Compiled by SEMA Editors
NHRA Announces Revised Plan to Restart 2020 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
NHRA officials have announced that they are working with state and local officials as well as host tracks and teams on a revised Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule, which will be announced soon. The season is expected to resume, with fans in attendance, in August and will consist of 18 total events for 2020, including the two that kicked off the season. The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will continue to be contested at each Mello Yello Series event. The revised schedule previously announced is in flux because of the fluid nature of the pandemic situation. At this time, it is certain that the events planned for June and July are postponed. Those events are the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, June 5-7 (Gainesville, Florida); Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil, June 12–14 (Houston); NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 19–21 (Bristol, Tennessee); Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, June 26–28 (Norwalk, Ohio); Route 66 NHRA Nationals, July 9–12 (Chicago); Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented By Pennzoil, July 17–19 (Denver); and NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 24–26 (Sonoma, California). Tentative schedule announcements for the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Series, Mickey Thompson Tires NHRA Top Fuel Harley Series, and SAMtech.edu NHRA Factory Stock Showdown series will be released following the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series announcement.
 Champion Brands LLC has announced the podium finish of the Jonathan Nerren race livery of a Shelby Tribute Mustang. |
Shelby Tribute Mustang Wins with Champion Modern Muscle Motor Oil
Champion Brands LLC has announced the podium finish of the Jonathan Nerren race livery of a Shelby Tribute Mustang utilizing Champion’s line of motor oils. For the 2020 season, Nerren and his teammate Tyler Nelson will travel nationwide as the Shelby American Drift Team in the Pro 1 Series of Formula Drift. Their first event was scheduled to be in Long Beach, California, April 10–11, but was canceled due to the Coronavirus. Once the racing season returns, in addition to their Formula D schedule, they can be found at events including Holley Ford Fest, Gridlife Midwest, Mustang Week, CJ Pony Parts drift demo, zMAX Dragway for NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, Street Car Takeover and the 2020 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Hot Shot’s Secret Announces Sponsorship of Corona Lockdown Online Practice Tree Challenge
Hot Shot’s Secret has announced sponsorship of the Corona Lockdown Online Practice Tree Challenge—a Facebook challenge game open to all drag racers and enthusiasts missing the sport who would like to join this private group. The only question to join the now 1,200-member-strong private Facebook group is: What is your perfect reaction time? Because the events are sponsor-funded, there have been numerous shootouts, jackpots and prizes that have been given away throughout these many weeks of racing, with the grand prize compliments of Mutt & Jeff Promotions that involves a weekend of buybacks valued at $450. For more information on the Corona Lockdown Online Practice Tree Challenge click here.
 NASCAR will return to racing on May 17. |
NASCAR Returns To Racing With Events At Darlington, Charlotte
NASCAR has announced it will return to racing on May 17, which will kick off a slate of races that includes seven events in three series at two race tracks—Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. The NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will each host its first on-track event since mid-March. The NASCAR Cup Series will return to Darlington Raceway, Sunday, May 17, with a 400-mile event scheduled for 3:30 p.m. (EDT), live on FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. What follows is a schedule that includes midweek races in primetime and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60th consecutive season. Each of NASCAR’s return events will be run without fans in attendance. Further schedule adjustments will be announced in the future. To view the schedule, visit NASCAR’s website.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Announces “Reopening Tour”
Lucas Oil Products has announced the return to racing in 2020 for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series following several postponements and cancellations due to COVID-19. The “Lucas Oil Reopening Tour” provides the purse for six newly added May events. With these events, along with the races contested at Speedweeks, the series drivers will still compete in 54 of the 57 original 2020 LOLMDS tour events. The number of scheduled televised races will remain as originally scheduled. Because of the scheduling changes, a pair of $7,000-to-win events, May 12–13, at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri, will signal the return, with all late-model teams invited. These events will be without fans, but they will get a chance to tune in live, via LucasOilRacing.tv, and free on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Facebook page at 7:30 p.m. (EDT). In addition to the back-to-back weekday races, Lucas Oil Speedway will hold a practice session on Monday, May 11 (closed to the public). To view the revised 2020 schedule, visit the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series website.
 The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is set to race Friday night, May 8, at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway in a $10,000-to-win, “behind-closed-doors” Invitational by McKay Insurance with Nationwide. |
World Of Outlaws Announces 16-Race Schedule Through Mid-June
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series, together with their partner tracks, have updated schedules into mid-June in an effort to safely return to racing in a manner that allows tracks, teams, partners and fans to begin looking ahead. The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is set to race Friday night, May 8, at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway in a $10,000-to-win, “behind-closed-doors” Invitational by McKay Insurance with Nationwide. While spectators will not be able to attend in person, fans across the world can watch live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene. Events originally scheduled for May 23 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, May 25 at Lawrenceburg Speedway, May 29 at Lake Ozark Speedway, May 30 at I-70 Motorsports Park and June 3 at I-80 Speedway have been postponed. Fans with tickets to those events will be able to use them when rescheduled dates are announced. The June 5 event at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and June 6 at Granite City Speedway in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, remain on the schedule, with a final determination being made closer to the event dates based on local guidelines.
The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series is also adjusting its schedule, with action resuming May 15-16, at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 rather than the previously announced Boone Speedway. The fast-changing landscape has provided the opportunity to shift the Series re-opener to Pevely, Missouri, in front of fans on a limited basis. The originally scheduled races May 29 at Jacksonville (Illionis) Speedway and May 30 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana, have been postponed. For more information, and the updated 2020 schedules, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
For more racing news, visit the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) website.