Magnum Gaskets announced that its aftermarket business has been acquired by Dana Holding Corporation (NYSE: DAN), a worldwide leader in engineered driveline, sealing, and thermal-management technologies. Magnum’s product line expansion plans and its focus on serving program groups, WDs and the independent aftermarket receives a big boost heading into 2016.

“For our customers, only good things will result from this acquisition,” according to Alex Grunfeld, who has joined the Dana team as Senior Manager, Aftermarket Sales, along with key members of the Magnum staff. “Magnum Gaskets will now be supplied by one of the world’s most respected and technologically advanced companies in the automotive industry.  Magnum Gasket sets will continue to feature American-engineered and manufactured, precision molded gaskets from Modern Silicone Technologies (MSi), but we are now backed by the resources of Dana Holding Corporation, a Fortune 500 company for the past 61 years.”

The Magnum Gaskets brand was launched in 2012 by Modern Silicone Technologies, America’s leading contract manufacturer of high-tech molded gaskets for major aftermarket brands and OEMs for over 20 years. Modern Silicone Technologies, Inc. will continue to serve unrelated markets for high-technology molded rubber and plastic products.

SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association and parent company of PRI, is now accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame at sema.org/hof.

Created in 1969, the SEMA Hall of Fame is the most prestigious award presented to an individual by the association. It is designed to honor outstanding persons in the industry who have enhanced the stature of, or significantly contributed to, the industry and/or association’s growth.

To submit a nomination, visit sema.org/hof before Friday, March 11.

To learn more about the SEMA Hall of Fame and for a list of inductees, visit semahof.com.

JE Pistons has hired industry veteran Eric Cady to bolster its sales and technical support staff while playing a key role in distribution sales.

Cady spent the last 12 years at Probe Industries/Coast High Performance, where he transitioned from a general sales role into the customer sales manager, where he managed national sales while also serving as a technical assistant.

JE Pistons also has appointed longtime staffer Sam Ramirez to the position of distribution sales manager. Ramirez has served in multiple customer-facing capacities at JE Pistons over the last 20 years.

Cady and Ramirez will be based out of JE’s headquarters in Irvine, California.

Ed Carpenter Racing is returning to the Verizon IndyCar Series paddock.

Team officials announced that the organization that operated as CFH Racing in 2015 will be known as Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR). The team remains headquartered in its current location on Main Street in Speedway, Indiana, and is co-owned by Ed Carpenter, Tony George and Stuart Reed.

“After competing for a year as CFH Racing, we will be returning to ECR for 2016 and beyond,” Carpenter said. “While we had a great year as CFH Racing, we have had some partnership changes within the organization and it makes the most sense to return to ECR. I am proud of what we have accomplished as a team since we started in 2012 and look forward to building upon that success for another exciting Verizon IndyCar Series season.”

ECR and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) combined single-car teams in late 2014 to create CFH Racing. CFH won two races in 2015 with driver Josef Newgarden, collected an additional three podium finishes and earned one Verizon P1 Award pole position. Sarah Fisher and Wink Hartman, who formed SFHR and became co-owners in CFH, have decided to focus on other business interests, though Fisher will continue to assist ECR with sponsorship development and work with existing team partners.

Newgarden will drive the No. 21 Chevrolet for ECR in 2016, featuring a special Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka scheme for the first four events. Carpenter will remain driver of the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet for the five oval races on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. ECR continues working toward filling the No. 20 seat for the road and street course events.

SPEEDVEGAS, the new $30 million, 100-acre supercar driving experience, has announced a management team comprised of seasoned travel and tourism marketing executives and staff. These individuals are responsible for creating the most sought-after exotic-car-driving and event destination, collectively bringing decades of tourism industry expertise to the Las Vegas attraction that will open this spring.

