The premise of Wednesday's aero kit safety test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is simple: Chevy and Honda must run any items they intend to use during the 100th running of the Indy 500 and prove its cars are sound and stable.

"The reason they're calling it a safety test is new parts kept coming out last year during the month that hadn't been run before, and the mandate from IndyCar was that any part that will be run in May needs to be run at the test," Andretti Autosport team manager Rob Edwards told RACER.

The most accurate description for the test would be the "low-downforce and low-drag qualifying specification aero kit safety test," because that's the range where last year's spins and flights started taking place. Three incidents occurred once Chevy teams began experimenting with qualifying aero setups, and while the root of those three flights were not necessarily attributed to being in low drag/low downforce, the lack of pre-event testing with the new-for-2015 aero kits revealed an unmistakable shortcoming in the series' planning for the Indy 500.

Chevy- and Honda-powered teams were not required to test and learn about their Indy-specific bodywork at the Speedway prior to opening practice and, as a result, IndyCar did not require its aero kit manufacturers to prove their custom aerodynamics were safe in qualifying or race trim at the 2.5-mile oval.

Those oversights exposed a need to conduct a pre-event test this year where teams, in concert with their respective manufacturers, run any 2015 or 2016 Indy 500 aero kit parts and work down to qualifying trim to ensure takeoffs will be avoided. It's worth remembering that after 2015's third and final spin and flight, the series stopped practice, then came back and required teams to use the higher downforce "race" aerodynamics and reverted to the lower race turbo boost settings for qualifying.

The last time a car ran in low drag/low downforce at Indianapolis, it spun in Turn 2 and sent Ed Carpenter for a scary series of airborne rotations before crashing back to earth. With Carpenter's unforgettable ride, learning about Indy cars with aero kits in low drag/low downforce Indy 500 configuration halted.

With ample time to plan for the 2016 race, and key new members in charge of IndyCar's competition department, the series has, to its credit, made a concerted effort to learn from the procedural mistakes of Indy 2015.

"There were some things that happened at Indy last year, obviously, and this is an opportunity to make sure that doesn't happen again," IndyCar competition president Jay Frye told RACER. "The teams that are coming [to the test] are the Leader Circle teams, minus the rookies, and Ed Carpenter will attend. It isn't an open test, per se; it's a systems check."

Frye, who replaced Derrick Walker during the off-season, recently appointed veteran IndyCar engineer Bill Pappas to replace Will Phillips as the series' VP of competition. Through Pappas' experience with the Dallara DW12 and aero kits, he and IndyCar aero boss Tino Belli were able to devise a plan that should, if the weather permits on Wednesday, give the series newfound confidence in Indy 500 low drag/low downforce qualifying configurations.

"We just sat down with Honda and Chevrolet and asked them to give us a list of combinations we could potentially see in the month of May, and out of that, we and them picked what we thought would be applicable for where they think they will be in qualifying trim," Pappas said. "It's getting it to where they think their qualifying trim [will be] and making it stable. Obviously, weather is going to have a massive impact. There's a lot of work to do to work through those issues before we come back in May."

With rain predicted for Wednesday, the aero kit safety test could be pushed back to an alternate date in April. Teams were able to get out for Tuesday's Manufacturers' test at Indy in the early afternoon once the temperatures reached an acceptable point, and Pappas anticipates any running on Wednesday could require jumping to the higher priority test items as the weather permits.

"We'll be down there monitoring and listening, and both manufacturers have been great in providing us an outline they feel covers the bases," he continued. "We'll have to be able to adjust for conditions, so it might be where we don't do this, this, and this, but when the weather's good, let's move to this."

Andretti's Edwards says their team will be able to work through the test however they prefer, and with dome skids on Tuesday's test menu, teams could be asked to run with or without them on Wednesday, depending on the feedback IndyCar received.

"As it sits right now, the day is for us to do whatever we want as a team," Edwards confirmed. "There's no mandate from IndyCar or Honda on what we have to do. That's not to say that won't change, but at the moment, it's up to us to use the day as a team however we decide, and we'll keep an ear out for any pieces they might add or remove."

The Sprint Fan Vote, which gives NASCAR fans the chance to vote one driver into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 21 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, is now open.

Fans can vote their favorite Sprint Fan Vote-eligible driver into the all-star race by casting votes daily now through 7 p.m. ET on Friday, May 20.

Votes shared via Facebook and/or Twitter will count double toward a driver’s total. Fans can vote daily with a maximum of one vote per day per unique email address by downloading the NASCAR MOBILE application or visiting www.NASCAR.com/SprintFanVote.

