Auto News 5

From press release

The Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Series officially announced their 2015 racing schedule, with three dates reserved on Oswego Speedway's 65th anniversary slate, including the annual Sunoco Race of Champions Modified 200.

In what we will be a dramatic lid lifter to Oswego's 65th season, the Race of Champions Asphalt Modifieds will make their first trip to the Steel Palace in 2015 on Saturday, May 9, joining Oswego's Novelis Supermodifieds and Pathfinder Bank SBS for a three division show to open Oswego's season featuring the Richie Evans Memorial 75 for the ground pounders.

The Evans Memorial, won last season at Oswego by Matt Hirschman, will be the third event on the RoC calendar and will have a reserved rain date set for Saturday, May 16.

The RoC Modifieds will then make Oswego home during the month of September, returning for two of the biggest weekends in short track racing, the Budweiser International Classic Weekend and Sunoco Race of Champions Weekend.

The Modifieds will once again be the main racing attraction on Friday night of Oswego's Classic Weekend, with a 100-lap main event capping the first of three nights of action on September 4. The mighty Modifieds will join 'Fast 14' International Classic time trials for the Novelis Supermodifieds as well as time trials and heat racing for the Small Block Super Classic.

Just two weeks later, the Mods return to be featured in the most historic Modified event in the country, the Sunoco Race of Champions Modified 200.

The RoC 200 will return to a Saturday race date on September 19, and will again be paired with Oswego's Novelis Supermodified 75-lap championship main event to declare Oswego's coveted track championship.

In total the Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Series will turn 375-laps of green flag action at the Steel Palace in 2015, adding to what promises to be a star studded 65th anniversary campaign at Oswego Speedway.

2015 Oswego Speedway RoC Modified Schedule:
• Saturday, May 9 - 65th Opening Night: Richie Evans Memorial 75
• Friday, September 4 - Budweiser Classic Weekend: Modified Classic 100
• Saturday, September 19 - Sunoco Race of Champions Weekend: RoC Modified 200

Former Formula 1 driver, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello will contest the 24 Hours of Daytona later in January.

Last year, Barrichello competed in that endurance race behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3.

This time, the most experienced Grand Prix driver will be driving a Starworks Motorsports Dinan BMW Riley prototype alongside former IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, Porsche WEC driver Brendon Hartley, Tor Graves and Scott Mayer.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is the opening round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

A majority of drivers in the United States are willing to pay as much as $1,499 to have high-tech entertainment and safety devices in their vehicles as consumers demand more connectivity, according to a Harris Poll.

Tempting incentives and clearer roads pulled U.S. consumers into dealerships for a big December to close another strong sales year. Automakers sold 1.5 million light vehicles last month, up 11 percent.

We can all rattle off lots to celebrate: fifth straight year of U.S. sales growth, 13 brands setting records in 2014, volume that is 6 million-plus units higher than 2009 and more growth forecast for 2015.

American Honda Motor Co. notched another slim sales gain for December, riding heavily on crossovers and the Acura brand.

Toyota said today it won't enforce more than 5,600 patents it owns on hydrogen fuel-cell technology through 2020, allowing rivals to reap the fruits of its research royalty-free. The move mirrors a step last year by Tesla Motors.

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. said sales rose 13 percent to 215,057 units last month, as the automaker's light trucks set a December record, the Lexus division posted its best month ever and demand for the Corolla compact surged 34 percent.

Audi of America posted its fifth-straight annual sales record in 2014, while sibling brand Volkswagen took a step back in its quest to reach annual U.S. volume of 800,000 vehicles by 2018.

Ford is poised to raise its quarterly dividend 20 percent, the third boost in as many years, even as the automaker has said profit would decline for 2014.

BMW boosted December sales 11 percent to hold off Mercedes-Benz and recapture the US luxury-auto sales crown for 2014, as premium brands benefited from a surging stock market, low interest rates and attractive leasing offers.

Subaru of America sales topped 500,000 vehicles for the first time and set a sixth consecutive sales record for the high-flying brand.

Ford Motor reported its first year-over-year U.S. sales increase in four months, but it was one of only a few automakers to post a decline for all of 2014.

Big volume increases among Nissan's smaller nameplates -- the Sentra, Versa, Rogue and Frontier pickup -- led the brand to a record U.S. sales year in 2014.

GM Ventures said on Monday (5 January) it was optimistic that its 2012 equity investment in Silicon Valley-based startup Tula Technology would result in a revolutionary new fuel economy technology that could be deployed in future petrol engine powered vehicles.

Record Jeep and Ram sales pushed FCA US up 20 percent last month to its best December sales since 2004.

GM rode surging demand for trucks and a 20-percent-off promotion to a 19 percent jump in U.S. sales last month, its strongest December since 2007.

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Automakers boosted their Canadian sales in December by 16 percent, and Ford held on to the top sales spot for the full year despite a late surge by FCA's Canadian unit. Total industry sales last year rose 6 percent to 1.