Refinements to the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series rulebook, distributed to teams and suppliers Dec. 19, clarify procedures established by INDYCAR in the past two seasons and highlight ongoing efforts to improve the overall fan experience in the upcoming season. Areas of interest in the rulebook include the following:

Aero Kits

• INDYCAR has also established in the rulebook the aerodynamic bodywork parameters for each of the five ovals on the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule.  The aero specifications for each oval include:

    ◦ Phoenix International Raceway, which will see a 2016 return of Indy car racing for the first time in 11 years, will run the same aero configuration as used at Iowa Speedway in 2015;

    ◦ Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway will run the same aero configuration as in 2015, with the addition of rear wheel guard infills that were implemented at Texas Motor Speedway in 2015, as well as a domed skid plate underneath the car and rear wing beam flaps. The skid plate and beam flaps were announced Nov. 24 as part of INDYCAR’s continuously evolving safety enhancements.

    ◦ Texas Motor Speedway’s aero configuration, which included the rear wheel guard infills in 2015, will add the domed skid plate and rear wing beam flaps in 2016, plus see a slight increase in available downforce.

    ◦ Iowa Speedway will see a slight reduction in available downforce due to a reduction in rear wing angle.

Indianapolis 500 Qualifying

• Under the updated regulations, the provisional field of 33 cars for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be set on the first day of qualifications at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval on May 21, 2016. This means that any traditional “bumping” of cars from the field of 33 will take place on the first day of qualifying.

• Procedures for the second day of 2016 qualifying, scheduled for May 22, will see race starting positions among the 33 provisional qualifiers finalized.

Awarded Points

• Race finish points awarded for the 2016 Indianapolis 500 and the season finale at Sonoma Raceway will again be worth double the normal race finish points, with first place at Indianapolis and Sonoma netting 100 driver and entrant championship points, second place 80 points and down to 10 points for 33rd finishing position.

• Allocation of championship points for Indianapolis 500 qualifying will be awarded based on final-day qualifying, with the Verizon P1 Award pole winner receiving 42 points, second fastest earning 40 and descending to the 33rd-fastest qualifier getting one point.

Other Updates

• The Indianapolis 500 rookie orientation test has changed its three phases for new drivers to be approved for competition. The phases for 2016 are: 10 laps at 210-215 mph, followed by 15 laps at 215-220 mph and 15 laps at 220-plus mph. Each phase sees an increase of 5 mph from 2015.

• Turbocharger boost pressure for the Chevrolet and Honda twin-turbocharged, 2.2-liter V-6 engines when push-to-pass overtake assist is engaged on road and street courses will increase from 160 to 165 kilopascals (kPa), yielding approximately 20 added horsepower. INDYCAR announced this change Dec. 15.

• Both engine manufacturers will use a uniform Sunoco E85R fuel in 2016, with the removal of an additive (HiTEC 6590) previously allowed for Chevrolet.

• The minimum car weight has been increased to accommodate for safety enhancements including the Suspension Wheel/Wing Energy Management System (SWEMS) additional bodywork component tethers announced Nov. 24. The car weights will increase 10 pounds to 1,610 pounds on road and street courses and short ovals, and to 1,580 pounds on superspeedways.

• The pit speed limit at all ovals will be 50 mph, another safety initiative. In 2015, the limit on superspeedways was 60 mph.

• A rules clarification stipulates that all cars using the Honda aero kit must include the chassis center line wicker. Cars using the Chevrolet or stock Dallara aero kit may not include the chassis center line wicker.

• During race weekends that include a promoter test day, teams are permitted to carry over one used set of tires from the promoter day to the next practice session of the weekend, but must return the set after that session.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has expanded an already aggressive 2016 slate. The updated tour schedule now features a record-breaking 53 events at 33 different venues across 19 states.

Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Florida, will host their first-ever Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event on Sunday, February 14. The 50-lap, $10,000-to-win Winternationals becomes the tenth event on the 2016 Georgia-Florida Speedweeks docket. For tickets and more information, visit: www.bubbaracewaypark.com.

Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio, will also host their first-ever Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event, in 2016. The Steel Valley 50 will be a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event on Friday, April 22. The Steel Valley 50 precedes the 35th Annual Stanley Schetrompf Classic, a 60-lap, $12,000-to-win event, on Saturday, April 23 at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Maryland. For tickets and more information, visit: www.sharonspeedway.com.

Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, will host their biggest event in the 60+ year history of the 3/8-mile oval. The inaugural Buckeye Nationals will take place May 13-14, and boast an impressive $50,000 payday. This blockbuster weekend will kick off on Friday, May 13 with Time Trials and Heat Races for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

The action on Saturday, May 14 will include B-Mains, followed by the "10 Not In" Non-Qualifier Race. The top 10 drivers that did not transfer into the Buckeye Nationals (via preliminary events) will be eligible to start the $3,000-to-win, $300-to-start, non-qualifiers race - held prior to the main event. The winner of the "10 Not In" has the choice of keeping their $3,000 winnings, or forfeiting their earnings to start last in the main event. The 75-lap, $50,000-to-win, $3,000-to-start, Buckeye Nationals main event will cap off the weekend action.

"The hard work of the entire Atomic Speedway staff has led us to be able to give the best fans in motorsports the biggest event in the track's history. I want to thank the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for believing in the quality of the events that we can produce at Atomic Speedway," stated Brad McCown, Atomic Speedway Promoter.

For tickets and more information, visit: www.atomicspeedway.net.

I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska, will host their first of two Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events, in 2016, on Tuesday, May 24. For tickets and more information on the 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event, visit: www.i80speedway.com.

The 24th Annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 - Presented by ProtectTheHarverst.com will see a bigger, richer format in 2016. The new format features the 3rd Annual Cowboy Classic, on Thursday, May 26 and the Tribute to Don and Billie Gibson on Friday, May 27. Both events will be 40 laps, paying $6,000-to-win, $600-to-start, followed by the 100-lap, $30,000-to-win Show-Me 100 on Saturday, May 28. The preliminary features will have more meaning than money. While some details remain to be finalized, the first 18 starters in the Show-Me 100 will be determined by the average finish from Thursday and Friday. Previously, those positions were set through time trials and heat races on a feature-less Friday.

The total purse for the weekend, which is co-sanctioned with the Lucas Oil Midwest Latemodel Racing Association (MLRA), will grow to nearly $170,000. "The evolution of the Show-Me 100, which included the addition of the popular Cowboy Classic on Thursday night, in recent years, precipitated the changes. Friday's action, which has consisted of Show-Me 100 time trials, heat races, Manufacturers Dash and Past Champions race—but no main event—left a void," said Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager, Dan Robinson.

For tickets and more information, visit: www.lucasoilspeedway.com.


2016 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Schedule:

Motovicity Distribution, an automotive performance aftermarket distributor, has united its sales and marketing departments to bring a newly enhanced experience to its customers.

Aligning the Motovicity sales and marketing teams together as one, former Marketing Manager, Brett Kinsfather, has been promoted to Sales & Marketing Manager. In his new role, he will now lead Motovicity’s sales and customer service teams, while overseeing the company’s marketing department, now operated by Assistant Marketing Manager April Zuk and her team.

“We have been searching for someone that can fill this key role and give it the dedication and success it demands. Brett has shown time and time again that he is that person. He has the respect from his staff, suppliers, and media,” said Brian Lounsberry, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Now he will start putting all of that together with sales, customer service, and our customers. I’m very excited to see what the future holds when he is behind the wheel.”

By combining the sales and marketing teams together under one manager, Motovicity will be able to develop both teams in conjunction with one another to provide a more valuable experience for its customers and the brands it distributes.

In order to protect its fans, Major League Baseball (MLB) threatened legal action against Eldora Speedway, a half-mile clay oval in western Ohio near New Weston.
 
