The Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) recently welcomed its newest marketing team member, Will Smith.

Smith will work alongside entertainment veteran production and marketing executive Shawna Brakefield, also recently hired to expand PDRA’s marketing and promotional efforts. Smith will work closely with PDRA sponsors in fulfillment and engagement, as well as further race promotions and branding.



Smith grew up in drag racing and has been involved with the sport both professionally and as a hobby for many years. For the past three years, Smith has served as Marketing Manager at Speedtech.



Smith, who hails from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, bracket races on the weekends when not working other racing events, and is familiar with every aspect of racing, from driver and crewman to sponsor relations and team management. Smith earned his degree in Marketing from the University of Alabama.



The 2016 PDRA Tour kicks off in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Tulsa Raceway Park, March 10-12.

The NMCA Competition Team announced the VP Racing Fuels Xtreme Pro Mod class, featuring fast and unique doorslammers. Competing on the eighth-mile drag strip, these machines represent old school and modern muscle cars but with a twist. They are chopped, channeled and scaled down to go along with the nitrous-injected, blown or turbocharged engine combinations.

“The decision to change the Pro Mod class was made after lots of discussion with our valued racers and it fits within our ProPledge commitment to do what’s best for our series,” said Dave Werremeyer, Technical & Communication Director. “We’re all looking forward to the thrilling runs, close racing and intense competition in this class.”

“The Pro Modified class has evolved from the legal realm to the far end of the spectrum with little-to-no-limitations,” said NMCA General Manager Rollie Miller.

Werremeyer continued, “We’re planting ourselves firmly in the middle by allowing the racers to have fun without being handcuffed. The new VP Racing Fuels Xtreme Pro Mod class has its roots in the Pro Mod world but with an outlaw twist to it, similar to several popular 1/8th mile shootouts around the country.”

Payout for VP Racing Fuels Xtreme Pro Mod winners will be $5000 plus contingency. Past NMCA Pro Mod winners have earned well above $7000, with some close to $9000, when payouts and contingency are combined.

NMCA entry fee for car/driver is $175 with no additional tech card fee. A Thursday test session at the season opener in Bradenton will be only $75 and will feature a prepped track. In addition, parking spots at all NMCA events are reserved for VP Racing Fuels Xtreme Pro Mod teams that notify the NMCA event team in advance. Finally, an NMCA official will visit every Xtreme Pro Mod pit space, before each round of qualifying and eliminations, to notify teams of class run time, pairing order and run order.

VP Racing Fuels Xtreme Pro Mod will be contested at all six NMCA events in 2016:

March 10-13
14th Annual Ross Racing Pistons NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem
Bradenton Motorsports Park, Bradenton, FL
 
April 7-10
8th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by Miller Welders
Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, GA
 
May 12-15
15th Annual NMCA Bluegrass Nationals
Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, KY
 
June 23-26
15th Annual NMCA All-American Nationals
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
 
July 28-31
11th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing
Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, IL
 
August 25-28
15th Annual NMCA World Street Finals
Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, OH

Officials from the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards have released the 2016 schedule for the Bill France Four Crown championship.

The Bill France Four Crown, which provides a link to the series' roots by featuring a diverse combination of tracks in any given season, will include the New Jersey Motorsports Park road course, the Lucas Oil Raceway short track, the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds dirt mile and Chicagoland Speedway.

"The Bill France Four Crown Award speaks to the very nature of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards," said ARCA President Ron Drager. "Considering our diverse schedule of superspeedways, short tracks, dirt ovals, and a road course, this award captures what our series is about.

"It also allows us to recognize our long standing respect and appreciation for the great leadership and professionalism Bill France Sr. contributed to ARCA, beginning in our formative years in the 1950s and continuing for decades."

Davey Allison won the first Bill France Four Crown championship in his rookie season in 1984. Ten-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel is the all-time Bill France Four Crown champion with seven titles (2013, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2002, 2001, 1998).

Bill France Four Crown points are distributed based on race finishing positions only.

Each season the Bill France Four Crown champion is honored on stage at the year-end awards banquet.

