Edelbrock announced the promotion of Wayne Murray to the position of President of Edelbrock LLC.

Murray has been with Edelbrock for 46 years. He has worked in numerous manufacturing roles from his start on the production line to his previous role as the Vice President of Manufacturing, which he has held since 1983. Murray has helped Edelbrock grow into the manufacturing powerhouse it is today, by keeping Edelbrock on the leading edge of aluminum sand cast manufacturing and machining.

Murray’s focus will be to continue Edelbrock's current growth and operational strategies. He will continue to directly oversee all of Edelbrock's manufacturing and foundry operations, as well as the role of managing and driving operational efficiency within the organization. Edelbrock's previous President, John Colaianne will be assuming the role of CEO and will continue to be involved in day-to-day company operations.

"I am confident this change will lead to even greater success for the Edelbrock organization and foster an environment of enhanced teamwork, open communication and strong business results," stated John Colaianne, Edelbrock CEO and Industrial Opportunity Partners Operating Principal.

NHRA and FOX Sports officials have announced that two-time Funny Car world champion Tony Pedregon will provide the analysis and color commentary for FOX Sports’ television coverage of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Pedregon, a 43-time winner on the NHRA circuit, has driving experience in several NHRA categories, including Funny Car, Top Fuel, and Top Alcohol Dragster.

“All of us at NHRA are thrilled that Tony Pedregon will be joining our FOX Sports broadcast team next season as our expert analyst in the broadcast booth,” said NHRA President Peter Clifford. “As a two-time NHRA Funny Car world champion, a team owner, and a top competitor for more than two decades, Tony brings an in-depth knowledge of NHRA and its teams and drivers. As one of the most respected and personable competitors in our sport, we think Tony will connect with our existing fans and with new viewers.”

Pedregon, the youngest son of late NHRA driver "Flamin’ Frank" Pedregon and one of three Pedregon brothers who have carried on the family tradition of competing in NHRA, including two-time world champ Cruz and oldest brother Frank Jr., has also been a great friend of the media during his driving career, giving impactful and insightful interviews and is always at ease on camera. As a team owner since 2004, he has an intimate knowledge of exactly what it takes to field a competitive entry in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

“Tony brings a lifetime of experience to the telecast,” said Ken Adelson, NHRA vice president of broadcasting & digital content. “We know he’ll be a great asset to the NHRA broadcasts. We’re looking forward to the future and building a team that will deliver great content to our viewers.”

Said Frank Wilson, FOX Sports VP of event and studio production, “Introducing Tony to the booth allows us to have the insights of a two-time NHRA champion from a multi-generational family of racers.”

Pedregon has been racing in the Mello Yello Series since 1992. His first official race was in a Top Fuel dragster for team owner Larry Minor. He joined John Force Racing as driver of the team’s second Funny Car in 1996, and he won the Auto Club Road to the Future Award that season. He won his first Funny Car championship with Force in 2003. The next season he ventured out to start his own team. In 2007, he raced to his second world championship title and first in Funny Car during NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship era.

“I’m excited to become a part of something so big that will transition our sport and take us to new levels,” Pedregon said. “My time in the seat as an owner and driver is something I will always look back on with pride. The accomplishments were achieved through hard work and surrounding myself with good people and great sponsors. Now I look forward to the next chapter in my career, having the good fortune to work with NHRA and FOX Sports.”

Starting in 2016, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will be televised by FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with four events airing on the FOX national broadcast network during each season of the long-term agreement, providing the world's fastest motorsport with live coverage of a majority of its events. FS1 will provide coverage of Friday and Saturday qualifying and Sunday eliminations for each NHRA Mello Yello Series event, with a minimum of 16 Sunday eliminations shows to be presented in a live coverage format, and the remainder shown either in weekend afternoon or primetime time slots. Four of those live elimination shows will air on the FOX national broadcast network. The 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opens with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 11-14, from historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California.

NASCAR announced that Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Brett Jewkes has accepted a senior management position with Atlanta-based AMB Group, LLC, the investment management and support services arm of Arthur Blank’s family of businesses, and will leave his role at NASCAR following Ford Championship Weekend.
 
