Category: Other Series Racing

(Torrance, CA, November 29, 2024) Two-time California Lightning Sprint Car Series champion David Gasper returned to his open-wheel roots and captured the Western States Lightning Sprint Car Championship last Wednesday night at the Bakersfield Speedway.  Added significance to the triumph was the fact that he was driving a tribute car for Bailey Schweitzer.  Bailey, the daughter of Bakersfield promoter Scott Schweitzer and his wife Crissy, lost her life in the October 2017 Route 91 Harvest Music Festival tragedy in Las Vegas.   While Gasper was winning the main event, fourth-place finisher Bobby Michnowicz sewed up his second CLS championship in a row and the seventh of his illustrious career. 

Gasper, who resides in Goleta, California, was a late addition to the California Lightning Sprint Car portion of the show. Broedy Graham had been wheeling the Mike Schweitzer #41 in 2024. However, his family recently purchased a full midget, and he was running the USAC National Midget portion of the program. Schweitzer then turned to USAC/CRA star A.J. Bender. The duo had success in the past and were poised to do so last week. However, when the race was delayed 24 hours due to a couple of days of heavy rain, Bender could not make it on Wednesday. Thus, Schweitzer called talented Gasper. The personable 19-year-old had just sewn up the USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year award and he gladly accepted the offer.

Fifteen cars showed up for the final race of the California Lightning Sprints 30th season. Michnowicz, who has been racing at the “Okie Bowl” for decades, laid down the fastest lap in qualifying at 13.100. Palmdale’s Eric Greco, who was the only driver with a mathematical chance of catching Michnowicz in the title chase, was second fastest at 13.345. Camarillo’s Cody Nigh was third quick with a 13.414. Peter Benker of Alpine was fourth at 13.622 and Bakersfield local Leland Day rounded out the top five with a time of 13.722.

Torrance, California’s “Rockstar” Jon Robertson, who came into the night tied with Nigh for fourth in the standings, captured the first six-lap heat race ahead of Michnowicz and Day. The last CLS heat race of the season went to California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Dyer of Yucca Valley. Fillmore’s Connor Speir came under the checkers in second, with Dyer’s 17-year-old son, Seth, third.

Speir captured the six-car, four-lap dash that would determine the starting position for the first three rows in the main event. Thirteen-year-old Zate Legend of Riverside, Gasper, Greco, Michnowicz and Day placed second through sixth.

When the green flag kicked off the start of the final main event of the CLS season, Speir pushed his bright red 57 into the lead. However, third-place starting Gasper rolled the bottom and inched ahead in turn two. In an exciting opening lap, Speir, on the outside, inched ahead on the back chute. They were even through turns three and four, with Gasper leading by a wheel as they closed the first go-around. Greco was not far behind in third.

If lap one was a thriller, the second circuit was no slouch either. Speir changed lines and went to the bottom off turn two. Once again, the young drivers were side by side coming off turn four with Gasper again at the point when they completed the lap.

Finally, Gasper put some distance between himself and Speir on lap three. Greco was still running third. Wily veteran Michnowicz moved up to fourth on lap four when he passed Legend. At that point, things tamed down a bit and stayed status quo through lap nine before the exciting switch was again turned to full volume.

Gasper caught the first lapped car and could not get past. That allowed Speir and Greco to close in dramatically. Gasper finally got past the lapper and opened up his lead once again, but Speir was not going to go down without a fight. Going into turn three on lap 14, he stayed on the throttle until deep in the corner and nearly pulled even with Gasper. Going into turn one on the next go around, he took another peek at the inside, but Gasper held him at bay.

On lap 15, Speir again ran it in hard on the inside of turn three. Simultaneously, Gasper slipped up the track and Speir took full advantage. Coming off turn four, he moved up a lane and pilfered the lead. However, he was dealt the same fate Gasper had been dealing with. Another lapped car. Speir’s tenure at the point was short-lived as Gasper shot into the lead, leaving Speir behind the lapped car.

