A dedicated CARS Tour channel for Roku, which was promised by series officials for the first part of the 2016 season, is now available.

Roku is a device that connects traditional television sets to the Internet, and allows users to access content from providers such as Netflix, Hulu and now the CARS Tour. In 2015, Roku streamed 5.5 billion hours of content, and ended the year with nine million monthly active accounts.

Roku streaming players are available in most popular retail stores such as Walmart and Best Buy, and also come bundled with some newer TVs.

"There's no question this is the wave of the future," said Chris Ragle, director of operations for the CARS Tour. "More and more people are 'cutting the cord' and transitioning to devices like Roku for their entertainment, and we're thrilled to now be part of that product offering.”

The free CARS Tour TV channel for Roku can be found by visiting the channel store and searching for "CARS Tour TV." The channel features hours of content including on-track racing action, the new CARS Tour Today magazine show, on-board segments, post-race reactions, and other original content as produced by Pit Row Media.

The CARS Tour joins the NHRA and USAC as one of the few racing series to have a dedicated Roku channel available, and is the first major stock car series of any type to have one.

For more information on the CARS Racing Tour, visit www.carsracingtour.com.

The USAC Super 600 Micro Sprint Championship has reached an agreement with MF Motorsports to offer the inaugural series champion a race aboard one of the team’s midgets during the 2017 season.

“We are extremely excited with the package we have put together with MF Motorsports,” series director Doug Lockwood said.  “This series is all about driver development. To offer our champion a chance to run a midget is really exciting for the future of the sport.”

In its first year of existence, the USAC Super 600’s will offer points for each event held at California’s Keller Auto Raceway at Plaza Park in Visalia and Dixon Speedway in Dixon, as well as Caledonia, New York’s Limerock Speedway. Points will also be up for grabs on three occasions at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway and in one event at Santa Maria (Calif.) Raceway.

The driver crowned as series champion will be the one with the highest 15-race average finish throughout the season.

MF Motorsports currently competes regularly in USAC's Western States Midget division.

The highest of two bids made for Rockingham Speedway late last week came from the company that owns the lien, according to the Richmond County Daily Journal, which provided the following information.

James M. Hash, a Raleigh attorney representing BK Rock Holdings, placed a $3 million credit bid during a public auction at the Richmond County Judicial Center.

According to court documents, Billy R. Silas is the manager of the Florida-based limited liability company that purchased the promissory note from Farmers and Merchants Bank on November 17, 2015.

The auction was announced in a notice of foreclosure filed in Richmond County Superior Court on April 7.

If theirs turns out to be the prevailing bid, then BK Rock Holdings would own the property and net proceeds from the sale would be credited toward the debt, Hash said.

Documents show the original loan taken out when former driver Andy Hillenburg bought the track in 2008 was for $4.2 million at 6.875 percent interest. The loan was set up to be paid with 59 monthly payments of $32,497.85 starting November 16, 2008, and being paid in full by October 16, 2013.

A letter sent to Hillenburg—as well as Bryan and Kim Silas, who are listed as member/managers of Rockingham Raceway Park, LLC—by Hash on February 17, shows the total owed on the October note as $4,305,593.92 and that of a July 2008 note as $617,827.44.

The amounts include principal and accrued interest, but not attorneys’ fees and costs.

According to the letter, interest was continuing to accrue on the October note at the rate of $1,225.93 per day and $179.90 per day on the July note until paid in full.

Per statute, the clock started ticking on a 10-day period for an upset bid once the bid was filed with the Richmond County Clerk of Superior Court’s Office. An upset bid—which must exceed the sale price by a minimum of 5 percent—must be filed with the clerk’s office, with the bidder making a deposit of at least 5 percent, he said.

If on the rare chance the sale winds up being more than the debt and expenses—which must be approved by the clerk of court—then the remaining funds will go back to the debtor as compensation for the loss of the property, Hash said.

As it currently stands, an upset bid of $3.15 million with a $157,500 deposit must be made by May 16.

Formula E has confirmed that round nine of the FIA Formula E Championship will not take place in Moscow on June 4.

