Compiled by SEMA Editors
 At the North American International Auto Show, Acura Motorsports unveiled the Acura TLX GT race car, which it announced would be campaigned by RealTime Racing in the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge GT Championship. |
RealTime Racing to Campaign New Acura TLX in Pirelli World Challenge GT
During the unveiling of the ’15 Acura TLX Prototype at the North American International Auto Show, Acura Motorsports surprised the crowd with a dual unveiling of the Acura TLX GT race car, which it announced would be campaigned by RealTime Racing in the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge GT Championship.
RealTime and Acura have enjoyed a long and successful relationship in the World Challenge series. Since 1993, RealTime has earned 85 race victories, 14 Manufacturers' Championships and 14 Drivers' Championships with a variety of Acura and Honda machines. For the next evolution of this partnership, RealTime will prepare the new Acura TLX for competition in the highly competitive GT category.
Acura returns to World Challenge's GT category for the first time since 2002, when RealTime campaigned an Acura NSX. In 2014, the TLX will be up against high-performance cars, including the Audi R8 LMS, Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes SLS, Nissan GTR, Porsche 911 and Ferrari 458.
The RTR crew is already hard at work preparing the TLX for the formidable World Challenge GT field. The car features an HPD chassis with enhanced aerodynamic performance parts, and will be powered by a direct-injected, twin-turbocharged V6 engine, developed from the production TLX. Like the road-going version, the race car will utilize an all-wheel-drive system.
 TRG-AMR North America has announced Royal Purple as the team’s exclusive lubricants provider and team sponsor for the 2014 race season. |
TRG-AMR North America and Royal Purple Announce 2014 Partnership
With the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona only a few weeks away, TRG-AMR North America has announced Royal Purple as the team’s exclusive lubricants provider and team sponsor for the 2014 race season. Following extensive vehicle performance and durability testing using Royal Purple’s products and an initial limited partnership late in 2013, the two groups worked together during the off-season to establish a permanent technical and marketing alliance for the 2014 race season.
Under the terms of the technical and marketing alliance, Royal Purple’s products will be used in all TRG-AMR V12 Vantage GT3’s and Vantage GT4’s competing in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Pirelli World Challenge, Continental Tire Championship and Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of North America race series. TRG-AMR will also prominently feature Royal Purple branding on the team’s race cars, trailers and apparel. Together, the two companies will work to establish integrated marketing and social media campaigns, building brand equity and raising awareness for both TRG-AMR’s racing efforts and Royal Purple’s line of synthetic lubricants and fluids.
TRG-AMR and Royal Purple’s first race as partners occurs at the 52nd annual Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, in Daytona Beach, Florida, January 25–26, featuring the No. 007 and No. 009 cars competing in the TUDOR USCC GTD class, and cars No. 07 and No. 09 in the GS class of the Continental Tire Sport Car Challenge.
 Dan Quiet navigates the course at the 2013 Midwest Division RallyCross National Challenge held at I-80 Speedway. Photo: Jerry Doctor |
SCCA Announces Date and Location for RallyCross National Championships
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) will hold the 10th edition of the RallyCross National Championship October 4–5, at the I-80 Speedway, in Greenwood, Nebraska. The I-80 Speedway will be the fifth different venue to host the National Championship event, which had previously been run at Tulsa (Oklahoma) Raceway Park. Since its inception, the event has seen a steady increase in the number of competitors and the level of competition. Plans to commemorate a decade of running this event is in the works. Specific activities to mark the occasion will be announced at a later date.
TORC Welcomes Return of Cooper Tire as Official Series Partner for 2014 Season
TORC: The Off-Road Championship has announced that Cooper Tire is returning as an Official Series Partner for the 2014 TORC season. As an Official Series Partner, Cooper Tire will engage with TORC's national fanbase through an array of television, radio, print, digital and social media exposure. In addition, the company will continue its on-site presence at TORC events with the Cooper Tire motorsports display. TORC: The Off-Road Championship will hold seven events across the United States this year, with NBC Sports providing television coverage and a behind-the-scenes docu-reality series. The 2014 event schedule features races at the following venues:
- April 5–6: Primm, Nevada (Primm Off Road Raceway)
- April 25–26: Charlotte, North Carolina (Charlotte Motor Speedway)
- May 17–18: St. Louis, Missouri (Gateway Motorsports Park)
- June 28–29: Crandon, Wisconsin (Crandon International Off Road Raceway)
- July 19–20: Bark River, Michigan (Bark River Off Road Raceway)
- August 5–6: Sturgis, South Dakota (Buffalo Chip Powersports Complex)
- August 30–31: Crandon, Wisconsin (Crandon International Off Road Raceway)
 Shannon Campbell will drive the FOX 4705 car in the Spec Class at the 2014 King of the Hammers. |
FOX Selected as Exclusive Suspension Partner of Ultra4 Spec Class
Ultra4 racing has grown exponentially since King of the Hammers (KOH) started as a small gathering of friends back in 2007. The latest addition to this hybrid event that combines desert racing and rock crawling is the Ultra4 4700 Spec Class, which allows race enthusiasts to enjoy an arrive-and-race experience at King of the Hammers and other Ultra4 races throughout the year.
Six drivers will be competing in the Spec Class at the 2014 King of the Hammers, including television personality and women's land speed record holder Jessi Combs. The FOX 4705 car will be driven by two-time KOH winner and 2013 Ultra4 Series champion Shannon Campbell.
In addition to being the exclusive suspension for the Ultra4 Spec Class, FOX is putting up $15,000 in cash and product purses for the Ultra4, EMC Stock, EMC Modified and Spec Classes.
 The Riot Racing team and the No. 29 Trick Truck prepare for the 2014 racing season. |
Following a seventh-place finish in the Henderson 250 and second-place finish in the SNORE Rage At The River, Kevin Lyons and Jordan Poole of Riot Racing are working hard preparing for their first race of the year. At the beginning of February, the team will load up and drive to Parker, Arizona, for the BITD Parker 425. The team will give their all to go for a championship in both BITD and SNORE. The first SNORE race falls in the middle of February in Primm, Nevada. The two-day race will have more entries in the premier class, which will help Lyons see where he stands early on in the series.
2014 International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Announces Sponsors, Inductee Presenters
Three of the largest corporate supporters of drag racing will again be supporting the 24th Annual International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, which will be held in Gainesville, Florida, at the Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites, March 13, 2014. The banquet will again be hosted by Bob Frey as the Master of Ceremonies.
Donna Garlits, general manager/CFO of the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum (Ocala, Florida) disclosed that Lucas Oil Products Inc. (Corona, Calif.) will be the presenting sponsor, and the event will be known as the Lucas Oil Products 24th Annual International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. Three other long-term backers of the induction banquet have returned as associate sponsors: Summit Racing Equipment; MOPAR, Chrysler Group LLC service, parts and customer-care group; and Commercial Power Cleaners.
Garlits also announced the individuals who will present the seven inductees of the Class of 2014. The inductees and their presenters are:
| Inductee | Presenter |
| John Abbott | Roger Gustin |
| Al Bergler | Ron Colson |
| Frank Hawley | Jack Beckman |
| Tom Hoover | Paige Hoover |
| Warren Johnson | Tony Sheffler |
| Forrest Lucas | Tom Compton |
| Kenny Youngblood | Harry Hibler and Don Garlits |