Joe Gibbs Racing has made a series of changes to its executive team.

J.D. Gibbs will join his father Joe Gibbs as co-chairman of JGR with Coy Gibbs officially joining the NASCAR operations as vice-chairman/chief operating officer, and Dave Alpern, who has been with Joe Gibbs Racing since its beginning, has been named president of the organization.

In addition, JGR announces Tim Carmichael will assume expanded responsibilities in his role as fhief financial Officer, while Wally Brown will serve as Competition Director and Todd Bowland has been named Technical Director.

Todd Meredith has resigned his position as chief operating officer but will continue to consult for the organization over the next several months as he explores new opportunities.

“The Lord has blessed me and my family with something that is truly remarkable and as we celebrate our 25th Anniversary at Joe Gibbs Racing this year, it is more apparent than ever that our people are responsible for the success we have experienced,” said team owner Joe Gibbs.

“We feel the timing is right to bring Coy into the NASCAR operations in a more official capacity. He has done an outstanding job with our motocross operations and will continue to provide his leadership there as well.

“J.D. has always had tremendous insight and perhaps his greatest display of that is when he brought Dave Alpern and Todd Meredith on board to help us launch our race team. It is amazing to think what they have accomplished. I have tremendous respect for Todd (Meredith) and we are all excited for him as he starts a new chapter in his life with his family.

“I also have great confidence in Dave (Alpern). He is someone that J.D. and I have consulted with on every decision we have made and we have complete trust in his leadership. Elevating him to the position of President is something that was inevitable and the timing just seems appropriate right now. Tim (Carmichael), Wally (Brown) and Todd (Bowland) have been leading their respective departments for the last several years and today’s announcement will ensure we don’t miss a beat on the competition side.”

Coy Gibbs launched JGRMX in 2008 and has been at the center of every aspect of the operations from personnel decisions to sponsor acquisitions and competition direction. He will primarily be focused on the operations side for JGR’s NASCAR team while continuing his daily role with JGRMX.

“I’m excited to be more involved with our NASCAR operations,” said Coy Gibbs. “I take great pride in what we have accomplished with our motocross operations and I will continue to provide direction there, while working more closely with my father and brother on the NASCAR side of the business. I know we have a tremendous team in place already and I’m looking forward to being more involved now in this official capacity.”

Alpern joined JGR in 1992 and has worked in the organization’s marketing department since his arrival and most recently served in the capacity of Chief Marketing Officer the past two years. Alpern has been a key figure to JGR’s involvement in the RTA and is well respected by his peers within the industry.

“I’m humbled that Joe and J.D. have placed this trust in me,” said Alpern. “I’ve spent more than half my life with Joe Gibbs Racing and it has become an extension of my own family – it truly is a family business.

“I’ve witnessed our organization grow from roughly a dozen employees to more than 550 now. Every decision we make we try to make in the best interest of them and our partners. I plan to work closely with Joe, J.D., the rest of the Gibbs family, and our executive team, to ensure we deliver competitive race teams that honor our partners and our fans in the way they have become accustom over the last quarter of a century.”

Meredith joined JGR in 1992 and has spent the past 25 years working in the competition and operations departments of the organization. He was named chief operating office in 2013.

“Over the past several years, I truly feel like the Lord has been calling on me to make a change and I’m excited to see what he has in store for me and my family,” said Meredith. “I take a tremendous amount of pride in having had the opportunity to play a role in the growth of JGR over the past 25 years and I’m confident that this is the perfect time to step away and allow others to show their leadership. I want to thank Joe and J.D. and the entire Gibbs family for the opportunity they gave me and the trust they showed in me. I can’t imagine a better place to work. I’m excited for the future of JGR and I’m excited for whatever lies ahead for me.”

NHRA officials have announced that Walla Walla Drag Strip in Walla Walla, Washington, has joined the NHRA Member Track Network as part of Division 6, the Northwest Division, after a stint with the IHRA.

Walla Walla Drag Strip, formerly known as Bonanza Raceway, has been hosting races since the summer of 1970. In 2008, the drag strip, located just west of the Walla Walla Regional Airport off East Highway 12, was set to close until five local businessmen, who are also racers and race fans, intervened by purchasing the track.

