It’s been a bit since Tony Stewart has attended the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, but the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and overall motorsports legend is synonymous with the Tulsa Expo Center and that will be celebrated next week.

‘Smoke’ has been named Grand Marshal for Championship Saturday.

“Not only is Tony a winner here, but he was also part of what really made the Chili Bowl take off in the early 2000s, and was the one who really started to rebuild the connection between dirt track and NASCAR fans. He’s an ambassador to our sport at more levels than anyone; he’s a great friend, and they don’t make them like Tony anymore, so being able to honor him as our Grand Marshal means a lot to me, and this event,” stated Chili Bowl co-founder, Emmett Hahn. “I remember, we made Tony an award in 2014 to recognize what he has done for Sprint Car racing, but this is our chance to let him know how much the Chili Bowl appreciates him.”

Stewart won the Chili Bowl main event in 2002 and 2007 and has 12 starts in the main event over 14 attempts, producing three podiums, four top-5s, seven top-10s with his last start coming in 2013. Stewart also spent the years after working with the track prep crew alongside Brad Chandler (aka Gravel), Steve Hahn, Matt Ward, and Martin Edwards.

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Daren Lucas—a 35-year career professional in sports marketing, private equity, fundraising, college athletics and motorsports—has been named president of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA). The appointment returns Lucas to the Daytona Beach area, where he previously held several executive business development, management and revenue-generating positions with both Daytona International Speedway (DIS) and NASCAR from 2000 through 2006, officials stated in a press release.

Most recently, Lucas spent the past 10 years in his own sports consultancy, which has kept him at the forefront of sports sponsorship and digital and social marketing. Previously in Daytona, Lucas led all sales and marketing at DIS and all consumer marketing and ticketing for NASCAR-owned tracks, in support of such major events as the Daytona 500, the Rolex 24 At Daytona sports car race and the Daytona 200 motorcycle road race and other major motorsports events.

Lucas Brings Experience in Building Partnerships & the Sports Travel & Tourism Industry

In his agency work, Lucas executed more than 100 official partnership deals, including with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and the Indianapolis 500. Lucas also brings extensive career experience in the sports travel and tourism industry at Super Bowls, Olympics, Masters and Kentucky Derbys. Lucas earned a bachelor of arts (BA) degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which was followed by a Master of Sports Administration (MSA) at Ohio University.

“It is both an honor and a privilege to join the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America as president,” Lucas said. “The impressive MSHFA Museum has grown extensively since relocating nearly 10 years ago in the DIS Ticket and Tours building, which is located just outside of the Speedway’s NASCAR Turn 4. The MSHFA administrative headquarters facility is housed in the same offices I worked in earlier in this century with DIS and NASCAR. Now, I look forward to working with both the MSHFA board of directors and the MSHFA team in my next chapter in Daytona and, most importantly, the next phase of success and growth for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.”

Lucas Succeeds Retiring President George Levy

Lucas takes over MSHFA’s leadership from the retiring George Levy, who served as president from late 2019 through the end of 2025. Levy was just the MSHFA’s second president following the late Ron Watson, who initially held the presidential position from 1989 until his unexpected passing in October of 2019.

“The future of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is solid but has room to continue to grow,” said MSHFA board of directors chair Paul Doleshal. “With the hiring of Daren, we feel that we are poised for that growth. We are more than confident that we have found the right person with Daren, who can help advance the Hall into its next chapter of success. The MSHFA presidential search committee managed a long and thorough process, culling through more than 50 applications, interviewing dozens via video interviews, and then meeting with our final eight candidates through in-person interviews in both Daytona and Charlotte. We want to thank the entire search committee and sincerely thank George Levy, and we are proud of his ongoing efforts and the solid growth he led in the last six years.”

Fishers, Indiana and Silverstone, UK — The Cadillac Formula 1® Team is pleased to confirm that Zhou Guanyu has joined as Reserve Driver for the team’s Formula 1 debut in 2026.