Together with local authorities, Formula E has made the decision not to race in the Russian capital due to recent and unforeseen circumstances related to road closures.

“While it is unfortunate news not to race in Moscow on June 4, we looked at a number of alternative options as a replacement but were not able to find a viable solution on that specific date,” said Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag. “We explored all possibilities including returning to Monaco, but regrettably couldn’t organize the change of venue on such short notice. I’d like to express my thanks to HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Mr. Michel Boeri, and the Automobile Club de Monaco who did their utmost to see Formula E return to the streets of the Principality for season two. We will now focus on the three remaining races in Berlin and the double-header in London, which I’m sure will deliver a thrilling conclusion in the battle for the championship.”

Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp (Toyo Tires) announced the company has extended its commitment as the Official Tire of SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks presented by TRAXXAS for 2016. The racing series has become a global sensation, now with races in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia and in New Zealand.
 
This is the third year that the Stadium SUPER Trucks (SST) compete exclusively on Toyo Open Country A/T II tires, and is the fourth year that Toyo Tires has supported the series. The off-the-shelf Open Country A/T II tires demonstrate their durability and handling ability by living up to the extreme punishment dished out by the 600-plus horsepower spec trucks. During competition, the trucks often land hard on asphalt tracks from extreme heights and attitudes.
 
Founded by Team Toyo member and both off-road and SST champion, Robby Gordon, the identically prepared SST race trucks compete on both dirt tracks and road racing courses using specially constructed ramp jumps. These jumps require precise input by the approaching drivers in order to correctly launch the trucks without incident. That is a challenging task when reaching speeds on some tracks as high as 130-mph, and while launching them as high as 20 feet off the ground.
 
Joining Team Toyo this year is defending 2015 SST champion Sheldon Creed from Alpine, CA. At only 18-years of age, Creed is the youngest member of Team Toyo, and the youngest champion in the history of SST. He leads in 2016 having won Rounds 1 and 3 in Adelaide, Australia; Round 4 in St. Petersburg, FL; and Rounds 6 and 7 in Long Beach, CA.
 
“We are happy to support the ever growing Stadium SUPER Truck series,” said Amy Coleman, senior director of marketing, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “The series is a great way to demonstrate the quality of our products to fans around the world, while its television coverage in the US continues to generate awareness of the Toyo Tires brand on American soil.”
 
“We are in our fourth year and we are very fortunate to have Toyo Tires as one of our first partners of Stadium SUPER Trucks. We have raced in the X-Games, the LA Coliseum, to standing room only crowds at the Long Beach Grand Prix and in Australia,” said SST founder and president Robby Gordon. “The tire is incredible. It is really hard to believe we can use a production-based Open Country A/T II tire on a race truck like a Stadium SUPER Truck. The competitors love racing on the tires.  We look toward having a long future with Toyo Tires.”
 

NHRA officials announced that Mike Gittings, most recently the chief starter in NHRA’s Northwest Division and a certified team member of the NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA, has been named the official NHRA Chief Starter.

Gittings is the fourth chief starter in the sport’s 65-plus year history, following the late Buster Couch (1955-1996), Rick Stewart (1996-2011) and the late Mark Lyle (2012-2016).  He will begin his tenure at the important post starting with the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, May 13-15 at Atlanta Dragway in Georgia.

Gittings served as the interim Chief Starter under difficult circumstances in early April at the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas following Lyle’s sudden death during a swimming accident on March 27 while on vacation in Mexico.

“It’s emotional taking over this position because I stood behind Mark for all those years,” Gittings said. “But I learned so much from him and I know he would want me to do this. I have had involvement in the sport of NHRA Drag Racing at many levels, from being a grass roots racer, to event worker, to managing races and working with sponsors. I am looking forward to this challenge and I want to do a great job and always remember Mark when I am out there.”

Gittings was the NHRA Northwest Division starter since 2012 and was a member of the Northwest Division certification team, a race master and starting line track prep worker since 2007. From 2000-07 he worked as the starter at Pacific Raceways in Seattle and prior to that he was a track employee there and was the 1998 Pro category track champion.

