Filler for eNews

Attention manufacturers: SEMA set up a Measuring Session with Saturn for the automaker's 2008 Astra. SEMA Measuring Sessions provide members private access to new-vehicle releases. Through the sessions, manufacturers can attain first-hand measurements, take photos and interact with vehicle designers and OEM staff. For more information, contact Bill Wolf at billw@sema.org or visit www.sema.org/oem.  

SEMA-supported legislation to exempt street rods from the state’s regular safety inspections was approved by the Delaware State Legislature. Under an agreement reached with state regulators, the registration and titling process will be changed administratively to allow street rods to be assigned a registration and titling designation bearing the same model year that the body of the vehicle resembles. The bill next moves to the governor for his signature and enactment into law. 

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA again helped defeat Maryland legislation requiring the development of a statewide program to mandate that replacement tires for passenger cars meet fuel efficiency standards. The replacement tire efficiency program was anti-consumer, anti-small business, and would have required a substantial appropriation. This year’s version of the bill also included a credit against the excise tax for specified fuel-efficient vehicles. 

Most importantly, a replacement tire efficiency program was included in federal energy legislation signed into law last year. As proposed, the Maryland program could have created conflict with the Federal program. The federal program includes a SEMA-drafted exemption for limited production tires (15,000 or less annually) and other specialized tires. 

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

BREAKTHROUGH: “Finally,” said IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick after earning her first IndyCar victory in the Indy Japan 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi. Patrick became the first female driver to win in the series. Meanwhile, it was a big weekend for lady racers, as Simona De Silvestro won the Atlantic Championship round at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and Jamie Little topped the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race.

AN APPEAL?: Don Schumacher Racing plans to appeal the $100,000 fine handed it by NHRA for having unapproved nitromethane in its pit area.

BIG MONEY: Late-model driver Steve Francis banked $50,000 for winning the Colossal 100 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

RIDE TIME: Simon Pagenaud will join with team owner Gil de Ferran in the American Le Mans Series.

TESTERS: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway May 5–6 in preparation for the May 17 Sprint All-Star Race and the May 25 Coca-Cola 600.

IN LIMBO: Former Champ Car World Series title winner Paul Tracy admits after competing in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach that his future in racing is in doubt. In a contract dispute with team-owner Gerry Forsythe, who is not moving his team to the IndyCar Series, Tracy is without a ride as the month of May approaches. Tracy said he realizes sponsorship money and available rides are difficult to find.

POWER RANKINGS: Billy Moyer remained at the top of the National Speed Sport News Power Rankings and earned his 10th dirt-late-model victory of the season April 15 at Lernerville Speedway in Pennsylvania. However, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch is closing fast. The National Speed Sport News Power Rankings are published weekly in the 74-year-old motorsports publication.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, click on the following link for a special industry rate: www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/subscribe.html?pid=NQ%2BVfhkepT4%3D.

NEWS NUGGETS

DOWN  SOUTH—POWERade SERIES RETURNS TO ATLANTA FOR SIXTH  EVENT: Heading from the high desert of Las Vegas to the humid southland of Georgia, the NHRA POWERade Series travels cross-country for this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce. It was one year ago that the winners from Las Vegas—Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel), Robert Hight  (Funny Car), and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock)—pulled off an amazing  feat by repeating their winning runs in Atlanta.
    Karen Stoffer also had a repeat of her own, picking up her second win of the 2007 season at that event in Pro Stock Motorcycle. SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals winners Cory McClenathan, Tim Wilkerson and Jason Line hope the formula for a repeat is the same this year as they too look to make it two wins in a row.
    Atlanta is also the spot where Funny Car legend John Force will compete in his 500th career race, becoming only the second driver to do so (Warren Johnson raced in 528). If Force leaves Atlanta with the Wally, he will also become the first driver to reach the 1,000-round win mark, needing only four more round wins entering the event to reach the achievement.