Zhou joins a talented lineup of drivers at the Cadillac Formula 1® Team, which includes race drivers Valtteri Bottas – alongside whom he raced throughout his stints at Alfa Romeo and Kick Sauber – and Checo Perez, plus Test Driver Colton Herta, who will compete in Formula 2 with Hitech in 2026.

Shanghai-born Zhou, who is China’s first and only F1 driver, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team. His 68-race F1 career began in 2022 with Alfa Romeo, for whom he scored points three times, including on his debut in the Bahrain Grand Prix. Having quickly developed a reputation as a fast and hard-working team player, he continued with the outfit in 2023 when he also scored points on three occasions. Zhou remained with the team when it became Kick Sauber in 2024, and he claimed its only points finish of the year in the Qatar Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old also brings valuable experience from his time with Scuderia Ferrari, which will supply the Cadillac Formula 1® Team with its power unit and gearbox in 2026. Zhou completed various trackside, simulator, and Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programs for the Italian marque in 2025 as Reserve Driver, acquiring relevant and recent experience ahead of his new role with the Cadillac Formula 1® Team.

As a junior driver, Zhou was recognized as a standout talent. He collected 20 podium finishes, including five victories, across a three-year stint in Formula 2, which culminated in third place in the series standings in 2021, when he also won the F3 Asian Championship by claiming four victories and five pole positions. He boasts wins in the highly regarded Formula 3 European Championship and Italian Formula 4 Championship, finishing second in the latter in 2015.

Zhou Guanyu said: “I am delighted to join the Cadillac Formula 1 Team as a Reserve Driver ahead of its Formula 1 debut. This is one of the biggest and most exciting new projects that the sport has ever seen.

“I have worked with both Graeme [Lowdon] and Valtteri [Bottas] for many years in various capacities, so joining the team feels like rejoining family. Having had recent experience on track and in developing the cars off track, I know I can add huge value to the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, and I am looking forward to supporting them the best way that I can.”

Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal, Cadillac Formula 1 Team, said: “Our process for selecting a Reserve Driver has been as thorough as the search for our Race Drivers. We wanted a candidate who had recent F1 driving experience, is prepared to work hard as part of a team and understands the challenges of developing a car throughout the season. Zhou fits the bill perfectly. He will be a great asset to us as we go racing in 2026 and we look forward to him being an integral part of our team.”

Dan Towriss, CEO of Cadillac Formula 1 Team Holdings, said: “I’m excited to welcome Zhou to the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. He will be an excellent addition to complement Valtteri and Checo; talented, personable and respectful of the hard work and commitment it will take for us to achieve our ambitions. I’m excited by our complete driver line-up – alongside Colton, we have a hungry, fast and collaborative group to make our 2026 debut.”

ABOUT CADILLAC FORMULA 1® TEAM

The Cadillac Formula 1® Team is a specialist motor racing team competing in the FIA Formula 1® World Championship. Backed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors, the team has operations in Fishers, Indiana (USA); Charlotte, North Carolina (USA); and Silverstone, Northamptonshire (UK).

With the confidence to dream big and the passion to deliver, the Cadillac Formula 1® Team is building everything from the ground up – from high-performance race cars to an inclusive, values-driven culture. The team will make its Formula 1® debut in 2026.

ABOUT TWG MOTORSPORTS

TWG Motorsports is the motorsports entity of TWG Global, unifying a robust racing portfolio across the world’s biggest stages in Formula 1®, INDYCAR, Formula E, IMSA, and NASCAR. With strategic partnerships that include General Motors on the Cadillac Formula 1® Team and ownership of Andretti Global, Wayne Taylor Racing and Spire Motorsports, TWG Motorsports combines deep technical expertise, proven competitive excellence and industry-leading business acumen. TWG Motorsports is committed to innovating, growing and winning at the highest levels of the sport. Learn more at TWGMotorsports.com.

