite racing and probably all I’m going to do next year. It’s the baddest of the bad, in my opinion. You better bring your best stuff when you come over to PDRA.”

And even more so, with Davis' name on the title.

Officials with the New Heartland Park Topeka today announced VP Racing Fuels has been named the track’s Official Fuel for 2016 and 2017. The sponsorship encompasses Heartland Park’s dragstrip, oval track, road course and a new motocross track opening this month.  As part of the agreement, the track will have three blends of VP Racing Fuels available at its fuel station—C12, VP110 and Motorsport 100—with service provided by VP Heartland, VP’s distributor based in Manhattan, Kansas.
 
“VP Racing Fuels has a long history of supporting all forms of motorsports and we’re happy to bring them on board as our partner,” said Jeff Lacina, Director of Marketing and Communications for the New Heartland Park Topeka. “VP sets the bar for quality and consistency, and its fuels are famous for superior power and performance. It’s a real benefit to our racers to have convenient access to VP’s fuels at the track.”
 
“The new management team at Heartland Park has great plans for the facility and it’s exciting to enter into this new partnership with them,” said Justin Bolt, owner of VP Heartland. “We look forward to supporting the new owners and particularly its sportsman racers with quality products and superior service for many years to come.”
 
As Official Fuel, fans will see VP Racing Fuels’ presence via billboards and signs throughout the Heartland Park Topeka complex. Additional exposure will come through the track’s social media and website.

* Countdown To 100: From our perspective, the countdown to this month’s historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 actually began in late 2015, at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show. Over three days inside the Indiana Convention Center, exhibitor IndyCar presented an impressive in-booth lineup—including racer Q&As, car unveilings, simulator competitions and more—against the backdrop of an impending milestone race 100 years in the making.

Day one alone brought open-wheel legends (and multi-time 500 winners) Juan Pablo Montoya and Bobby Unser together for a rare sit-down to discuss the iconic event; the unveiling of PIRTEK Team Murray’s entry in the 2016 Indy 500 alongside Taya Kyle, widow of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle; and a reveal of the new USF2000 car by representatives of the Mazda Road to Indy developmental series. Not to mention PRI’s own submission, in concert with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum: our “Evolution of the Indy Car” exhibit featuring six cars that were raced in past years’ Indy 500s, along with a special appearance by the famed Borg-Warner Trophy.

Which is to say that momentum for this year’s landmark event has been building for some time, including the announcement in late January that PennGrade Motor Oil would serve as the race’s first-ever presenting sponsor, and the following month’s official “100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Countdown Day.”

For our part, PRI will have a small delegation on hand to witness “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” How could we resist the chance to join what is being billed as the world’s largest milk toast (compliments of the American Dairy Association, Prairie Farms, and 100,000 lactose-tolerant fans)? And, we’re equally excited about IndyCar’s plans for an expanded and higher-profile exhibit at this year’s PRI Trade Show!

* Diamond Anniversary: On the subject of milestones, specialty chemical and lubricant manufacturer Champion Brands marks its own anniversary—the big six-oh—in 2016 with a year-long salute to customers, vendors, distributors and employees that includes special events, sponsored races and collector car shows, as well as reduced pricing, new distribution programs, product giveaways and more.

The epicenter of Champion’s big celebration was an open-house blowout at the company’s Clinton, Missouri, headquarters early this month featuring a professional road rally (in support of Autism awareness), car enthusiast show, outdoor barbeque, factory tours, door prizes and distributor awards, among other activities. PRI was honored to receive an invitation to this prestigious affair, where our own Eric Jurado presented a commemorative plaque for Champion’s longtime support and participation in both the SEMA and PRI shows.

“The SEMA and PRI shows are an important part of our marketing strategies every year,” Karl Dedolph told us recently. “Our long-term planning starts with these two very important events—actually, the day after each show. We review photos, daily reports, scanned contacts, follow-up items, and ask questions on the best way to look at and improve ROI. We’ve found that being organized with our shows and events helps us formulate all other activities, [and] these shows are our baseline.”

Congratulations to Champion—here’s to your next 60 years in business!

* Runway Racing: Marked by sold-out entry lists and growing sponsor interest, speed-run competitions have emerged as some of the hottest tickets in motorsports. These typically full- or half-mile events are proving more than capable of drawing speed enthusiasts from far and wide to repurposed airstrips for public and private showcases of unrestricted racing.

In fact, we’ve scheduled a full-length feature for PRI’s July issue to explore the subject in depth. And for those inclined to witness the spectacle in person, a pair of events set for later this month and next come highly recommended. Beginning in the South, wannaGOFAST presents the Georgia ½-Mile Runway Shootout at Heaven’s Landing Airport in Clayton, Georgia, May 14–15 (www.wannagofast.com); and on June 18–19, the East Coast Timing Association will take over Airborne Park in Wilmington, Ohio, for a mid-summer run of the celebrated Ohio Mile (www.ecta-lsr.com).