The group of five die-hard racers wanted to keep the track going for the avid spectators and racers in the area. After they purchased the facility, they renamed it Walla Walla Drag Strip.

“Walla Walla Drag Strip is proud to rejoin the NHRA Member Track network,” said Walla Walla Drag Strip President Bryan Watts. “The NHRA has a great Summit E.T. Program and a lot of other great grassroots programs for our racers. We’re looking forward to being back with the NHRA this year.”

Since it was purchased in 2009, the track has undergone various improvements through the support of local businesses, spectators and racers. In 2011, a new eighth-mile concrete track was laid and in 2013 new display signs were purchased.

“We’re excited to have Walla Walla Drag Strip back in the NHRA Member Track family,” said Matt Levonas, NHRA Division 6 director. “It’s a great grassroots track that has a lot to offer local racers around the area. Walla Walla Drag Strip is a great addition to the Northwest Division and we are excited to offer NHRA-sanctioned races at the facility.”

After three years of silence, the roar of racing engines will once again emanate from the historic Corbin Speedway race track.

Sixty-one-year-old Corbin native Jerry Brock reached an agreement with the group that purchased the speedway in April on a one-year lease with an option to lease it in 2017.

“I’ve raced for a long time,” Brock said, noting when the speedway closed, competitors who wanted to continue racing had to travel 135 miles to the track at Newport, Tennessee to do so.

Brock said approximately 40 fellow racers, some from as far as Paducah, have volunteered their time to help get the track open.

“It has really surprised me,” Brock said of the response when he began working on this early last year.

“It is kind of running wild,” he said.

Brock said a drivers meeting will be held March 5 at the track to get a more accurate appraisal of the number of competitors to expect when racing returns on April 2.

“We will be taking it through the first four months,” Brock said. “By July 15, we will let them know if it is going on.”

In addition to the weekly racing on Saturday nights, Brock said plans are in the works for special racing events on Memorial Day and Independence Day.

Sitting dormant for three years, parts of the facility, particularly the stands have fallen into disrepair.

Brock said with the first year being an experiment, the only repairs made will be those that ensure the safety of the fans and the competitors.

“Changes will come in the future,” Brock said.

Admission prices are still being finalized. Brock said admission to the grandstands will be $8 to $10 and approximately $30 for the pits.

“We don’t want to overcharge,” Brock said.

Corbin Motor Speedway has a Facebook page where updates are being posted and a countdown is underway to opening night.

Corbin Motor Speedway is located off of Cumberland Falls Highway.

The facility began life has a half-mile dirt track. On Aug. 29, 1954 it hosted a NASCAR race, which was won by Lee Petty, father of NASCAR legend Richard Petty.

The current track is a half-mile banked asphalt oval.

TracFac.com is a new, interactive local racing directory for race fans to get accurate and current information about hundreds of race tracks across the country. From small local dirt tracks to superspeedways, TracFac.com provides up-to-date race track information, reviews and history.

All track listings are originated by support from fans submitting their favorite local tracks to be reviewed. For each track, detailed facts about the overall race day experience are provided, including ticket prices, gate schedules, car types and carry-in policies.  In addition, detailed information about directions, weather, camping and lodging is provided.

TracFac.com covers all types of popular local racing; circle tracks, dirt tracks, drag strips, road courses and off-road. Links to important social media updates for each track are also provided.

Fans can visit www.tracfac.com to submit their favorite track for listing and review. TracFac is the one source for locating great grass roots racing across the country, and providing useful race day information to help improve the racing experience for all fans.

Team Penske announced that it has reached a multi-year extension with EnerSys, a global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications. EnerSys is a premiere business-to-business partner with Team Penske and other Penske Corporation companies and will continue to maximize the relationship with hospitality at race events next season and into the future.

“We are happy to be extending our relationship with Team Penske into 2016 and beyond,” said Dave McMullen, Director of Reserve Power, Commercial Marketing. “They’ve been a loyal ambassador of the EnerSys brand since we began our relationship with them. The entire team – from Roger Penske to the drivers and crew, and everyone else that is a part of or connected to Penske – exemplifies performance and professionalism. We’re looking forward to many more years of success together both on and off the track.”