ABOUT GM

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

• Career Sports Marketing, Private Equity, Fundraising, College Athletics and Motorsports Executive Third President in MSHFA’s 38-Year History
• Appointment Brings Lucas Back to Daytona Beach Where He Previously Worked in Sales, Marketing and Business Development Executive Positions at Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 5, 2025) – Daren Lucas, a 35-year career professional in sports marketing, private equity, fundraising, college athletics and motorsports has been named President of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA). The appointment returns Lucas to the Daytona Beach area where he previously held several executive business development, management and revenue generating positions with both Daytona International Speedway (DIS) and NASCAR from 2000 through 2006.

Lucas joins the MSHFA after most recently spending the past 10 years in his own sports consultancy, which has kept him at the forefront of sports sponsorship and digital and social marketing. Previously in Daytona, Lucas led all Sales and Marketing at DIS and all Consumer Marketing and Ticketing for NASCAR-owned tracks, in support of such major events as the Daytona 500, the Rolex 24 At Daytona sports car race and the Daytona 200 motorcycle road race and other major motorsports events. In his agency work, Lucas executed more than 100 official partnership deals including with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and the Indianapolis 500. Lucas also brings extensive career experience in the sports travel and tourism industry at Super Bowls, Olympics, Masters and Kentucky Derbys. Lucas earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which was followed by a Master of Sports Administration (MSA) at Ohio University.

“It is both an honor and a privilege to join the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America as President,” Lucas said. “The impressive MSHFA Museum has grown extensively since relocating nearly 10 years ago in the DIS Ticket and Tours building, which is located just outside of the Speedway’s NASCAR Turn 4. The MSHFA administrative headquarters facility is housed in the same offices I worked in earlier in this century with DIS and NASCAR. Now, I look forward to working with both the MSHFA Board of Directors and the MSHFA team in my next chapter in Daytona and – most importantly – the next phase of success and growth for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.”

Lucas takes over MSHFA’s leadership from the retiring George Levy, who served as president from late 2019 through the end of 2025. Levy was just the MSHFA’s second president following the late Ron Watson, who initially held the presidential position from 1989 until his unexpected passing in October of 2019.

“The future of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is solid but has room to continue to grow,” said MSHFA Board of Directors Chair Paul Doleshal. “With the hiring of Daren, we feel that we are poised for that growth. We are more than confident that we have found the right person with Daren who can help advance the Hall into its next chapter of success. The MSHFA presidential search committee managed a long and thorough process, culling through more than 50 applications, interviewing dozens via video interviews, and then meeting with our final eight candidates through in-person interviews in both Daytona and Charlotte. We want to thank the entire search committee and sincerely thank George Levy, and we are proud of his ongoing efforts and the solid growth he led in the last six years.”

Lucas brings dual passions for both modern-day motorsports as well as the rich history and legacy of racing in the United States, which includes a high-speed family tie to the very roots of motorsports Americana.

“The history of motorsports in America is truly right at home in our family,” Lucas said. “My wife, Dawn, is the daughter of stock car pioneer Dink Widenhouse, and we are thrilled to be able to once again live so close to where he and his friends and racing peers competed on the beach here in Daytona. Our daughter Caroline was born in Daytona, and we are so happy to come back to where both my father-in-law and our daughter’s grandfather was part of the amazing motorsports legacy in America, which I now have both the responsibility and honor to preserve for generations to come.”

Widenhouse is pictured in his trademark No. B-29 stock car at the final Daytona beach race in 1958 and with his friends and racing peers Ned Jarrett (MSHFA Class of 1997) and Ralph Earnhardt.

The 38th Annual MSHFA Induction Ceremony Presented by Toyota Gazoo Racing takes place March 9 – 10, 2026 at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort in the heart of Daytona Beach, Florida. The traditional black-tie gala, which is the crowning event of the two-day, multi-function induction celebration. The Induction Ceremony will be preceded the night before on Monday, March 9, by the traditional “Heroes of Horsepower” reception and strolling dinner at the MSHFA Museum on the DIS grounds.