Among the drivers vying for votes are Danica Patrick—the first two-time Sprint Fan vote winner (2013, 2015)—and Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates Chris Buescher, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Brian Scott.

The 30 drivers (as of April 5) eligible for the Sprint Fan Vote are A.J. Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Michael Annett, Trevor Bayne, Greg Biffle, Ryan Blaney, Clint Bowyer, Chris Buescher, Landon Cassill, Matt DiBenedetto, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Chase Elliott, David Gilliland, Bobby Labonte, Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, Casey Mears, Paul Menard, Danica Patrick, David Ragan, Robert Richardson Jr., Brian Scott, Regan Smith, Reed Sorenson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Brian Vickers, Michael Waltrip, Cole Whitt and Josh Wise.

The winner of the Sprint Fan Vote will be announced in victory lane following the conclusion of the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 20.

Any eligible Sprint Fan Vote driver who wins a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race during the 2016 season will automatically earn a spot in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the driver’s name will be removed from the Sprint Fan Vote ballot with their existing votes voided.

Holley/MSD, a manufacturer of high-performance products, announced the promotion of Scott McLaughlin to the position of Director of Sales. In this position, McLaughlin will be responsible for the continued cultivation of the Holley/MSD resellers with the ultimate goals of growing value and growing relationships.
 
“Scott has been a part of the Holley team for many years and his dedication to his customers and results has been astonishing. He will help bring a new level of customer service and analysis to our growing sales department,” said Jason Bruce, Vice President of Business Development at Holley/MSD. “Scott will be leading our ever growing sales team in support of our excellent performance brands. I am excited to watch his continued professional growth.”
 
McLaughlin and the Holley/MSD sales team are responsible for representation of the Holley, MSD, Mr.Gasket, ACCEL, Hooker, Flowtech, Earl’s, NOS, Demon, Weiand, Mallory, Diablosport, Edge, Superchips, Lakewood, Hays and Quicktime performance brands.

Stand 21, manufacturer of head-to-toe, made-to-measure racing gear, has been named the official safety partner of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and will create a line of custom driving suits for the August 18-21 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

The custom driving suits will initially be made available exclusively to Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion participants, followed by an offering to the general public after the cornerstone event of Monterey Car Week. The partnership also includes naming rights for a Stand 21 award presented during the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the Reunion as well as year-long presence at the facility.

Stand 21 also will produce a custom line of gloves, balaclavas, shoes and various other protective garments which will be sold directly through Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Stand 21 e-commerce sites.

“We are happy to begin a partnership with SCRAMP and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to help promote safety while creating exclusive and licensed products like a Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion collection,” said Yves Morizot, Founder and President of Stand 21 Racewear. “We have collaborated with other brands and events around the world including Porsche Motorsport, Corvette Racing and Le Mans Classic in France, among others, to create similar collections. It was natural we create something with the prestigious Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion, a world renowned vintage festival that we have attended with trackside support for over a decade.”

“I am excited to expand our involvement with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to include all major 2016 races, including several club races throughout the year,” said Kevin McConnell, National Sales Manager of Stand 21 North America. “We have attended many events over the years with our trackside sales and technical support staff; but with our new central paddock location and increased event presence, we hope to help increase safety awareness for 2016 and beyond.”

“Safety is of primary concern in every form of motorsports and STAND 21 has created the world standard for every aspect of safety apparel in the industry,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “We are proud to have Stand 21 as an official partner of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and especially so through their direct involvement in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.”

The popular half-mile Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio, became the first dirt track to sign a deal with iRacing.com on Monday.

The online sim-racing service had only announced Friday—which caused many to believe it was an April Fool’s joke—that dirt racing would be coming to the sim. It had taken a while for iRacing to upgrade its technology enough for dirt racing to be made possible as, to do it properly, they first had to perfect the science of dynamic track surfaces.

Now, subscribers to iRacing will soon be able to take on the legendary clay oval against other sim racers around the world, with the track surface continuously changing throughout the race.

Among those pleased to hear the announcement was current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson.

“This is great news,” said Larson, who swept all three USAC divisions at the Four Crown Nationals at Eldora in 2011. “iRacing adding dirt racing, and Eldora Speedway, is really exciting. I’ve had some fantastic races at the Big E and can’t wait to go there virtually. As a long-time member of iRacing, I’ve offered my help as they develop dirt, so I am looking forward to contributing to the project.”

Purchased in 2004 by Tony Stewart, Eldora Speedway plays host to the only NASCAR National Series race currently held on dirt, in the form of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The circuit trademarks itself as the home of The Biggest Dirt Races In The World, hosting events such as the World 100, Kings Royal, Dirt Late Model Dream and the Four Crown Nationals.

