Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Watch the interview with John Force and other members of his NHRA drag racing team during Race Industry Week. Click here to watch now. For more information about Race Industry Week, please CLICK HERE
Watch the interview with John Force and other members of his NHRA drag racing team during Race Industry Week. Click here to watch now.
For more information about Race Industry Week, please CLICK HERE
Watch the interviews of Adrian Newey and Bobby Rahal during Race Industry Week: Click here to watch.
Watch the interviews of Adrian Newey and Bobby Rahal during Race Industry Week: Click here to watch.
Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history, and the chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, joined us for the 4th Annual Race Industry Week. Hosted by Jeff Hammond of SiriusXM, Ch. 90. Click …
Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history, and the chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, joined us for the 4th Annual Race Industry Week. Hosted by Jeff Hammond of SiriusXM, Ch. 90. Click here to watch.
Stream the 4th Annual Race Industry Week here at RACER.com, from Monday, Nov. 27 to Friday, Dec. 1. 100+ racing industry leaders are confirmed to be taking part in the five daily sessions, which will begin at 6am Pacific Time / 9am Eastern. The …
Stream the 4th Annual Race Industry Week here at RACER.com, from Monday, Nov. 27 to Friday, Dec. 1. 100+ racing industry leaders are confirmed to be taking part in the five daily sessions, which will begin at 6am Pacific Time / 9am Eastern.
The event opens Monday morning with NASCAR’s Steve Phelps as the featured speaker. Click HERE to view the full event schedule.
Each day’s stream will be available for viewing below, and on the RACER.com home page.
Day 1 (Nov. 27)
Day 2 (Nov. 28)
Day 3 (Nov. 29)
Day 4 (Nov 30)
Day 5 (Dec 1)
Rick Hendrick, Owner of Hendrick Motorsports and Chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, has joined the impressive, growing list of featured speakers during the 4th Annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov. 27-Dec. 1. endrick is …
Rick Hendrick, Owner of Hendrick Motorsports and Chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, has joined the impressive, growing list of featured speakers during the 4th Annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov. 27-Dec. 1.
endrick is a self-described “gearhead” who turned his passion for the automobile into successful business ventures in the retail automotive and professional auto racing industries.
The Palmer Springs, Virginia, native is the owner of Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history, and serves as the chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, the largest privately held car dealership operator in the United States.
Hendrick, 74, was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017 and was honored in 2014 with the Automotive News Lifetime Achievement Award for significant contributions to the auto industry.
He and wife Linda established the not-for-profit Hendrick Family Foundation in 2016, and their charitable efforts have raised tens of millions of dollars to support countless causes.
No charge to attend. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
To see the full schedule, please click here.
Doug Kalitta, NHRA Top Fuel driver; Dave Garland, USAC Triple Crown champion and the winningest driver in USAC National Sprint Car history; Linda Vaughn, “First Lady of Motorsports”; Darrell Srong, President of H1 Unlimited; RJ Till, Vice President …
Doug Kalitta, NHRA Top Fuel driver; Dave Garland, USAC Triple Crown champion and the winningest driver in USAC National Sprint Car history; Linda Vaughn, “First Lady of Motorsports”; Darrell Srong, President of H1 Unlimited; RJ Till, Vice President of World Racing League; Michele Abbate, professional race car driver, team owner and Trans Am TA2 racer; Hannah Greenemeier, owner of Hannah Greenemeier Racing; Brooke Bond, Motorsport Manager of Bosch U.S. Motorsport; Brett Root, President of IMCA racing; Paul Woolnough, President, Americas & Global Development of Formula G; Dicky Riegel, President and CEO of Lime Rock Park; Ron Knoch, President, National Association of Diesel Motorsport / NADM, have all joined the list of featured speakers for the 4th Annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov. 27 – Dec. 1.
No charge to attend. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
To see the full schedule, please click here.