“Mike worked very closely with Mark over the years and we feel he is ready for the challenge,” said Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president of racing operations. “Through his years of experience as the Division 6 and Pacific Raceways Chief Starter, Mike has earned the respect of the racers and acquired the skills necessary to handle this very demanding and critical position.”

See the full story on RACER's website: http://www.racer.com/nascar/item/129183-racer-swindell-takes-step-forward

NASCAR announced the 2017 schedules for its three national series, giving fans and stakeholders a significant head start in planning for next season’s thrilling slate.
 
A credit to unprecedented industry collaboration, specifically the five-year sanctioning agreement between NASCAR and its tracks, the sanctioning body finalized its 2017 schedules months ahead of previous years’ release.
 
The result: Three unique schedules featuring race tracks that have hosted record-setting races already this season, with the majority of the slate still remaining.
 
A notable change in the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series schedule includes a date swap between a track that just hosted one of the most competitive races in its history, and one that will showcase the lower downforce competition package this coming weekend.
 
Talladega Superspeedway, which last Sunday had the second-highest total of green flag passes for the lead ever recorded (213), will become the second race in the Round of 12 in 2017 (Oct. 15). Kansas Speedway will now become the third and final race in that round (Oct. 22).
 
“Announcing the 2017 national series schedules this early in the season is another example of the collaborative spirit across the NASCAR industry,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “It is an exciting time in NASCAR, with some of the most intriguing racing we’ve seen in years. With the 2017 schedule solidified, the industry can now concentrate on the remainder of this season, while planning for the future much earlier than in previous years.”
 
Texas Motor Speedway’s spring Cup race shifts to Sunday (Apr. 9), a  move expected to produce great racing action like that seen after Richmond International Raceway switched to a Sunday race for the 2016 season. Other changes in the NASCAR Cup schedule include Dover International Speedway’s spring date move to June 4, a week after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 28). Michigan International Speedway’s second race will return to its traditional early August slot, on Aug. 13.
 
The NASCAR Cup Series 2017 schedule opens with The Great American Race, the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 26. The season culminates with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 19.
 
The NASCAR XFINITY Series will kick off at Daytona on Feb. 25, and crown its champion at Homestead on Saturday, Nov. 18. Its schedule features four standalone events – Iowa Speedway (July 29), Mid-Ohio (Aug. 12), Road America (Aug. 26) and Kentucky Speedway, the first event in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase (Sept. 23). For the second consecutive season, Iowa will host a NASCAR XFINITY Series-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series companion weekend on June 23-24.
 
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opens its season at Daytona on Feb. 24, and culminates at Homestead on Nov. 17. Five standalone races are included among the 2017 lineup: Texas Motor Speedway (June 9), Gateway Motorsports Park (June 17), Eldora Speedway (July 19), Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Aug. 27) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sept. 30). The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase once again begins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sept. 23).
 
All races will air on either the FOX or NBC family of networks, MRN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
 
 
2017 NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE

Date, Site
 
2/18, Daytona International Speedway (Unlimited)
 
2/19, Daytona International Speedway (Daytona 500 Qualifying)
 
2/23, Daytona International Speedway (Duel)
 
2/26, Daytona 500
 
3/5, Atlanta Motor Speedway
 
3/12, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
 
3/19, Phoenix International Raceway
 
3/26, Auto Club Speedway
 
4/2, Martinsville Speedway
 
4/9, Texas Motor Speedway
 
4/23, Bristol Motor Speedway
 
4/30, Richmond International Raceway
 
5/7, Talladega Superspeedway
 
5/13, Kansas Speedway
 
5/20, Charlotte Motor Speedway (NASCAR All-Star Race)
 