The SPEEDVEGAS team includes five executives led by co-founders Aaron Fessler (chief executive officer), and Tom Mizzone (chief financial officer). The new members of the SPEEDVEGAS executive team are:

Allison Raskansky, executive vice president of business development, has focused her career on one goal: attracting global visitors to Las Vegas. Raskansky oversees marketing, public relations, sponsorship and partnership campaigns. She is a passionate tourism marketing professional, and held key positions for popular travel destinations such as Grand Canyon West and the world-famous Grand Canyon Skywalk. There, she led all brand marketing efforts and established the attractions as “must-dos” for travelers from around the world.

Darren Strahl, executive vice president of operations, brings a distinctive combination of experience in the automotive and hospitality industries to SPEEDVEGAS. He is responsible for ensuring visitors’ supercar driving experiences are both seamless and exhilarating from the moment they arrive at the SPEEDVEGAS Welcome Center. In addition to being a lifelong racecar enthusiast, Strahl has owned and managed eight restaurants and three nightclubs.

Gina Mann, vice president of groups and events, brings 30 years of experience in promoting Las Vegas to SPEEDVEGAS. She is responsible for soliciting and securing groups and special events for both the SPEEDVEGAS event center and racetrack. Mann began her career in diverse roles at the historic Sands Hotel and Casino, where she acquired expertise in everything from accounting to reservations to food and beverage. Next, she held a coveted sales executive position at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, where she created the Las Vegas destination expert program for travel agents.

In addition, SPEEDVEGAS has announced the addition of two directors of sales:

Pavy Mueller, director of global sales, brings a 20-year career in the hospitality industry to SPEEDVEGAS. Prior to joining SPEEDVEGAS, she held leadership roles at some of the most popular hotels and attractions in the world, including Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Mandalay Bay, Hilton International Taipei and Sundance Helicopters. Most recently, Mueller successfully led group and corporate sales efforts at Four Seasons Hotels in Las Vegas and Sydney, Australia,

Grant Blakeman, director of regional sales, brings 20 years of Las Vegas tourism industry experience to SPEEDVEGAS. Before joining SPEEDVEGAS, he served as executive vice president of Detours of Nevada, a travel company specializing in guided tours of the American Southwest’s most iconic destinations, including the Grand Canyon; Sedona, Arizona; Death Valley National Park and others. Prior to working in tourism, Blakeman became a decorated veteran after serving in the Army, Army National Guard and the Air Force.

The final dates for the 2016 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season have been set as the series gears up to kick off during DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in two weeks.

In all, the 2016 season will feature 91 races at 54 different tracks in 25 states and one Canadian province. Four tracks will be making inaugural appearances on the schedule while another 11 return after absences.

For the first time since 2005, the World of Outlaws heads to Colorado as it takes on El Paso County Raceway in Calhan, Colorado, on Wednesday, September 14. It is the first time the series has ever taken on the quarter-mile track, 35 miles east of Colorado Springs.

Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen, S.D., returns to the series schedule for the first time since 1985. The Outlaws take on the high-banked, third-mile bullring on Sunday, June 19. The last time the World of Outlaws was at Brown County, Sammy Swindell edged Steve Kinser to take the win.

“With the schedule now set and just a few days remaining before DIRTcar Nationals we are excited to get the 2016 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season underway,” said World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Director Carlton Reimers. “Traditional favorites and new blockbuster events are sure to add another exciting chapter to the nearly 40 year history of the series.”

The 2016 season kicks off on Friday, February 12 at Volusia Speedway Park for DIRTcar Nationals. That is the first of three nights at the half-mile track in Barberville, Florida.

2016 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Schedule

Date, Track, Location

Feb. 12, Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Feb. 14, Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Feb. 26, Cotton Bowl Speedway, Paige, Texas

Feb. 27, Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas

March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nev.

March 4, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nev.

March 6, Arizona Raceway, Queen Creek, Ariz.

March 11, Thunderbowl Raceway, Tulare, Calif.

March 12, Thunderbowl Raceway, Tulare, Calif.

March 18, Stockton Dirt Track, Stockton, Calif.

March 19, Stockton Dirt Track, Stockton, Calif.

March 23, Placerville Speedway, Placerville, Calif.

