Continuing to expand the scope, reach and exposure value of its brand, races and racers, SCORE International’s Roger Norman announced that SCORE has entered into an agreement with Carbon Media Group to launch the new SCORE International Off-Road Racing Network on CarbonTV. Content to be included on the premier online video destination include all telecasts of the five-race SCORE World Desert Championship as well as all of SCORE’s online web series available 24/7 and at no cost.

“SCORE continues to move onward and upward and this relationship with CarbonTV will showcase the SCORE World Desert Championship and the world’s best desert racers to an ever-expanding global audience to the most exciting, most dynamic, most colorful and most challenging form of motorsports in the world,” commented Norman in confirming the launch of the new SCORE network.

CarbonTV provides top quality and exclusive content covering the widest range of topics to and about the outdoor enthusiast. According to comScore, the Carbon Media Group is the 13th largest digital sports property in North America.

SCORE’s television broadcasts will be available on the new SCORE International Off-Road Racing Network 60 days after they premier on the CBS Sports Network in the United States at www.carbontv.com/networks/score-international on computers, tablets or phones.

In addition to the six annual telecasts, also airing on CarbonTV will be the entire SCORE online web series including Conquest, Legends, Guerrero and Roost, which will premier on CarbonTV each week, all available all-day, every day.

SCORE fans will continue to be able to see the content from the network linked to SCORE’s other digital platforms—the SCORE website, Facebook page, YouTube channel, and embedded in the monthly SCORE Journal digital magazine.

All of the content for the SCORE telecasts and SCORE online content is produced for SCORE International by SoCal’s award-winning BCII TV.

The SCORE Off-Road Racing Network is live now with all of the 2014 and 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship race shows as well as all of the 2015 web series content.

CBS Sports Network will televise the entire five-race 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship series. Each one-hour telecast will air the month following each event, starting with next month’s season-opening 30th Annual SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race. The 49th SCORE Baja 1000 will air on the CBS Sports Network as a two-hour special for the second straight year.

Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc. announces the opening of its seventh warehouse in Brownstown, Michigan, which is now operational and fulfilling Keystone/NTP-STAG customer orders in the Great Lakes region as of January, 8, 2016. To begin, those customers whose primary cross dock fulfillment location is Akron, OH; Chicago, IL; Grand Rapids, MI; or Brownstown, MI now will be serviced directly through the Brownstown, MI warehouse, with other cross dock locations added weekly.

“The expansion provides an opportunity to better connect with both current and new customers in the area, helping them continue to excel within their respective markets,” said John Ruch, Vice President Fulfillment and Logistics at Keystone. “We’re committed to the continued advancement of our logistics services, ensuring our customers not only have access to the largest inventory offering in the aftermarket, but also receive it quickly and accurately.”

Keystone has more than 165,000 unique stocking SKUs and will continue to expand its footprint to meet the growing needs of its customer base, providing them what they need, when they need it.

Kentucky Speedway announces it is undertaking a comprehensive renovation of its racing surface which is highlighted by increased banking in Turns 1 and 2 and further includes drainage improvements, additional SAFER barrier, and repaving of the entire 1.5-mile tri-oval. Work has begun and will be completed in time for this year’s NASCAR tripleheader weekend in July.

“Modifying Turns 1 and 2 will present an exciting challenge to the drivers while addressing issues of the track surface, SAFER barrier and drainage will improve safety, which is always our paramount concern," said General Manager of Kentucky Speedway, Mark Simendinger.

The project will be coordinated by Vice President of Operations and Development for Speedway Motorsports Inc., Steve Swift.

“We have assembled an excellent team, all of whom are familiar with the demands of speedway construction. I am excited about the finished product as we wanted to present a unique challenge to the drivers. This design, with Turns 1 and 2 completely different than 3 and 4 accomplishes that goal. The big winner will be the race fan,” said Swift.

The 2016 season at Kentucky Speedway begins in July with the return of a NASCAR tripleheader weekend anchored by the July 9 Sprint Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts. The Camping World Truck Series starts the weekend with a 225-mile event Thursday, July 7 and the XFINITY Series 300-mile event is Friday, July 8.

The XFINITY Series makes its second appearance at the track on Saturday, September 24 along with the ARCA Racing Series Crosley 150 on Friday, September 23 to conclude the fall weekend of racing.

Since 2008, the factories have been turning out drag-spec muscle cars in low volume with the sole purpose of class drag racing. It began as a throwback to the '60s era programs that carried names like "Cobra Jet", "COPO" and "Drag Pak,” but has since evolved into modern warfare for drag strip supremacy. For 2016, the NMCA muscle car drag racing series is bringing these factory super cars together to single out the king of the hill—where Ford, Chevy, and Mopar can throw down in a 160 mph slugfest on the 1320.

