INDIANAPOLIS — The IndyCar Series and the Firestone Indy Lights will head to Las Vegas for this year’s Indy Racing League (IRL) Championship Celebration at Palms Resort Nov. 5.
The event will take place at Pearl, Palms Resort’s state-of-the-art concert theater, on the second night of the 43rd-annual SEMA Show at the Palms.
“Coordinating our celebration with the SEMA Show is a great way to showcase the league and its series to the automotive industry,” said IRL Commercial Division President Terry Angstadt. “I have no doubt that Las Vegas will make for one of the more memorable stops for the celebration.”
The night will conclude with the presentation of the IndyCar Series Championship Cup and $1 million bonus to the championship-winning driver and team.

Schoenfeld Racing Inks Arpin For CRA Debut

VAN BUREN, Ark. — Canadian open-wheel modified ace Steve Arpin will make his asphalt debut with Schoenfeld Racing in the Championship Racing late models at Nashville, Tenn.’s Music City Motorplex July 20.
“We’ve had a long relationship with Steve and we’re excited to provide a quality ride for him as he embarks on a new chapter of his brilliant racing career,” said Doug Schoenfeld, president of Schoenfeld Headers.
Arpin concluded the 2007 season with 18 victories and 42 top-five finishes while racing against the nation’s top dirt-modified drivers. He missed an early portion of this season after suffering burns from a hot radiator during Speedweeks in February.

IHRA Competitors To Get Edmonton Incentive

DAYTON, Ohio — IHRA competitors making the trip to the 2008 Rocky Mountain Nationals at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, July 4-6 are being offered additional incentives to make the long tow.
The Rocky Mountain National IHRA Crew Bonus will provide the top 12 Alcohol Funny Car drivers and the top 18 in both Pro Stock and Pro Modified (according to IHRA points standings following the President’s Cup Nationals) with free car and driver entry plus four crew entries for the 2008 event. These incentives will be in addition to the Edmonton cash-travel incentives already in place.

USAC To Field New Delphi Safety Team

INDIANAPOLIS — The United States Auto Club will field a team of Delphi Safety Squad vehicles at USAC National racing events for the rest of this racing season.
The new safety-squad vehicles, sporting a unique racing-themed design, are equipped with fire-fighting apparatus, Jaws of Life and other tools.
Future expansion of the safety program into the USAC Western and USAC-CRA Sprint Car Series is expected.

Loudon Weekend Purse Near Record $7 Million

LOUDON, N.H.  — The total purse for the upcoming four-race NASCAR weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has approached a speedway record $7 million.
The posted prize money of $6,977,328 awaits competitors among four NASCAR touring divisions. The purses for all series have increased from last June’s races, and are the highest in New Hampshire Motor Speedway history.
Competitors participating in the NASCAR Sprint Cup LENOX Industrial Tools 301 on June 29 will race to claim their take of $5,383,710.
The NASCAR Nationwide drivers will battle for $1,201,721 in the Camping World 200 presented by RVs.com on June 28. The remainder of the money will be given out in the showdowns on Thursday and Friday, June 27-28, when the NASCAR Camping World Series East and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour take to the track.  Both purses are record amounts with the New England 100 totaling $170,245, and the Heluva Good! 125 posting $221,652.

$10,000 Offered For Riverside Biggie

ATLANTA — The United Speed Contest Sanction has created the Ultimate Challenge for competitors July 10 at Riverside Int’l Speedway in West Memphis, Ark.
The USCS has offered $10,000, including prize money and posted bonuses, for any driver who can win main events in three divisions — Riverside Stock Cars, O’Reilly United Sprint Car Series and the Rislone USCS Modified Series.
The sprint-car event will pay at least $2,000 to win, the modified final will pay at least $1,000 to win and the stock-car feature will pay a minimum of $500 to the winner. If one driver wins all three of those events, he or she will receive a bonus of about $6,500.

Lebanon I-44 Speedway Reopening Pushed Back

LEBANON,Mo. — The reopening of the Lebanon I-44 Speedway has been delayed until  this Saturday.  The track has undergone a resurfacing with new dirt and changes to the racing grooves.
 “Finally, Mother Nature allowed us to get the new dirt down on the racing surface, but it just a little soft in some spots and needs just a little bit of time to settle in,” said Promoter Randy Mooneyham.
 The speedway will host a special practice session beginning at 7 p.m., Thursday.  More information on the schedule and upcoming events is available at www.lebanonI44Speedway.net.

Fifth Legends Of Ascot Event Scheduled

TORRANCE, Calif. — The fifth-annual Legends of Ascot event scheduled for Oct. 18 at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway will pay tribute  to several former competitors, race officials and car owners.
Among those to be honored are drivers Chuck Hulse, Billy Boat, Ned Spath and Brad Noffsinger; race-night track manager Don Basile; car owner Carl Alleman; and car owner/Ansen Automotive Engineering founder Louis Senter. The Gardner family, which raced as competitors and car owners at Ascot for generations since the early incarnations of Ascot, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
 The event is touted as the largest open-wheel racers reunion in the U.S.  and celebrates the 1957-1990 era Ascot Park in Gardena, Calif.