Why?
 
Because MLB was apparently concerned that its fans would somehow confuse Eldora’s “Mudsummer Classic,” a NASCAR truck series race, with the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which is often promoted as the “Midsummer Classic.”
 
Let’s examine the issue: Both events take place in July, but, besides the similar monikers, that’s about all they have in common.
 
Regardless, in order to avoid any kind of friction, Eldora has agreed not to use the Mudsummer name in the future. There is no word on whether or not the race will be renamed the “This Is Not A Baseball Game 75.”

It’s a good thing MLB is looking out for its fans. It would have been a shame if a baseball fan somehow ended up in Rossburg—more than 100 miles away from the nearest MLB stadium—expecting to see Miguel Cabrera and Zack Greinke, only to get Bubba Wallace and face full of dust.
 
Roger Slack, the speedway’s general manager, made an official “apology” to any baseball fans who might have made the error.
 
“We hope all the baseball fans who traveled to Rossburg, Ohio, the past three years in anticipation of the MLB All-Star Game enjoyed the race and the $2 beers,” he said in a statement.

The 2015 MPG Awards were held at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California, last week and winners were recognized in each category for Excellence in Automotive Journalism. Top honors were awarded to Micah Muzio & COTU Productions, winners of the 2015 Dean Batchelor Award, for their “2015 Polaris Slingshot Review” on KBB.com.

Doug Stokes was recognized for his exceptional behind-the-scenes public relations contributions to motor sports and the racing industry. A member of the Motor Press Guild since it was renamed from IMPA-West in the mid-1980’s, Stokes has supported motor sports for more than 25 years, representing such notable and iconic clients as Mickey and Trudy Thompson, Gale Banks, Stuart Rowlands, and Steve Ford, and supporting racing efforts for Honda, Suzuki, the Kazarian Brothers, and Lucas Oil. Stokes has served as Vice President of Communications at Irwindale Event Center since 2013, and has previously been honored with the Chapman Award for PR by the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association.

The winners of the 2015 MPG Awards are:

2015 Best Feature Article of the Year: Larry P. Vellequette and Luca Ciferri

“The Coming Squeeze” – Automotive News

2015 Best News Article of the Year: Hans Greimel

“Confessions of a Price Fixer” – Automotive News

2015 Best Vehicle Review of the Year: Basem Wasef

“Review: The Ferocious New Corvette Z06 is an $80K Ferrari-Killer” – Wired

2015 Best Audio Program of the Year: Charlie Vogelheim and Shawn Meyers
“#35: The Best and Worst ‘Cars and Coffee’ Ever” – Motor Trend Audio

2015 Best Book of the Year: Sam Posey
Where the Writer Meets the Road – David Bull Publishing

2015 Best Feature Video of the Year: Adam Carolla (Director/Producer), Nate Adams (Producer/Additional Direction), Mike August (Producer), Matt D’Andria (Executive Producer), Norm Pattiz (Executive Producer)
Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman – Sontalia, Mollette

2015 Best Video Vehicle Review of the Year: Micah Muzio and COTU Productions
“2015 Polaris Slingshot Review” – KBB.com

One of the world's largest automotive performance equipment companies, Summit Racing Equipment, has signed a multi-year deal to return as the title sponsor of the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) World Finals and the 14-race Bracket Racing Series program at Memphis International Raceway (MIR).
 
The Summit Racing Equipment World Finals features two championship tournaments for the best racers in IHRA's sportsman classes. Racers from all over the country come together at MIR to determine who the best-of-the-best is. Seven champions in the Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions presented by AMSOIL and three champions with the Summit SuperSeries presented by AMSOIL are crowned at the Summit Racing Equipment World Finals. The premiere sportsman championship event is slated for October 14–16, 2016.
 
The Summit Bracket Racing Series program will feature 14 scheduled events in 2016 with a guaranteed purse structure at each event and a year-end point's fund. The sportsman program will run on alternate weekends at MIR to reduce the overlap of other local programs. The current schedule is February 14 and 28; March 5; April 16 and 30; May 7 and 21; June 4; July 2 and 16; August 6 and 20; September 17 and 25.

