Dura-Bond in Carson City, Nevada, announces the addition of Andre Moser as General Sales Manager. Moser comes from a background as a Naval Officer responsible for Aircraft support maintenance crews.

Recently, he has been working as Director of Sales for the P-3 aviation specialty developing new products, writing technical manuals, supervising customer service on the Domestic and International scene.

Moser will be instrumental in growing the rapidly expanding Transmission segment of the business along with Dura-Bond’s core product lines.

He is also an avid old car enthusiast, building some elaborate unique street rods, offering great automotive mechanical experience.

Moser holds a Bachelor's of Science Degree from Embry Riddle University in Aeronautics.

"I look forward to having Andre join the Automotive Engine Parts Aftermarket." said Chuck Barnett, Owner, Dura-Bond Bearing Company.

Lucas Oil Raceway track general manager Randy Simpson announced this week that the track recently received a $1 million grant from the State of Indiana to improve facilities around the massive motorsports complex just west of Indianapolis.

“The Indiana Economic Development Commission has awarded the racetrack a grant to go towards capital improvement projects in the facility,” Simpson said. “The projects can be related to on-track competition, the guest experience and improving fan amenities. We’re not ready to announce just what those plans are and how the funds will be used, but we’re very fortunate to be selected by the State of Indiana to be the beneficiary of the grant.

“The state recognizes motorsports and the contribution it has to the state. There are over 20,000 jobs tied to motorsports in the state, all 92 counties have some sort of involvement or hand in the motorsports industry. And then, with all the race fans here at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, there’s obviously a big impact upon tourism here. Motorsports is important to Indiana.”

Lucas Oil Raceway sits on 267 acres, about seven miles west of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The facility, owned by the National Hot Rod Association since 1979, includes a .686-mile oval for stock cars, sprint cars and midget cars; a 2.5-mile road course and a 4,400-foot drag strip.

“It’s a historic facility, we’re over 55 years old, and it’s a credit to NHRA and its business model and the way we continually reinvest all the way from the professional ranks all the way down to Junior Dragsters,” said the 27-year-old Simpson, who has overseen the track for nearly two years. “We really have a touch point at every stepping stone along the way from racers to race fans.

VP Racing Fuels introduced Kendrick Oil Company as the newest partner in its retail branding program. Based in Friona, Texas, Kendrick provides a range of quality fuel products to 47 retail locations and a variety of other customers in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Louisiana.  
 
“Through close evaluation and scrutiny, we chose VP Racing Fuels because it gives Kendrick Oil and the dealer the flexibility to have a nationally recognized brand while simultaneously buying fuel from the lowest cost supplier every time,” said Neal McCarty, Branded Liaison and Business Development for Kendrick Oil. “Ultimately, this allows our dealers to price aggressively in their market and have a strong brand presence to drive business. VP’s program allows Kendrick Oil and our dealers to have the best of both worlds. Kendrick Oil now has a solution for those dealers looking for a strong brand, low processing rates and low cost fuel.”
 
“We’re extremely pleased to bring Kendrick Oil on board with our retail branding program,” said Alan Cerwick, President of VP Racing Fuels. “With a long history of success, Kendrick Oil has a well-deserved reputation as a savvy, forward-thinking marketer. Their confidence in VP’s program speaks volumes and we look forward to growing our businesses together in the south central U.S.”

Gobrecht Properties, LLC has recently purchased the Susquehanna Speedway Park from TREM, LLC.

Todd and Rhonda Fisher, former co-owners and operators of SSP, will co-promote the speedway with Scott Gobrecht of New Oxford for the remainder of the 2015 season during the transition period. To accommodate both parties, a few events have been canceled or rescheduled for another date. The new schedule of events can be found at www.sspracing.net.

Gobrecht will keep the same basic business plan that has been put into place by the Fishers over the past 12 years. Saturday night racing will continue with a variety of Sunday night sprint car specials and other special events. The popular Wednesday Night Test & Tunes will continue as well. The Friday nights at the Outback Track will also continue to give kids a place to get started in the sport and learn to race.

Todd and Rhonda Fisher, the second longest tenured owners, purchased the speedway from Racing Stock Car Association in 2004. The nearly-closed speedway was rebuilt and rejuvenated with many improvements and repairs made to the track built in 1954 by Bud Bricker.

Over the 12 years that the Fishers owned and operated the speedway, more than $4 million has been awarded in the form of purse monies and season-ending awards to its participants. The highest paying race in its 61-year history was $10,060 that went to the Final Showdown winner, Greg Hodnett on November 15, 2014.

The biggest addition to the speedway in the last 12 seasons was the construction of the Outback Track in 2008 that brought a place for kids to get started in racing. The 1/9 mile oval features weekly Friday night racing with quarter midgets, karts and adult speedcars.

