Planning for the 2025 edition of the world’s largest gathering of motorsports professionals–December 11-13, Indianapolis–is well underway, but it’s not too late to stake your claim to a piece of the 2025 PRI Show floorplan. Ensure your brand has a presence at this one-of-a-kind industry event by securing a booth now.

Securing your booth space is the first step toward success at the PRI Show, which presents an unrivaled opportunity for racing industry professionals to drive sales, meet new clients and increase brand awareness, December 11-13, in downtown Indianapolis.

Exhibiting at the PRI Show offers a myriad of benefits to your brand:

• Increase Your Brand Awareness: Whether you are an established brand or looking to break into the motorsports market, exhibiting at PRI is the best investment to advance your brand goals.
• Connect With Your Customers: See existing customers and connect with them on the Show floor. Determine their business needs and use this opportunity to strengthen relationships.
• Expand Your Sales Channels: Take your products to new markets, whether through retailers, distributors or other sales channels, expanding your brand’s reach domestically and internationally.
• Introduce New Products: Ensure your latest and greatest products are seen by a large audience of potential customers at the PRI Show.

To reserve a booth at the 2025 PRI Show, visit here. For more information on why to exhibit, visit performanceracing.com/trade-show/exhibit.

By TERESA M. WALKER LEBANON, Tenn. — Bubba Wallace sees NASCAR having all the momentum possible right now with different media partners. Perfect timing then for NASCAR’s “In-season Challenge” to debut, right? Well, Wallace forgot that was about to debut. “For me to forget about it and remember how exciting it was when they announced, […]

Originally Published: June 2, 2025 at 5:10 PM EDT

One of NASCAR’s most iconic venues has a brand-new identity.

On Tuesday, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and the track formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway announced a partnership with EchoPark Automotive, which will see the brand serve as the title sponsor of the 1.54-mile racetrack for the next seven years.

The racetrack, which hosts a pair of NASCAR Cup Series events on its superspeedway-like configuration, will be known as EchoPark Speedway for the duration of the seven-year, multi-million-dollar agreement.

“We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,” said David B. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Sonic Automotive. “This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of NASCAR racing at this iconic venue.”

Specializing in pre-owned vehicle sales, EchoPark Automotive is one of three operating segments of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company and one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in the United States.

The company currently operates 17 locations in 13 markets, including Georgie, Tennessee, and Alabama, where the majority of Atlanta NASCAR fans travel from each year to visit the historic speedway.

EchoPark Automotive already has deep roots in NASCAR, serving as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Cup Series event at Circuit of The Americas, while also serving as the naming rights sponsor of the ‘restart zone’ at all Speedway Motorsports racetracks, including what was formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase the incredible vehicles we sell at EchoPark and share the exposure with another important entity in our Sonic Automotive family,” said Jeff Dyke, President of Sonic Automotive. “The Sturgis Rally is right around the corner, and we know NASCAR fans and drivers will not only love the new presentation of this track, but also the opportunity to see this limited-edition Harley-Davidson presented in Victory Lane.”

The winner of the inaugural event at EchoPark Speedway will receive a “nearly new” EchoPark Chevy Silverado and a trailer equipped with an 85^th Anniversary, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Limited Edition Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

“We’re thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,” said Marcus Smith, CEO and President of Speedway Motorsports. “EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are, and we know that together we’ll elevate our fan experience to a new level unmatched for Southern hospitality. This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedways for years to come.”

The racetrack has a storied history in NASCAR, hosting races every year since it opened as Atlanta International Raceway in 1960. From 1987 to 2000, the racetrack hosted the season-finale for the NASCAR Cup Series, and in 1992, saw a major changing of the guard, as Richard Petty competed in his final race while Jeff Gordon made his debut.