Jewkes joined NASCAR in 2011 after serving as an outside agency counsel to the sanctioning body beginning in late 2000. At NASCAR, Jewkes has led the company’s Integrated Marketing Communications department and overseen NASCAR’s relationship with the operators of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
 
Working closely with NASCAR senior management, he has played a key role in the development and execution of numerous strategic initiatives, spearheaded the creation of NASCAR’s acclaimed Fan & Media Engagement Center and guided the evolution of the sport’s hall of fame nomination, selection and induction process. Four years after the creation and buildout of NASCAR IMC, the department was named In-House Team of the Year by PRWeek for 2014.

“Brett has made significant contributions to NASCAR as a trusted member of our management team and skilled leader of our world-class communications group,” said NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian France. “He has passionately promoted NASCAR for the last 15 years and we know he will continue to be a great friend and ambassador for the sport. We wish Brett and his family all the best and continued success in this new opportunity.”

Jewkes joins AMB Group as senior vice president – chief communications officer at a time of exciting growth and will work closely with Blank, who co-founded The Home Depot before establishing AMB Group and building its portfolio of businesses. In addition to the for-profit businesses, Jewkes will also support the efforts of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.

“I am forever grateful to the France family and my colleagues at NASCAR for the opportunity I’ve had to be a small part of this great sport at such a dynamic time in its history,” said Jewkes. “I’m very proud of what’s been accomplished the last five years and the strong team that is now in place to serve the company and sport very well into the future. Many positive things are happening in NASCAR under Brian’s leadership and the sport’s future is very bright. I’m a proud NASCAR fan who will be cheering for the continued success of everyone at NASCAR and numerous friends throughout the industry.”

The Trans Am Race Company and AEM Performance Electronics have finalized an agreement that will see AEM become the official and exclusive provider of ECUs (engine control units) for the Trans Am Series' TA2 class starting in 2016. In turn, AEM will assume the presenting sponsorship of the TA2 class, entitled "TA2, powered by AEM Performance Electronics".



TA2, Trans Am's fastest growing class, has surged in popularity over the past two years—propelled forward by a focus on cost control and parity with an emphasis on driver competition. The racing platform features purpose-built race cars with manufacturer relevant bodies and engines—a platform that has resonated with both competitors and the racing community, with car counts nearing 40 entries in TA2 alone. Now, The Trans Am Race Company looks to both reinforce and secure the platform's popularity, and future, with the assistance of AEM.



"From the very start of TA2 our goal has been to keep the platform affordable and the racing competitive," said John Clagett, President of The Trans Am Race Company. "No matter if you're behind the wheel of a Dodge Challenger, a Ford Mustang or a Chevrolet Camaro, we want the focus to be on the driver's skillset and the team's ability to dial in the setup. TA2 is a competition that emphasizes talent, not budgets or loopholes. In AEM we have a partner and an ECU that is helping us reinforce and secure one of the hottest classes in racing."



Come next year, every TA2 car will be fitted with a locked AEM Infinity ECU compatible with all four engines currently featured in TA2: the General Motors LS3, Dodge Hemi and both Ford configurations. Each ECU will feature crank sensors, fuel injectors, mechanical throttle bodies, locked calibration and locked-out traction control.



"We are extremely excited to play a strategic role in Trans Am's burgeoning TA2 class!" stated AEM President Greg Neuwirth. "Our Infinity ECU personifies what TA2 is all about-competitiveness combined with affordability. The Infinity features advanced technology and capabilities expected in high-end ECUs but without a high-end price. In addition to precision engine control and robust construction, features such as data logging with track mapping are value added propositions that we believe TA2 competitors will really appreciate."



In addition, AEM will launch an ongoing contingency program in the TA2 class with cash prizes awarded to each race winner and year end product certificates to first, second and third places in the championship point standings.