The Fishers also was the first to bring the popular Great American School Bus racing to the area along with implementing innovative programs such as the “Repeat Fan Discount” offering money savings to its loyal customers.

The annual SSP Banquet for the 2015 competitors is currently being planned and the date will be announced soon.

More details about the 2016 season will be forthcoming as they develop.

Due to personal commitments of the Fishers that have recently arisen, the race program scheduled for Saturday night, Sept. 12 has been canceled.

The next Wednesday night Test & Tune will be on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with practice sessions rotating for each class from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The cost is $14.00 per person for pit passes and a $20.00 fee for each racecar entering the pit area ($34.00 per car & driver combination). Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with open track time from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. by class. Each session will be 6 – 8 laps per session. The grandstands are open and free to the public. Each class will receive 4 to 5 rounds of 6/8 laps each or more if time permits. The main concession stand will also be open throughout the night.

Also on Wednesday night, Sept. 16, there will an open practice session for quarter midgets, karts and Adult Speedcars at the Outback Track from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. under the lights. The gates will open at 5:30 p.m. with open practice from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The cost will be $20.00 per driver with no charge for anyone else entering the grandstand and “cold pit” areas. All Outback Track participants should enter the pits from the Kise Mill Road entrance behind turn 2 of the “Big Track.”

The 410 Super Sprint Cars return to SSP on Sunday, Sept. 20 along with the IMCA PA Sprint Series. The 410 Sprint Car feature will pay $3,500-to-win for the 25-lap feature event. Non-qualifiers for the A-Main feature will receive a complimentary non-transferrable entry fee ($50.00 value) for the Final Showdown to be held at SSP in November. For the 410 Sprint Cars, mufflers will not be required and Hoosier Brand Spec Tires will be required on all four corners (same as the 2015 rules at Williams Grove, Lincoln and Port Royal Speedways). All other rules will follow the generally accepted rules for Sprint Cars at local weekly Central PA Sprint Car tracks (1400 pounds weight rule). Raceivers will be mandatory for all Sprint Cars.

On Sunday, the pit gates will open at 3:30 p.m. Grandstand gates will open at 4:00 p.m. Warm-ups begin at 5:30 p.m. with qualifying races at 6:00 p.m. followed by consolation races and feature events.

General Admission Grandstand ticket prices for Sunday night are Adults (ages 18-59) $18.00; Young Adults (ages 11-17) & Senior Adults (60 & Older) $15.00; Children (10 & under) are free. Pit pass prices are $25.00 with a reduced price of $22.00 for all pit competitor license holders. The minimum age requirement to purchase a pit pass is 12 years of age with a copy of a birth certificate is required for all ages 12 to 14.

The Susquehanna Speedway Park is located off I-83 to exit 32, then 1.4 miles NW on SR382 to York Road, then 1.3 miles south. For more information, contact the speedway offices at (717) 292-1696 or visit online at sspracing.net. On raceday, use the track phone at (717) 938-9170 for up-to-date information at the “Big Track” and the “Outback Track.”

Twelve years after a dream of building and promoting a race track, Lincoln Speedway, in Lincoln, Illinois, co-owners Norm and Yvonne Horn are ready for days of relaxation and rest.

On Thursday, an agreement was reached between Norm Horn and Bob Sargent to turn full operation of Lincoln Speedway over to Sargent’s Track Enterprises, Inc. The move will align Sargent with two tracks close in proximity, Macon Speedway and Lincoln Speedway.

“Bob has some good people on his side, with his years of racing knowledge and the young blood that he has working for him now at Track Enterprises,” Horn said. “I feel like this is the best fit for the situation at hand as well as my wife Yvonne and I. The time has come for us to truly step back, as we are ready to spend a lot more time with family and friends and do a little work on the farm."

Ken Dobson, of CILTRAK promotions, who was involved in the promotion of Lincoln Speedway the last two seasons said, "I'm very pleased that Lincoln Speedway has landed in the capable hands of Track Enterprises. I think it will be a positive thing for not only the racers and fans of Lincoln Speedway, but for racing in general in central Illinois."

Track Enterprises is no stranger to auto racing, being involved with promoting since the mid-1980s. Sargent started running Macon Speedway then and also has racing venues located in Indiana and Kentucky.

On top of that, the group runs yearly shows at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tenn. and the DuQuoin State Fair.

"The move to take over Lincoln Speedway will definitely put a lot more work on our guys, but Lincoln is such a great place and I want to see it continue with success just as it has with Yvonne and Norm,” Sargent said. “With Macon being a Saturday night track and Lincoln a Friday night track with a few Sundays, the two entities can be a great fit for us.”

