NEW NAME: Lucas Oil Products has acquired the naming rights for the NHRA-owned O’Reilly Raceway Park in Clermont, Indiana. The venue will now be known as Lucas Oil Raceway.
SECOND HELPING: Kevin Swindell held off his father, Sammy Swindell, to become the first driver to win the annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, two-straight years on January 15.
WELCOME BACK: The IZOD IndyCar Series event at Edmonton (Ontario) City Centre Airport will return to the schedule after the local city council and promoter Octane Motorsports Events Inc. reached an agreement on facility upgrades.
ONLY ONE: NASCAR is expected to announce a rule change this week during preseason testing at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway that would force drivers to choose which of the three national divisions in which they wish to compete for the championship.
SANCTIONED: The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will return as sanctioning body for the annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway, August 10–13. The series last sanctioned the event in 2005.
TIRE TROUBLE: Firestone could be leaving as the official tire supplier of the IZOD IndyCar Series following the 2011 season. For more information, click here.
ON THE MOVE: The National Hot Rod Association technical department will move from Glendora, California, to Indianapolis to better serve the needs of the racing community.
HONORED: Dario Franchitti capped his third IZOD IndyCar Series championship by winning the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Jerry Titus Award for the third time in four years.
BEST: Jason Meyers (410), Jason Johnson (360) and Jon Stanbrough (Non-Wing) were named Drivers of the Year in their respective divisions by the North American Sprint Car Poll voting panel.
SWAPPED: The dates for the third annual International Motorsports Industry Show in Indianapolis has been changed to December 8–10 so as not to conflict with the annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, December 1–3.
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