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Racing News: Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Teams Earn NASCAR Racing Experience

Compiled by SEMA Editors

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Team Autometer from Eastern Oklahoma County is competing at the PRI Show for the Engine Challenge Championship.

McLeod Racing Awards Top Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Teams With NASCAR Racing Experience

Hot Rodders of Tomorrow teams have already been receiving much recognition, including scholarships to top automotive schools. Now McLeod Racing will award the top two teams from each Dual Championship a NASCAR Racing Experience at the track of their choosing.

The top overall winning team from the National Championship will take part in a Practice Drive in which they actually maneuver NASCAR race cars around a track for an eight-minute timed racing session. The second-place overall team will be awarded the Ride Along Experience—a three-lap ride in a NASCAR race car. Those without driver’s licenses will automatically take part in the Ride Along. The winning teams will be able to pick their track and date from the schedule listed on the NASCAR Racing Experience website. Paul Lee, owner of McLeod Racing and NHRA Top Fuel Nitro Funny Car pilot, will present the winning teams with their NASCAR Racing Experiences.

The second half of the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge Dual Championship kicked off this week at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show. Two teams have already qualified for the Engine Challenge National Championship during the SEMA Show's Dual Championship in Las Vegas: Team Autometer from Eastern Oklahoma County Tech Center in Oklahoma (first place) and Team Moroso from Thomas County Central High School in Georgia (second place). From December 10–12, the remaining 14 teams will compete for the two remaining finalist spots. The final four teams will then compete Friday and Saturday of the PRI Show to crown the 2014 Engine Challenge Champion.

Sunoco Race Fuel’s Bill Joyner Receives NASCAR Buddy Shuman Award

Bill Joyner, fuel manager for Sunoco Race Fuel, the “Official fuel of NASCAR,” was presented the Buddy Shuman Award during the annual NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon in Las Vegas. Joyner is the 58th recipient of the award, established in memory of early NASCAR Grand National Series driver and technical inspector Louis Grier “Buddy” Shuman.

Presented annually by the Champion Spark Plug brand of Federal-Mogul Motorparts, the Shuman award recognizes individuals and organizations that have played vital roles in the continued growth of professional stock car racing. Past recipients have included Bill France Sr., Richard Petty, Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, Ken Squier and several other of the sport’s biggest names.

Joyner works closely with every team in NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series competition and is a trusted partner to team owners, engine builders, crew chiefs and drivers at virtually every level of the sport. Sunoco has been a major player in racing since the ’60s and was selected as the “Official Fuel of NASCAR” in 2004. The company provides racing gasoline for every Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series event and distributes its products to more than 500 U.S. racetracks.

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Evelyn Pratt. Photo credit: Doug Allen

Longtime Racing Official Evelyn Pratt Passes Away at 95

Longtime Southern California racing official Evelyn Pratt has passed away in Texas. She was 95 years old. In a career that spanned more than 65 years in racing, she not only served as a race official, but was also a racer herself in the Ascot Powder Puff Class. Her famous bull horn is in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa.

Speed Sport Announces Partnership and Fundraising Support for the Quarter Midgets of America

Beginning in 2015, Speed Sport and its subsidiary Speed Sport Productions will partner with the Quarter Midgets of America (QMA) to develop a marketing, video production and sponsorship program to support the nationally renowned youth racing organization. This collaboration is designed to foster awareness, growth and financial stability for members and supporters of Quarter Midget racing and youth racing in general. Speed Sport will be the “Official Media Partner” of the Quarter Midgets of America.

Key proposed components of the partnership include marketing and video production support at each of the QMA's three Grand National events—the Eastern Grands Garden State QMRC, July 12–18, 2015; the Western Grands (Baylands QMA, June 28–July 4, 2015) and the Dirt Grands Terre Haute QMA, July26–August 1, 2015. Speed Sport will also cover the Silver State Winter Nationals in Las Vegas (Good Times QMA, December 3–6, 2015).

In addition to live streaming and on-demand video for each of these events, Speed Sport will showcase Quarter Midgets of America racing periodically during its weekly national television program, Speed Sport magazine on MAVTV, and plans to produce a one-hour season recap show to air on MAVTV.

Speed Sport will regularly include Quarter Midgets of America news and highlights on nationalspeedsportnews.com, in its daily motorsports newsletter and in the monthly print and digital editions of Speed Sport magazine. Speed Sport also will begin donating $5 from every one-year subscription sold using promo code “QMA2015” to the QMA.

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Jordan Brenthel, in his 7200 class truck, finished on the podium in third place during the final race of the BITD series.

Brenthel Industries Takes Their “House Truck” to Second Straight Championship

Brenthel Industries took their “in-house” 7200 class truck to its second consecutive points championship while racing at the Best In The Desert (BITD) Henderson 250. Jordan Brenthel capped off a great rookie season when he finished on the podium in third place during the final race of the BITD series.

Jordan and the Brenthel Industries race team took the points lead at the first race of the season and never relinquished it the entire year. his brother Jonathan captured the SCORE series 7200 championship racing in his rookie season and in 2013. Jordan will move into the Brenthel Industries class 6100 truck in 2015 to continue its fine tuning. Brenthel has several 6100 trucks in the dirt with more on the way.

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On the track, the “Queen of Diamonds II” jet dragster shoots 30-ft. flames out the back of the 300-mph racer.

“Queen of Diamonds II” Jet Dragster Will be on Display at PPB Motorsports 2015 Race Car and Trade Show

Al Hanna and his “Queen of Diamonds II” 300-mph Jet Dragster will be on display at the three-day Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2015 Presented by Sunoco Race Fuels Distributed by Insinger Performance Race Car and Trade Show set to take place at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, January 23–25, 2015.

The latest Al Hanna creation, designed on a napkin in the Atlanta airport, was built by Dan Page Race Cars of Hampstead, New Hampshire. The original “Queen of Diamonds,” the current World Speed and ET Record Holding “GOJO Firebird” Jet Funny Car, driven by Rich Hanna, and the “XLERATOR” Top Secret” Firebird, driven by veteran Ken Hall were also built by Page. “Queen of Diamonds II,” driven by Jill Canuso, is powered by a 6,000hp General Electric J-85-5 engine.

Complete details on the show can be found at www.aarn.com.