Lincoln Speedway has one more event remaining on the 2015 schedule: the Season Championships 7 p.m., Friday, September 11.

The Save the Salt Coalition and Utah Alliance are working closely together as advocates for the land speed racing (LSR) community to protect the Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF). The following is a report on current actions.

The Save the Salt Coalition is an international group of businesses and organizations with a vested interest in the BSF. The Utah Alliance provides expertise and connections at the state and local level. Major LSR sanctioning organizations are members of both groups. The two groups have partnered on the shared mission of restoring the BSF as the premier venue for setting world land speed records. The collaboration allows experts within the groups to undertake specific projects.

The cancellation of four of the five major racing events for 2015 due to weather and deteriorating conditions has helped place a spotlight on Bonneville. As a result, the Save the Salt Coalition and Utah Alliance have already had extensive discussions with officials at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which oversees the BSF, mining officials, geologists, engineers, lawmakers in Congress and at the state and local level. Numerous press interviews have also conveyed the plight of the BSF to the world via newspapers, magazines, websites and blogs.

Two educational meetings have been now scheduled: one for the public (Sept. 9) and another for elected representatives, government officials, industry and other interested stakeholders (Sept. 14).

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015 4PM Salt Lake City
A one-hour informational meeting
“100 years of Bonneville-Racing History from the Racers Perspective”
presented by Louise Ann Noeth
Totem’s Restaurant, 538 S. Redwood Rd., Salt Lake City.

Land speed cars will be on display in the parking area at 3:00 pm. The public is encouraged to attend, and press and public officials have been invited.

The second briefing will take place on September 14 at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Representatives from the two Coalitions will conduct a private tour and present the racer’s perspective to government, industry and local community leadership.

The private tour will allow the parties to engage in follow-up discussions and begin identifying tangible restoration actions. Both groups have already identified a number of short- and longterm actions to be considered. They include expanded brine pumping, barriers to keep the pumped brine within the racing area, and targeted dry salt laydowns. Reaching consensus on actions to be taken will be assisted by BSF core samplings to be taken this fall and winter by geologists, and consultations with engineers and water experts.

Conveying information is also critical. Toward that effort, the Utah Alliance is creating a website repository of photographic, film and historical documentation about the BSF available to everyone. The website will be unveiled in the near future. It will be an additional resource for the main www.savethesalt.org website which serves to keep the public informed of day-to-day actions.

For more information, visit www.savethesalt.org

 King Engine Bearings, has announced the appointment of Phillip A. Data as its new national sales manager.

Data brings with him 20 years of experience, most recently as National Sales Manager for Modern Silicone Technologies and Magnum Gaskets. He has held key positions in sales management and operations management in the automotive aftermarket as well as in the legal and finance fields.

Data earned his bachelor of business administration degree in marketing and management from the University of Cincinnati.

"King is a fast growing company and I am confident that Phillip’s passion and experience will contribute to the continued growth of the company and that he will have a positive impact on our sales, " said Limor N. DePetro, King VP of sales and marketing. "Phillip is an excellent match for this position and a strong asset to the King Engine Bearings sales team.”

In his role with King, Data will provide full sales management of King’s aftermarket and racing products for the US and Canadian markets.

For more information on the King Engine Bearings, visit www.kingbearings.com.

* Service Matters: Forty years ago, two brothers from Statesville, North Carolina, decided to build a drag car. Their car proved road-worthy, as one might assume, and the pair subsequently became fixtures on the local drag strip. Their hobby soon morphed into a business, however, when word spread through the pits—and beyond—that Steve and Mike Heintz always had a cache of replacement parts on hand in case of breakage. As racers came calling, the business grew from a garage-based operation into what is today one of the area’s best known speed shops.

Since 1994, Heintz Performance has occupied a spot of prime real estate in the shadow of Charlotte Motor Speedway. And its day-to-day business is run by company vice president Scott Heintz, who proudly carries on the tradition set by his father and uncle. He’s a throwback of sorts, is Scott, in that what you see is truly what you get. No games, no double-talk.

As we discussed business in his office not long ago, Heintz talked about his core market (the vast majority is NASCAR circle track, but Dirt Late Models account for a strong following, too), challenges (more teams manufacturing parts in-house), and keys to success (“You have to watch your inventory”). But he also mentioned something that I would bet is just as responsible for Heintz Performance’s staying power as any business decision or technological innovation. “We’ve always excelled in service,” he told me, “and the biggest thing for us is maintaining those one-on-one, face-time relationships. Where we are today is because my dad introduced those manufacturers to a lot of teams and established those relationships. He went door to door, team to team. There’s still a need to go in and talk to people. In fact, we have a truck that goes out twice a day to deliver parts, take orders and handle any problems that come up. I even get to do it myself sometimes…. A salesman that knows a product, that can go in and solve problems start to finish, is still a valuable thing in this business.”             