"Summit Racing Equipment has been a huge supporter of our sportsman racers and we are very happy to have them returning as the title sponsor of the World Finals and our local program here at Memphis International Raceway," stated Pam Kendrick, VP & GM of Memphis International Raceway. "The sportsman racers are the backbone of the sport and commitment to give them a strong local program and the opportunity to take it to the next level is exciting. I'm sure I speak for the racers and MIR when we say thank you to Summit Racing Equipment for continuing the successful partnership."

WELD has announced a new multi-year sponsorship agreement with John Force Racing. Norm Young, president and CEO of WELD and John Force, CEO of John Force Racing made the joint announcement during a news conference at the 2015 PRI Show in Indianapolis.

Force has been using WELD Racing wheel products for nearly 25 years and is grateful to WELD’s founder, Greg Weld, for recruiting him to compete with the company’s wheels.

“Nobody wanted John Force, but Greg Weld took a chance with me and I took a chance with them,” explained Force of the long time sponsorship support. “A ton of championships later and we are still winning races on WELD wheels. I am proud to say after almost 25 years the relationship will continue with new president Norm Young. We are going to reinvent the wheel.”

Force continued, “When I see WELD’s motivation and how they want to push new products and new ideas I feel like I was born again. I have gotten so much motivation from our meetings over the past few days that I am proud to say we are signing a multi-year sponsorship with WELD Racing to continue the legend of WELD wheels and John Force Racing.”

Force is excited about where WELD wants to go in the future and the winner of 143 NHRA Funny Car national events said he wants to be a part of it.

“This company is part of my roots like so many of my other partners. They cared about my safety from day one and now generations later my family is racing on WELD wheels,” added Force.

Young was enthused about extending this marketing partnership.

“John Force Racing has been at the heart of WELD for more than 20 years. We are thrilled to extend one of the most successful partnerships in motorsports and continue winning championships with John Force Racing,” explained Young.

WELD Ambassadors from John Force Racing include, John Force, Courtney Force, Brittany Force and Robert Hight.

WELD manufactures high-quality forged race wheels for dirt, oval and drag racing, along with wheels for performance street cars and trucks. Each WELD wheel is precision engineered for maximum performance on the street, off-road and at the track. For more information about WELD phone 800-788-9353 or visit www.WELDwheels.com.

Three of the most legendary names in motorsports have been selected for induction into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame.

NASCAR multi-championship team owners Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs, along with four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and three-time IndyCar champion driver Al Unser, make up the 2016 NMPA Hall of Fame induction class.

The three motorsports giants will be officially inducted on January 16, 2016, at the Embassy Suites in Concord, North Carolina.

• Born in 1949, Joseph Riddick "Rick" Hendrick III was raised on the family farm near Palmer Springs, Virginia. At 27, he was the youngest Chevrolet dealer in the U.S., and built an empire that has grown into the sixth-largest automotive group in the country.

But it is in NASCAR where Hendrick and his Hendrick Motorsports organization have made the biggest impact.

Since its first race in the 1984 Daytona 500 (finished eighth) and its first win seven races later by Geoff Bodine at Martinsville Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has amassed countless NASCAR records in its 32-year existence.

Among the most notable: 14 NASCAR driver championships, including 11 in the premier Sprint Cup Series and 14 owner championships across three national series.

"I have such great respect for the people who cover our sport and the role they play in keeping our fans informed," Hendrick said upon learning of his selection by NMPA members. "The NMPA has done so much to give back to the NASCAR community and highlight people’s contributions through programs like The Myers Brothers Award and Driver of the Year. It takes a lot of commitment and sacrifice to do what our media members do every week. To be recognized by that group of people is very humbling."

• Known simply as "Coach”—even his wife and children call him that—Joe Jackson Gibbs' eye for talent and the ability to mold individuals into champions has made him a legendary team builder in both the National Football League and NASCAR.