The new Factory Super Cars class is a heads up class that will be battling it out at all six 2016 NMCA events and a champion will be crowned during the NMCA Awards Ceremony. The class winner and runner-up are included in the NMCA Pro Contingency program at every event, along with trophies and payouts as part of the NMCA Aerospace Components Winners Circle.

"When we re-introduced the COPO for the 2012 racing season, we knew it would just be a matter of time until we had the chance to race the Cobra Jets and Drag Paks in a heads up race," said Curt Collins, COPO Marketing Manager. "NMCA is bringing this to the track not only for the manufacturers, but for racers and fans. This new class is going to crown the 'King of the Quarter Mile.’”

Dale Aldo, Mopar Motorsports Marketing Manager said, "Heads up racing is always exciting, and when paired with Mopar Challenger Drag Paks it becomes special. We look forward to following this new race series and wish the series and racers a great 2016 inaugural season."

"Ford racers are highly competitive among themselves, but nothing brings out their highest performance like racing against our cross-town competitors," said Jesse Kershaw, Ford Performance Drag Racing Parts and Competition Manager. "It will be the first time all three brands are mixed up for an all-out fight to get to the finish line first."

The rules for the NMCA Factory Super Cars class are consistent with traditional supercharged combinations, including the most recent ones that utilize a 2.9L Twin-screw supercharger. The naturally aspirated engine packages are also included but given a significant weight break to help speed up those entries to keep up with the blown combos. Factory Super Cars class rules can be found here: http://www.nmcadigital.com/cat/rules_purses/docs/nmca/2016/fsc.pdf

"We've had several Cobra Jet Showdowns in both NMCA and NMRA events and we've seen plenty of COPO Camaros and Drag Pak Challengers enter some of the Index classes in NMCA," said Rollie Miller, NMCA General Manager. "To have all these specialty race cars in one class and to do it heads up for the first time is going to be a whole lot of fun for racers and spectators alike."

The class fits right into the existing NMCA program that already includes its share of thrilling heads-up categories from a wild Xtreme Pro Mod class with 3,000+ HP machines to a sealed crate engine category using the Chevrolet Performance DR525 engine. In addition, NMCA features wide-open radial-oriented classes and ones with nitrous, turbo, supercharged, and naturally aspirated combinations. "It's exciting to showcase the cars that are on the dealer floors in a heads-up competition," Kershaw concluded.

The 2016 NMCA season kicks off March 10-13, 2016 at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, FL with the 14th Annual Ross Racing Pistons NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem event.

Just before 3:30 AM, the Kern County Fire Department responded to a structure fire at Auto Club Famoso Raceway. Due to the rural location of the facility and the lack of nearby hydrants, crews had to shuttle water from the canal at HWY 99 & HWY 46 to the track in order to fight the fire.

The old part of the the tower, that had recently been turned into a VIP and hospitality area, and the storage area below, that housed mission critical equipment, was a complete loss. The structure collapsed during the fire. One of the tracks safety vehicles that was parked next to the structure was also heavily damaged.

Due to the efforts of the Kern County Fire Department Station 33 out of McFarland, the new part of the tower where the almost irreplaceable timing equipment is kept, suffered some minor damage but the equipment inside was spared. If this part of the structure was lost, it would be practically impossible to have replacement equipment built and installed in time for the Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet (March 3-6, 2016).

At this point Auto Club Famoso Raceway is committed to the 2016 schedule as posted. It will be a struggle to be ready for the Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet Test & Tune (Feb. 19-21, 2016), but the track is already working toward making this happen.

The raceway has been contacted by tracks, racers, fans, and companies across the US offering their support in providing whatever is needed to bring the track back to operating condition.

The Kern County Racing Association operates Auto Club Famoso Raceway (just north of Bakersfield, Calif.) and promotes a full schedule of races year round, including the world famous March Meet, which is recognized as the Mecca of nostalgia drag racing. For more details, visit www.autoclubfamosoraceway.com.

DeSoto Speedway kicks off its 2016 season Saturday, ushering in a season with 32 weekends of events, which runs all the way to the final day of the year.

The calendar begins with three races in January, including the season-opening Dart King of the Blacktop on Saturday. After a weekend off, the Florida State Modified Invitational comes to DeSoto on Jan. 23 and the DeSoto Banquet will be Jan. 30.

A race will be held every other weekend throughout the season and the track also hopes to host concerts, battle of the bands and mixed martial arts fights this year.

"We want this season to be one we long to remember," general manager Ron Bacelo said in a press release.

The season begins with a first for the track at the King of the Blacktop. The Southern Sprintcar Shootout will make its debut at DeSoto Speedway, plus the Q Auto & Injury Attorneys King of the Blacktop event. The latter event will be run in 50- and 30-lap segments, followed by a 20-lap shootout for the top remaining DeSoto Pro Trucks.

The last race of the year is scheduled for Nov. 19, the Darts Turkey Shootout 100. The track, however, will also hold its fourth and final Wreck Fest of the year Dec. 31. The other three are scheduled for March 26, May 28 and Aug. 13.