* PRI Has Your Daly Fix: It’s not polite to boast, but in this case I’m giving us a pass. That’s because PRI has managed to secure one of the most sought-after speakers in motorsports to deliver a special presentation at this year’s Trade Show in Indianapolis.

Derek Daly has personified excellence at every turn, hairpin or otherwise. As a driver he competed in both Formula 1 and IndyCar (including six starts in the Indianapolis 500), logged three consecutive starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1988-90) and is a two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring (1990-91). But his talents weren’t confined to the cockpit. In the mid-1980s he took the microphone as a member of ESPN’s motorsports coverage team and went on to become one of TV’s most recognizable and esteemed color analysts. From there, Daly migrated to the speaking circuit, and in 2009 he penned the bestseller Race To Win: How To Become A Complete Champion Driver, which offers invaluable insight into how and why the best drivers succeed, as well as unique coaching tools for emerging racers. He’s delivered keynote addresses to countless Fortune 500 companies, trade groups and government agencies. And we’re unbelievably excited to welcome him as a featured presenter at PRI 2015.

Daly’s seminar for racing industry parents and like-minded stakeholders takes place from 8–9 a.m. on Saturday, December 12, at the Indiana Convention Center, just prior to the final day of exhibits for the PRI Trade Show. His address will focus on the keys to successful ascension through the racing ladder, including young driver development, sponsorship and funding, leveraging resources and relationships, and much more. Even if you don’t have a colt in the race, we highly recommend attending this seminar. And look for more information on our full lineup of seminars in the October (Pre-Show) and November (Show Guide) issues of PRI Magazine.     

IRG Sports + Entertainment (IRG) has announced that three Tucson businessmen, Jon Bradford, Tom Koenan, and Jim Hughes, will take over the operations of Southwestern International Raceway (SWIR) effective immediately, with Jim Hughes as Track Operator.
 
"IRG felt that SWIR was too remote from its other operations to devote the time and attention the facility deserves. We felt it was in the best interest of SWIR to turn it over to local businessmen that can be more hands on with the facility and help SWIR grow to its fullest potential," remarked IRG COO Royce Miller. "This transition will benefit the racers, fans and sponsors in the long run. We are happy SWIR will be in good hands."
 
With the transition, the facility has been renamed Tucson Dragway. Tucson Dragway is located at Pima County Fairgrounds, 10-miles from downtown Tucson, Arizona, and features a dedicated quarter-mile drag strip. Over the last 18 years, the facility has hosted such premier events as the International Hot Rod Association's (IHRA) Nitro Jam, Super Chevy Show, Fun Ford Series, Import Face-Off, and Tucson Dragway Reunion. Driving schools, professional testing sessions, private rentals, and corporate team-building events are also held at Tucson Dragway year-round.

"Taking over Tucson Dragway is a great opportunity for me. It's a new challenge I haven't addressed yet in my life," stated new Track Operator Jim Hughes. "I've lived at drag strips for the last 38 years of my life as a racer. I see this as an opportunity to stay closer to home, stay involved with Don Davis racecars and Hughes Motorhome and Trailer Sales. I believe we will make the sportsman racer experience second to none for the Tucson and Arizona community."
 
The facility will be closed during the month of September for business restructuring and facility maintenance and will reopen in October. A new website page has been created to keep fans, racers and sponsors up-to-date about the activities at Tucson Dragway. Please visit www.tucsondragway.net for additional information.

In a move to increase driver safety and reduce damage to race cars after hitting infield grass, Charlotte Motor Speedway is installing a new “transition strip” between the track surface and the grass.

The six-foot wide strip, also known as a border, is being installed along the track’s frontstretch. The border will be made up of 140 tons of rye grass and a sand and oil mixture.

The project will be completed by the October 8-10 race weekend.

“This will make that transition more flexible and should result in less damage for cars if they leave the racing surface and go into the grass,” CMS spokesman Scott Cooper said.

“In the past, when a car has left Charlotte’s racing surface and gone into the grass along the front stretch, damage often has been done to its splitter,” Cooper added. “But hitting the grass can also have more serious consequences.”

At Daytona in July, Kyle Busch suggested all grass in track infields be removed. Busch suffered a broken right leg and fractured left foot in February when his Xfinity car could not stop in the grass abutting Turn 1 at Daytona and he slammed into an unprotected retaining wall.

“There’s absolutely no reason to have grass at any of these facilities,” Busch said in July. “I think that needs to be one of the next biggest pushes we all have.”

But CMS has no plans to remove or pave over its infield, Cooper said.

“What we’ve done (with the transition surface) is a step in the right direction in terms of making the track more safe.”