Speir was staying within striking distance of Gasper, whose car was bunny-hopping through the corners. The race went caution-free until Seth Dyer slowed and stopped on the back chute on lap 18. That brought out the only caution of the race. That was good news for the pace setters as it meant they would be free of lapped traffic the remainder of the way.

For the last restart of 2024, Gasper was in the lead with Speir on his push bar. In the third spot was Greco, with Michnowicz and Legend making up the remainder of the top five. Gasper got a tremendous restart and zoomed away from the pack. From that point on, he went unchallenged. At the checkers, he had a 2.542 advantage over Speir. Greco placed third, with Michnowicz, the champion again, coming home fourth. Legend finished fifth.

Nigh, who moved from 11th to finish eighth, was the hard charger in the 25-lap race.

“I had to work for that one,” the happy winner told the big crowd on hand and fans worldwide who were watching on Flo Racing. “That is the hardest I have worked in a long time. The traffic was tough. You have got to pick them off one at a time. I heard and saw Connor down there a couple times. I had to minimize the mistakes as it is easy to make mistakes on this track right now. Hats off to the Bakersfield Speedway guys for getting this one in tonight. It has been wet at every track the swing has gone to these two weeks. Happy to park this Schweitzer #41 in victory lane. This was the race where I started my circle track career. So, it is cool to be able to come back and run it and have a little better luck this time.”

“It is really nice,” champion Michnowicz told infield announcer Drake York and the crowd when asked what it meant to add to his legacy with another championship. “I am just really glad that the California Lightning Sprint Series has a winged series that old guys like me can come out and still race. It is the best bang you can get for your buck. We have help from Super Shox, Outlaw Wings, Pflum & Wagner and Wendy (Michnowicz wife and crew chief). She is the best. Without her, I could not do anything.”

“This is by far the most memorable main event that we/I have ever won,” car owner Mike Schweitzer said. We wanted to win so bad with Bailey’s name on the side. It literally brought tears to my eyes when we pulled off the win. I cannot say enough about working with David Gasper. Such a great attitude. Just talking and asking him what he thinks we need and him telling us to just do what we do.”

Marketing partners on Schweitzer’s #41 winning car are Abacus, TRB, Bil Mell Dot Com Real Estate Services, Scott & Crissy Schweitzer, 3n1 Motorsports, Five Eight Designs, M-P Environmental, Elite Signs LLC, Oil Well Service, Hot Tod Engineering, Salinas Paint & Body, Mike Allen with CR Rods, Jack and the crew at CSI Shocks, and Rod End Supply.

The CLS would like to thank Iron Alliance Engineering Inc. and the “Italian Stallion,” PJ Benedetti for sponsoring the heat races and Hard Charger awards on the night.

Next up for the CLS will be the 2024 awards banquet. Once again, it will be held at the popular Frantone’s Pizza and Spaghetti Villa in Cerritos at 6:00 p.m. on February 1st. Tickets for the banquet, which is open to everyone, will be on sale soon. For more information on the festive night, call Jon Robertson at (310) 367-9050.

The CLS would like to thank the following companies for being partners in the 2024 season. Extreme Mufflers, RacingJunk.com and Hoosier Tire.

Western States Lightning Sprint Car Championship Results

Qualifying: 1. Bobby Michnowicz, 13.100; 2. Eric Greco, 13.345; 3. Cody Nigh, 13.414; 4. Peter Benker, 13.622; 5. Leland Day, 13.722; 6. Gasper, 13.739; 7. Zate Legend, 13.838, 8. Connor Speir, 13.913; 9. Jon Robertson, 14.021; 10. Jeff Dyer, 14.256; 11. Cody Benker, 14.865; 12. Seth Dyer, 17.437; Aiden Lange, No Time; Pat Kelley, No Time; Roland Smith, No Time

Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. Robertson, 2. Day, 3. Michnowicz, 4. Cody Benker, 5. Legend, 6. Nigh, 7. Kelley

Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. Jeff Dyer, 2. Speir, 3. Seth Dyer, 4. Gasper, 5. Greco, 6. Smith. 7. Peter Benker

Dash (4 Laps): 1. Speir, 2. Legend, 3. Gasper, 4. Greco, 5. Michnowicz, 6. Day

Main Event (25 Laps) With Starting Positions and Distance Behind

1. David Gasper, Goleta, CA, (3rd) …
2. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA, (1st) … +2.542
3. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA, (4th) … +3.050
4. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Hills, CA, (5th) … +4.308
5. Zate Legend, Riverside, CA, (2nd) … +4.879
6. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, (8th) … +5.908
7. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA, (7th) … +7.140
8. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA, (11th) … +8.065
9. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA, (12th) … +1 Lap
10. Cody Benker, Alpine, CA, (9th) … +1 Lap
11. Roland Smith, (13th) … + 1Lap … +2 Laps
12. Leland Day, Bakersfield, CA, (6th) … +4 Laps
13. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA, (10th) … +8 Laos

DNS Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA

DNS Peter Benker, Alpine, CA

FINAL 2024 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Points

1. Bobby Michnowicz, Oak Gills, CA … 1882
2. Eric Greco, Palmdale, CA … 1780
3. Jeff Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA …1527
4. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, CA … 1465
5. Jon Robertson, Torrance, CA … 1453
6. Zate Legend, Riverside, CA … 1400
7. Seth Dyer, Yucca Valley, CA … 13532
8. Connor Speir, Fillmore, CA … 1326
9. Clay Byers, Castaic, CA … 768
10. Leland Day, Bakersfield, CA … 722
11. Pat Kelley, Chino, CA … 706
12. Broedy Graham, Bakerfield, CA … 626
13. Roland Smith … 432
14. Aiden Lange, Lakewood, CA … 402
15. Kelly Weitzel, El Cajon, CA … 312
16. Jacob Magalannes, Pasadena, CA … 257
17. Bill Changus, Fillmore, CA … 169
18. Tate Manu … 156
19. Dale Gamer, Anaheim, CA … 70

CLS vs BCRA Civil War Points

1. Bobby Michnowicz, CLS … 345
2. Connor Speir, CLS … 334
3. Eric Greco, CLS … 329
4. Greg Dennett BCRA … 309
5. Zate Legend, CLS … 276
6. Seth Dyer, CLS … 274
7. Leland Day, CLS … 263
8. Jon Robertson, CLS … 256
9. Matt Land, BCRA … 219
10. Jeff Dyer, CLS … 219

2024 CLS Lap Leaders

Michnowicz, Bobby … 118

Greco, Eric … 65

Dyer, Jeff … 39

Speir, Connor … 34

Kinney, Hunter … 25

Gasper, David … 24

Dyer, Seth … 17

Lange, Aiden … 16

Bender, AJ … 15

Dyer, Seth … 9

Albright, Dakota … 9

Graham, Broedy … 9

Nigh, Cody … 4

Dennett, Greg … 1

2024 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule

March 1 Imperial Valley Raceway Mid-Winter Fair Aiden Lange

March 2 Imperial Valley Raceway Mid-Winter Fair Connor Speir

March 9 Bakersfield Speedway CLS Bobby Michnowicz

April 13 Merced Speedway CSL vs BCRA Civil War #1 Rained Out

April 20 Bakersfield Speedway CLS Bobby Michnowicz

May 4 Ventura Raceway CLS AJ Bender

May 18 Bakersfield Speedway CLS Bobby Michnowicz

June 8 Ventura Raceway CLS Bobby Michnowicz

June 15 Bakersfield Speedway CLS Eric Greco

July 6 Santa Maria Speedway CLS Jeff Dyer

July 27 Santa Maria Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War #1 Connor Speir

September 13 Bakersfield Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War #2 Hunter Kinney