April 1, Ocean Speedway, Watsonville, Calif.

April 2, Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, Calif.

April 9, Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga, Calif.

April 10, Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga, Calif.

April 15, Bakersfield Speedway, Bakersfield, Calif.

April 16, Perris Auto Speedway, Perris, Calif.

April 18, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz.

April 22, Devil's Bowl Speedway, Mesquite, Texas

April 23, Devil's Bowl Speedway, Mesquite, Texas

April 26, I-30 Speedway, Little Rock, Ark.

April 29, Salina Highbanks Speedway, Salina, Okla.

April 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, Pevely, Mo.

May 4, Jacksonville Speedway, Jacksonville, Ill.

May 6, Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio

May 7, Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio

May 13, Plymouth Speedway, Plymouth, Ind.

May 14, Tri-State Speedway, Haubstadt, Ind.

May 18, Lincoln Speedway, Abbottstown, Pa.

May 20, Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

May 21, Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

May 22, Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, N.Y.

May 24, New Egypt Speedway, New Egypt, N.J.

May 27, The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.

May 30, Lawrenceburg Speedway, Lawrenceburg, Ind.

June 3, Fremont Speedway, Fremont, Ohio

June 4, I-96 Speedway, Lake Odessa, Mich.

June 8, Lincoln Park Speedway, Putnamville, Ind.

June 10, Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, Iowa

June 11, Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, Iowa

June 14, Granite City Speedway, Sauk Rapids, Minn.

June 17, River Cities Speedway, Grand Forks, N.D.

June 19, Brown County Speedway, Aberdeen, S.D.

June 22, I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, Neb.

June 24, Jackson Motorplex, Jackson, Minn.

June 25, Beaver Dam Raceway, Beaver Dam, Wis.

July 2, Badlands Motor Speedway, Brandon, S.D.

July 3, Badlands Motor Speedway, Brandon, S.D.

July 8, Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, Wis.

July 9, Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, Wis.

July 12, Attica Raceway Park, Attica, Ohio

July 14, Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio

July 15, Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio

July 16, Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio

July 19, Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, Pa.

July 19, Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, Pa.

July 22, Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

July 23, Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

July 26, Ohsweken Speedway, Ohsweken, Ontario

July 29, Hartford Speedway, Hartford, Ohio

July 30, Wilmot Raceway, Wilmot, Wis.

Aug. 5, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, Pevely, Mo.

Aug. 6, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, Pevely, Mo.

Aug. 10, Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, Iowa

Aug. 11, Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, Iowa

Aug. 12, Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, Iowa

Aug. 13, Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, Iowa

Aug. 16, Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, Neb.

Aug. 19, Badlands Motor Speedway, Brandon, S.D.

Aug. 21, Badlands Motor Speedway, Brandon, S.D.

Aug. 26, River Cities Speedway, Grand Forks, N.D.

Aug. 28, Nodak Speedway, Minot, N.D.

Sept. 2, Skagit Speedway, Alger, Wash.

Sept. 3, Skagit Speedway, Alger, Wash.

Sept. 5, Grays Harbor Raceway, Elma, Wash.

Sept. 7, Williamette Speedway, Lebanon, Ore.

Sept. 9, Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, Calif.

Sept. 10, Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, Calif.

Sept. 14, El Paso County Raceway, Calhan, Colo.

Sept. 16, Clay County Fairgrounds, Spencer, Iowa

Sept. 17, U.S. 36 Raceway, Osborn, Mo.

Sept. 23, Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio

Sept. 24, Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, Pa.

Sept. 29, Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Sept. 30, Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Oct. 1, Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Oct. 8, Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, Elbridge, N.Y.

Oct. 15, Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, Pa.

Oct. 28, The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.

Oct. 29, The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.

The USAC Midwest Thunder Midget Series announced its plans for the season, featuring affordable production automotive and motorcycle-based engine rules.

The series will offer racing against full fields of cars with members competing for USAC points series recognition including the opportunity for the series champion to attend the USAC Banquet in Indianapolis next December.