“GRUMPY” TO BE INDUCTED IN 2008 INTERNATIONAL MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME: Following in the footsteps of such drivers as Warren Johnson and John Force, former Pro Stock driver and 13-time event winner Bill “Grumpy”  Jenkins will be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega Superspeedway, April 24. Joining Jenkins in the Class of 2008 inductees is NHRA pioneer Art Afrons, Robert “Red”  Byron, Everett “Cotton” Owens, Frank Kurtis and Ralph Seagraves.
    “I have been quite honored by the whole thing,” said Jenkins. “I knew there had been some media effort afoot to get me inducted, and I know that’s where the push comes from to get the various set of people inducted into that system, so I wasn’t totally surprised.”

NHRA  DRIVERS FINISH IN TOP 10 AT PRO/CELEB RACE: Two-time and defending NHRA POWERade Series Funny Car world champion Tony Pedregon showed his street course racing skills with a fifth-place finish in the Pro/Celebrity race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 19. NHRA drivers Whit Bazemore and Marty Nothstein also finished the event in the top 10, turning in a sixth and eighth-place finish, respectively. ESPN announcer Jamie Little won the event, which pitted celebrities against auto racers in a 10-lap race. SPEED Channel will provide coverage of the event, with airtimes scheduled for May 3 (3 p.m.), May 4 (11:30 p.m.), May 9 (11 p.m.), and May 25 (7:30 p.m.). 

IN  THE NEWS

A LIFE 330 MPH IN THE MAKING: In his column this week, AP writer Jim Litke discusses the life and turmoil the past 12 months have brought Funny Car driver John Force, ranging from his horrific crash in Dallas and the loss of Eric Medlen, to daughter Ashley becoming the first female ever to lead the points in Funny Car. Take a look at Litke’s article here.

COMING  ATTRACTIONS

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS, ATLANTA DRAGWAY, APRIL 24-27: The NHRA POWERade series heads back down south, as drivers in four categories will compete at the sixth event of the season. Defending event winners include Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel), Robert Hight  (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

O’REILLY NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS, GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, MAY  2-4: Traveling back to Madison, Ill., just outside of St. Louis in view of the archway, drivers from the NHRA POWERade Series will look to gain some advantage in the Countdown to the Championship just before the start of the summer months. Defending event champions include Melanie Troxel (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Dave Connolly (Pro Stock), and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

O’REILLY NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS, BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY, MAY 16-18: The NHRA POWERade Series heads back to the Thunder Valley of Bristol, Tenn., for the eighth running of the event. Defending event winners  include Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock).

HE  SAID, SHE SAID

FIRST MEN’S FITNESS, NEXT (HOPEFULLY) NATIONAL DRAGSTER: With the Funny Car points lead heading into Atlanta and a feature in Men’s Fitness magazine, you’d think that Ashley Force has everything she’d want. But there seems to be only one publication Force is looking to make. “I am really aiming for getting the National DRAGSTER cover, which means I got my first win," said Force. “That would be the best way to kick off all these media things.”

INSIDE  THE NUMBERS

8: The most wins at Atlanta Dragway, set by late Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Dave Schultz, which also stands as the most wins by a Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor at any track.

DID  YOU KNOW?

…that NHRA drivers Melanie Troxel, Frank Hawley, Gary Scelzi, Jack Beckman and Matt Smith will be part of a special fundraising event for the Dream House for Medically Fragile Children in Braselton, Georgia? The charity helps provide medically-fragile children and their families with an easy transition from hospitals and institutions to homes. 

Holley Performance Products has announced its emergence from bankruptcy proceedings, effective March 28. The company has also secured a five-year, $65 million credit facility with Wells Fargo Foothill which, in conjunction with the company's new capital structure, will allow Holley to pursue its long-term growth objectives.
    "We now have a solid capital structure in place that fully supports the company’s operations and provides for additional investment that will allow our business to realize its full potential," said Holley Performance Products CFO Thomas W. Tomlinson. "This is a big win for Holley. Holley’s fast-track restructuring was accomplished with no disruption to our business. We would like to thank our customers, employees, and vendors for their support during our brief pit stop in Chapter 11."