September 14 Ventura Raceway CLS Eric Greco

September 28 Ventura Raceway CLS Eric Greco

October 5 Merced Speedway CLS vs BCRA Civil War #3 Dakota Albright

October 26 Ventura Raceway CLS Eric Greco

November 15 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – No Points Rained Out

November 16 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – No Points Rained Out

November 27 Bakersfield Speedway CLS David Gasper

PENSACOLA, Fla: (December 2, 2024): Cyclum NextGen Travel Centers proudly continues sponsorship of Kole Raz in his iconic No. 76 car for the historic Snowball Derby at Five (Fla.) Flags Speedway.

Powered by Phillips 76, Cyclum Racing star Kole Raz and his Kole Raz Racing team return to the Late Model scene, fresh off his victory in the Super Late Series at the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway Bullring in Las Vegas, take the wheel as Cyclum & Phillips 76 aim to leave a lasting mark on the annual prestigious motorsport event.

Celebrating over 50 years of racing tradition, the Snowball Derby is widely regarded as one of the most significant short-track events in the United States.

Known for launching the careers of motorsport icons. The Snowball Derby has featured past winners who rose to prominence in NASCAR. The event’s rich history makes it a proving ground for up-and-coming talent and is a must-watch for racing enthusiasts.

Raz and Cyclum NextGen Travel Centers carry the momentum to the Sunshine State after producing a top-10 finish together in the ARCA Menards Series West finale last month at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway with AM Racing.

‘I’m very excited to get back down to Pensacola, Florida, for the Snowball Derby,” said Raz. “Without a doubt, it is our team’s biggest race of the year. It’s an incredibly humbling experience to take our family-owned Port City Racecar to an event like this; the caliber of this field is second to none.

“We are looking forward to a long and thrilling week in Pensacola trying to go after the prestigious Tom Dawson Trophy in our No. 76 Cyclum NextGen Travel Centers Ford!’

Cyclum plans to build 400 state-of-the-art travel centers nationwide, catering to diverse fueling needs. These centers will offer traditional, transitional fuels like renewable diesel and gasoline alongside next-generation renewable and zero-carbon solutions such as hydrogen, compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicle charging.

Cyclum is poised to become an exciting new entrant in the market, delivering not only high-quality and cost-effective fueling options but also a superior fresh food and rest-stop experience for both motorists and professional drivers.

Designed for both passenger vehicles and the logistics industry, Cyclum’s travel centers aim to set a new standard for convenience and comfort on the road.

“The Snowball Derby is an incredible showcase of grit and talent,” offered Miles Palmer, Director of Marketing at Cyclum Travel Centers. “We are excited to watch Kole compete in this race and grateful to work with several partners in bringing his talent to this iconic race event.”

This year’s Snowball Derby continues to uphold that legacy and add to the excitement of Raz’s appearance with the continued support of Cyclum, Phillips 76, Capstone and Gallagher Insurance.

Fans can expect high-octane competition as top racers battle for glory on the half-mile oval at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida on December 8th, 2024.

For more on Cyclum Renewables, please visit https://gocyclum.net and like their Facebook page (Cyclum Renewables LLC), and follow them on Instagram (@cyclumnextgen) and X (@cyclumnextgen).

For more on Kole Raz like him on Facebook (Kole Raz Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@koleraz) and X | Twitter (@koleraz27).

About Phillips 76 – Renewable Diesel:

76® Renewable Diesel is diesel fuel that is made from renewable sources (vegetable oils and fats) that undergo chemical processing to make renewable diesel fuel. Fully compatible with all diesel engines, drivers can seamlessly switch between conventional diesel and renewable diesel without any engine modifications.

About Capstone Engineered Solutions:

An industry leader in distributed energy technologies, including Capstone Green Energy microturbines, EV charging, solar, battery energy storage, and generators for prime power and standby, plus metering, controls and aggregation software.