The series will focus on two Midwest race facilities known for their commitment to open wheel, non-wing racing: Montpelier Motor Speedway in Indiana and Waynesfield Raceway Park in Ohio with additional facilities a possibility.

The USAC Midwest Thunder Midget Series is led by the project team that administered the USAC Midwest HPD series in 2015 and co-sanctioned a series of races with area mini sprint associations at Indiana’s Plymouth Speedway as well as Ohio venues at Waynesfield Raceway Park, Limaland Motorsports Park, Atomic Speedway, and Jackson County Speedway.

Montpelier Motor Speedway is well known in open wheel racing circles as the home of the Montpelier Midget Series and, in 2016, will host a USAC National Midget Series’ “Indiana Midget Week” event as well as a USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series race. Since 2012, the track has offered an inclusive rules package that permitted national midgets, “D2″-style midgets with production automotive engines, and mini sprints to compete side-by-side. In partnership with the track, the USAC MTM Series will bring a unique “race within a race” format for 2016. USAC MTM-legal cars will compete at ten of the Montpelier Midget Series races, running a practice, heat, a B-Main (if needed), and an A-Main against all midget entrants and will be eligible for standard purse payouts. However, each night’s program will also feature a USAC “Shootout” race, limited to MTM cars only, in which USAC points will be earned and additional bonuses will be paid to top finishers.

Waynesfield Raceway Park as committed to a four race “Thunder and Lightning” series as the USAC MTM cars will compete against the track’s American Mini Sprint Association Lightning mini sprints. A standard race format will apply (Heats and Feature) with all USAC members (both auto and motorcycle-based) receiving points for their finishes. The race will be open to all mini-sprints that meet AMSA rules.

AFCO Performance Group, an Indiana-based specialty manufacturer of automotive racing and high-performance suspension, brakes, cooling, and exhaust products, announced that it has hired Dale Raber as a Sales Engineer. 

Raber brings nearly 17 years of racing experience, including several national championships and over 100 feature USAC wins as crew chief at the national level. In his new role, Raber will team up with longtime AFCO shock specialist Adam Waters to launch and oversee AFCO’s new quarter midget program. 

AFCO’s engineering team, along with Dale Raber, Adam Waters, and Donald Brackett, recently joined forces with the open wheel experts at Eagle Motorsports, including Rick Hench, Brian Schnee, and Jason Martin, to design and develop a new generation of quarter midget race cars. AFCO will become a full-service quarter midget shop for families seeking to compete at local and national levels.

“We’re very excited to have Dale join our team in Indiana. Dale is well respected in quarter midget racing,” said Jeff Scales, President of AFCO Performance Group. “He has tremendous expertise in car set-up and driver development. His attention to detail and innovation is well known throughout the country. Dale and Adam, along with our extensive engineering and fabrication teams, will make a great combination supporting those select race teams looking to compete at the front of the field.”

“I am very excited to be joining an industry leader and to be able to provide further advancement to the quarter midget racing community,” said Dale Raber. “I look forward to working with families around the country that are looking for a safe and fast quarter midget racecar of world-class caliber.”

AFCO’s new quarter midget program is set to launch in early spring of 2016. For more information, contact AFCO at 800-632-2320, ext. 6210 or 6244.

The Trans Am Race Company has announced Hoosier Racing Tire will return as the Official Tire of the Trans Am Series for the 2016 Trans Am Championship, joining America’s Road Racing Series as Trans Am celebrates its 50th Anniversary.  

Hoosier Racing Tire, based in Lakeville, Indiana, will serve as the designated spec tire manufacturer for all Trans Am classes throughout the duration of the season including TA, TA2, and TA3 along with the recently introduced TA4 and TA5 classes.  

“Hoosier Racing Tire has produced some incredible products for the Series and our competitors,” said John Clagett, President of The Trans Am Race Company. “From custom built tires for the TA class, the bias ply in TA2, the DOT in TA3 and TA4 and the racing slicks for TA5, we’re confident in Hoosier’s ability to produce tires that not only withstand the grueling environment that is a Trans Am race but excel. Having Hoosier as a partner has helped Trans Am grow to its current levels, and we’re looking forward to continuing that partnership into 2016.”