5/28, Charlotte Motor Speedway
 
6/4, Dover International Speedway
 
6/11, Pocono Raceway
 
6/18, Michigan International Speedway
 
6/25, Sonoma Raceway
 
7/1, Daytona International Speedway
 
7/8, Kentucky Speedway
 
7/16, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
 
7/23, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
 
7/30, Pocono Raceway
 
8/6, Watkins Glen International
 
8/13, Michigan International Speedway
 
8/19, Bristol Motor Speedway
 
9/3, Darlington Raceway
 
9/9, Richmond International Raceway
 
9/17, Chicagoland Speedway
 
9/24, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
 
10/1, Dover International Speedway
 
10/7, Charlotte Motor Speedway
 
10/15, Talladega Superspeedway
 
10/22, Kansas Speedway
 
10/29, Martinsville Speedway
 
11/5, Texas Motor Speedway
 
11/12, Phoenix International Raceway
 
11/19, Homestead-Miami Speedway
 
*SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
 
 
2017 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES SCHEDULE

Date, Site
 
2/25, Daytona International Speedway
 
3/4, Atlanta Motor Speedway
 
3/11, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
 
3/18, Phoenix International Raceway
 
3/25, Auto Club Speedway
 
4/8, Texas Motor Speedway
 
4/22, Bristol Motor Speedway
 
4/29, Richmond International Raceway
 
5/6, Talladega Superspeedway
 
5/27, Charlotte Motor Speedway
 
6/3, Dover International Speedway
 
6/10, Pocono Raceway
 
6/17, Michigan International Speedway
 
6/24, Iowa Speedway
 
6/30, Daytona International Speedway
 
7/7, Kentucky Speedway
 
7/15, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
 
7/22, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
 
7/29, Iowa Speedway
 
8/5, Watkins Glen International
 
8/12, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
 
8/18, Bristol Motor Speedway
 
8/26, Road America
 
9/2, Darlington Raceway
 
9/8, Richmond International Raceway
 
9/16, Chicagoland Speedway
 
9/23, Kentucky Speedway
 
9/30, Dover International Speedway
 
10/6, Charlotte Motor Speedway
 
10/21, Kansas Speedway
 
11/4, Texas Motor Speedway
 
11/11, Phoenix International Raceway
 
11/18, Homestead-Miami Speedway
 
*SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
 
 
2017 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE

Date, Site
 
2/24, Daytona International Speedway
 
3/4, Atlanta Motor Speedway
 
4/1, Martinsville Speedway
 
5/12, Kansas Speedway
 
5/19, Charlotte Motor Speedway
 
6/2, Dover International Speedway
 
6/9, Texas Motor Speedway
 
6/17, Gateway Motorsports Park
 
6/23, Iowa Speedway
 
7/6, Kentucky Speedway
 
7/19, Eldora Speedway
 
7/29, Pocono Raceway
 
8/12, Michigan International Speedway
 
8/16, Bristol Motor Speedway
 
8/27, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
 
9/15, Chicagoland Speedway
 
9/23, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
 
9/30, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
 
10/14, Talladega Superspeedway
 
10/28, Martinsville Speedway
 
11/3, Texas Motor Speedway
 
11/10, Phoenix International Raceway
 
11/17, Homestead-Miami Speedway
 
*SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
 

Craig Mansfield is launching a new kart racing series in Colorado that will hit four race tracks on four weekends this year. Mansfield starting working on the idea a year ago when word got out that a track at Centennial, about 20 minutes from Mansfield’s home, was shutting down.

“We lost the track at Centennial after about 10 years,” Mansfield said. “But in order to not lose racers—they’re sometimes very loyal to some tracks—we wanted to pull these tracks together to start a regional series.”

Karts are small-scale, open-wheel race cars ranging from the two- or three-horsepower putters that zip around an amusement park to high-powered machines capable of topping interstate speeds while weighing only a few hundred pounds.

The green flag drops on Mansfield’s Colorado Sprint Championship (CSC) on May 14 at the IMI Motorsports Complex in Dacono. Race tracks in Grand Junction and Calhoun are booked for June, July and September.

Mansfield is expecting about 100 racers will turn out to compete in about 10 different kart racing classes at each two-day event.

Drivers will range from 5-year-old kids fighting for position in 35 mph mini karts to adults redlining at 90 mph on IMI’s backstretch.

