Compiled by SEMA Editors
2022.
100th Running Of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2022 Date Set
The milestone 100th running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), brought to you by Gran Turismo, is set for Sunday, June 26, 2022. In addition to the competition on the mountain, race organizers will also host the Fan Fest pre-race street festival in Colorado Springs and the 2022 Pikes Peak Hill Climb Hall of Fame Induction. For more information, visit ppihc.org.
NASCAR Partners to Launch New Science, STEM Curriculum
NASCAR and the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) have launched a new science and STEM learning curriculum for K-8 science teachers across the United States. The racing-themed science lessons will be available free of charge to educators nationwide on NSTA.org. The collaboration between NASCAR and NSTA—the promoter of excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning—features 18 racing-themed lesson plans, including aerodynamics, friction and motion, light, sound and more. Accompanying videos, games, and more are also featured. Through its relationship with NSTA, NASCAR will also work to bring elementary and middle school students to race events via free and discounted tickets and special family events hosted at NASCAR race tracks.
IMSA Launches Diverse Driver Development Scholarship Program
The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) has unveiled the new IMSA Diverse Driver Development annual scholarship program, designed to promote and empower drivers from various backgrounds to participate in IMSA-sanctioned series. The scholarship includes tools to bring drivers into IMSA and position them for success both on and off the race track through substantial assistance from the sanctioning body and several IMSA corporate partners, as well as other industry resources. Each year, a new scholarship will be awarded, with additional benefits extending to a second year for each selected recipient.
To be eligible for the scholarship, candidates from diverse lifestyles or backgrounds must have a strong desire to compete in IMSA, outstanding previous race results and/or proven on-track potential in junior racing categories and the ability to build a compelling business plan for securing the remaining funding needed to compete in a full season of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge or IMSA Prototype Challenge series.
The IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship will provide one recipient per season with upwards of $290,000 in financial and product support in the first year, depending on the driver’s chosen series. In the second year of the IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship, IMSA will offer the recipient 50% off a full-season premium entry fee toward participation in their selected series. For more information or to apply, visit imsa.com/diversity.
County, California—has suspended operations indefinitely.
Santa Maria Raceway Suspends Operations
Santa Maria Raceway—the 1/3-mile clay oval in San Luis Obispo County, California—has suspended operations indefinitely. The accompanying Stadium805 concert and event center will also suspend operations. Current owner Nick Duggan, who purchased the facility in 2018, cited an ongoing legal conflict with county officials stemming from a new residential community near the track.
“The ongoing efforts of the County of San Luis Obispo and the Costa Pacifica Estates Homeowners Association to shut down our facility, and the legal fees defending the actions, has made it financially impossible to continue operating this facility in the way it has operated for decades,” Duggan stated on the track’s social media page.
“County fines between June and August will have reached over $37,000 and must be paid upfront. Adding to over $150,000 of lawyers/consultants fees and studies, this has drained us of all remaining operating funds. This is now affecting the quality and safety of our shows.
“Unfortunately, as a local family operation, we no longer have the means to continue the fight to keep this iconic facility open,” Duggan concluded.
All racing events through the 2021 season, including the AMSOIL USAC-CRA Sprint Car Series and the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series, have been canceled. Read the post in its entirety here.
For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.