“We are extremely pleased to extend our agreement with the Trans Am Series,” stated Bruce Foss, Hoosier Tire Circuit Racing Business Unit Manager. “The relationship as Trans Am’s official tire partner continues to flourish alongside the amazing growth of this great series. As the sole tire manufacturer, Hoosier is very proud to supply the variety of tire specifications required for all five classes.”

Hoosier’s diversified products will be displayed throughout the multiclass format of the modern day Trans Am Series, including the bias ply tire that featured in TA2’s assent to one of the most popular classes in all of road racing—where Trans Am and Hoosier’s partnership began.

The relationship between The Trans Am Race Company and Hoosier Racing Tire dates back to 2013 when the manufacturer provided tires for the TA2 class exclusively. Hoosier’s high level of performance in 2013 and 2014 saw them become the Official Tire of the Trans Am Series for the 2015 season. Hoosier continued its efforts in 2015, developing new road course, speedway, and molded rain tires for the TA class—further solidifying the relationship between the two entities.  

“With Hoosier we know that each tire, no matter how different they are, is going to be of the quality you expect from their name,” continued Clagett. “Hoosier doesn’t just make tires; they making racing tires. It’s all they do, day in and day out, and with that comes expertise and knowledge that we at Trans Am find invaluable.  The consistency of their product over the past three years has been nothing short of first class, and we expect that trend to continue into 2016. ”

The 2016 Championship Season will commence for both Trans Am and Hoosier in just over a month on Saturday, March 5 at Sebring International Raceway.

The blueprint for the 2016 AMSOIL USAC-CRA Sprint Car Series schedule has plans for a 24-race schedule that includes 20 races in California with events at eight different venues and two separate stops in the state of Arizona.

The season launches at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway on March 5 with the Sokola Shootout with the first of 12 USAC-CRA appearances at the southern California half-mile dirt oval throughout the season. Other dates at Perris include April 16, May 28, June 11, July 2, July 30, Aug. 27, Sept. 24, Oct. 15, concluding with the prestigious 21st running of the Oval Nationals with the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars.

The series will make stops at Ventura Raceway on May 7 and Santa Maria Raceway on July 1. In September, the series hits the road for the California Sprint Week series that includes a rigorous schedule of six races in an eight-day span starting off with two nights at Calistoga Speedway on Sept. 3-4, before moving to Petaluma Speedway on Sept. 5. After a two-day break, the teams head to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico on Sept. 8, Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Sept. 9 and conclude on Sept. 10 at Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds.

The USAC-CRA series makes two trips to the state of Arizona in 2016. First, the series travels to Canyon Speedway in Peoria for back-to-back nights of racing on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. The season’s penultimate events are the Western World Championships at Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek for two events in consecutive nights with the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series.

2016 AMSOIL USAC-CRA Sprint Car Series Schedule

Date – Venue – Location

March 5 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, Calif.
April 16 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, Calif.
May 7 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, Calif.
May 28 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, Calif.
June 11 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, Calif.
July 1 – Santa Maria Speedway – Santa Maria, Calif.
July 2 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, Calif.
July 30 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, Calif.
Aug. 27 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, Calif.
Sept. 3-4 – Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, Calif.
Sept. 5 – Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, Calif.
Sept. 8 – Silver Dollar Speedway – Chico, Calif.
Sept. 9 – Ocean Speedway – Watsonville, Calif.
Sept. 10 – Keller Auto Speedway – Hanford, Calif.
Sept. 24 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, Calif.
Sept. 30-Oct. 1 – Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, Ariz.
Oct. 15 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, Calif.
Nov. 4-5 – Arizona Speedway – Queen Creek, Ariz. (w/USAC National Sprints)
Nov. 10-12 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, Calif. (w/USAC National Sprints)