"We fully expect TA2 to continue to grow and prosper," said Clagett. "With that in mind, it is our responsibility to also grow our own tech capabilities; and an official ECU plays a huge role in that ongoing pursuit. I'm very pleased to say that AEM's Infinity ECU will be fulfilling that role going forward as we prepare to take TA2 to the next level."

Because the OPTIMA Batteries’ Search for the Ultimate Street Car is a street performance car-based series, it is the perfect venue for Lingenfelter Performance Engineering to showcase the performance parts we build. Participants encounter the whole gamut of driving situations, from high-speed runs on major race tracks, to autocross tracks, as well as regular public highways.

As this series has grown, so has the requirement for more horsepower. When Lingenfelter started in the OPTIMA series as a sponsor four years ago, many of the cars had 350-450 horsepower. Today, the standard power in the top cars is in the 700 hp range. These cars are primarily running naturally aspirated engines, and this demanding driving environment creates an excellent test bed to evaluate the design and engineering of Lingenfelter’s street performance components.

Another facet of our OPTIMA involvement is that four years ago we were the only Lingenfelter-equipped car in the series. Now, over 20 percent of the field uses our components or engines because of the reliable performance they deliver.

Dependability is really important to OPTIMA drivers, since they are not professional racers, but instead are racing as a hobby. This means they need an engine they can count on for many years, since they don’t have the luxury of rebuilding their engines between races, and don’t have a trailer full of spare engines and spare parts. To stay competitive, drivers need to know their engine can withstand years of use at 7000-plus rpm, and only the best components can deliver on that.

We see Lingenfelter customers who race virtually every weekend all year and never have to update. In fact, we have customers that have run our engines through every race weekend all year long for over two years without even taking a valve cover off the motor.

As part of our support of the OPTIMA series, we have a representative at every race—typically it is me, if I am available, and I really try to get to every event in the series. I am there to answer questions and to help people when they have issues, even if it is not one of our packages. We are always happy to offer suggestions or guidance to help racers make their cars perform better.

In fact, we have been involved in OPTIMA for the past four years as a sponsor of the Design & Engineering Challenge, where we get to meet each and every participant and get to know their cars. 

And it’s been interesting to watch the growth in popularity of OPTIMA racing events. Take, for instance, a recent (October 10–11) Fontana event, where OPTIMA had more than 90 entrants for just 75 spots, with over a dozen people on a waiting list to get in. We’ve also learned that the OPTIMA Series broadcast on MAVTV was the network’s most-watched programming last year.
 
 
Mike Copeland is vice president and general manager at Michigan-based Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, where he oversees growth and development of all company entities, including operations at the Brighton, Michigan, corporate headquarters, all facets of the company’s performance tuning activity in Decatur, Indiana, and Wixom, Michigan, and performance parts warehousing and distribution operations at the Lingenfelter Global Distribution Center in Brighton, among other duties. Prior to joining Lingenfelter, Copeland worked at General Motors for more than 25 years, where his primary role was project manager for the GM Performance Division.

The 2015 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance is receiving strong entries for all six classes. The 13th running of the now 25 hour classic will take the green flag December 5.

In the ES class, IMSA and World Challenge regulars Flying Lizards are bringing their Toyo tire shod Audi R8 LMS to Thunderhill.

"We are basically running our Audi R8 from this past season, but it is in full GT3 trim, meaning all of the proper aero, ABS and traction control systems are in place," said Darren Law, team manager. "The main adjustments we have made are really in set-up changes to optimize the handling characteristics of the Audi with the Toyo tire.”

When asked about the competition Law said, "for sure we have to consider last year's winners from Davidson Racing. They have competed in this event several times and bring in some great drivers. There are several other good team and driver combinations, but honestly it is hard to say as the complete entry roster is not out yet so we are waiting to see. Our goal for this event is not only to win our class but we feel we can win overall. It is a unique race with multiple types of cars so it will be exciting."

For the team used to running endurance races at Daytona and Sebring, the 25 poses some unique challenges.

