Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Volkswagen of America Inc. will sponsor the ProjectBaja.com Class 11 Volkswagen Beetle in the upcoming 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 race. |
Volkswagen Sponsors Class 11 Beetle Team in the 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000
Volkswagen of America Inc. has announced that it will sponsor the ProjectBaja.com Class 11 Volkswagen Beetle in the 50th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000 race, November 14–18, 2017. ProjectBaja.com is a team of Denver-based enthusiasts/racers led by industrial designer Josh McGuckin. His driving team will be accompanied by “CNET Roadshow” writer Emme Hall, who will report first-hand from the co-driver’s seat, along with Matt Wilson, Matt Fisher, Evan Chute and Nick Wilson.
NHRA Releases 2018 Lucas Oil Drag-Racing Series Schedule
The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series 2018 season kicks off at Orlando Speed World Dragway in Orlando, Florida, February 23–24. During the year, the series will feature double-header events at Heartland Park Topeka, Mission Raceway Park, Texas Motorplex and Rocky Mountain Raceways. The series will also feature two stops at Woodburn Dragstrip in Woodburn, Oregon, and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the season will conclude, November 1–4. The upcoming 2018 schedule will feature 44 divisional events with a minimum of six in each of the seven divisions. There will also be 26 regional events featuring the 260-mph Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes. View the complete 2018 season schedule.
NASCAR Driver Julia Landauer Teams Up With TechForce
Julia Landauer, NASCAR female racer and advocate for women in S.T.E.M., has signed on as an official partner of TechForce Foundation and its FutureTech Success campaign. This industry-wide initiative aims to drive tomorrow’s workforce of transportation technicians by repositioning the image of the profession. Moreover, the campaign provides middle- and high-school students and their parents opportunities to experience automotive and motorsports technology and to encourage diverse audiences, including women and people of color, to enter the field. Bearing the title of FutureTech Success Ambassador, Landauer will work with the foundation through media appearances, public service announcements and fundraising efforts to inform and inspire young individuals seeking to pursue careers in the field of transportation tech.
2018 International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing has named the individuals that comprise the induction Class of 2018 to the museum’s International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, plus the recipient of the Founder’s Award. The Hall of Fame inductees include Jeb Allen, Kelly Brown, Gary Densham, Roy Fjastad, Jim Oddy, Oliver (Ollie) Riley and Greg Sharp. The Founder’s Award will be presented to Herb Fishel, a career employee of General Motors, who started as an engineer in Chevrolet’s infamous “Skunk Works” under Vince Piggins, and was later named to lead the Chevrolet Racing division in 1983. In 1991, he became the executive director of General Motors Racing. He retired from General Motors in 2003. In 2005, Fishel was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame. The inductees will be honored at the 28th annual International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Banquet, to be held March 15, in Gainesville, Florida, at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center Gainesville, which has just completed a multi-million dollar renovation. Additional details will be announced at a future date.
NHRA Promotes Glen Cromwell to President, Peter Clifford to Chief Executive Officer
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has announced that Glen Cromwell has been promoted to president, effective January 1, 2018. Cromwell succeeds Peter Clifford as president. Clifford will assume the newly created post of chief executive officer, following more than 20 years with the organization, including serving as its president since 2015. Cromwell will head up NHRA’s leadership team and will report to Clifford and the board.