More featured speakers were announced today for the 4th Annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov 27 – Dec 1: MICHAEL COBB, President & CEO of SCCA; JESSICA FICKENSCHER, Chief Experience Officer; JIM RYAN, Vice President of SCORE …
More featured speakers were announced today for the 4th Annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov 27 – Dec 1:
MICHAEL COBB, President & CEO of SCCA;
JESSICA FICKENSCHER, Chief Experience Officer;
JIM RYAN, Vice President of SCORE International;
TIM SEEBOLD, Manager Director of the F1 Powerboat Championship;
BRAD SWEET, 5-Time World of Outlaws Sprint Car series champion & co-owner of the High Limits Series;
TROY LEE, founder of Troy Lee Designs;
PRESTON OSBORN, Competition Director of the ARA;
PIERRE LENFANT, Sporting Coordinator A.S.O. Motorsport Events (Dakar);
JONATHAN APPLEGATE, Senior Manager for Mazda Motorsports;
MARK HUGUES, founder and Managing Director of Mrk1;
DAN ROSSOMONDO, Chief Commercial Officer of Dorna Sports (MotoGP);
MAX LEE, Team Manager, Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas
No charge to attend. Click here to register. For more information about Race Industry Week, please click here.
Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, three-time IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, has joined the list of featured speakers during the 4th Annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov 27 – Dec 1. Rahal …
Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, three-time IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, has joined the list of featured speakers during the 4th Annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov 27 – Dec 1.
Rahal was born in Medina, Ohio, in 1953, and worked his way up through the racing ranks starting with the SCCA’s feeder series to Formula Atlantic and then onto European Formula 2. In an 18-year career spanning F1, Can-Am, Le Mans/IMSA, and CART, Rahal notched three CART championships, including a win at the 1986 Indy 500, along with wins at the 1981 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races.
One of open-wheel racing’s most consistent drivers during his career, Rahal started 264 races for five teams and he took 18 poles and scored 24 wins. He collected back-to-back CART championships in 1986 & ’87, and picked up his third in 1992. When Buddy Rice won the 2004 Indy 500, Rahal became only one of a handful of individuals to win the Indy 500 as both a driver and a team owner.
Following his retirement from competitive racing after the 1998 season, Rahal spent time with Jaguar’s F1 effort and in mid-2000, he returned to the U.S. to become the interim boss of CART. Along with former late night talk show icon David Letterman and businessman Michael Lanigan, he is a principal in Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing where Rahal has overseen the growth of the team from a one-car program to a multi-car, multi-discipline organization.
Rahal has been responsible for finding and developing some of the top-young talent in open-wheel racing. Among his current and past proteges are Graham Rahal, Jack Harvey, Christian Lundgaard, Takuma Sato, Oriol Servia, Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2004 Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice, Danica Patrick, Bryan Herta, Max Papis, Kenny Brack, Jimmy Vasser and Michel Jourdain Jr. It also was Bobby Rahal who was responsible for bringing Honda into North American open-wheel racing in the early 90s, an involvement as a manufacturer that has produced 18 drivers’ championships and over 268 victories including 15 Indy 500 triumphs (2004-2022).
Along with his leadership of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Rahal is the founder and Chairman of the Board of the Bobby Rahal Automotive Group, a string of car dealerships in Pennsylvania, is president of the Road Racing Drivers Club, is on the Board of Directors for the Petersen Automotive Museum and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, and is very active in the community through the Bobby Rahal Foundation. In addition, he was Chairman of the USA Bobsled & Skeleton Foundation from August 2012 until the fall of 2016 and was Chairman of the International Motor Racing Research Center Governing Council at Watkins Glen from 2014-18.
Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, has joined the list of featured speakers during the 4th annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov. 27-Dec. 1. Widely considered among the most successful designers in Formula 1 …
Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, has joined the list of featured speakers during the 4th annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov. 27-Dec. 1.
Widely considered among the most successful designers in Formula 1 history, cars designed and engineered by Newey havewon 11 Formula 1 constructors’ titles and propelled some of the sport’s most iconic racers to drivers’ championship success.
After studying aeronautics at Southampton University and following early stints with the Fittipaldi and March F1 teams, Newey first tasted success in the United States. His March sports car design won IMSA’s GTP class in 1983 and 1984, and his IndyCar chassis, the March 85C, won the CART championship and the Indy 500. The follow-up 86C won the CART title in 1986 and the Indy 500 in both ’86 and ’87 but F1 was calling, and after brief tenures with FORCE and March, Newey moved to Williams by 1990.
