Ray Crawford, a 1950s-era Indianapolis 500 racer, who also was a combat fighter ace and test pilot and a millionaire business mogul, will be the subject of the May 14 Center Conversations talk at the International Motor Racing Research Center.
 
“Ray Crawford’s life has to be one of the most inspirational stories to come out of the Greatest Generation,” said Andrew Layton, author of “Ray Crawford - Speed Merchant: A California Grocer’s Love Affair with Risk, From P-38 Lightnings to the Indianapolis 500.” The book was published last year.
 
Layton will speak at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 14. Originally scheduled for earlier in the month, the free event is open to all. The Racing Research Center is located at 610 S. Decatur St., Watkins Glen, N.Y.
 
The May talk comes as the Indianapolis 500 is celebrating its 100th anniversary. A 1957 Indy roadster and a 1950s-era midget car are currently on display at the Racing Research Center.
 
Competing from 1947 to 1963 in what was arguably racing’s wildest era, Crawford entered more than 200 races in Indy cars, midgets, stock cars, sports cars, championship dirt cars and even unlimited hydroplanes, Layton said. Crawford’s crowning achievement was a victory in the 1954 Carrera Panamericana road race, a border-to-border dash across Mexico, which some consider to be the most dangerous contest in motor racing history, according to Layton.
 
Layton is planning to include in his presentation Crawford's Mexican in-car films, which were very influential as some of the first-ever color in-car camera shots to come out of professional motorsports.
 
Layton said his interest in Crawford is natural, especially considering the racer’s background as a P-38 Lightning fighter pilot in World War II. Crawford shot down at least six Axis aircraft over North Africa in 1943 and returned to become the third military pilot to certify on the P-80 Shooting Star – America’s first operational jet fighter. He flew with America’s ace of aces, Major Richard Bong, on the day Bong was killed in a freak crash. Viewed as a scapegoat for the major’s death, Crawford was ousted from the flight test program and spent the next several years adrift before his rebirth as a race-car driver.
 
Layton is no stranger to Crawford’s brand of military aviation and racing acumen. His 2005 book “Wolverines in the Sky” tells the stories of 56 fighter aces who hailed from Michigan. Layton also wrote “Eagles’ Wings” (2007), the story of World War II prisoners of war Jack Curtis and Larry Jenkins, and in 2012, “Downrange,” a novel based on some of his own experiences as an Air Force veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
Layton’s grandfather, a lifelong racing enthusiast, built circle-track entries in the 1950s and ’60s and later restored many of the top cars driven by Crawford’s competitors.
 
“People ask, why Ray Crawford? Well, the answer’s pretty easy: He’s right at the intersection of two fields that I’m absolutely passionate about,” said Layton, whose research for the book about Crawford inspired him to begin racing cars himself. He now competes in Sports Car Club of America events throughout Michigan and Ohio.
 
Layton was assisted in research for the Crawford book by IMRRC staff and materials from the IMRRC’s collections.
 
In 2010, Layton’s writing was recognized with the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame’s Harriet Quimby Award for literary excellence. Layton holds degrees in English and Political Science and resides in Michigan with his wife, Elise.
 
The International Motor Racing Research Center is an archival and research library dedicated to the preservation and sharing of the materials of motorsports history, of all series and all tracks, worldwide.

After nearly two years of planning and preparing for the Grand Prix of Boston race organizers have decided that the current demands to secure additional line of credit funding make the race fiscally untenable to be held in the City of Boston and the Seaport district September 2–4, 2016.

“An event of this magnitude requires considerable city and state support and though we did overcome significant obstacles and demands that have been presented to us, the most recent demands regarding the flood zone issues and requirements of additional expenditure on the line of credit with no guarantees of overcoming those issues have left us no options but to cancel the race in Boston and look at other options,” said John Casey, CEO and President of the Grand Prix of Boston. “At this juncture the demands that have been asked of us make this event in Boston economically unviable and despite robust corporate partnerships and excellent tickets sales, if we have no guarantee of MEPA approval then time was of the essence to make this difficult decision. It is very disappointing for everyone who has worked so hard on the event and all of our corporate partners and fans who have supported the Grand Prix of Boston. We have had a team of over 50 people, as well as the city and state agency personnel who have been working tirelessly to find successful and viable solutions and unfortunately we are at an impasse. We are exploring all options and will have further information available in the coming days.”

