One of the most familiar faces in motorsports is Wayne Jesel, whose roots reach back to the 1960s era Stock Eliminator battles of the Northeast in the YooHoo sedan delivery. With the recent announcement that older brother Danny had recently retired from active involvement to become Executive Chairman, Wayne was open to discussing changes in the well-known brand.

“For the last ten years, Danny’s been working on that Equal 8 engine. So while he is also was on hand to do whatever he needed to, he was already handing the baton off.” The Jesel Equal 8 engine is all-new, fully machined of billet, and was Danny’s imaginative effort to take the optimal features of many 90-degree V-8 engines and meld them into a single platform using an innovative equal-column valvetrain across all cylinders. Jason Line has been involved, and Wayne hopes to have a chance to run one of two finished prototypes in his Bonneville vehicle next year. He expects the engine to possibly end up in Comp Eliminator, too. 

Round four of the 2022/2023 Aeroflow 400 Thunder season, scheduled for Heathcote Park Raceway in rural Victoria on February 11-12, has been canceled.
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According to 400 Thunder General Manager Jason Hedges, "We have completed our assessment of the overall venue, and the improvements in racer and spectator amenities that had been planned have been de-railed by the massive amounts of rainfall in the local area over the past several months". 

In a prepared statement, KB Racing officially announced its merger with Titan Racing Engines in a move anticipated as early as September. The team will be known going forward as KB Titan Racing. 

Ken Black’s retirement at the end of the 2022 season led to the move.

The retirement of Black opened the opportunity for Titan Racing Engines partners Eric Latino and Jim Whiteley to move toward merging the Pro Stock horsepower brands. 

Monday afternoon, KB Titan Racing announced the merger of their race engine properties. By Tuesday, they began filling the roster of drivers. 

NHRA Rookie of the Year driver Camrie Caruso becomes the first driver announcement since the merger. 

“This is an exciting move for me, but it would not be possible without an amazing rookie season learning from Jim Yates and working with Jamie and Toni Yates,” said Caruso who finished the regular season in the Top Ten and qualified for every NHRA national event. “The opportunity to become a team driver for KB Titan Racing was too good to pass up. I want to thank Jim, Toni, and Jamie for everything, and they will always hold a special place in my heart. I am looking forward to making an immediate impact with KB Titan Racing and developing even more as a driver.”

NHRA officials announced that Flexjet, a global leader in subscription-based private aviation, has been named the title sponsor of the exciting NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class for the upcoming 2023 season. The fan-favorite Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown category will feature 10 races at NHRA national events next year, adding a pair of races to the schedule.

Flexjet will also become the Official Private Aviation Partner of the NHRA.

It’s different, and that’s precisely what they want.

The promoters of the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Modified World Series confirmed that not only will the most volatile doorslammers on the planet be in the show, but also the Xtreme Front Wheel Drive Challenge. The Xtreme Front Wheel Drive Challenge will be held in conjunction with the 2023 World Series of Pro Mod, March 3-5, at Bradenton Motorsports Park, officials announced.
 
“We couldn’t be more excited to add the inaugural Xtreme Front Wheel Drive Challenge to the 2023 running of the World Series of Pro Mod,” said Drag Illustrated Founder and Editorial Director Wes Buck. “This is a community of racers, teams and fans that we feel strongly deserve to be a part of this massive event and will bring a unique energy and enthusiasm to WSOPM. We’ve extended invites to many of the best Sport Compact racers in the world and can’t wait to see them battle it out for $20,000.”

Innovative thinkers and dynamic presenters are wanted for the 2023 SEMA Show and the association’s year-round virtual education program --

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is planning its 2023 education program and has issued a call for speakers for its annual SEMA Show--taking place in Las Vegas in November 2023--and its year-round virtual education program. Dynamic and entertaining presenters who can share new skills and ideas targeted to the automotive aftermarket are invited to apply at www.sema.org/speakers.

Check out the newest hot rod to roll out of Jerry Bickel Race Cars. This new Camaro is destined for Canadian Jay Santos and will compete in the Pro Modified division.