ARCA Bill France Four Crown Award Champions:

1984 - Davey Allison
1985 - Lee Raymond
1986 - Lee Raymond
1987 - Grant Adcox
1988 - Grant Adcox
1989 - Tracy Leslie
1990 - Bob Keselowski
1991 - Bobby Bowsher/Bill Venturini (Tie)
1992 - Bobby Bowsher
1993 - Bob Keselowski
1994 - Bob Hill
1995 - Harris DeVane
1996 - Tim Steele
1997 - Tim Steele
1998 - Frank Kimmel
1999 - Bill Baird
2000 - Tim Steele
2001 - Frank Kimmel
2002 - Frank Kimmel
2003 - Jason Jarrett
2004 - Brent Sherman
2005 - Frank Kimmel
2006 - Blake Bjorklund
2007 - Frank Kimmel
2008 - Frank Kimmel
2009 - Parker Kligerman
2010 - Joey Coulter
2011 - Chad McCumbee
2012 - Chris Buescher
2013 - Frank Kimmel
2014 - Grant Enfinger
2015 - Cunningham Motorsports (Kyle Weatherman/Blake Jones)

Speedway Motors is helping racers get a head start on the 2016 season with its fourth annual Racer Appreciation Day on Saturday, February 6, from 1-6 p.m.

In just four years, Speedway Motors’ Racer Appreciation Day has become a must-attend event for racers of all types from around the Midwest. The annual event combines a festive, open-house atmosphere with special discounted pricing that draws thousands to Speedway’s Lincoln, Nebraska, corporate campus.

More than just a sale, Racer Appreciation Day transforms a portion of the massive Speedway Motors warehouse into a showroom where hundreds of new and exclusive parts are on display for racers to see, with knowledgeable tech staff available to answer questions.

There’s also a wide selection of helmets and safety gear on hand, plus dressing rooms so racers can try on new suits to find the best fit. Speedway’s suspension services department is offering four free dyno sessions for shocks, springs or torsion bars, and there will be an expanded garage sale area with a great selection of closeout parts and drastically discounted deals.

To top it all off, guests will be treated to free food and refreshments, hundreds of chances to win great raffle prizes, plus free access to the incredible Smith Collection Museum of American Speed.

“Racer Appreciation Day is a tremendous way for Speedway Motors to show our support for local racers and to let them experience our expert, personalized service firsthand,” said Clay Smith, president of Speedway Motors. “We can think of no better way to help kick off a new racing season.”

For details on Speedway Motors’ 2016 Racer Appreciation Day, plus information on pre-ordering discounted parts, visit www.Speedwaymotors.com/Info/RAD.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course announced the promotion of Sonny Gee to the role of director of The Mid-Ohio School.


Gee has been with the school 13 years as fleet manager, overseeing the maintenance, safety and function of all vehicles for The Mid-Ohio School. In his role as director, Gee will manage day-to-day operations of The Mid-Ohio School for its 18 riding and driving programs.
 
"Sonny is a long-time valued employee of The Mid-Ohio School," said Craig Rust, president of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School. "He has been a loyal and hard-working member of the team for many years and his promotion is a reflection of the quality of his leadership, work ethic and performance. We look forward to his future with the school and are thrilled for him to have this opportunity."


"I am excited to embark on this new role," said Gee. "We have a great team in place and I look forward to carrying on the rich tradition of Mid-Ohio and contributing to its legacy with the support of American Honda, our main corporate sponsor, as well as our other important partners."


The Mid-Ohio School offers over a dozen different courses for beginners and veteran drivers alike. In 2016, the school will offer more than 100 course dates with registration beginning late February.
 
For more information and the view the course schedule, visit www.midohioschool.com.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series has become the preeminent development proving ground for the sport’s future stars.
 
The 27 races on the 2016 schedule—from New England to Southern California, and from Washington to Florida—provides a comprehensive slate of venues and events designed to test drivers and showcase the best and brightest for NASCAR fans.
 
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West schedules comprise of 14 points races for each championship. It is highlighted by the annual meeting in the Heartland for the combination race at Iowa Speedway on July 29.
 
Both calendars include some of the best short tracks in the United States, as well as several companion events with NASCAR’s three national series, and three road-course races in each series.
 
In addition to returns to iconic staples of the East and West, both schedules feature some exciting new events for 2016: New Jersey Motorsports Park, Alabama’s Mobile International Speedway and Virginia’s Dominion Raceway in the East, and West’s first trip to California’s Orange Show Speedway in more than 30 years.
 
The West slate also features the return of Douglas County Speedway in Oregon, as well as the first doubleheader weekend in series’ modern history with a pair of September races at Utah Motorsports Campus, formerly Miller Motorsports Park. The East celebrates the return to Connecticut’s historic Stafford Motor Speedway for the first time since 2008.
 
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will race at 13 different tracks in 12 states. Highlights of the 2016 schedule include:
 
• The championship season will kick off once again at Florida’s high-banked New Smyrna Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 14, and the champion will be crowned at The Monster Mile, Dover International Speedway, on Friday, Sept. 30.
• The series will be the centerpiece of the inaugural season of the brand-new Dominion Raceway, a .4-mile oval 25 minutes south of Fredericksburg, Virginia with a trip on Memorial Day (Monday, May 30).
• New Jersey will join New York’s Watkins Glen International and VIRginia International Raceway to give the schedule a trio of road-course venues.
• Stafford was a staple of the series’ early years as the NASCAR Busch North Series with 29 races in 22 years, and will be the second trip to New England for the series along with New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• The series will again race at two of NASCAR’s most venerable tracks with a pair of trips to South Carolina’s Greenville Pickens Speedway, and the July 2 event at Ohio’s Columbus Motor Speedway.
 