"Thunderhill is an interesting event, there will be far less 'pro' drivers here so you have to take a different mindset and be extremely cautious," he continued. "There are also different levels of cars and a very large differential of speed. Of course weather is always a factor and from what I have heard its cold, probably rainy and I have also been told there has even been snow in the past. I can honestly say I haven't raced in conditions like that before. We are still doing a lot of development work with Toyo, they have produced a great product, but we are entering this event without the time of a 24 hour race together so it is a great opportunity for both of us but as always there will be unknowns. It will be a great event and just like any of the other long endurance races, the key will be not only to have good pace but to stay out of trouble!"

Another potent entry in the NASA Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance was filed by Skullcandy Team Nissan.

"We are going to run two 370Zs in the E0 class," said Lara Tallman, Skullcandy Team Nissan, team manager. "Last year we finished second in class with our BMW M3 and third in class with our Nissan 370Z, both ran in the E0 class.  Before that the last time we ran was 2008 and we won our class with a Mustang. For Thunderhill, we do some small additions to the cars which include window defrosters, and additional lights. Finishing is always the primary goal, however, we are going for first and second in E0."

Jerry Kunzman, NASA executive director, is pleased with the quality and quantity of entries.

"The 13th edition of the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance is drawing some great teams and drivers," Kunzman said. "The top class is always exciting, but some of the best racing happens in E1, E2 and E3. There are great teams up and down the entry list and I expect the field will be complete with 63 cars come December 5."

The NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance will see a field of 63 cars racing in six classes (ES, ESR, E0, E1, E2, E3) going twice around the clock plus an hour over the 2.86-mile, 15-turn track located 90-minutes north of Sacramento.

The Lincoln Electric Company, a subsidiary of Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LECO), announced it is investing approximately $30 million in a new Welding Technology Center on its Euclid, Ohio, campus. The Center will focus on the training of welding educators and industry leaders to address the rising demand for welding education and career pathways in welding and advanced manufacturing. Lincoln Electric will also dedicate resources to support welding training for veterans at this facility.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2016 with an opening anticipated in 2017—marking the centennial anniversary of Lincoln’s legacy welding school, the longest-running welding school in the United States. The new 130,000-square foot center will double Lincoln’s welding education capacity to 180 welding booths and will include high-tech classroom and seminar spaces. It will also showcase and integrate Lincoln Electric’s latest technologies and solutions into a comprehensive welding curriculum.

Lincoln Electric’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Christopher L. Mapes said, “This investment reflects our commitment to being at the forefront of welding innovation and education. The increased demand from customers, the skilled trades and technical schools to help develop the next generation of industry-ready welders has accelerated our investment in education and our new Welding Technology Center will allow us to demonstrate how our technical expertise and the value of our solutions can have a measurable impact on educators, students and customers.  We are thankful to our partners, including the City of Euclid, Cuyahoga County, the State of Ohio, and the many other institutions who are supporting this expansion as part of our ‘2020 Vision and Strategy,’ and who are helping us define the next chapter of our welding school’s legacy.”

The Quarter Mile Foundation has been informed there will be interviews conducted at the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame (BDRHoF) induction gala on November 21, 2015, in Windsor Great Park, Surrey, UK., at the Savill Court Hotel.

Thanks to a generous donation by Geoff Stilwell of Beech Underwriting, one of the major sponsors of the BDRHoF dinner gala, the Foundation will be interviewing several of the early pioneers of British drag racing, and gain a perspective of how the sport grew after Sydney Allard built the first dragster in 1961, the iconic Chrysler-Allard, and then promoted first drag racing demonstrations in England with some of the major name drivers and cars from the United States.

The interviews will be held on Saturday, November 21, with noted motorsports broadcaster, Jack Korpela, doing the “behind the camera” interviews.  The interviewees will be Stu Bradbury, Russ Carpenter, John Hobbs, Gary Page, Roy Phelps, Barry Sheavills and Steve Trice.  

