The International Motor Sports Association and Al Kamel Systems—a company based in Barcelona, Spain, specializing in motorsports Timekeeping, TV graphics and IT services—announced a partnership that will bring new timing and scoring software and technology applications to IMSA-sanctioned series.

IMSA joins an impressive group of international motorsports organizations using Al Kamel Systems technology including the FIA Formula E Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship, 24 Hours of Le Mans, European Le Mans Series and Ferrari Challenge among others.

“Al Kamel Systems’ proven track record of excellence in international road racing was attractive to IMSA as we looked to improve the functionality and expansion capability of our timing and scoring systems,” said IMSA Vice President of Competition Simon Hodgson. “This new technology will pay dividends in many different applications, and will improve the overall quality of how our data is packaged and distributed.”

The software and technology provided by Al Kamel Systems will greatly enhance both the level of detail and look and feel of data used by Race Control, television, the media and race fans via the live timing mechanism on IMSA.com. It works in tandem with the MYLAPS timing system already being used by IMSA and will offer a wide array of reports and information for a variety of different applications across the sport.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership with IMSA, one of the most important sports car championships of the international motorsport scene,” said José Luís García, General Manager of Al Kamel Systems. “It is fantastic to see Al Kamel Systems operating in the United States with such an established partner, and we are so proud to provide our know how in Timing & Scoring as a contribution for the IMSA brand and product.”

Al Kamel Systems software and applications will be rolled out gradually in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and other IMSA-sanctioned series prior to full implementation in the 2017 season.

BMW Motorsport revealed the liveries for its M6 GTLMs that will compete in IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship during an unveiling Wednesday morning at Daytona International Speedway.

History once again is the central theme for the German brand. No. 25 is being retained in deference to its use with the BMW 3.0 CSL that won the marque's first race in for the North American factory team in 1975. No. 100 is being used as part of BMW's 100-year anniversary celebrations that will continue through 2016. The No. 100 also features a reflective matrix design that looks spectacular under the lights; the No. 25 uses a photo montage of iconic BMW racecars on the sides and the roof of the twin-turbo V8 coupe.

"We wanted to do something special," said BMW's Victor Leleu. "We went with the historical colors for BMW, but went with two different approaches. 25 links back to the early CSLs; the car that is the genesis for BMW Motorsport and won at Sebring in 1975. Going back to this number is very symbolic. The car is a photo frame for the cars and models races here in the US.”

BMW's centennial celebration activities, according to Leleu, and the corresponding matrix livery on the No. 100, will be explained in the coming weeks.

"On the other end of the spectrum is car 100," he continued. "Thankfully, IMSA granted us permission to use No. 100 this year. This is the future. The [matrix] pattern you see will be significant after March 7 this year."

Barney Hall, long known for his work as a commentator with the Motor Racing Network, passed away Tuesday due to complications from a recent medical procedure. He was 83 years old.

Hall began his broadcast career in the 1950s working at local radio stations in North Carolina.
Hall joined the Motor Racing Network first as a turn announcer and then moved to the booth in the late 1970s.

Hall called NASCAR events from MRN’s booth for more than 50 years, before retiring on July 5, 2014 following the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. In 2013, the NASCAR Hall of Fame created the Squier-Hall Award for Media Excellence, naming Hall and Ken Squier as the inaugural recipients.

Hall’s NASCAR broadcast career began almost by accident. The recipient of free tickets as a local radio personality, he started attending races in the late 1950s. He called his first Daytona 500 in 1960, and was offered $75 for a weekend of public address duties at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway months later.

That led to a job with what was known as the Daytona 500 Network, operating out of WNDB in Daytona Beach, Florida—a forerunner of the Motor Racing Network.

“First and foremost, I want to offer our most sincere condolences to the longtime love of Barney’s life and best friend for more than 35 years, Karen Carrier, and their families on Barney’s passing,” said NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley. “Barney’s accomplishments and contributions to NASCAR are immeasurable and without parallel. Covering NASCAR for nearly 55 years through seven decades, he became known by millions as ‘The Voice of NASCAR.’ He was that recognizable voice that you would hear with every broadcast. You may not have known the face, which he would joke with his ever-present wit that it was ‘made for radio,’ but his voice was unmistakable.

“Whether you met him or not, you felt like you knew him. His easy, conversational delivery made you feel like you were listening to one of your closest friends or relatives tell you a story—the story of the very NASCAR race he was describing. He could paint a picture that would make Picasso or Rembrandt proud and tell a story that would awe Hemingway or Twain. He was not just a trusted voice to listeners and race fans, he became what many believe is the most trusted journalist in NASCAR by the sport’s competitors for decades. Barney has also tutored dozens of broadcasters throughout his career, many of whom you hear on the air today on both radio and television.