Highlights of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, which will race at 13 different tracks across eight states, include:
 
• The 2016 run will begin and end in California. The campaign will get underway in Southern California with a Saturday, March 19 race at Irwindale Speedway, just north of Los Angeles. And in a race that promises an electric atmosphere and fireworks before a traditionally sold-out crowd, the West will decide its champion on Saturday, Oct. 15, at All American Speedway, near Sacramento.
• In an unprecedented race weekend, the series will compete in two full championship races on Sept. 10-11 at Utah Motorsports Campus, the state-of-the-art road course 30 minutes southwest of Salt Lake City. The series ran at the track from 2007-2014 before it was closed temporarily last year. It is the first time the series will run back-to-back days since 1979, and first time since the series’ modern era began in 1971 that the two races in two days will be run at the same track.
• After successful inaugural events in 2015, Arizona’s Tucson Speedway and Idaho’s Meridian Speedway are again on the schedule and join series’ staples Kern County Raceway Park in California, Colorado National Speedway and Washington’s Evergreen Speedway.
• In addition to Utah’s two races, California’s Sonoma Raceway will be the third road course event as it hosts its 38th West race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend in June.
• Orange Show Speedway, the quarter-mile oval in San Bernardino, California, has been in continuous operation since 1947. It held eight West races between 1968 and ’78.
 
In addition to Iowa, Watkins Glen, New Hampshire and Dover, companion events for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series feature East stops at Bristol Motor Speedway, as well as the annual West race at Sonoma. The 27 races that make up the NASCAR K&N Pro East and West calendar will be contested on 26 different weekends.
 
NASCAR K&N Pro Series television broadcast schedules on NBCSN will be announced at a later date.



2016 NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES EAST SCHEDULE

Date, Track, Location

2/14, New Smyrna Speedway, New Smyrna, Fla.

3/12, Mobile International Speedway, Mobile, Ala.

3/26, Greenville Pickens Speedway, Greenville, S.C.

4/16, Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn.

4/30, VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, Va.

5/30, Dominion Raceway, Woodford, Va.

6/17, Stafford Motor Speedway, Stafford, Conn.

7/2, Columbus Motor Speedway, Columbus, Ohio

7/15, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.

7/29, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa

8/5, Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, N.Y.

9/5, Greenville Pickens Speedway, Greenville, S.C.

9/17, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, N.J.

9/30, Dover International Speedway, Dover, Del.

 
2016 NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES WEST SCHEDULE

Date, Track, Location

3/19, Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, Calif.

4/2, Kern County Raceway Park, Bakersfield, Calif.

5/7, Tucson Speedway, Tucson, Ariz.

5/21, Orange Show Speedway, San Bernardino, Calif.

6/11, Colorado National Speedway, Dacono, Colo.

6/25, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.

7/9, Stateline Speedway, Post Falls, Idaho

7/29, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa

8/13, Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, Wash.

8/27, Douglas County Speedway, Roseburg, Ore.

9/10, Utah Motorsports Campus, Toelle, Utah

9/11, Utah Motorsports Campus, Toelle, Utah

9/24, Meridian Speedway, Meridian, Idaho

10/15, All American Speedway, Roseville, Calif.


*SCHEDULES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
 
 

Junction Motor Speedway sports four IMCA divisions on Saturday race programs beginning this season.

Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Mach-1 Sport Compacts will run weekly at the McCool Junction, Nebraska-based race track, formerly NASCAR sanctioned.

“There are a lot of local IMCA cars that we’ll be able to share with other tracks,” explained promoter Delmar Friesen, citing sanctioned tracks in the area that run on Thursday, Friday and Sunday nights. “We didn’t have anyone around to share with when we were NASCAR. Probably 90 percent of the cars around here are IMCA.”

A test and tune session is now scheduled for April 2.

The tentative IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season at Junction Motor Speedway runs from April 30 through September 3.

All four IMCA divisions take the place of classes that ran in 2015 at the speedway and will be on the card for a mid-August special.

“Most of the responses we’ve gotten (regarding the change in sanction) have been positive,” Friesen said. “The drivers are looking forward to having another track where they can race for IMCA points.”

Weekly Modified points earned at Junction Motor Speedway figure in IMCA’s Jet Racing Central Region. Hobby Stock points count in the Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region.

