By SEMA News Editors
Sprint Car Hall of Famer, Bobby Allen, 81
Bobby Allen, one of the greatest Sprint Car drivers to emerge from Pennsylvania's racing scene and a founding member of the Outlaws in 1978, has passed away. He was 81.
Originally from Florida, Allen began racing in his home state before moving to Pennsylvania to advance his career. The transition wasn't easy--at times, he reportedly even slept in the Lincoln Speedway ticket booth--but his determination paid off. He soon became one of the region's top drivers, winning the 13th running of Williams Grove Speedway's National Open in 1975.
When Ted Johnson launched the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in 1978, Allen was among the inaugural group of competitors. Allen, known then as "Scruffy," earned the second win in Series history on April 16, 1978, at Ohio's Eldora Speedway, added another at Indiana's Warsaw Speedway, and finished third in points that season.
Over the following years, Allen remained a formidable presence, collecting victories across the country. He captured the All Star Circuit of Champions title in 1980, topped the Tuscarora 50 in both 1982 and 1989, and earned his 30th and final World of Outlaws win at the 1990 Knoxville Nationals--his biggest career triumph, when he outran Sammy Swindell for the victory.
In 1988, Allen was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
Allen's impact extended far beyond his driving career. He helped launch the careers of his son, Jacob Allen, and grandson, Logan Schuchart, and together they founded Shark Racing, taking two teams on the road with the World of Outlaws in 2014. Despite doubts they could last a full season, their perseverance proved otherwise. They finished the year and have remained fixtures on tour ever since.
Schuchart earned Shark Racing's first World of Outlaws win in 2016 at Cedar Lake Speedway, the first of 44 victories to date--placing him 20th all-time. Jacob Allen secured his first Series victory in 2020 and added four more in 2022. Today, Schuchart continues to compete full-time in the No. 1S, while Ashton Torgerson drives the No. 1A on a select schedule with Jacob's involvement. Allen remained an active presence with the team through his final weekend, attending the National Open at Williams Grove Speedway.
"Our hearts are broken but we know he lived his life to the fullest and touched so many. Anyone who ever got to meet him or know him always got to share a story and/or a smile. He did it his way and that was the 'Scruffy way.' He will be loved and terribly missed by all. He was a legend on and off the race track and his contributions will live on forever," said Shark Racing in an online statement. "You could commonly find him with a glass of his favorite wine, smiling and laughing, making calls about race cars, and enjoying being surrounded by beautiful women. He was a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, a brother, a friend and so much more. An announcement will follow giving details for a celebration of Bobby's amazing life at a later date. The Shark Racing family appreciates your thoughts and prayers during this time."
Images courtesy of Shark Racing
USAC Car Owner, Steve Phillips, 70
Steve Phillips, a veteran USAC team owner who earned 19 career wins in the USAC National Sprint Car Series with drivers Dave Darland and Jason McDougal between 2013 and 2019, passed away on October 4, 2025. He was 70.
Phillips' iconic black No. 71p became a fixture in USAC competition, collecting several marquee victories--most notably with Darland behind the wheel. The pair earned 17 series wins together, beginning with the Larry Rice Classic in 2013 at Bloomington Speedway (Indiana).
Darland's most successful USAC National Sprint Car season came in his first year with the Phillips team, when he captured seven victories, including the Sprint Car Smackdown at Kokomo Speedway (Indiana) and the Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway (California).
Together, Darland and Phillips won the final night of Smackdown for three straight years from 2013 to 2015. During the 2014 event, Darland drove Phillips' car to his 53rd career win--making him the all-time winningest driver in USAC National Sprint Car history at the time.
That same season, the duo scored six additional victories, highlighted by a win at the Tony Hulman Classic at Terre Haute Action Track (Indiana). Their final season together in 2015 produced four more wins, capping an impressive partnership that left a lasting mark on USAC competition.
In 2018, Phillips and his wife, Carla, returned to USAC National Sprint Car victory lane with Jason McDougal, who triumphed at I-55 Raceway (Missouri). The team's final win came in 2019 at Bridgeport Motorsports Park (New Jersey).
In total, Phillips' team made 260 USAC National Sprint Car feature starts between 2010 and 2025, fielding cars for drivers including Clinton Boyles, Shane Cockrum, Jerry Coons Jr., Shane Cottle, Dave Darland, Justin Grant, Darren Hagen, Jason McDougal, Cannon McIntosh, Billy Puterbaugh Jr., Carson Short, Mike Spencer, Stevie Sussex, and Kody Swanson. Most recently, during the 2025 season, the team competed in eight series events with rookie Chelby Hinton.
Born and raised in Phoenix, Phillips began his own racing career in sprint cars and midgets in his home state. In his rookie season of 1977, he scored his first career midget feature victory at Manzanita Speedway. He later claimed the Sprint Car Owners Association driving championship in 1990.
During the '90s, Phillips relocated--first to Texas and later to Indiana--where he joined the Hall-VDS Racing IndyCar team as a full-time mechanic. There, he worked on cars driven by John Andretti, Teo Fabi and Gil de Ferran.
A member of the Arizona Motorsports Hall of Fame, Phillips also made 13 starts as a USAC Silver Crown team owner, fielding entries for Billy Puterbaugh Jr., Matt Goodnight, Dave Darland and Jason McDougal. The team's best Silver Crown finish came with Darland's fourth-place run at the 2017 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway (Ohio).
Image of Steve Phillips, left, and his wife, Carla Phillips, right, with USAC rookie Chelby Hinton, center. Image courtesy of Phillips Motorsports #71P.
Porsche Exits FIA WEC, to Focus on IMSA, Formula E
As part of a comprehensive realignment, Porsche will exit the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and focus on competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA Formula E World Championship.
With its involvement in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which features the 24 Hours of Daytona as its highlight race, Porsche is underlining the importance of the North American market and endurance racing for the brand. In addition to the two factory commitments in Formula E and IMSA, customer racing remains an important pillar of the Porsche motorsport strategy, the company said.
Additionally, the German marque will continue its Formula E effort, citing the insights gained into electric production sports cars.
"We use motorsport as a development platform for future technology and to illustrate the potential of our sports cars," says Thomas Laudenbach, vice president, Porsche Motorsport. "With the Porsche 963 in the North American IMSA series and the Porsche 99X Electric in the Formula E World Championship, we want to continue to fight for overall victories in the future. That is our tradition and our focus."
For more information, visit racing.porsche.com.