“Barney achieved one of the ultimate compliments for his life’s work and honored his commitment to NASCAR when the sport named the award for media excellence presented annually at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony after him and another legendary broadcaster and former colleague, Ken Squier. Hall and Squier were the inaugural recipients of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence in 2013. NASCAR has lost its most recognizable voice and one of the greatest broadcasters ever of any sport; and I have lost one of my dearest friends. His legacy and legendary calls of NASCAR racing will live in our minds, our archives and at the NASCAR Hall of Fame forever.”

Toyo Tires has announced plans to expand its motorsports commitment ahead of the 2016 season.

During the 2015 racing season, Team Toyo’s Kyle LeDuc was crowned Pro 4 Class Champion in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series , making him back-to-back champ. His 900-horsepower No. 99 Monster Energy/Toyo Tires Ford F-150 relied on Toyo Open Country M/T-R tires for a record-breaking 12-wins-in-a-row.

On the asphalt, Toyo Tires engineers collaborated with Flying Lizard Motorsports to develop new Toyo Proxes Slicks for road racing.  The result, an overall win at North America’s longest endurance racing event – the USAF 25-Hours of Thunderhill. In both dry and wet conditions, the No. 45 Toyo Tires / Flying Lizard Audi R8 LMS covered a distance of 1,973 miles in 690 laps and finished with a winning margin of 35 laps over the second place finisher.

Championship-winning racers, Robby Gordon, B.J. Baldwin and Kyle LeDuc will continue to lead Team Toyo in off-road racing in 2016.  Between the three, championships have been won for Toyo Tires in SCORE Int’l Off-Road Racing, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, Best In The Desert and Stadium SUPER Trucks.  Significant overall wins have also included the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 races in SCORE Int’l Off-Road Racing.

Joining Team Toyo this season are Baja 1000 winner, Gustavo Vildósola Jr., and 2015 Stadium SUPER Truck series champion Sheldon Creed. During Vildósola’s first outing on Toyo Open Country M/T-R tires in December, he won overall in the Henderson 250 Best In The Desert off-road race in Nevada.  He will drive his trophy truck in both SCORE Int’l and Best In The Desert off-road races.  The youngest driver of Team Toyo at 18, Creed competed in the Dakar rally earlier this month with Robby Gordon and will race in the full 2016 SST season, and in select LOORRS races.

Toyo Tires recently renewed its longtime partnership with National Auto Sport Association (NASA), extending its coverage of the series through the 2020 racing season.  Since 2002, Toyo Tires has been the official tire of NASA, its Proxes line of competition tires being spec for numerous classes.

The Toyo Proxes RR two-groove DOT competition tire can be found in classes including: Spec Miata, Spec Iron, Honda Challenge, Spec E30, the recently added Spec Z, and the revolutionary new NASA Prototype (NP01).

In addition to NASA, PCA (Porsche Club of America) road racers now have an additional class where Toyo Tires is the spec tire.  For 2016, Spec Cayman (SPC class) now uses the Toyo Proxes RS1 full slick competition tire which has proven itself in NASA Pro Racing, and in 24-hour races such as Nürburgring, Spa and Dubai.

Toyo Tires is also presenting sponsor of The Cadillac Challenge, the first and only race series exclusively for Cadillac.

“Toyo Tires prides itself on delivering race-winning technology accessible to both professional and amateur racers,” said Amy Coleman, senior director of marketing, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.  “Whether using our Open Country products for off-road racing, or Proxes tires in road racing, teams and competitors can count on a Toyo Tires product to deliver both durability and podium results.”

The Neal Tire MOWA Sprint Car Series presented by Casey’s General Stores has announced that Racing Optics will be a series sponsor during the 2016 season.

Racing Optics is a manufacturer of laminated tearoff systems for all forms of motorsports. MOWA drivers and racers worldwide rely on laminated tearoffs from Racing Optics to safely perform at the highest levels.

Unlike a single piece tearoff, the Racing Optics SpeedStack is a complex optical device having all of the characteristics found on a camera lens or telescope and uses only the highest quality “optical grade” Mylar.

“Our drivers rely on the high quality of Racing Optics each and every lap we race during a season,” said MOWA President Jeremy Standridge. “In a sprint car, vision is everything and the Racing Optics tearoffs allow the driver to focus on racing while maintaining great vision. We couldn’t put on a show without them.”

