Racing Notebook – Monday, February 3

PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – A busy Monday in the Motorsports world. Honda Performance Development is funding a scholarship for young open wheelers; Bobby Rahal is adding a NASCAR industry veteran to RLL Racing’s Business Development team; Defending Lernerville Speedway Big Block Modified Champ Brian Swartzlander headed to the 2020 DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.

• Honda Performance Development (HPD) is continuing their history of supporting the next generation of racing talent.  HPD is establishing a scholarship for the F3 Americas Drivers Champion.  HPD’s scholarship will enable the F3 Drivers’ Champion to compete in the subsequent year’s Indy Lights full season.  This annual HPD scholarship will be used to support the F3 Champion’s chosen Indy Lights team and will be transferable to any HPD partner team supporting the F3 Drivers’ Champion in the Indy Lights or NTT IndyCar Series.
• Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is expanding their sales and marketing efforts by adding two new team members.  Sports marketing veteran Pat Wood has joined the team as Vice President, Business Development.  Wood has 20-years of experience in sports marketing and business development with stints in the NBA (Cleveland Cavalier), Motorsports (Charlotte Motor Speedway), and Media (Street & Smith’s Sports Business Group/NASCAR Scene/Sporting News).  RLL Racing is also adding Sam Sluga as account executive.
• Defending Lernerville Big Block Modified Champ and Dirt Hall of Famer Brian Swartzlander is heading south to start the 2020 season.  Swartzlander is heading to the 2020 DIRTcar Nationals that begin this week at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida per the Super DIRTcar Twitter account:

Dirt Hall of Famer @swartzlander83 will join the fun in the sun at Volusia Speedway Park for this year's Super DIRTcar Series @DIRTcarNats opener, which is only 11 days away! #FLinFeb pic.twitter.com/f5idqlWrRd

— Super DIRTcar Series (@SuperDIRTcar) January 31, 2020

• Longtime John Hunter Nemechek sponsor Fire Alarm Services is following him to Front Row Motorsports (FRM). Fire Alarm Services, Inc. (FAS), a leader in fire, life safety, and security services, will serve as the primary partner for the Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year contender at Martinsville Speedway in May, Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July, Daytona International Speedway in August and the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November. The brand will also be a major associate partner on Nemechek’s No. 38 Ford throughout the season.

Welcome back long-standing​ partner Fire Alarm Services, Inc.! Thank you for all of your support over the years. #NASCAR | @Team_FRM https://t.co/6dhxiCyF2u

— John Hunter Nemechek (@JHNemechek) February 3, 2020

• Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that SiriusXM will be featured as the primary sponsor of Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 19 Toyota Camry for five races during the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Truex’s Camry will carry the SiriusXM colors for the Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway (February 9), the first night race at Martinsville Speedway (May 9), both races of the doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway (June 27-28) and the series’ annual visit to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 19).
• Brennan Poole and Premium Motorsports are thrilled to welcome Spartan Mosquito into the NASCAR Cup Series on the No. 15 Chevy Camaro as their partner for 17 races/15 points races, including the crown jewel Daytona 500 race. The No. 15 Camaro and Poole will represent Spartan Mosquito’s unique and effective consumer products, along with their charitable efforts in support of our Armed Forces and those who have served our country.  At the Daytona 500, in addition to unveiling its new Spartan GO! Mosquito repellant, the Spartan Mosquito No. 15 will also proudly display the R.E.D. (RememberEveryoneDeployed.org) organization above the rocker panels and on the back bumper of the race car. “We are extremely thrilled to begin this relationship with Premium Motorsports and Brennan Poole,” Spartan owner Jeremy Hirsch said in a statement. “We are equally proud and humbled to have this opportunity to bring to light the
  ‘RememberEveryoneDeployed.org’ organization and to help raise awareness about the hardships faced by our troops – those brave men and women who place themselves in harm’s way so that we may rest peacefully at night”.