Other notable dates include the Street Stock King of the Blacktop on March 19, the Sunoco Challenge Dass Sportsman Series 50 on April 23, the Mothers' Day Special on May 7, the ADSS Street Stock Take-Off on July 9 and the Halloween Spooktacular on Oct. 29.

Motovicity Distribution, an automotive performance aftermarket distributor, has hired a new Purchasing Brand Manager.

The Motovicity Purchasing department has hired Matt Baker as Purchasing Brand Manager. Baker comes from the electronics and home theater industry, where he previously managed multiple retail store locations, overseeing all inventory transactions. Prior to that, Baker worked as a car audio manager and installer, managing his company’s most profitable territory. He is also an import enthusiast, having built many Hondas and Subarus throughout his life.

“Matt’s experience in purchasing and brand management, along with his automotive knowledge, is going to be a valuable asset to the company,” said Mellisa Gilbert, Controller at Motovicity. “His ability to work with manufacturers on mutually beneficial programs will help us increase the level of service we offer to our customers,” she continued.

MAVTV and the new LucasOilRacing.TV will broadcast the 30th running of the world famous Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals presented by General Tire. Through the channel and app, nationally and internationally, viewers can watch the three-hour finals Saturday night, January 16, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET from the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With the number of entries already topping 335, including 24 U.S. States plus Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the world's largest indoor race is on course to set driver and team records.

Known as the Super Bowl of Midget racing, the 2016 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals
is attracting the cream of American racing, including stars from Midgets, Late Model Dirt, Super Modified, World of Outlaws, NASCAR and USAC. The 2015 champion was Rico Abreu (#97). He faces the daunting task of defeating five-time Chili Bowl champion Sammy Swindell (#1), Bryan Clausen (#63), Kyle Larson (#71K), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (#17R), two-time Chili Bowl champion Cory Kruseman (#21K), Kasey Kahne (#67Z), and Jerry Coons Jr. (#5). Coons has the longest active A-Main streak with 16 appearances. As of this date, the entry field includes eight previous champions and 52 main event qualifiers. The side-by-side action promises to be fast and furious with broadcast legend Dave Despain returning to call the TV action.

According to Bob Patison, President of MAVTV, "No one understands 'grass roots' racing like MAVTV. Each year the Chili Bowl airing has produced the highest rated shows on the network and we expect even better results in 2016 especially with the addition of the newly launched LucasOilRacing.TV app."

Classic Tube, a leader in preformed tubing products for the automotive aftermarket, announced the appointment of Nicole Millich as Marketing Manager. A SUNY UB undergraduate and graduate alumnus, Millich returns to her hometown after nine years as a marketing manager and consultant in the Washington, DC metro area. Millich plans to incorporate data-driven insight to further develop Classic Tube’s solid marketing base and enhance its customer experience.

Millich has worked for over ten years in consumer and B2B arenas, focusing on the implementation of strategic and tactical marketing research. Millich will oversee all marketing strategy and tactics of Classic Tube, including print, digital and events. She will also work closely with the Classic Tube sales department to grow the company’s automotive retail, distributor and industrial customer segments.

“Classic Tube is well-loved by customers for its outstanding service and commitment to quality,” said Millich, “I’m excited to join an organization with such a stellar record that’s been going strong for 26 years.”

Paul Fix, President of Classic Tube, anticipates a positive consumer reception accompanying Millich’s appointment. “Classic Tube looks forward to improving and refining our company’s customer relations and strategies. Digital marketing is the next frontier for small businesses, and we’re confident Nicole’s leadership will strengthen our current marketing strategies while expanding our reach to new and exciting opportunities.”

Todd Stephens, a veteran drag strip owner and operator, was named general manager/vice-president of facility and operations at Heartland Park Topeka.

Heartland Park’s new ownership group, headed by Chris Payne and Todd Crossley, issued a press release Tuesday that Stephens has been added to the HPT management team and “will assume responsibility of overseeing all day-to-day operations” at the facility.

Stephens is a 44-year veteran in the drag racing industry and owned and operated (along with his family) Paris Drag Strip in Paris, Texas. He also built and currently co-owns and operates Thunder Valley Dragway in Noble, Oklahoma.

“I can’t tell you how excited my family and I are to start the next chapter in our lives,” Stephens said in the Heartland Park release. “Drag racing is our passion and operating a national event facility has always been a goal of mine. Having that opportunity at Heartland Park Topeka is a dream come true.”

The HPT release also included a statement from Payne and Crossley about the appointment of Stephens: “Finding someone with Stephens' experience, knowledge of all forms of racing, and relationships in the motorsports world is just the next big step to bringing Heartland Park Topeka back to its full potential.”

Stephens’ hiring continues a recent flurry of activity surrounding Heartland Park, which opened in 1989.