Red Bull Global Rallycross will take its revolutionary action to multiple new markets this year, while also returning to popular locations as part of the championship schedule announced Tuesday.

The 12-race schedule spans from May to October and will once again be broadcast on the NBC family of networks, with a majority of Supercar action broadcast live on NBC.

“Once again, we are proud to unveil a unique new schedule for the latest Red Bull Global Rallycross season,” said Red Bull GRC CEO Colin Dyne. “We’re incredibly excited to bring our high-octane brand of motorsport to multiple new locations, as well as maintaining some of our most popular stops and returning to a fan favorite market in Seattle. We think that this year’s events will once again raise the bar and produce some of our most exciting action yet.”

For its sixth year, Red Bull GRC again takes racing to the fans with purpose-built racetracks in unexpected settings convenient to major markets. The series’ tracks feature a mix of dirt and pavement, as well as a signature 70-foot jump. At each round, star drivers in 600-horsepower Supercars battle through multiple heats, semifinals, and a last chance qualifier for a spot in the winner-take-all main event. Open paddocks at every race allow fans to get up close to the drivers and cars.

This year’s slate builds on the series’ success, with new courses that are longer and faster than ever before. Recent seasons have seen the series hold events in urban locations including Los Angeles and Washington DC, as well as the first championship race ever held at an active military installation. Once again, doubleheaders will prove crucial to the championship, with the season kicking off with a brand new doubleheader event in Phoenix.  Three more will follow throughout the season, concluding with the series’ signature doubleheader event in Los Angeles.

2016 Red Bull Global Rallycross Schedule:

Date – Location

May 21 – Phoenix

May 22 – Phoenix

June 4 – Dallas

June 18 – Daytona Beach, Fla.

June 19 – Daytona Beach, Fla.

July 2 – The Base

July 3 – The Base

July 30 – Washington, D.C.

Aug. 28 – TBA

Sept. 17 – Seattle

Oct. 8 – Los Angeles

Oct. 9 – Los Angeles

NHRA’s competition committee has announced that the longstanding one-percent back-up policy to certify national record performances in the NHRA Mello Yello Series, J&A Service Pro Mod Series, and Lucas Oil Series Alcohol categories will no longer be required at NHRA Drag Racing Series events starting in 2016.

Under this new policy, NHRA teams who post performances for elapsed time and speed that are quicker or faster than the existing national records at any time during any national event, will be eligible for the national record. The driver holding the record at the conclusion of the race will be credited with the record. As is currently the case with all national speed records and Alcohol elapsed time records, points will no longer be awarded for elapsed time national records.

“The one-percent policy was adopted during the early development stages of the timing system and wasn’t as reliable as the technology that we are fortunate to have in race control today,” said Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president of racing operations. “We will still examine every national record run to make sure the incremental numbers support the performance, in addition to inspecting every vehicle for compliance with class requirements.”

Below are the current national records for each NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series category:

Top Fuel

E.T.:  3.680 sec. by Antron Brown, Aug. '15, Brainerd, Minn.

Speed: 332.75 mph by Spencer Massey, Aug. ’15, Brainerd, Minn.

Funny Car

E.T.:  3.884 sec. by Jack Beckman, Nov. '15, Pomona, Calif.

Speed:  331.45 mph by Matt Hagan, Nov. ’15, Pomona, Calif.

Pro Stock

E.T.:  6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March '15, Charlotte, N.C.

Speed:  215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ‘14, Englishtown N.J.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

E.T.:  6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. '12, Mohnton, Pa.

Speed:  199.88 mph by Hector Arana Jr., March '15, Charlotte, N.C.

The 24-race 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series opens February 11–14 with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. The tradition-rich event will be televised on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) with a three-hour Sunday finals show starting at 5 p.m. (ET).

For ticket information, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or purchase your tickets online at www.nhra.com/tickets.  

The first quarter of the year is an excellent time in the annual racing industry calendar to take stock of various aspects of the business, and look for areas to improve the bottom line. I'd like to use this space to share some thoughts on key issues to review.

The first issues are sales and promotion. It's been mentioned before in this column that too many racing businesses rely on their knowledge of speed, and results on the race track, as the big generator of new customers and revenue. We agree that the success of a small racing business begins here, but we've always argued that one of the fastest ways to increase revenue without padding overhead is to simply be better at selling. Look for ways to raise the average value of each sale. This may involve new, in-depth sales training. Is everyone doing a good job exploring all the issues in resolving a sale, including identifying and answering objectives? When a prospect says, "No," that's when a skilled salesperson checks in. Are necessary auxiliary products encouraged to be part of the sale? Add-on sales help with the revenue picture, and often help with customer convenience. Is everyone involved in sales ready to close? Some people new to sales fail at the end of a presentation when they can't quite ask for the order. The old saying still works, "Close early, and close often." If additional resources are needed, from books on selling to seminars, consider them as a potential investment.

