One of the six built for Ford by the legendary Holman-Moody shop in Charlotte, NC, this 1966 long-nosed Ford Mustang’s driven by the late Gas Ronda will be up for sale at the Mecum Auction held in Kissimmee, FL, on Jan. 5-14.

This car, Lot F134, is scheduled to be on the auction block on Friday, Jan. 12.  [01/02/18]

How about a bit of good news to start the new year? It was announced on Thursday evening, Dec. 27, that California’s Irwindale Event Center, the home of Irwindale Speedway and Irwindale Drag Strip, will remain open and in full operation under a new multi-year agreement with a group of motorsports enthusiasts led by Tim Huddleston and Justice Brothers and the property owners.

In July of 2017 Team 211 Entertainment, the operators of the 63-acre motorsports and entertainment facility, were informed that their lease would not be renewed and that January 31, 2018, would be 211's last day of operation at Irwindale.

Three months after the announcement was made public a change in the owner's plans for the property led them to contact 211's President/CEO Jim Cohan to indicate that a contract extension would be offered.

However, by that time a number of new business plans were already in place at 211. "Being presented with the right of first refusal, we quickly reached out to Huddleston's group helping to negotiate a deal that would assure both a smooth transition and the continued operation of the track.... It was just the right thing to do,” Cohan explained.

Cohan's company is credited with putting the Irwindale facility back into business when the first operators of the track closed it under a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing in February of 2012.

"These are the right people to operate this facility, they have the background, the acumen, and the energy," Cohan concluded, "They know racing and they know marketing. This is really a win for everyone, especially the fans."  [01/02/17]

The PDRA has announced a multi-year deal with Liberty’s Gears as the title sponsor of Extreme Pro Stock (XPS). This announcement comes with obvious changes in the class that has been solely contested with Lenco transmissions.

Starting with the 2018 season, Liberty transmissions will also be allowed in XPS. Cars running a Liberty must weigh 2435 lbs. while cars running a Lenco must weigh 2400.

“I’m excited to begin this relationship with PDRA. The PDRA has a lot to offer,” stated Craig Liberty. “I believe this will truly help the class, which is beginning to see a resurgence. The class is intriguing, always fun to watch. It’s a class of innovation and, by adding another trans to the mix, I believe we’ll see that innovation explode in coming years.”

In addition to sponsoring the class, Liberty’s Gears introduces Liberty’s Three Second Club for Extreme Pro Stock. The first five cars - regardless of transmission used - to dip into the three second zone will receive special recognition from Liberty’s Gears. All five will receive a ring and a jacket commemorating the historic marker. The first Pro Stock car to make a sub four second run will also receive a trophy and a gift certificate to Liberty’s Gears.

“We want to see three-second mountain motor Pro Stocks,” Liberty emphasized. “They’ve been in the 4.0s for many years now. Hopefully we’ll see a few of those this year.

“We’re here for the betterment of the class. Nobody is forced to run a Liberty trans. I do believe that a second major option on a drivetrain component is a good thing for the racer. I’m proud to be a part of Extreme Pro Stock.”   [01/02/17]

Well, it’s not about drag racing, but the Agent just had to share this news item with you. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be one of three tracks to host a new racing exhibition series featuring cars that first hit the road during World War I or earlier, the Indianapolis Business Journal reports.

The races will be sanctioned by the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association, which has held an event at IMS each summer since 2014.

SVRA owner Tony Parella said the group's event in Indianapolis has grown each year since its start. This year, 30,000 “ticket-buying” fans attended the fourth annual Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational and Parella predicts the new exhibition race will see even bigger attendance.

Next year's event is scheduled for mid-June, with qualifying on June 15, a charity pro-am race on June 16 and the race itself on June 17.

The new "Pre-1920" series also will feature events at Sonoma Raceway in California (May 31-June 3) and Watkins Glen International Raceway in New York (Sept. 7-9). See the entire race schedule at www.svra.com.

The races will feature fields of 15 to 20 vintage cars, and the race team crew members will dress in period attire and use the tools and equipment of those times.    [01/02/17]