As the 2016 race season powers into the spring and summer months, South Eastern Crate Association officials announced its new partnership with VP Racing Fuels. The Texas headquartered company boasts a variety of premier fuels and now joins the association as “The Official Fuel of SECA.”
 
“Jason and I have contemplated this for several months now and I am pleased that we have reached an agreement that is beneficial to all parties involved,” explained SECA’s Timmy Mcabee. “VP carries an extensive line of high quality fuels that each of our divisions (crate late model, crate sportsman, and crate modified) can benefit from. Their products set the bar for consistency and the performance speaks for itself.”
 
“We're excited about becoming the Official Racing Fuel of the South Eastern Crate Association,” said Chris Wall, VP’s Chief Marketing Officer. "VP has long been the fuel of choice for crate racers and SECA presents a great platform for promoting our fuel blends to all three classes. Timmy, Jason and their team are building a series with tremendous upside potential and we look forward to working together to help keep it growing for many years to come.”

The Charlotte Chamber has named local car dealer and NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick its 2016 Citizen of the Carolinas.

The chamber said in a press release that Hendrick was chosen for the honor for his contributions to Charlotte's business community, his influence within NASCAR and his work with local organizations, including Levine Children's Hospital and Together We Feed Charlotte.

"Rick embodies the collaborative spirit that sets Charlotte apart from any other major city in the United States," chamber CEO and President Bob Morgan said in a statement.

Last year, the chamber gave the award to former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles. Other past honorees include former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke, Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan.

Hendrick, at age 26, became a Chevrolet dealer in 1976 with his first franchise in Bennettsville, S.C. By 1978, he moved to Charlotte and purchased City Chevrolet, which now serves as the flagship location for Hendrick Automotive Group. The privately-held dealership group employs more than 10,000 people and operates more than 130 retail franchises across 14 states.

In 1984, Hendrick founded Hendrick Motorsports, now headquartered on 140 acres in Concord and housing more than 600 employees. In February, Forbes estimated the race team had the highest value at $375 million. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Chase Elliott race in Hendrick-owned cars.

In a statement, Hendrick said he was humbled to receive the award.

"We've been fortunate to call Charlotte home for nearly 40 years," he said. "It's been such a wonderful place for our family, and now our grandchildren are growing up here. I cannot imagine a more giving community or a better city to live and do business."

The chamber will present Hendrick with its most prestigious honor at the organization's annual meeting in December.

Dart Machinery, Ltd. announced the release of a new completely revamped DARTHEADS.com. The new website is designed to be fully responsive. This will allow for optimal viewing and a higher quality user experience across a wide range of devices from desktop computers to mobile phones.

New features include:

- PRODUCTS mega menu top bar for desktop users in which you can view/locate any one of our performance products in just ONE click.
- New FIND A DEALER search tool - find a Dart dealer near you.
- Digital Performance Parts CATALOG – view it, download it, share it or even get a hard copy sent to you.
- More up-to-date content for the entire Dart product line including, photos, technical packets, part numbers and related products.


DARTHEADS.com will continually evolve and provide the best information possible.

During the past year, Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc. partnered with DECKED, a manufacturer of in-vehicle storage systems for trucks and cargo vans, as an important distributor in Canada and now is delivering to US customers.

“We couldn't be more pleased to be expanding our relationship with Keystone into the US market. It's been a very productive and positive arrangement in Canada and the opportunity to grow our business with Keystone in the US is very exciting,” said Greg Randolph, Vice President of Marketing.

Contractors, outdoorsmen and commercial fleet operators are the core customers of DECKED products.

“Demand for the product continues to rise. This is a testimony to the practicality of ergonomic storage and the quality of what we are making. Customers love this product, as it solves a real problem at an attractive price point,” said Randolph. “Keystone gives us broader distribution to more dealers and greatly improved logistics that makes our product available next day to most customers.”

Recognizing the opportunity to support young people in their pursuit of an automotive career, WELD has renewed its sponsorship of the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (HROT) Engine Challenge program. WELD has been a HROT sponsor since 2013.

Hot Rodders of Tomorrow is a nationwide high school engine building competition that engages the next generation to pursue careers in the performance aftermarket and racing. Regional competitions are held across the country where high school teams compete against the clock in a total engine rebuild. The HROT program started in 2008 with five teams competing. Last year, 153 teams competed in regional competitions for the right to claim a share of the $4.55 million pool of scholarships offered by supporting educational institutions. Each team has a “sponsor” assigned, coming from the pool of HROT supporters that include many major manufacturers in the performance aftermarket along with SEMA and PRI.

