Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Matt Field took the victory at the Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge. |
Matt Field Takes Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge Victory
Formula DRIFT presented by BlackVue returned to Long Beach, California, to host the Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge as part of the 42nd Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, where Matt Field in the Falken Tire/Drift Cave Nissan S14 took the victory. The Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge for the fourth consecutive year brought motorsports action under the lights during the annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach with a filled capacity within Turns 9, 10, and 11 of the famous street course. Select Formula DRIFT drivers competed for a $25,000 prize purse. The Top 4 pitted Odi Bakchis, the number qualifier, against Michael Essa, who outdrove his opponent to move into the finals. Field then faced Dean Kearney and capitalized on his opponent making a mistake to meet Essa in the final battle. On his lead run, Essa spun giving the advantage to Field and ultimately the event victory. The 2016 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship will continue to Round 2: Road to the Championship, May 6–7 at Road Atlanta.
Tomahawk Speedway Selects VP Racing Fuels as Official Supplier
Officials at recently reopened Tomahawk Speedway in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, have announced a multi-year agreement naming VP Racing Fuels as the track’s official fuel beginning in 2016. The agreement calls for Remington Oil—VP’s distributor based in Antigo, Wisconsin—to be the track’s exclusive supplier of race fuel. The agreement also designates VP as the primary sponsor of the track’s points fund. To be eligible for end-of-year points prizes, racers must purchase one five-gallon pail of VP fuel per race or one 54-gallon drum to cover 11 points races.
 In 2015, Atturo drivers Travis Dinsmore #43 and Andrew Carlson #151 brought home six podium finishes and two outright wins, including the season-ending Crandon World Championships. |
Atturo Renews Sponsorship with TORC: The Off-Road Championship in 2016
Atturo Tires has announced its return to TORC: The Off-Road Championship this season with a renewed commitment to PRO Light racing. Under the extended sponsorship, the popular class of truck racing will be known as Atturo Tires PRO Light in 2016. In the Atturo Tires PRO Light class, race champions mix it up with rising stars for competition between 500hp trucks on DOT street-legal tires. Under the sponsorship agreement, Atturo will also join TORC’s live digital broadcasts and become an active partner on series social media channels. In 2015, Atturo drivers Travis Dinsmore #43 and Andrew Carlson #151 brought home six podium finishes and two outright wins, including the season-ending Crandon World Championships. For 2016, both drivers return looking to increase their multiple victories and podiums earned last season.
50th Anniversary Camaro SS to Pace Indianapolis 500
A unique version of the new, ’17 Camaro SS 50th Anniversary Edition will lead the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 next month, driven by motorsports legend Roger Penske, who is marking 50 years as a race team owner. It’s the ninth time Camaro has served as the pace car and the 27th time for Chevrolet, dating back to 1948. Four identically prepared pace cars will support the race, all with exclusive Abalone White exteriors featuring “100th Running of the Indianapolis 500” graphics on the doors and the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway wing-and-wheel logo on the quarter panels. They also incorporate the exterior cues and graphics that are unique to the Camaro 50th Anniversary package that goes on sale this summer.
 Rod Hall will pilot his Ford Bronco in the 2016 General Tire National Off-Road Racing Association Mexican 1000. |
Off-Road Racing Legend Rod Hall Tackles Baja for His 50th Run
By Chris Collard
Last year, Rod Hall pulled his championship Ford Bronco, in which he won the 1969 Mexican 1000, from the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame’s (ORMHOF) museum in Reno, Nevada, and sent it to Samco Fabrication for a full restoration. The Bronco, which was built by Bill Stroppe, has a past is as storied as Hall himself. After Hall and teammate Larry Minor drove it to an overall win in the 1969 Mexican 1000, it was sold, raced, resold and then retired to a Barstow, California, junkyard. Half-buried in sand and nearly forgotten, it was discovered by a local race fan and restaurant owner, and put on display in front of a Denny’s. In 2003, it was donated to ORMHOF and found its way back to Hall. On April 24, Hall, who has achieved more podium finishes than any American off-road racer, including 24 Baja 1000 Class wins and the only overall win in a four-wheel drive vehicle, will slip behind the wheel and again pilot his old steed down the peninsula in the 2016 General Tire National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) Mexican 1000. It will be a monumental 50th 1,000-mile Baja race for Hall.
SPEEDVEGAS Track Officially Opens
SPEEDVEGAS, founded by Aaron Fessler and Tom Mizzone, recently celebrated its ceremonial track opening, marking the first in a series of opening events for the Las Vegas racetrack. Guests at SPEEDVEGAS experience musclecars and exotic supercars from Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi and Corvette. SPEEDVEGAS features a 1.5-mile Formula One-inspired racetrack and includes 12 sweeping turns, 20-degree banked turns, 60 ft. of total elevation change and a half-mile straightaway. The rest of the $30 million, 100-acre motorsports complex will open this summer, including a 22,000-sq.-ft., two-story welcome center featuring indoor and outdoor observation decks, a café and meetings and event space.
