Jim Beaver Wraps Up 2021 BITD Season With Victory in California City
Professional off-road racer and General Tire Down & Dirty Show Powered by Polaris RZR host Jim Beaver ended his pursuit of a 2021 Best in the Desert class championship with the UTV Unlimited victory in the Cal City Desert Challenge. Beaver and the #2915 General Tire Polaris RZR team crossed the finish line first in class on both days of racing to cap off the BITD season with a second-place finish in the class points standings. The 2021 campaign has seen Beaver make half a dozen race starts, with a full slate of BITD events as well as the Legacy Racing Association Baja Nevada. He scored podium finishes in half of those events, with second place runs at Baja Nevada and Vegas to Reno joining the win in Cal City. The #2915 machine, nicknamed “Mona Lisa,” finished every race it ran in the top 10, starting with its debut in Beaver’s hands in the Parker 250 at the start of the season.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Announces 2022 Schedule
NASCAR has announced 13 races in the 2022 schedule for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, with additional dates and venues to be announced in the future. For the first time in series history, the season will kick off at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida, Saturday, February 12, as part of the track’s “World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing” during NASCAR’s Speedweeks. It will also be the series’ debut at the half-mile oval.
After opening the 2021 season, Martinsville Speedway will serve as the season finale and where the champion is crowned, Thursday, October 27. This will mark the first time in 30 years and sixth time overall Martinsville has hosted the final Whelen Modified Tour race of the year. For the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 2022 schedule, visit nascar.com/whelen-modified-tour.
Hot Shot’s Secret Boasts Clean Sweep at ODSS
Hot Shot’s Secret has announced a clean sweep of every class champion in the 2021 Outlaw Diesel Super Series (ODSS).
- Jamo ET Bracket: Ryan Riddle
- ATS/Diesel Power 7.70 Index: Nick Morris
- Thoroughbred Diesel 6.70 Index: Landon Miller
- Firepunk Diesel Outlaw 5.90 Index: David Large
- Hot Shot’s Secret Pro Street: Johnny Gilbert
- SunCoast Performance Pro Mod: Larson Miller
2022 Schedule for Inaugural USF Juniors Series Announced
Andersen Promotions has unveiled the 2022 schedule for the launch of its new series, USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires. The professionally managed, entry-level series is aimed at preparing drivers for the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires—the stepping stone to the NTT IndyCar Series. The 2022 schedule will feature six events and 16 total races, held in conjunction with USAC's Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, the NTT IndyCar Series, and select NASCAR events. All races will be run to a lap count with extended time windows to ensure competitors a set number of green-flag racing laps.
The season kicks off alongside USF2000 and the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires at the annual Road to Indy Spring Training test held on the Homestead-Miami Speedway road course in Homestead, Florida, February 17–18. The series finale will feature a triple-header round at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, September 17–18.
USF Juniors will feature a prize package exceeding $325,000 which includes a scholarship valued at more than $200,000 to advance to the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, the first step on the driver development ladder. For the complete 2022 USF Juniors schedule, visit usfjuniors.com.
Speedway Motorsports to Acquire Dover Motorsports
Speedway Motorsports—the marketer, promoter and sponsor of motorsports entertainment and owner of several premier racing facilities—has entered an agreement to acquire Dover Motorsports for an approximate total equity value of $131.5 million. Dover Motorsports owns and operates Dover International Speedway (Dover, Delaware) and Nashville Superspeedway (Lebanon, Tennessee). The transaction was announced by Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith and Dover Motorsports President and CEO Denis McGlynn. Speedway Motorsports owns and operates Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway. For terms of the merger agreement and related information, visit the announcement here.
West Coast HoF Reveals Nominees For Next Class
Eight first-time nominees are among the 21 individuals under consideration for induction into the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2022. The inaugural nominees include Greg Biffle (NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and 19-time NASCAR Cup Series winner), Brendan Gaughan (two-time ARCA Menards Series West/former NASCAR West Series champion and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner), David Gilliland (Daytona 500 pole winner and two-time ARCA Menards Series West/former NASCAR West Series championship crew chief), Eric Holmes (ARCA Menards Series West/former NASCAR West Series 17-race winner and two-time champion), John Moore (founder of JM Environmental, 2021 All American Speedway and NASCAR State of California titleholder, and team owner and sponsor), Brad Noffsinger (two-time CRA title winner and former Cup crew chief for Wally Dallenbach Jr.), Ken Sapper (three-time Modified Stock Car champion at the former Saugus Speedway (California) and current Speedway Engineering president) and Jimmy Sills (three-time USAC Silver Crown champion).
Nominated again after appearing on previous ballots are Ken Boyd, Ernie Cope, Mike David, Garrett Evans, Dave Fuge, Lance Hooper, Tony Hunt, Brent Kaeding, Danny Ongais, Greg Pickett, Nick Rescino, Carl Trimmer, and Sean Woodside.
Five inductees will be named in early 2022, following two rounds of voting by the organization’s Board of Directors. First-round voting begins next week. The organization also will induct its fifth Heritage class of five individuals whose careers began prior to 1970. The Heritage inductees will be named in 2022. For more information, visit westcoaststockcarhalloffame.com.
For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.