In 16 seasons as an NFL head coach, the Mocksville, North Carolina, native compiled an overall record of 171-101 and three Super Bowl championships.

In 23 seasons as a NASCAR team owner, Gibbs’ teams have won four Sprint Cup championships, including the 2015 title with Kyle Busch, and 128 Sprint Cup race wins. JGR has also compiled four XFINITY Series owner (and one driver) championships and 112 race wins.

Gibbs also owned a team that won two NHRA Pro Stock drag racing championships, as well as two runner-up season finishes in Top Fuel in the 1990s.

• The Unser family has long been synonymous with open-wheel racing, from Jerry to Bobby, Robby, Johnny and Al Jr.

But no one ranks higher on the family tree of racing success than Al Unser.

The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native enjoyed a career that most racers only dream about, including being one of only three drivers (others are A.J. Foyt and Rick Mears) to win the legendary Indianapolis 500 four separate times.

Unser drove for some of the most notable teams in the open-wheel world including Penske, Foyt and Granatelli, and is the only driver to have both a brother (Bobby) and son (Al Jr.) as fellow Indy 500 champions.

In 337 career Indy Car starts, he earned 40 wins, 127 podiums, 29 poles and three championships.

He even dipped his toe into NASCAR, with three top-10 finishes in just five starts.

No matter what he was called, be it "Big Al" or "Al Sr.", one phrase will always offer the best description: "A racer's racer."

Hendrick received 88 percent of votes cast by NMPA members, Gibbs received 76 percent and Unser received 66 percent.

Others receiving votes were four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and three-time IndyCar champ Rick Mears, as well as NASCAR Winston Cup championship-winning crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine.

The NMPA Hall of Fame is located on the grounds of Darlington Raceway and has been in operation since 1965. Hendrick, Gibbs and Unser become the 96th through 98th members of the Hall.

In record-breaking fashion, the annual Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes raked in a total of $59,910 for the Victory Junction camp. Each year at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, a race engine is raffled off for charity.

The 2015 edition was built by Reher-Morrison with components that were donated from several race parts manufacturers who exhibit at the PRI Trade Show. The motor makes about 1200 horsepower.

The lucky winner, Brian Reklaitis, is from Pittston, Pennsylvania, and works as a facility manager for Romark Logistics, while also being in the Army Reserve for 25 years. He’s been involved in drag racing his entire life, and was in dire need of a new engine for his race car, so this win couldn’t have come at a better time for him.

Victory Junction was founded in honor of Adam Petty, and its purpose is to enrich the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. It provides a life-changing camp experience in a medically-sound environment at no cost to the camper or their family.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes at PRI goes to Victory Junction, allowing these kids to explore, imagine, make new friends and enjoy the adventures of camp life.

To meet the rapidly changing landscapes of the racing and performance industry, the School of Automotive Machinists (SAM) has developed a comprehensive Motorsports EFI Tuning program to complement its diverse catalog of courses.

“As electronic fuel injection, forced induction and traction control systems continue increasing in popularity, the next generation of engine builders must have an intimate understanding of how to integrate these systems together to maximize performance,” said SAM Director of Education Judson Massingill. “Even racing series that have relied on carburetors for decades, like NASCAR Sprint Cup and NHRA Pro Stock, have made the switch to EFI. Our newly developed EFI Tuning program will give our students the expertise they need to meet the current and future demands of the industry.”

SAM’s EFI Tuning program combines classroom and lab instruction that starts with basic tuning theory and software navigation. Students then learn how to create custom fuel and ignition curves in various EFI platforms before measuring the real-world impact on these tuning changes on the engine and chassis dyno. In addition to installing aftermarket EFI systems, students will learn race car wiring and how to utilize information from data loggers and weather stations to optimize engine tuning for changing track conditions. Students will also learn how to integrate advanced nitrous, boost and launch control functions into the overall tuning strategy.