 The Irwindale Event Center—formerly known as the Irwindale Speedway—announced that oval track racing will return to Irwindale for the 2013 season. |
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Oval Track Racing Returns to Irwindale Speedway for 2013
Team 211 Entertainment, the new operators of the newly renamed Irwindale Event Center (formerly Irwindale Speedway), recently announced that oval track racing will return to Irwindale. Team 211 Entertainment's President/CEO Jim Cohan stated, "We're very pleased to announce that oval track racing will return to Irwindale for the 2013 season." The announcement ended an 11-month period of uncertainty about oval competition at the Irwindale track.
"Our master lease with the property owners, Nu-Way Industries, has been broadened and now includes all forms of racing activities on the 6,500-seat twin oval track. We are now working very hard to put all of the pieces together to be able to run a 2013 racing season," said Cohan.
"Our company name has the word 'TEAM' in it," he pointed out. "We need everyone to understand that name is not an affectation. It's a statement of our commitment to the process of rebuilding the legacy of Irwindale Speedway."
"We've renamed the entire property 'Irwindale Event Center' to better reflect the wide range of public and private events that can be accommodated here and invite everyone to join us in what we feel will be a great new era of operation for this venue," he continued. "Corporations, businesses small and large, competitors, individual fans, everyone: you are all welcome. If you want to be a part of this facility, we'll find a place for you," Cohan concluded.
Cohan's announcement also indicated that long-time employee Bob Klein has been named the event center's vice president/chief operating officer, and that veteran publicist Doug Stokes would be re-joining the facility on the first of the year as vice president of communications. Both men will report directly to Jim Cohan.
At the same time, experienced competition manager Mike Atkinson was named the track's race director. Atkinson has been working behind the scenes with representatives of the new Kern County Raceway Park track to put together a common set of technical rules which will allow racers in a number of divisions to compete fairly at both tracks.
 Lisa Noble was appointed chairman of the SCCA's board of directors for 2013. |
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Lisa Noble Named SCCA Board Chairman
The Sports Car Club of America board of directors named Lisa Noble the group's chairman for 2013. The board also approved appointments for various committees and board liaisons that will oversee the organization in the coming calendar year. Noble is a long-time Kansas Region SCCA member and begins her sixth year as the area six director.
As a Formula Vee driver, Noble was the first female in the class to earn a National race win, in 1995 at Heartland Park Topeka. Noble was also the 1999 Kimberly Cup award winner for most improved driver. She has spent the past three years serving as vice chairman of the board of directors. Noble takes the torch from outgoing chairman Jerry Wannarka, who did not seek reappointment for a fourth year as chairman. SCCA also announced the newest board officers: Dick Patullo (vice chairman), Todd Butler (secretary), Michael Lewis (treasurer), John Walsh (assistant treasurer) and Jerry Wannarka (fifth member executive committee).
Grandview Speedway Promoter Bruce Rogers Earns Eastern Region Promoter of the Year
Racing Promotion Monthly has honored Bruce Rogers, promoter of the NASCAR sanctioned Grandview Speedway, with the Eastern Region Promoter of the Year award. This is the second time that Rogers has earned the honor and now puts him in the running for the prestigious National Promoter of the Year award that will be announced at the RPM Promoter’s Workshops that take place in Daytona Beach, Florida, February 18–20, 2013. The workshops attract hundreds involved in the operation of racing facilities across the nation and into Canada.
The one-third-mile, banked clay Grandview Speedway is coming off its 50th anniversary season which was topped by the highly successful $50,000 to win BPG Racing Freedom 76 race, which was won by nine time track champion Jeff Strunk.
The track was built by Forrest Rogers, Bruce’s dad, and opened for its first racing event back in August 1963, and the popular racing facility, home to a variety of different types of racing over the years, has been continually operated by the Rogers family.