Additionally, the BDRHoF will hold a “Bench Racing” session in the afternoon of November 21, prior to the induction ceremonies, featuring several U.S. drag racing legends who will be attending the event—Eileen Daniels, Don Garlits, Ron Hope, Fred Larsen, Bruce Larson, Larry (“Spiderman”) McBride, Steve McBride, Fred (“Waterbed”) Miller, Bob Muravez and Roland Stuart, and hosted by Jack Korpela. The event will be filmed, and the BDRHoF has graciously offered the content to the Foundation for use in the “PROJECT 1320” documentary.

The Foundation will also be filming interviews during the course of the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, from December 10–12.  The management of the PRI Show has graciously provided an on-site meeting room where the interviews will be conducted.

During the week preceding the PRI Show, the film crew will be in the Detroit, Michigan area, gathering interviews with important figures of the sport, the performance aftermarket and employees of the racing and performance parts aspects of the Big 3 automakers.

The Foundation is presently developing the interviewee list for the Detroit and at the PRI Show locations.

Quarter Mile Foundation Chairman, Traci Hrudka, stated, “The addition of the interviews we will gain in Britain should help us gain an insight to how the sport was transplanted to Great Britain and Europe from North America, and how the  sport grew in this new environment.  

“The inclusion of the British perspective allows us to gain a more global insight to the sport of drag racing and the performance aftermarket.  This will be the first step in adding a tremendous amount of history that will certainly expand on the stories we only thought we knew.

”Additionally, the Detroit and Indianapolis interviews will expand our inventory of interviews, and should help us gain deeper insight into the influence of drag racing in the automakers, and their use of drag racing to help drive the performance image of their vehicles in the 1960s and early ‘70s.”

TI Automotive, a global supplier of fluid storage, carrying and delivery technology, will give away a trip for two to the 2016 Detroit Grand Prix. Visitors to the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas will have a chance to enter the contest when they visit TI Automotive’s new outdoor exhibit at booth #61039.

The trip to the 2016 Detroit Grand Prix is valued at $2500 and will include two race passes, airfare for two and one hotel room for two nights. Details on the 2016 Detroit Grand Prix have not yet been announced. The 2015 event featured the cars of the Verizon IndyCar Series, the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the Pirelli World Challenge Series and the trucks of the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by TRAXXAS.

The TI Automotive SEMA Show exhibit is located just outside the Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center near the Ford track. The exhibit will display the race cars, haulers and trophies of the TI Automotive/Viper Exchange sponsored No. 93 Dodge Viper GT3-R’s that competed in this season’s IMSA TUDOR United Sports Car Championship series, as well as the No. 53 Dodge Viper GTS-R that was driven in the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans.

TI Automotive/Viper Exchange drivers Ben Keating and Al Carter will sign autographs at the TI Automotive booth Wednesday, November 4, from 2 to 3 p.m.

After closing its doors midway through the 2014 season, Evergreen Raceway Park in St. Johns, Pennsylvania, will soon have new life. Operating under the Evergreen banner, the historic 1/3-mile asphalt oval will once again host racing in 2016, with former Late Model driver Jason Makarewicz.
 
“I am very happy to be able to bring racing back to Northeastern PA and give fans and racers their home track back,” said Makarewicz, who isn’t only a former competitor at the track, but also a Factory Stock division car owner and of course a huge fan of the speedway since his youth.

One major change coming to the track in 2016 is the race day. Throughout the entirety of the season, racing will take place on Sunday afternoons.
 
“With so many tracks choosing Saturday as their day, it would not make sense to go head-to-head with other tracks in the surrounding area,” Makarewicz stated.
 
Makarewicz knows having someone who can promote the track is key to being successful and has tabbed Billy Bartley as promoter. Bartley is a former promoter at Evergreen (also known as Mountain Speedway) and the very popular Enduro series in the early to mid 2000s. Bartley is sure to be a popular pick among drivers throughout the tri-state area due to making the event more than just a race.
 
Divisions, rules package, and schedule are in the process of being completed and will be released in the near future. Evergreen Raceway is eyeing a January Enduro for their inaugural event, with more information to be released in the coming weeks. The speedway plans to look into using a harder tire compound to save competitors money and put on a better show for the fans.