“We’re ecstatic to partner with iRacing in bringing dirt track racing to sim racers around the world,” said speedway Promoter and General Manager Roger Slack.  “Eldora has a history of firsts that have produced the biggest and best events in dirt track racing, so it’s fitting that the World’s Greatest Dirt Track will be available on the world’s greatest sim racing service.”

“We’re really thrilled to be adding the world’s premier dirt track to our service,” added iRacing.com President Tony Gardner. “Last week’s announcement that we’re bringing dirt track racing to iRacing generated a tremendous amount of interest throughout the motorsports community, and we’re honored that we’ll be able to offer our members the opportunity to race at Eldora.”

Memphis International Raceway (MIR) announced Dominic Blasco as the new Director of Operations. Blasco will be responsible for all drag strip racing operations effective immediately.  
 
Blasco is a native of Chicago and has been around drag racing his entire adult life. He was first introduced to drag racing by family members and he never looked back. From the dream of racing and participating with bikes, go karts, and his first race car ('64 Chevelle), Blasco quickly became interested in making a difference in the motorsports industry and became co-owner of Great Lakes Dragway in Union Grove, Wisconsin. In 2012, he and his wife, Teri, took the next step in becoming owner-operator of Sikeston Raceway in Sikeston, Missouri. Over the last several years, they took on the task of making many improvements to the facility, including concrete walls, timing system, fire-safety system, as well as maintaining a track that was consistent.
 
"Memphis is very excited to have Dominic join our team," stated Pam Kendrick MIR vice president and general manager. "He will oversee and manage all racing operations. Paul Cartwright will remain manager working with Dominic on a regular basis. Bringing these two powerhouses together in Memphis takes us to the next level and allows us to provide quality, efficiency and a premier racing facility in the Mid-South.”
 
"I am making the transition of track owner to Director of Operations over the next several weeks," remarked Blasco. "I'm leaving a well-oiled machine in Sikeston, MO to join the ¼-mile championship racing facility of Memphis International Raceway. The new owner's at Sikeston are excited to take the lead at the facility that I owned and molded for them. I am looking forward to my next chapter in drag racing and the many opportunities Memphis has to offer. The fan and racer experience is very important and is an area I will focus on immediately."
 
The 2016 season kicked off last month at MIR and they are gearing up for the world's largest automotive show this weekend as the original Super Chevy Show returns for the 30th year. The three-day event features nonstop drag racing, a Chevy only car and truck show, swap meet, vendor midway and much more. Advance tickets are now available at https://www.raceit.com/Register/?event=35693.

Motovicity Distribution, a Madison Heights, Michigan-based automotive performance aftermarket distributor, has announced the addition of G-FORCE to its line card.
 
G-FORCE Racing Gear is an established brand in affordable racing safety equipment. The company’s products comply with the latest SFI and TPP ratings, making them suitable for racers from the grassroots to professional levels. Products include helmets, gloves, camlock harnesses, and even custom-made racing suits.
 
Don Stodola, Executive Account Manager at G-FORCE Racing Gear, said, “We are pleased and honored to partner with Motovicity Distribution to bring their customers one of the most recognizable names in safety equipment. Motovicity is rapidly growing to be one of the most cutting edge marketers and distributors to the Performance Industry.”

“With the combination of G-FORCE Racing Gear quality products and the marketing and service that Motovicity has focused on, this is a great opportunity for their customers to expand their safety equipment business,” he added.
 
For inquiries, call 888/SPEED-16, or visit www.motovicity.com.

Former Nissan LMP1 program director Mike Carcamo has been confirmed as the Japanese manufacturer's global motorsports boss.

Carcamo, who oversaw the GTR LM NISMO program from late summer until its cancellation in December, has been acting as Nissan's motorsports boss following the departure of Darren Cox at the end of October.

The confirmation comes with the announcement of a restructuring of Nissan's NISMO motorsports department following the retirement last week of president Shoichi Miyatani after five years at the helm.

He had been replaced by Takao Katagiri, who has more than 30 years of experience with Nissan.

Carcamo also has the title of program director at NISMO.

The Super Cup Stock Car Series has announced the dates and locations for its ninth full season of racing. The 2016 schedule will consist of eight points races at five tracks in three states.
 
Midvale Speedway hosts the season opener on Saturday, May 14 as part of Frontier Tool and Equipment Rental night. This will mark the fifth straight year the series has visited the 3/10-mile facility, but the first to take place in the spring.
 