Last year the WELD-sponsored team from Eastern Oklahoma County Tech Center claimed the HROT national championship in the competition that pits teams from across the country in performance engine rebuilds. To qualify for the HROT dual championships held at the SEMA Show and PRI Trade Show, teams must complete a total engine rebuild in less than 35 minutes. The two top teams from the SEMA Show in November will take on the top two teams from the PRI Trade Show in December in the finale to crown the 2016 Engine Challenge Champion.

“Investing in a program like HROT gives us the chance to provide young people with a path toward joining our industry,” said Norm Young, president and CEO of WELD. “HROT and its Engine Challenge program is a fast-paced and exciting competition that we proudly support.”

Officials with VP Racing Fuels announced it has joined forces with JAT Oil in its retail branding program. Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, JAT Oil supplies 125 retail locations in Tennesee, Georgia and Alabama.
 
“For us, the most appealing aspect of VP’s retail branding program is that it makes us different. VP’s new, attractive image will allow our dealers to stand out and reclaim some of the gallons that we’ve lost to major chains,” said Brian Venable, Brand Manager for JAT Oil.  “Secondly, it provides additional revenue streams that we can offer our dealers with VP-branded race fuels, additives and small engine fuels. The VP ‘Fuel Cube’ that stations will use to store 5-gallon pails of race fuel is a good advertising tool—it attracts attention, builds curiosity and leads to sales.
 
“VP’s low credit card fees are fantastic and, together with the option to purchase unbranded supply, leads to more profit. All these factors make for an extremely strong program for our dealers.”
 
“JAT Oil is a strong, well-respected distributor in the Southeast, and we’re excited to have them as a partner,” said Alan Cerwick, President of VP Racing Fuels. “Their buy-in validates the strength of the VP brand and the competitive advantages our program delivers. We look forward to growing our businesses together for many years to come.”

IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers running with the 500 cfm engine option will not be subject to engine claims, effective immediately for all sanctioned weekly, special and special series events during the 2016 calendar year.

“Our executive committee has had an extensive amount of discussion as to the necessity of the engine claim with this particular engine option. Based on the specificity of the 500 cfm engine rules, costs have been reasonably contained,” explained IMCA Presi­dent Brett Root. “The 500 cfm option has a tighter set of parameters than the 350 that address cost control.”

“Since 2005 we have offered a non-claimable engine option in nearly every other IMCA division,” he added. “It makes sense to do this in the Stock Car division as well. With no crate engine option available, the 500 cfm carburetor option makes the most sense for us to make this decision in regard to.”

“For this reason and the low occurrence of engine claims in the Stock Car division last year, it makes sense for us to make this decision at this time,” Root concluded.

Based on engine rules that are much more liberal, the engine claim will remain in place for Stock Cars employing the 350 cfm carburetor option. Shock absorber and carburetor claims are also unchanged for either option.

Drivers are still required to clearly designate which engine option they are using on the driver’s side roof post and penalties will remain in place for those attempting to circumvent that designation or their claim eligibility.

Formula DRIFT presented by BlackVue announced that it has signed VP Racing Fuels as the Official Fuel of Formula DRIFT. VP Racing Fuels will be on-site at each round of competition distributing fuel to teams that need fuel service.
 
“We are very pleased to bring VP Racing Fuels into the Formula DRIFT family,” said Ryan Sage, Vice President and Co-Founder of Formula DRIFT. “They are a brand we have aspired to work with and now with this partnership we can better serve the needs of drivers and ensure the convenient availability of top quality fuel.”

“The growing popularity of Formula Drift is remarkable and this partnership presents a great opportunity to help build awareness of VP’s brand and our expanding product lines,” said Chris Wall, VP’s Chief Marketing Officer. “For years, racers have relied on VP blends like C16™ or VP Import™ for the consistency, increased horsepower and torque necessary to satisfy the unique demands that drifting places on fuel, however, for those racers committed to an ethanol blend, we now offer new X85™ and X98™.   We look forward to introducing competitors to these new blends and servicing the fuel needs of Formula Drift for years to come.”

VP Racing Fuels is best known as the World Leader in Race Fuel Technology, fueling champions in virtually every form of motorsport on land, sea and air since 1975. VP is the Official Racing Fuel of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, AMA Supercross, NMRA, NMCA, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and Late Models, Pirelli World Challenge, PDRA and Rally America, among more than 60 VP-sponsored series and sanctioning bodies.