About Gallagher Insurance:

An international service provider that plans, designs, and administers a full array of customized, cost-effective property/casualty insurance and risk management programs.

The company also furnishes a broad range of risk management services, including claims and information management, risk control consulting, and appraisals to help corporations and institutions reduce their cost of risk.

DENVER, Colo. (December 2, 2024) – Todd Coleman, Aaron Telitz, and Frederik Schandorff will reunite later this month to compete in the prestigious Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Representing Optimum Motorsport, the defending Pro-Am class champions, the trio will pilot the No. 69 McLaren GT3 Evo in the season-ending endurance race.

The drivers first joined forces with Optimum Motorsport in September at Creventic’s Hankook 24H Barcelona, where they secured overall pole position and displayed dominant front-running pace. Leading from the start and through the night at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the team proved to be a formidable combination. Building on that success, they now aim to contend for overall honors in the Pro class of the Gulf 12 Hours.

“I’m super excited to be back in the Optimum McLaren for the Gulf 12 Hours and competing against some of the best GT drivers from around the world,” said Coleman. “We immediately came together as a team and driver lineup in Barcelona. I’m looking forward to building on that experience as we take on the Yas Marina Circuit.”

“I’m really excited to go racing with Optimum at the Gulf 12 Hours,” said Telitz. “Fred, Todd and I worked well together earlier in the year at Barcelona, so it’ll be fun to have the gang back together for the last race of the year. I’ve never competed in the Gulf 12 Hours before, but it looks like a fun race so I can’t wait to get going.”

“It’s great to have Todd, Aaron, and Fred racing with us again,” remarked Shaun Goff, Optimum Team Principal. “They claimed pole position for their first race together back in September, so I’m eager to see what they can do this time around at the Yas Marina Circuit.”

This year’s Gulf 12 Hours introduces a revised format. The event kicks off with an eight-hour race starting in the morning and running until sunset, followed by a two-hour break. The action resumes with a four-hour sprint under the lights of Yas Marina Circuit, with over 20 GT cars from seven manufacturers vying for glory.

The action gets under on Friday, December 13th with a 45-minute shakedown ahead of the official practice Saturday morning. Each of the three drivers will contest in a 15-minute qualifying session, with the average time taken from each of their best laps to determine their starting order for Sunday’s main event. The first of four qualifying sets is set to begin on Saturday, December 14th at 7:00 PM GST, 10:00 AM EST. The first segment of the race will begin on Sunday, December 15th at 9:00 AM GST, 12:00 AM EST, and the second segment will begin at 7:00 PM GST, 10:00 AM EST. All qualifying and race sessions will air live on the Gulf 12 Hours’ YouTube channel.

About Todd Coleman Racing

Todd Coleman Racing was founded in 2022, the passion product from entrepreneur Todd Coleman. He began his racing career in 2020, racing at an entry-level before working his way up to the professional ranks. He continued to learn the ropes of the business of motorsport, partnering with championship-winning sports car teams and professional coach/drivers. He founded Todd Coleman Racing as the next step in racing toward his dream; to create his own championship-winning race team.

About Optimum Motorsport

The Wakefield, United Kingdom-based squad has scored multiple championship victories in McLaren machinery, most recently claiming the marque’s first-ever pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, securing the 2023 GT Open and British GT GT4 Silver Cup Titles, winning the Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours & 24 Hours of Spa.

Additional notable success includes securing a podium at last year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 2022 IMSA Endurance Cup, 2022 GT World Challenge Europe’s Endurance Gold Cup, Asian Le Mans GT and 2021 GT Open Pro-Am Titles

DAMS Lucas Oil clinched a brilliant second-place finish in Saturday’s Sprint Race with Jak Crawford, as Dino Beganovic earnt his first points in Formula 2 on his debut weekend in the Feature Race.

Both cars qualified strongly, meaning that Crawford would line up in fourth for the Sprint Race, with Beganovic directly behind in sixth. The American managed his hard tyres well to battle his way up into the podium positions on Lap 17, and would cross the line in a fantastic second place to ensure a sixth top-three finish of the season.

