Compiled by SEMA Editors
SCORE Releases 2022 World Desert Champion Schedule
Mexico’s Baja California peninsula will host the four-race schedule for the 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship released by SCORE International. Featuring all four races in Baja California, Mexico, for the seventh time in the history of the series, the race coverage will air domestically and be syndicated internationally. In addition, SCORE will celebrate its 49th desert-racing season in 2022 with the expected return to pre-pandemic race operations. As in years past, the season opener will be held in San Felipe. The three additional events will start and finish in Ensenada, considered the off-road capital of the world.
The BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500 presented by 4 Wheel Parts will be held June 1–5, in Ensenada, and the season-ending BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 1000 presented by 4Wheel Parts will be held November 15–20, in Ensenada. After being postponed due to the pandemic, the SCORE Baja 400 will be held September 13–18, in Baja California. The 2022 schedule marks the third time the newest SCORE Baja race will take place.
2022 SCORE World Desert Championship Schedule
- 35th SCORE San Felipe 250—March 29-April 3, San Felipe, Mexico
- BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—June 1-5, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
- 3rd SCORE Baja 400—September 13-18, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
- BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—November 15-20, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
For more information, visit score-international.com.
Dodge//SRT Ready to Rumble in the Rockies at Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil
Dodge//SRT and Mopar brands will return for a 32nd season as title sponsors of the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series event held at Thunder Mountain, otherwise known as Bandimere Speedway, near Denver. The brands’ partnership with Bandimere Speedway began in 1989 after a major track renovation and, following an extension announcement earlier this year, continues to be the longest active event title sponsorship in all of motorsports. This 2021 installment is the second of five national events with Mopar and Dodge//SRT headline support for the NHRA’s 70th anniversary season.
Following May’s Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil in Houston and this weekend’s activities, three more national events remain on the schedule this year:
- September 1–5: Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis)
- September 10–12: Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil (Reading, Pennsylvania)
- October 29–November 1: Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil (Las Vegas)
While on-track action at Bandimere Speedway will be livestreamed via NHRA.TV throughout the weekend, FS1 will provide television highlights of qualifying on Saturday, July 17, from 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. (EDT), and Sunday, July 18, from 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. (EDT). Coverage of Sunday’s Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil elimination rounds will air on FS1 from 4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. (EDT). The Denver-area stop kicks off the NHRA’s three-race western swing, which includes Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, and Pacific Raceways in Seattle over consecutive weeks.
Pace Rush Sprint Cars at Perris Auto Speedway Postpones Until 2022
The Pace RUSH Sprint Car Series scheduled to launch in the West Coast Region at Perris Auto Speedway on July 17, 2021, has been postponed until the 2022 racing season.
Both RUSH Directors and the Perris Auto Speedway were anticipating a successful launch of the series from their announcement on March 24, 2021. With the impacts of coming out of the pandemic and vendor supply issues, the Series will have to wait until next year according to Don Kazarian the longtime promoter at the Perris Auto Speedway.
The RUSH Sprint Cars were launched in 2018 as a true "cost containment" non-wing division featuring the Chevrolet Performance RUSH 602 sealed crate engine sold direct from Pace Performance. RUSH directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone plan to visit Southern California in November to meet with the prospective Promoters interested in the new Series along with interested participants. For anyone interested in participating in the Q&A with the RUSH directors, please follow our Social Media for further information.
Even though the Rush Series has been postponed, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars and PAS Senior Sprints will still be in action this Saturday night, July 17. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. and the first race will be at 7:00.
Global Time Attack Added to Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Weekend
SCCA Pro Racing’s Global Time Attack (GTA) and Grand Prix Association of Long Beach officials have announced that the Global Time Attack Pro Championship will run at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, set for September 24–26. The GTA event, which will take place with competition laps on all three days, will feature 20 cars in three different divisions trying to set the fastest lap of the 11-turn, 1.97-mile race circuit in the streets of Long Beach, California. This year marks the first time GTA will run at the iconic event. The race will feature Unlimited, Limited and Street classes with mass-produced street cars modified to GTA specs. Cars will be sent out five to 10 seconds apart so each can complete flying laps (laps with no race traffic) to secure the fastest time.
In addition to GTA, the 2021 Acura Grand Prix will be headlined by the NTT IndyCar Series along with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, plus doubleheader action from the Formula D Super Drift Challenge, Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks, and the also new-for-2021 Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge. For more information, visit globaltimeattack.com or gplb.com.
Australian F1 Race Canceled for 2021
Formula 1 officials have announced the Australian Grand Prix will not take place in 2021. The race, which was scheduled for November 19–21, at Albert Park in Melbourne, was set to be round 21 of 23. The 2021 schedule can be found on the Formula 1 website.
Houston Raceway Park to End 35-Year Legacy After 2022 NHRA National Event; NHRA Looks to Add New Track in 2023
NHRA and Houston Raceway Park have teamed up to announce the final NHRA SpringNationals as the historic track will close following the 2022 event. As NHRA looks to the future, the leadership team continues its conversations with Tulsa Raceway Park and other venues not currently on the circuit to fill the spot of the Houston event in future NHRA seasons. The final running of 35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals presented by Pennzoil will be held April 22–24 at Houston Raceway Park.
Permatex to Challenge “The Magic Mile” with NASCAR Racing Team at Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
Permatex is sponsoring the StarCom Racing Team and driver Quin Houff as they look for a top finish at the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 event of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series. The race is scheduled to take place at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, July 18. The Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 will serve as a momentous race in the track’s history, as it marks the 50th time that NASCAR has hosted a premier Cup Series event at the track dubbed “The Magic Mile.” The checkered flag for the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 drops at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) on July 18, and will broadcast on NBCSN and PRN Radio.
Lyn St. James to Be Honored With Argetsinger Award
Lyn St. James will be honored with the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Motorsports during a ceremony on September 11. A pioneer for women in motorsports, St. James is equally recognized for her numerous firsts and records for speed as she is for her many contributions off the track. As a result, a committee of auto-racing professionals selected her as the seventh honoree and recipient of the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award presented by the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC).
The Award honors a person in motorsports recognized for having advanced and improved the sport in roles that may include driver, team owner, sponsor, race promoter, journalist or sponsor sanctioning official. It memorializes Cameron R. Argetsinger, often referred to as the father of American road racing. Established in 2014, previous award recipients include Chip Ganassi, Richard Petty, Roger Penske, Mario Andretti, Jim France, Lesa France Kennedy, Ben Kennedy, and Bobby Rahal.
After a hiatus in 2020, the Argetsinger Award returns to a new location at the Jack Daniel’s Club at Watkins Glen International during the Hillard US Vintage Grand Prix weekend. Fans may secure tickets to the award ceremony here.
For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.