EnerSys joined the team in 2014 as an associate sponsor for Team Penske’s NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series programs. EnerSys has collaborated with many Team Penske partners such as AutoZone and Cintas, as well as working closely with Penske Truck Leasing, providing an array of battery options for consumer and commercial use. The B2B opportunities are an important aspect of the relationship as the portfolio of Penske partners allows EnerSys to generate quality leads, create more business and garner extra exposure for its brands.

“We have enjoyed working with EnerSys across the different levels of our organization and we are excited to extend our partnership.” said Roger Penske. “One of the special elements of this relationship is that I see EnerSys products being put to good use in our race shop, at the race track and with our Penske partners. It has been a mutually beneficial partnership and we look forward to continuing to work with them into the future.”

The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season will get underway on Saturday night, Feb. 13, for the official start of Daytona Speedweeks and the running of the non-points special event, the Sprint Unlimited, while the 58th running of the Daytona 500 will take place on Feb. 21.

Must See Racing Sprint Series (MSRSS) and Jackslash Media Inc. officials announced that select MSRSS events will air on MAVTV with popular open wheel announcers Sean Buckley and Rob Klepper presenting the high speed winged pavement sprint cars on the weekly DIRTY THIRTY programming.

“Each year we carefully assess the feedback from our race fans, the market place and television viewers to best determine which racing formats they most enjoy, which events provide them quality racing entertainment and where to most effectively distribute the events on our television programming. MAVTV presents a wide range of significant motorsports programming with continuous growth in viewership. The popular DIRTY THIRTY weekly program, with its racing diversity, is a perfect fit for Must See to both entertain our existing fans and attract new fans who are more familiar with other types of open wheel racing, ” stated Jim Hanks of MSRSS.

This latest MAVTV programming lineup helps insure that Must See Racing remains one of the most accessible of all major short track entities. In addition to traditional tape delayed broadcast, MSRSS events will also be available on LUCAS OIL RACING TV delivering programming to the ever-growing and wide technical array of fixed and hand-held devices.

The MSRSS winged sprint cars are recognized as the “World’s Fastest Short Track Cars,” and can be found throughout the Midwest and Southeast at some of the most popular and historic racing venues. The 2016 season kicks off, including MAVTV coverage at Anderson Motor Speedway in Williamston, SC on April 15th and Hickory Motor Speedway in Newton, NC the following day, April 16th. The two back to back events are the first two rounds of the all new six race AMERICAN SPRINT CUP mini-series showcasing teams from the North, South and from across the country.  Visit mustseeracing.com for information and updates on the series, race teams , event schedule and television.

GALOT Motorsports Park, which will open soon after a two-year total makeover, switched from IHRA sanction over the weekend to NHRA, joining zMAX Dragway and Rockingham Dragway under the NHRA banner in North Carolina.

Rich Schaefer, the NHRA's Southeast Division director for the past five years, said Tuesday that all the paperwork hasn't been finalized, but added "it's going to happen."

Schaefer was at the track, located near Benson, last weekend. To say that he was impressed by what he saw is an understatement.

"It's the most modern facility I've ever seen in this sport," Schaefer said from his office in Gainesville, Florida. "Excluding national-event tracks from the mix, I've never seen a place that spectacular in my life.

"So now, we (NHRA) have (Rockingham Dragway owner) Steve Earwood, one of the greatest promoters the sport has ever seen, and GALOT, one of the nicest facilities I've ever seen, right there in North Carolina."

The track will host an NHRA National Open at a date to be finalized, he said. That event will feature most of NHRA's sportsman categories, and competitors can use that race for "grade points" that allow them to enter full-blown NHRA national events that include the pro categories.

The track, with seating procured from Daytona International Speedway's recent facelift, is scheduled to open March 24–26 for testing. A Thursday test-and-tune event is slated for March 31, with a pair of NHRA Summit Series bracket races (Super Pro, Pro and Junior Dragster) slated for April 2–3.