In partnership with Patrick Head, Newey won five constructors’ titles, creating the machinery that also allowed Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve to win the drivers’ world championship. After departing Williams at the end of 1996 he rounded off the decade with the 1998 constructors’ title and two drivers’ crowns for Mika Hakkinen for McLaren.
Adrian joined Red Bull Racing for the 2006 season with the aim of elevating the team to championship contention. Over the following three years a rigorous development programme brought incremental increases in competitiveness and podium finishes in each season. It was, however, the 2009 season that gave the design guru the opportunity he craved.
Comprehensive aerodynamic rule changes presented teams with a largely blank canvas and Adrian’s RB5 not only delivered six victories but proved to be an excellent development platform for a generation of Red Bull cars that would dominate the sport.
In 2010, the RB6 took the team’s first constructors’ title thanks to nine wins and 20 podiums. In addition, with Sebastian Vettel at the wheel, the drivers’ title was also secured. Over the following three seasons the Newey/Vettel combination would race to three more championship doubles.
Following the dawn of the 1.5-liter V6 turbo hybrid era and the resultant power-unite downturn in fortunes experienced by the team, Adrian stepped back from day-to-day racing matters though his influence was keenly felt in the design phase of each Red Bull car.
“We had a very good run from 2009 through to 2013. But with the change from the V8s to the hybrids our engine partner through those years was never able to provide a competitive unit,” he says. “However, with our partnership with Honda we had a power unit that was very close to benchmark, and that meant that if we could come up with a good chassis, we were in with a shot. And that in itself becomes very motivating.”
Adrian returned to full-time racing activity in 2019 and after seeing the RB15 race to three wins that year, he presided over the design of the RB16 that won two races and 13 podium finishes, Adrian’s final iteration of that car, the 16B took Max Verstappen to a hard won first championship title at the end of thrilling season.
Once again, though, it was the prospect of a clean sheet of paper that brought out the best in our Chief Technical Officer.
The most radical change in technical regulations in four decades brought about the return of ground effect cars, and as in 2009, Adrian and his design team exploited the opportunity of the fresh rules better than their rivals.
In the hands of defending world champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, the rapidly evolving RB18 proved to be an increasingly dominant force and after handing Verstappen 16 wins in 19 races, the Dutchman sealed his second drivers’ title. Two weeks later, at the U.S. Grand Prix, a 13th win gave the team its fifth constructors’ title and a remarkable 11th crown for Newey. The RB18 also gave the team its highest win total for a single season and the largest points total for a team in the history of the sport.
No charge to attend. Click here to register. For more information about Race Industry Week, please click here.
Beth Paretta, owner and founder of Paretta Autosport, has joined the list of featured speakers during the 4th Annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov. 27-Dec 1. No charge to attend. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER For more information about …
Beth Paretta, owner and founder of Paretta Autosport, has joined the list of featured speakers during the 4th Annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Friday, Nov. 27-Dec 1.
No charge to attend. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
For more information about Race Industry Week, please CLICK HERE
Paretta Autosport is the first women-forward team in IndyCar Series history. The team launched in 2021 and made history when it qualified for and competed in the Indianapolis 500. Women comprised the majority of the team’s roster, including mechanics, engineers, over-the-wall pit crew, marketing, and operations.
Prior to the founding of Paretta Autosport, Paretta held executive leadership roles across finance, operations, and marketing at Volkswagen Group, Aston Martin Lagonda and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). She was the first woman to lead a performance brand and motorsports of a global auto maker, as the director of marketing and operations for SRT – Street and Racing Technology division of Fiat Chrysler. In addition to brand development and managing multiple vehicle launches, she managed racing programs in NASCAR, IMSA, SRO, SuperCross, TransAm, Global RallyCross, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In 2022, with Lyn St. James, Paretta launched Women in Motorsports North America (WIMNA), a professional organization for women working across all roles and disciplines of motor racing to promote networking, mentorship, and career development.
She serves on the Board of Directors of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and is the global marketing delegate to the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission. She has been named a “Game Changer” and “Power Player” by Sports Business Journal and an “Industry Influencer” by the Automotive Hall of Fame.
No charge to attend. Click here to register. For more information about Race Industry Week, please click here.