CSC is keeping itself afloat with a one-time, $35 entry fee teams will pay for the four-date series. Mansfield, who runs a property-maintenance company as his full-time job, said he’s not planning to make big money from the events.

Instead, it’s the tracks that will be the real winners.

Mansfield said each racer will pay $85 per weekend to drive. Teams also can rent a pit stall at the track for another $20. All of those fees, Mansfield said, will go to the tracks. Kart-less drivers may rent a chassis and engine from the track for a weekend, and Mansfield said the venues also will benefit from selling equipment and parts.

In two days of side-by-side racing around tracks with 10 or more turns, Mansfield said karts are bound to need a tuneup or a new part.

“These aren’t like your car out on the road,” Mansfield said. “These things are on edge all of the time.”

Tire company MG Tires and engine-maker Rotax are series sponsors, and are offering its drivers discounts on equipment. Rotax already has sold at least 20 engines to CSC racers, Mansfield said.

Mansfield has been racing karts for 17 years. He grew up near a dirt track in New York but it wasn’t until about his 50th birthday that he got hooked on driving and working on karts.

Mansfield launched Kart Racing for Heroes, a charity racing event, about six years ago, in memory of son Kristopher Mansfield, who was struck by a drunk driver and killed in 2004. At the time, Kristopher was a senior airman stationed at Buckley Air Force Base.

Craig Mansfield will host two Kart Racing for Heroes events in conjunction with the CSC races. But while Kart Racing for Heroes drivers will be racing for a cause, Mansfield said the CSC drivers are on the track for prizes.

MG Tires is giving away a free set of tires—each set will be worth more than $200—to winners at each race. MG also will pay to enter series winners into a kart-racing championship in Las Vegas this winter, and one CSC racer will win an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the Granja Viana 500 kart race in Brazil.

Mansfield expects most of the 100 drivers that will navigate the one-mile course at IMI this month will drive in each of the four events to remain eligible for the final prizes.

Mansfield plans to enter at least one of his own karts at IMI, but said he’s in it for the race process as much as the race itself. He enjoys tinkering with his own karts, and to make them handle better and slide through turns a little faster.

But the real fun, he said, is hanging with fellow racers off the track. CSC is hosting a lawn chair dinner on Saturday night each race weekend, and Mansfield hopes the series will keep kart enthusiasts chatting after the checkered flag flies – even if the last lap is still on their minds.

“When you race, even if you don’t win you smile until the next race,” Mansfield said. “Even while you can’t stop thinking about that corner you messed up.”

"I'm very pleased to announce that Irwindale Event Center will shortly be releasing a full revised 2016 schedule which will feature additional NASCAR and NHRA competition nights, shows, attractions, and a number of special events that will run right through the end of the year," said Event Center President/CEO, Jim Cohan.
 
Already announced is that Irwindale's very popular NHRA Street Legal eighth-mile IEC Drag Strip will continue to provide thrills every Thursday night through December, taking only Thanksgiving, Christmas week, and New Years week off. And, revised dates for the Sunday Summit Series of NHRA Championship drag races have just been posted and include: May 15, July 24, August 21, and September 11.
 
This news also extends booking dates for Irwindale's very popular "LA Racing Experience" stock car driving school. LARX has opened its advance booking calendar through the end of the year to accommodate the many fans who want to find out for themselves what 20 laps of the Irwindale NASCAR half-mile is really like in a 400-horsepower Late Model race car.
 
Opened in March of 1999, Irwindale Event Center has been the site of countless professional motor sports events on its highly competitive twin NASCAR oval tracks and NHRA drag strip. The 63-acre facility also has hosted numerous car and motorcycle shows, and special annual gatherings like Truckin' for Kids, the MoonEyes Holiday Party, and the final event of the Formula Drift season (all of which will take place at IEC on their traditional dates in 2016).
 
The facility is always busy. Even when there's no racing, the property is quite often in use for feature films, TV shows, testing, tuning and commercial shoots. "The IEC grounds are in use in one way or another virtually every day of the week and almost every week of the year,” said facilities VP Bob Klein.