EchoPark Speedway will host both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series later this month, during the Quaker State 400 race weekend, which will also kick off NASCAR and TNT’s mid-season tournament. Those events will take place from June 26 to 28

The cool spring air at Quaker City Motorsports Park buzzed with anticipation on May 25 as United Manual Transmission Racers (UMTR) North, presented by MediceMfg.com, kicked off its 2024 season. Under clear skies and surrounded by familiar faces, racers and fans alike gathered to celebrate the enduring spirit of stick shift drag racing.

The Quick Stick class launched with high-stakes matchups, including an early showdown between newcomer Kip Shanklin and veteran Kurt Neighbor. Neighbor, trading his Mountain Motor Pro Stock ride for the Cobra Venom II, stormed through the ladder, defeating Shanklin, Jason Summer, and Larry Kortkamp to earn a spot in the final.

Reigning champ Roger Blile’s campaign ended early with a red-light foul against Tim Chillik in round two. On the opposite side of the bracket, Frank Madonia made an impressive charge, taking out Jim Wilson, Troy Hrdlicka, and Chillik to advance to the finals. It was also great to see Tim O’Neal return to racing in his Vega, reaching the semi-finals with a strong showing.

The final round brought both tension and teamwork. Neighbor faced a mechanical issue that delayed the race, but with help from Hrdlicka, AJ Fox, and the Quaker City crew, he made it to the line. Ultimately, it was Madonia who came out on top, claiming his first Quick Stick win of the season. Chillik, who helped eliminate Blile, earned both the Clutch Artist Award sponsored by DRC Truck and Equipment Repair and the event bounty.

The season’s first Street Stick competition also brought standout moments. 2024 champion Paul Adamczyk looked to continue his winning ways, but Dave Chiotti scored the round two victory and the bounty, before mechanical issues sidelined his run.

Former champ Kim Murphy picked up a round one win in her lime green Mustang before falling in round two to Brandon Margo. Margo advanced through the semis and defeated Jay Wood in a close final. Margo also received the Clutch Artist Award for his standout performance.

UMTR North thanks Quaker City Motorsports Park, MediceMfg.com, and series sponsors Mickey Thompson Tires, Summit Racing Equipment, Liberty’s Gears, RAM Clutches, VP Fuels, and G-Force for their support in keeping stick shift racing alive and thriving.

This story was originally published on June 3, 2025.

Jun. 2—NASCAR race weekend was the biggest event last year at the Newton Municipal Airport, and staff are eager for its return this coming August. The Iowa Corn 350 was the first NASCAR Cup Series to be held at Iowa Speedway, and it drew in a considerable amount of traffic to the local racetrack, as well as the nearby airport.

Ethan Nasalroad, president of Johnson Aviation, spoke of the experience at the airport this past summer during a recent presentation with the city council.

“This was huge for Newton. This was huge for Iowa. As a fixed-base operator, to be able to handle a Cup race, that was really a big deal for us as well. We look forward to seeing them again next year,” Nasalroad said before correcting himself. “Well, in a couple months I should say.”

NASCAR races saw 47 aircraft at the airport over a period of three days, and the IndyCar Race Weekend drew 54 aircraft.

Johnson Aviation hopes to see as much traffic this year as it saw in 2024. The races at Iowa Speedway continue to drive traffic to the city-owned airport. Data shared by Nasalroad shows that in addition to the race traffic, the airport sees a steady amount of aerial applicators using the facility.

Upcoming improvement projects at the airport not only show the facility is growing, it’s getting a lot of use. Bids for the apron expansion came in more than $400,000 less than the engineer anticipated, meaning the city’s share — which is already considerably low — is even lower than anticipated.

The current space constrains the airport, which is seeing continued growth in large part because of the races scheduled at the Iowa Speedway. Planes are not getting smaller either. Oftentimes, visiting planes have to use tenant ramp space or utilize unconventional parking to fit all of the aircraft.

Hangar space is also depleting.

“We’re as busy and we’re as full as we can be out there,” Nasalroad said.

By October this year, Johnson Aviation will be celebrating 75 years in business.

© 2025 the Newton Daily News (Newton, Iowa). Visit www.newtondailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.