CRP Racing To Miss Grand Prix Of Long Beach Due To Damage

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CRP Racing, which fields the Speed World Challenge GT Corvette driven by Brian Kubinski, will miss the Grand Prix of Long Beach due to extensive damage sustained by the team’s race car and equipment during a transporter fire.
The team’s transporter caught on fire on the return trip to Charlotte, N.C., from the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring.
“It’s going to be difficult for us, being a small team, to recover from this very unfortunate incident,” said team owner Nicholas Short. “However, we will pull all of our resources together and work very hard to be back at Miller.  We feel terrible that Brian will miss the race at Long Beach but are determined to get the car and team back into full competitive force as soon as possible.
“We are hoping Nationwide Insurance will come through for us on this being such a big supporter of our sport. “
No one was injured during the fire, which happened just 30 minutes from the team’s shop.

ARCA RE/MAX Series To Be Seen On MavTV

TOLEDO, Ohio — The ARCA RE/MAX Series has signed a deal with MavTV to expand TV coverage to broadcast at least six tape-delayed, one-hour showings of ARCA RE/MAX Series events in 2008.
Scheduled for broadcast are both events at Salem Speedway, the spring event at Toledo Speedway, Berlin Raceway and the dirt tracks at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. In addition, the deal includes MavTV re-airing ARCA RE/MAX Series programming previously aired on Speed.
“The opportunity for additional television coverage benefits all associated with the series,” commented ARCA President Ron Drager.
For more information on MavTV, visit www.mavtv.com.

Belle Clair Plans New Programs, Nights

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Celebrating its 60th year of operation, Belle Clair Speedway has added a new event and two new nights for the season, which kicks off Friday.
The track will host a 40-lap UMP Summer Nationals event June 18 with a $6,000-to-win purse. POWRi midgets and 600 cc mini sprints will return for five nights this season while weekly programs will host special events for each class with extra purses and laps once a month. In addition, the track will host Old Timers night June 6 for drivers from the past and Announcers Night July 11 for announcers from the past 60 years.
The track has also updated the facility with a new tower in turn one to entertain sponsors as well as the addition of new dirt added to the track.

AIMS Set To Open At Eagle Raceway

ARVADA, Colo. — The American Independent Midget Series (AIMS) will open 2008 with the fifth-consecutive Midget Klassic beginning at Eagle Raceway in Lincoln, Colo., Sunday July 27 at the Ron Hughes, Jr. and Sr. Memorial Race.
The week-long opening will continue on Monday night at Butler County Motorplex with co-sanctioning bodies; the Southern Midget Racing Series and the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Ass’n. Junction Motor Speedway is the next stop July 29-30 with the POWRi Midget Ass’n to co-sanction.
The All-Star Sprint Car Series will host an event July 31 at Belleville High Banks leading into the USAC co-sanctioned Belleville Midget Nationals Aug. 1-2 to round out the week.

Belle Isle Events Gain New Sponsors

DETROIT, Mich. — Firestone, Robert Bosch, LLC and Corvette have all signed on to sponsor the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Labor Day weekend events for the second-consecutive year.
Bosch will kick off the weekend with the American Le Mans Series’ Detroit Sports Car Challenge Aug. 30 while Firestone will sponsor the Detroit Indy Grand Prix featuring the newly reunited IndyCar Series Aug. 31. Corvette will serve as the official vehicle of the 2008 Grand Prix while promoting its green-racing initiative with E85 ethanol.

Winchester Adds Modified Event To Slate

WINCHESTER, Ind. — Who is the ultimate modified driver? That is the question Winchester Speedway will attempt to answer on July 20.
The high banks of historic Winchester Speedway will host the O’Reilly USA Modified Series and the American Modified Series in the speedway’s newest event, The BIG ONE.
An all-out duel to crown the greatest modified driver in the tri-state region, Winchester Speedway has allotted more than $17,000 in prize money.

SCCA Pro Racing Adds World Challenge Races

TOPEKA, Kan. — SCCA Pro Racing has announced the addition of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix and Road America to the 2008 SCCA Pro Racing Speed World Challenge schedule.
Although it was absent from the calendar last season, SCCA Speed  World Challenge will return to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., Aug. 8-10. The SCCA Speed GT and  Touring Cars will headline Sunday’s race activities, following the American Le Mans Series race on Saturday.
Three weeks after the Road America event, the SCCA Speed GT Championship will join the American Le Mans Series and the IndyCar Series at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Aug. 29-31, Labor Day weekend.

Beard Switches From Karts To Dragsters

BROWNSBURG, Ind. — After a successful two-year stretch as one of the top go-kart racers in the nation, David Powers Motorsports development driver Zach Beard is now shifting his driving focus towards the quarter-mile.
The 17-year-old Beard earned his NHRA competition license after wheeling Randy Meyer’s A/FD to a pass of 5.48 seconds at 252 mph on March 17 at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway.
Beard’s father, Lee, currently serves as crew chief on Antron Brown’s Matco Tools dragster and has collected 50 NHRA victories, including four wins at the prestigious U.S. Nationals.