When it comes to promotion, the question is, "Are you telling your story?" There's a complex, multi-dimensional media world available to you; are you taking advantage of all of it? Does the website need to be updated with current customer success stories? Are e-newsletters to customers being distributed on a regular basis, and does the open rate remain strong? Is social media a regular part of the work week when it comes to promotion—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube? At PRI, we strongly believe in print promotion, from advertising in publications to postcards and brochures. These still grab attention in a big way, and can place your message before customers who don't know about your business. Make sure your marketing strategy includes chasing after all the customers you don't currently have! In particular, look for market segments outside of your specialty. You may have a surprising amount to sell to customers in different race vehicles than your primary market.

Finally, look for ways to lower overhead. From shipping to overtime, there can be a lot of areas in a small business where money is frittered away due to a lack of planning or discipline. Is there a more streamlined approach to completing tasks? Is there an expense category that seems to be growing every year, but has never been addressed? Here’s an area where a good accountant can be of real value. This is also an area where you should actively seek advice from your employees.

Sometimes, in the racing business, the biggest challenge has nothing to do with speed, and almost everything to do with the tough, day-to-day challenges of running a small business. Our advice is to take time now to review the business thoroughly, and plan to tune things up before the busy time hits.

Five of NASCAR’s iconic figures—four drivers and one motorsports entrepreneur—were enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, during the Induction Ceremony held in the Crown Ball Room at the Charlotte Convention Center.
 
Those who added their names to the list of now 35 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees, included: Jerry Cook, Bobby Isaac, Terry Labonte, O. Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner.
 
The group makes up the Hall’s seventh class in its history.
 
Jerry Cook made his name in the modified division, winning six NASCAR Modified championships, including four consecutively from 1974-77. He joins his rival from his hometown of Rome, New York, Richie Evans, as only the second Hall of Fame driver whose career wasn’t connected to NASCAR’s premier series. Cook won 342 NASCAR Modified races in 1,474 starts. Upon his retirement, Cook stayed with the sport and helped shape the series known today as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. He served as the series’ director and also served as NASCAR’s competition administrator.
 
“For me, it’s always been NASCAR,” Cook said. “I’ve spent my entire life in the greatest sport in the world and to be honored in this way—tonight—to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with the greatest names in the sport—is the pinnacle of my career.”
 
One of NASCAR’s original speedsters, Bobby Isaac captured 19 poles in 1969—a mark that still stands as the record for poles in a single season. His 49 career poles are the 10th-most all time. More than just a strong qualifier, Isaac won the 1970 premier series championship by posting 11 victories, 32 top fives and 38 top 10s in 47 starts. His 37 career wins rank 19th on NASCAR’s all-time list.
 
“He died at the age of 45 doing what he loved to do,” said Isaac’s former spouse, Patsy Isaac. “But he died way too soon. Bobby would’ve loved this honor.”  
 
Terry Labonte raced his way to two NASCAR premier series championships, the first in 1984, and the second in 1996. The Texan’s 12-year gap between titles is the longest in NASCAR history. A consummate professional, Labonte earned the moniker “Iron Man” thanks to his 655 consecutive starts in NASCAR’s premier series, a record which stood until 2002. Labonte won 22 races, bookended by Southern 500 victories in 1980 and 2003. His 361 top-10 finishes ranks 10th all time.

“Before, I’d be introduced as a two-time champion,” Labonte said. “Now I’ll be introduced as a NASCAR Hall of Famer. And I think that’s a whole lot cooler.”
 
O. Bruton Smith finished building Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1960, the facility that became the foundation of his Speedway Motorsports Inc. empire, which currently owns eight NASCAR tracks hosting 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and additional high-profile motorsports activities. He made SMI the first motorsports company to be traded at the New York Stock Exchange when he took it public in 1995. Smith is the founder of Sonic Automotive group and is active in child-related causes with his philanthropic foundation, Speedway Children’s Charities.
 
“I appreciate you all coming. I hope you have a great season, a great racing season,” Smith said. “I’m delighted and I’m glad to be a part of the (Hall of Fame) here, this is great.”
 