A foot of dirt was added all the way around the 3/8-mile oval two years ago; Junction Motor Speedway opened in 2004.

Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corp., and M1 Concourse, Michigan’s highly anticipated automotive enthusiast destination, have forged a new partnership that has resulted in Champion becoming the official sponsor of a new, state-of-the-art, 1.5 mile automotive performance track in Pontiac, Michigan.

M1 Concourse is a $40 million-plus development being built on an 87-acre former General Motors plant site in Pontiac. The development will include a private community of more than 250 private garages, a 1.5-mile performance track and a public experiential restaurant and retail destination. The new performance track will be utilized for a variety of purposes. Most notably, it will available to the automotive industry for testing, training and marketing events. M1 Concourse also will offer a multitude of events open to the public, including driving schools, open track days, autocross and more. Owners of the private garages at M1 Concourse will have track access through the M1 Motorsports Club.

For more than 100 years, Champion has been a trusted and recognizable aftermarket brand. The iconic red-and-black bowtie logo is a familiar symbol of authenticity and quality for racing fans and millions of other auto enthusiasts and consumers. Champion is one of more than 20 brands offered by Federal-Mogul Motorparts, which provides parts and components for virtually every vehicle, both modern and vintage.

The Champion brand has a storied legacy of success in motorsports. Champion spark plugs have powered numerous NASCAR champions and amassed more than 400 wins in Formula 1 racing.

“Champion is a race-bred brand that has earned its place on tracks all over the world,” said Laura Soave, chief marketing and communications officer, Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “Iconic tracks such as Indianapolis, Talladega, Daytona, Nurburgring, Suzuka, Monaco and more have all served as proving grounds for the Champion brand. Those tracks, along with countless other venues, have tested our innovations and validated our products. We feel that M1 Concourse, and its dedication to automotive enthusiasts, is a perfect fit for Champion.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Federal-Mogul Motorparts as a partner in our efforts to bring excitement to the automotive enthusiast community here in southeast Michigan,” said Brad Oleshansky, founder and CEO, M1 Concourse. “Racers and car fanatics the world over know Champion products very well, and the brand is synonymous with high performance and winning. We look forward to a long, successful relationship with Federal-Mogul Motorparts.”

Every pit crew member that will perform live pit stops—“go over the wall”—in 2016 will have to adhere to new safety requirements, according to the rules released by ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards officials.

The increased safety requirements are part of ARCA’s long term commitment to the safety of the series’ drivers, teams and all participants and are part of the ARCA Safety Initiative.

The biggest change for over-the-wall crew members is the requirement of a “head sock” with a minimum SFI specification of 3.3. Prior to 2016, only the crew members handling Sunoco Racing Fuel were required to wear the sock. Also regarding racing fuel, ARCA officials will now require any crew member involved with fueling a car to wear an apron with a minimum SFI specification of 52.1. Over-the-wall crew members will also be required to use gloves which meet a minimum SFI specification of 3.3/1.

“We at ARCA are deeply committed to the safety of everyone involved in our series, from the drivers to the pit crews to race fans,” said Joe Wells, ARCA’s Director of Race Operations & Administration. “These changes are a direct reflection of that. We are making things safer for everyone involved.”

Some teams have already been utilizing these safety features in their pits stops and ARCA has encouraged these items be utilized in recent years.

All of the attire must meet minimum safety standards as set forth in the 2016 ARCA Official Rule Book, which is available to ARCA licensed members at the Competitor page of the ARCA website.

Lucas Oil Products Inc., a longtime supporter of Sportsman racing, unveiled a new contingency program for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, honoring Sportsman racers across the country.

The new Lucas Oil Contingency program will award $300 to all winners of national events in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as pay $100 to all runners-up. In addition, racers will be paid immediately, in the winner's circle of each event.
 
There will be two different contingency programs—one for transmission and differentials lubricants and one for engine oil.
 
"The racers have been asking for this for a long time now, so we put together this program to give them a little extra incentive to use our products, which are the best in the world," Lucas Oil co-founder Forrest Lucas said. "We also heard them when they said other contingency programs took a long time to pay them, so we will be paying them right there in the winner's circle. We're excited to kick this off in Pomona."
 
To be eligible for the new Lucas Oil Contingency program, racers must purchase applicable products from the Lucas Oil trailer that will be at all national events. Products must be purchased before the first round of qualifying.
 
Displaying Lucas Oil stickers on race vehicles is encouraged but not required. Racers can get stickers at the Lucas Oil trailer.
 
The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, featuring Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and many other classes, kicks off with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in February.
 
Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 plan to broadcast 16 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series races throughout the season.