Starting with Midvale, SCSCS drivers and teams will be showcased in front of a national audience on several occasions. Production of races as part of a renewed partnership with Sopwith Motorsports will air at a later date on MAVTV and LucasOilRacing.tv for the first time.
 
Race No. 2 taking place on Saturday, June 18 will be the site of the final series race at Columbus Motor Speedway. The 1/3-mile Ohio oval that has supported the series since 2009 announced it will close at the completion of the year, and SCSCS will be part of a final send-off to the Nuckles family that is being billed as “The Final Lap.”
 
The summertime swing then heads to Jennerstown Speedway in Pennsylvania for dates on Saturday, July 9 and Saturday, August 27.  Both of these events will feature twin 50 lap races, each for points toward the championship, with one race taking place in the daylight and the other closing the night. 
 
In between visits to Pennsylvania, teams will travel south and make a long awaited return to Lonesome Pine Raceway on Saturday, August 6. Five SCSCS races were held at the southwest Virginia 3/8-mile between 2008 and 2010, each of those years with an event on the same particular summer weekend. It will mark the first trip for the series to the Commonwealth since 2013.
 
Currently scheduled to conclude the 2016 regular season will be a show at Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, September 17.  At this time, series officials are awaiting further information on whether there will be a new promoter in place for the ½-mile track before immediately considering changing the location of the championship-deciding event.

All dates and times are subject to change without notice.

Additional updates and information leading up to the start of the season are available at www.supercupstockcarseries.com

I-90 Speedway is ceasing operations, according to Badlands Motor Speedway founder and CEO Chuck Brennan. Published reports also indicated that owners Lyle and Dawn Howey are joining the Badlands Speedway staff.

Lyle Howey didn’t rule out an eventual return of racing to the Hartford, South Dakota-area track, but said his focus now is on joining Badlands.

“We’re going to leave it closed for now,” Lyle Howey said. “We have a three-year contract that it will not be a race track.”

Howey said he met Brennan “only a week ago,” when the millionaire racing enthusiast reached out to see if I-90 Speedway would consider moving its Saturday night races to Friday.

“I just didn’t think that made sense (for the track). But then he decided with all of the experience that I’ve had, that he’d like me to come work for him.

“He has a lot of good ideas, and showed a lot of energy when he approached me,” Howey said, “and I felt that was exciting.”

Howey, who has owned the Hartford oval for the past 10 years, will be assistant general manager of facilities at BMS. He will assist with track prep and help oversee operations.

“There’s a lot of big shows over there,” Howey said of Badlands, “and I’m excited to be a part of the new menu.”

The former sprint car driver who was named rookie of the year at Huset’s Speedway in 1995 will be in charge of track preparation at Badlands. He joins Darlo Mulder, who was hired late last year and will be in charge of the tech area at the speedway. Howey’s wife, Dawn, who has worn numerous hats at Hartford, will also be a Badlands employee.


The announcement reportedly comes as a surprise to modified drivers in the area, as several had planned to run I-90 this year. Earlier, Hartford had announced a racing schedule for this year, beginning with a car show and test and tune session the end of this month. Besides modifieds, the track was to run IMCA Racesaver Sprints, Limited Late Models, USRA Hobby Stocks and super chargers.

"(Lyle) told all the drivers at (an October) banquet that he'd be there for us the next season and everything, so we all took that into consideration," said local driver Josh Lien. "He even set out a schedule back in February. So we were like, 'Oh yeah, we have this many days to get ready.' A few buddies and I have been putting together three other race cars over the winter, spending all our hard-earned money. Pretty much every paycheck, every week has been going to our cars. Then we get told 30 days before the season gets here that Hartford's pretty much closed and we're left with nothing but a waste of money and a waste of time. He dropped everybody that's been there for him."

With the announcement of Hartford’s closing, the modified racers will have to look at either Rapid Speedway in Iowa or the Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron or beyond for a place to run. Rapid Speedway’s schedule, which calls for a car show and test and tune session April 16, will run the mods weekly, as will Huron. Rapid Speedway’s modifieds will run under the USRA banner while Huron will run Wissota’s rules.

Badlands Speedway is undergoing a $6 million renovation complete with new suites, concession stands, restrooms, updated seating area, HD video boards and a new lighting system.

Racing begins this season at Rapid Speedway on April 22 with an appearance by the National Sprint League 360 sprints. Also joining the opener will be sportsman, hobby, stock cars and modifieds.

The season opener at Huron is set for April 30. The track will run late models, super stocks, street stocks as well as modifieds.

Badlands season gets underway on May 21 with the $100,000 Silver Shootout.