 The 2016 NMRA Keystone Automotive Drag Racing Series invaded Commerce, Georgia, over the weekend of April 8–10, 2016, for the 8th Annual Borla Exhaust NMRA/NMCA All Star Nationals presented by Miller Welders. |
NMRA Race Wrap for 8th Annual Borla Exhaust NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals
The 2016 NMRA Keystone Automotive Drag Racing Series invaded Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia, over the weekend of April 8–10, 2016, for the 8th Annual Borla Exhaust NMRA/NMCA All Star Nationals presented by Miller Welders.
VP Racing Fuels/Wiseco Street Outlaw: Jarod Wenrick pushed his ’66 Nova to the limit and crossed the finish in 4.819 seconds at 151.56 mph to take the win over Ronnie Diaz for the NMCA crew.
Edelbrock Renegade: Aaron Bates’ 7.925 at 178.97 mph pass bested Terry “Beefcake” Reeves’ effort.
ProCharger Coyote Modified: JPC Racing’s Jeff Polivka and his ’13 Boss 302’s 8.078 at 169.61 mph pass secured the victory over JLP Racing’s Johnny "Lightning" Wiker and his '13 Super Cobra Jet.
G-Force Transmissions Pure Street: Terry Weaver came out ahead with a 9.599 at 139.13 mph performance over Jimmy Wilson’s 9.927 at 139.26 mph one.
American Racing Headers Factory Stock: James Meredith took the trip to the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle thanks to his winning 10.725 at 124.81 mph pass over Louis Sylvester Jr.
Race Pages Coyote Stock: Jacob Lamb scored a 10.300 at 129.44 mph blast against Steve “The Farmer” Gifford.
Roush Performance Super Stang: Darrel Bye crossed the stripe to secure the win over Larry Firestone and a trip to the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle.
Race Pages Ford Muscle: Chris Parisi was deemed the champion over Miles Wagoner and earned a spot in the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle.
Exedy Racing Clutch Modular Muscle: Charlie McCulloch defeated Shane Williams.
Flex-a-lite Open Comp: Wade Trammell earned the win over Richard Belcher with a 10.151 elapsed time on his 10.15-second index.
Detroit Locker Truck & Lightning: Amanda Saad, the number-six qualifier, defeated Nina Gusler, the number-three qualifier.
Coyote Stock vs. Chevrolet Performance Stock presented by Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center: NMRA was pitted against NMCA. Joseph Marini’s ’11 Mustang came out ahead with his 10.495-second run to Ronnie Hackelton’s ’13 Camaro’s 10.479-second attempt, and picked up the win for team NMRA.
QA1 True Street: Russell Haskins took the overall win with his ’96 Mustang and an average of 9.382. In the nine-second category, Donnie Gilder came out on top. Jason Riley took the winner's honors in the 10-second group, while Brandon Conner was king of the 11-second section. For the 12-second cars, Mike Baker was named the winner, followed by Robin Whiteford-Quinton for the 13-second group, Brian Walkington for the 14-second group and James Rowell rounding it out for the 15-second cars.
Next up, NMRA rolls into Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania, for the 16th Annual WyoTech NMRA Ford Motorsport Nationals presented Juggernaut Power, April 28–May 1, 2016.
 VP Racing Fuels Inc. will sponsor Danielle Murphy for the 2016 season. |
VP Racing Fuels to Sponsor European Drifting Champion Danielle Murphy
Officials with VP Racing Fuels Inc. have announced its sponsorship of Danielle Murphy for the 2016 season. Winner of the European Drifting Championship last year and in 2013, Murphy will be powered by VP’s C16 racing fuel in her quest to repeat as “Queen of Europe” in 2016. She’ll also use VP Racing Lubricants to protect her engine.
International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Banquet to Be telecast on MAVTV in Early May 2016
The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing—home of the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame—and MAVTV have announced the 26th annual International Drag Racing Hall of Fame presented by Lucas Oil induction banquet will again be televised on the MAVTV cable channel. The dinner gala will be presented as a special 30-minute MAVTV program with two airings on Thursday, May 5, 2016. The first airing will be at 5:30 p.m. (EDT), and the second airing will be at 8:30 p.m. (EDT). The program will re-air May 12, 19 and 26 at the same times. The telecast was recorded and produced by the Masters Entertainment Group of Bristol, Tennessee. The program features the introduction of the Class of 2016 inductees: Preston Davis, Jack Doyle, the late Marvin Miller, Mark Oswald, Dennis Priddle and “Gas” (Gaspar) Ronda, plus the Founder’s Award recipient Steve Earwood and the Pat Garlits Memorial Award honoree Laurie Force. Bob Frey was the emcee.