Pro Modified cars will be on the scene May 7, with an NTPA-sanctioned tractor pull set at the pulling track elsewhere on the property May 26–28. Pro Mods return July 29–30, and the PDRA's Dragstock XIII is on tap September 8–10. The September 30–October 1 dates are set aside for Monster trucks, and Pro Mods return Oct. 28–30.

Motovicity Distribution, an automotive performance aftermarket distributor, is announcing the addition of Derale Performance to its line card.

Derale Performance features a comprehensive performance cooling line, offering a wide assortment of electric fans, belt driven fans, fluid coolers, filtration, transmission cooling pans, fan clutches, and other products.

“Derale’s passion for quality is evident in every part they make,” said Motovicity’s Sales and Marketing Manager Brett Kinsfather. “From the raw materials to the individual components they source from US suppliers, Derale Performance has a rich history in manufacturing high quality, long lasting components and we couldn’t be happier to now offer their products.”

“We are excited to welcome Motovicity as the newest member to our family,” said Tom Longo, President of Derale Performance. “Being a family owned and operated company for over 60 years, we recognize exceptional companies and Motovicity definitely qualifies in that category.”
 
Derale Performance products are now available for wholesale purchase through Motovicity Distribution. For product inquiries, call 888.SPEED.16 to speak to a representative.

General Motors opened its new Powertrain Performance and Racing Center Tuesday, February 2, 2016, in Pontiac, Michigan.

The 111,420-square-foot facility, connected to GM’s Global Powertrain Engineering Center, brings Racing and Powertrain together under one roof, enhancing the development processes for the company’s diverse racing engine programs.

General Motors Global Powertrain Vice President Dan Nicholson, General Motors U.S. Vice President Performance Vehicles and Motorsports Jim Campbell and Team Chevy NASCAR driver Ryan Newman were all onsite to address the gathering for the opening.

In preparation for the 2016 motor-racing season, Sonoma Raceway has announced two additions to its Marketing department.
 
Courtney Kiser has been named Senior Manager, Marketing Communications, and will oversee several aspects of the marketing department, including advertising initiatives around major event weekends. Kiser will also oversee the creation of creative materials across television, radio, print, online and outdoor campaigns, develop content to support campaigns and initiatives, and work with the Sales and Ticketing departments to coordinate sales campaigns and fulfill partner commitments.
 
Before joining the raceway full time, Kiser worked on a contract basis for the raceway during the 2015 race season. Kiser previously held positions as the Marketing Communications Manager for the San Francisco Travel Association, the official marketing organization for the city of San Francisco, as well as the Public Relations, Advertising and New Media Manager for Pier 39 in San Francisco.
 
Kiser received her B.A. in Journalism from California State University, Chico and was the recipient of the California Travel Association’s “30 and Under Emerging Leaders Award” in 2013. She currently resides with her family in Sonoma.
 
In addition, Daly City’s Faruk Kugay has been hired as the raceway’s Marketing and Events Manager and will oversee pre-event and at-event entertainment and promotions for Sonoma Raceway’s major events, including the Toyota/Save Mart 350, Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals and GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma Verizon IndyCar Series championship weekend.
 
Kugay has managed the raceway’s Sonoma Drift program since 2014, including weekly drifting events and two marquee drifting weekends each year, and boasts more than a decade of motorsports events experience, most recently with Drift Allstars. Kugay has worked in different aspects of hundreds of motorsports events globally and brings his industry knowledge to the events and promotions around Sonoma Raceway.
 
“Courtney and Faruk have been terrific additions to our organization,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Sonoma Raceway. “Their backgrounds couldn't be more different, but they both bring a wonderful spirit and creative energy to the marketing team, and we're excited to have them on board.”
 
Both Kiser and Kugay report to Sonoma Raceway’s Vice President of Marketing, Gary Phillips. Kiser and Kugay are supported by the other members of the marketing department, including Novato’s Tyler Pistoia, digital marketing and social media manager, Mill Valley’s Deidre Birkholt, graphic designer, and Livermore’s, Melissa Lamb, sales and marketing coordinator.