"Speed Racer" actors Matthew Fox, Emile Hirsch, John Goodman, Christina Ricci and Susan Sarandon stopped by the Yokohama paddock at the Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix for a photo session with drivers Gerardo Bonilla and Ben Devlin and the Yokohama- and BP-sponsored Mazda LMP2 racecar. 
    Yokohama Tire is promoting its relationship with Warner Bros. Pictures' upcoming live-action family film. Yokohama's ADVAN® tires were named the official tire of the movie and Mach 5 racecar earlier this year. The latest film by the Wachowski brothers and producer Joel Silver, creators of The Matrix trilogy, Speed Racer will open in theaters and IMAX across North America on May 9.

"Speed Racer" actors stopped by the Yokohama paddock at the Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix.

KICKER employees spent April 16 with captain Phil Harris of the Discovery Channel television series "Deadliest Catch.” KICKER recently hooked up Harris and the crew of the fishing vessel Cornelia Marie, one of the four ships featured in the hit show, with some serious sound. Harris stopped in for a short visit to see the facilities, check out some of the operating procedures, and sign a few autographs.
    “I would keep the film crew of the Discovery Channel awake sometimes at night cranking up our system,” Harris said. KICKER and Harris have future partnership plans beyond the boat installation, with talks of putting systems in his personal vehicles and his Harley-Davidson. Harris will also be signing autographs in the KICKER booth at the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Finals, May 3, in Las Vegas.

Phil Harris of "Deadliest Catch."

Toyota Speedway at Irwindale announced that it will expand the schedule of its Thursday night Test and Tune drag racing program to include an additional four dates (all on Sunday): May 25, June 29, July 27 and August 24. The Speedway’s Test and Tune program is held on its one-eighth mile street legal drag strip allowing individuals with a valid drivers license the opportunity to race their cars, trucks, motorcycles, hot rods and junior dragsters.
    Gates will open at 9 a.m. for the Sunday sessions with technical inspection beginning at 10 a.m. Competition will take place from 11 a.m.– 4 p.m. The Thursday sessions are held weekly except during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day holidays. Gates and technical inspection open at 4 p.m. with racing from 5–10 p.m. The cost to compete is $20.00 and $10.00 to watch with children five years of age and under admitted for free. Test and Tune program information including competition requirements can be obtained on the Speedway web site at www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com.

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. announced that Sound Sensations is the winner of the 2008 Pioneer Sound Build-Off competition for having built the best sound quality vehicle. More than 20 vehicles from Pioneer’s nationwide Premier dealer base participated in this elite invitation-only event. Each vehicle, equipped with a highly customized Premier audio system, was thoroughly evaluated by certified International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) judges for their realistic sound quality and creative installation.
    After a rigorous day of judging, the 1999 Mercedes CLK by Sound Sensations was declared the champion and awarded a $10,000 check plus a four-foot tall Pioneer Sound Build-Off trophy. The Cartronics FJ Cruiser took second place, followed by the 2007 Honda Element by The Specialists in third.

Sound Sensations, the winner of the 2008 Pioneer Sound Build-Off competition.  

Woodhouse Performance announced that Trans-Am and SPEED World Challenge veterans Tommy Archer and Claudio Burtin will drive together for the balance of the 2008 SPEED World Challenge season. Driving the No. 13 Foametix/Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, the duo will join forces with teammate Jeff Courtney in the No. 99 KENDA/MPI-Coin Viper to create a two-car team assault for the SCCA SPEED GT Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER.
    With two decades of experience in motorsports, Georgia-native Burtin is joining the team with a reputation as one of the sport’s most versatile drivers. Having driven a number of different high-horsepower vehicles from Ford Mustangs to Chevrolet Corvettes in the SCCA Trans-Am series, to most recently competing in a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car in the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona, Burtin is known for his ability to consistently and patiently get any vehicle up to pace.
    Driving the remaining races in the No. 13 will be series legend Tommy Archer. As the 2004 SCCA SPEED GT Champion, Archer brings a wealth of experience in different vehicles to the table, and most notably joins the team as perhaps the most well known Dodge Viper driver in the series.

The No. 13 Foametix/Dodge Viper Competition Coupe.

Filler for eNews

Filler for eNews