Daytime events, presented by Toyota Gazoo Racing, include the annual Inductee Welcome Luncheon on Monday, and the annual Inductee Brunch on Tuesday morning.

For more information or to purchase Class of 2026 Induction tickets, visit the MSHFA at www.mshf.com.

The MSHFA is located in Daytona International Speedway’s Ticket and Tours Building. Access to the MSFHA Museum is included with every Daytona International Speedway tour, which runs throughout each day, or as a museum-only ticket. The museum is open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. except for major holidays. It is visited by more than 150,000 guests each year from every state in America and countries all over the world. For museum tickets call 1-800-PIT-SHOP.

The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MotorsportsHOF/ and Instagram and Twitter at @MotorsportsHOF. Learn more at www.mshf.com.

About the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America: The MSHFA is the only hall that honors all major American motorsports: cars, motorcycles, airplanes, off road and powerboats. Its mission is to celebrate and instill the American motorsports values of leadership, creativity, originality, teamwork and spirit of competition. Founded by Larry G. Ciancio and led by first President Ronald A. Watson, it held its first induction in 1989. Watson spent the next 30 years tirelessly building it into the nation’s premier such hall until his passing in 2019. Originally based in Novi, Mich., it relocated to Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2016 and greets more than 120,000 guests a year in its museum. MSHFA is operated by the nonprofit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation, Inc.

Mike Martinez to Retire After Three Decades of Leadership and Growth

Yamaha Motor Corp, USA, Promotes Dean Burnett to Senior Vice President and President of Motorsports Division

Mike Martinez to Retire After Three Decades of Leadership and Growth

MARIETTA, Ga., Jan. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Yamaha Motor Corp., USA (YMUS), is promoting Dean Burnett to Senior Vice President and President of Motorsports. Burnett brings more than three decades of Yamaha experience to his new position, most recently as Vice President of Yamaha’s Marine Innovation Center, and President of Siren Marine and Skeeter and G3 Boat companies.

Mike Martinez, the current SVP and President of Motorsports since 2022, announced his retirement after 32 years at YMUS. Martinez will stay on for the first quarter of 2026 to work closely with Burnett and ensure a smooth transition of the Motorsports business and operations. He will officially retire on April 3, 2026.

“Yamaha owes Mike Martinez a huge debt of gratitude for his decades of service, spearheading groundbreaking products, dealer programs, and initiatives that directly led to Yamaha’s success in the U.S. powersports industry. I’m confident that Mike’s legacy is in great hands with Dean Burnett, who’s intimate knowledge of Yamaha, from sales and marketing to operations and finance, combined with his extensive leadership experience, makes him the perfect person to lead Motorsports into the future,” said Michael Chrzanowski, President and CEO of Yamaha Motor Corp., USA. “Over the next few months, Dean and Mike will work closely together to align strategy and operations for the future success of Yamaha Motorsports and our dealer partners.”

Burnett was born into his family’s marine dealership in Louisville, Kentucky, and worked his way through various Yamaha business groups dating back to 1987, including sales, marketing, service, operations, manufacturing, and finance. He brings vast leadership experience in addition to his roles in Yamaha’s Marine business, having served as President and Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Canada, Ltd. (YMCA), and President and Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Finance Canada, Ltd. (YMFCA). Prior to his time in Canada, Burnett was President of the Yamaha WaterCraft Business Group.

“I enjoy being part of the Yamaha family, and I’ve seen firsthand how Martinez worked tirelessly to build a culture based on community, innovation, and real-world experiences. Importantly, the Yamaha Motorsports team values, supports, and celebrates our dealer partners and business relationships. I’m proud and excited to accept this new opportunity,” Burnett said. “At its core, Yamaha creates lifelong memories, and we’ll continue to deliver on that promise to our dealer partners and customers over the decades to come.”

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