Nicknamed the “Babe Ruth of stock car racing” for his big-time personality and talent, NASCAR pioneer Curtis Turner remains the only premier series driver to win two consecutive races from the pole leading every lap. Turner notched 17 wins, 54 top fives and 73 top 10s in 184 starts. He is the only driver to win a NASCAR premier series race in a Nash and tallied 38 victories in 79 NASCAR Convertible Division events. In 1972, NASCAR Founder Bill France said, “Curtis Turner was the greatest race car driver I have ever seen.”
 
“At day’s end and chats catching up, Daddy would always say, anything is possible,” said Turner’s daughter, Margaret Sue Turner Wright, who accepted on behalf of her father. “And it was, and for us, so it is.”
 
Each of the five inductees had an inductor who officially welcomed them into the hall. The inductors for the five inductees: Robin Pemberton for Jerry Cook; Randy Isaac (son) for Bobby Isaac; Kristy Labonte Garrett (daughter) for Terry Labonte; Darrell Waltrip for Bruton Smith; and Leonard Wood for Curtis Turner.
 
Active drivers introduced each inductee during tonight’s program: Tony Stewart for Jerry Cook; Ryan Newman for Bobby Isaac; Kyle Busch for Terry Labonte; Brad Keselowski for Bruton Smith; and Kevin Harvick for Curtis Turner.
 
In addition to the five inductees enshrined on Saturday afternoon, Harold Brasington was honored as the second recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
 
Brasington, who believed in the potential of Bill France’s fledgling NASCAR business, architected Darlington Raceway in his hometown of Darlington, South Carolina. After completing the project, he expected 10,000 fans to show up at the track, but instead 25,000 spectators showed up for the inaugural Southern 500 – NASCAR’s first 500-mile race. The race turned out to be a mega-event that is still run to this day. After building Darlington, Brasington helped create Charlotte Motor Speedway and North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham.
 
Prior to today’s Induction Ceremony, long-time NASCAR broadcaster Steve Byrnes was bestowed the fifth Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.
 
Byrnes’s motorsports broadcasting career spanned more than three decades. He most recently served as the play-by-play announcer for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on FS1 and was the network’s co-host of NASCAR Race Hub. Last April, Byrnes passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Throughout his career, Byrnes provided mentorship for countless young broadcasters and provided race fans with quality insight and entertainment as a pit reporter for CBS, TNN, TBS and FOX.

Irwindale Event Center announced its 2016 Speedway and Dragstrip schedules. 

"We're very excited about being back for 2016," IEC President/CEO Jim Cohan said. "Our fans have been great and very patient, and we hope that they'll have a wonderful time with all of the exciting motor-entertainment that we've got lined up for them this season. And the same goes for all of the competitors and crews that put on the show. They've been very understanding and loyal, and we couldn't have asked for more."

The 2016 Speedway competition schedule started January 23 with the track's own Irwindale Race Trucks division during "Night of Destruction presented by Pick Your Part" with 11 more action-packed nights of NASCAR competition featuring everything from Late Models to Mini-Stocks with a "Special Event" K&N Pro Series West race on March 19 to the 18th Late Model race on July 16. NASCAR Late Models, Irwindale Race Trucks, Super Stocks and Mini-Stocks will all be featured divisions along with Legend Cars, Bandoleros, Southwest Tour Trucks and Racecar Factory Spec Late Models (formerly "S2 Tour"). A Spears SRL Southwest Tour event will share the card with the Lucas Oil Modifieds on April 30.
 
And there are three more nights of fearsome fun that everyone knows as "Night of Destruction presented by Pick Your Part" on March 12, May 7 and July 2. These wild slam-bang events are fan favorites and combine skill, daring and sheet metal in various types of mechanized contests that has to be seen to be believed—from Enduro Racing to Skid Plate Racing to Pick Your Part Compact Car Demolition Derbies to Trailer Racing and on to Auto Soccer with a 400-pound steel ball.

Also, monthly Thursday Night Drift presented by Formula Drift returns on February 11. This event features the art of drifting in the facility that the competition themselves named "The House of Drift.”
 
On Irwindale's quick eighth-mile dragstrip, 27 more Thursday nights of NHRA Street Legal Drag Racing will see drivers having a ball running their own cars for times and bragging rights. "Thursday Night Thunder" is just that and races run there every Thursday through the end of July. To fans, racers (or both), drag racing is exciting stuff especially with only 660 feet to get it done.
 
And for the serious Drag Racers, there's the six-race NHRA Summit Series. It’s four highly competitive divisions of racing for an annual points championship and a chance to move on to the next level for high scorers. "Summit Sundays" kick off on February 28 and run through July 24.