In the #8 car, Beganovic settled into his first F2 outing well, sitting in seventh place before contact from behind dropped him down the order towards the end of the event, but fought back to finish tenth.

In the Feature Race, the Scuderia Ferrari Academy Driver moved up to third on the opening tour, pitting on Lap 8, unfortunately just before a Safety Car intervention. The F2 debutant drove brilliantly in the second half of the race to make his way up to fifth and score his first points in the championship.

On the other side of the garage, Crawford changed his tyres a lap earlier than Beganovic while occupying sixth. Later in the race on Lap 13, the Aston Martin Driver Development Programme member would suffer contact which forced him to retire the car.

#7 Jak Crawford
Results
Qualifying: 6th
Sprint Race: 2nd (+8 points)
Feature Race: DNF

“I’m delighted to take my first points in Formula 2! It was a tricky start with no laps in Free Practice due to a technical issue, however, qualifying was amazing, finishing fourth. We had strong pace in the Sprint Race, but were taken out by another competitor when I was comfortably in the points. We got a bit unlucky with the Safety Car today, yet I felt comfortable throughout the weekend and battled to take fifth. A massive thanks to the team for all their hard work to ensure a great debut weekend for me in Formula 2, and we’ll aim for even more in Abu Dhabi.”

#8 Dino Beganovic
Results
Qualifying: 4th
Sprint Race: 10th
Feature Race: 5th (+10 points)

Charles Pic, Team Owner

“We’re pleased to have had a strong event with Jak finishing on the podium in the Sprint Race and Dino taking points in the Feature Race. Firstly, Jak produced an excellent drive to battle through to secure a sixth podium of the campaign on Saturday, looking after his tyres well and taking second. Unfortunately, we had a slow pit stop and then he had to retire with the damage he picked up in the Feature Race. Dino was very impressive on debut to qualify fourth after no laps in Free Practice and then he looked quick throughout the weekend. He deserved the points he claimed on Sunday and without the Safety Car it might’ve been even better. We’ll now make sure that we end the 2024 season on a high in Abu Dhabi next weekend.”

Drivers’ Championship

1. Gabriel Bortoleto 188.5
2. Isack Hadjar 188
3. Paul Aron 163
   -5. Jak Crawford 124
   -24. Dino Beganovic 10

Teams’ Championship

1. Invicta Racing 262.5
2. Campos Racing 231
3. MP Motorsport 200.5
4. Hitech Pulse-Eight 198
   -7. DAMS Lucas Oil 165

About DAMS
DAMS is a professional racing team founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot, currently competing in FIA Formula 2, F1’s main feeder series. Ahead of the 2022 season, ex-F1 driver Charles Pic took control of the team. So far, 33 DAMS drivers have reached F1, with many more going on to become professional racing drivers. In its history, DAMS has won 15 drivers’ titles, 16 teams’ championships and has scored over 170 race victories.

Facebook: /damsracing
X: @damsracing
Instagram: @damsracing
LinkedIn: /dams-lucas-oil
Web: www.damslucasoil.com

29 November 2024, London – Extreme E, the groundbreaking electric off-road racing series, proudly announces its triumph at this year’s Sports Business Awards, highlighting its leadership in sustainability, equality and diversity.

Extreme E took home the Gold Award for Sustainability in Sport, as well as the Silver Award for Sports Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.

Ali Russell, Managing Director of Extreme E, said: “Winning these awards underscores Extreme E’s commitment to driving sustainability and equality, not just in motorsport but across global industries. It’s fantastic to receive this industry recognition.”

Launched in 2017 the Sports Business Awards celebrate the very best in the sports business. The Awards recognise and reward achievement by the teams behind the scenes that facilitate sporting excellence and endeavours, championing resilience, adaptability and resourcefulness.

Built on five pillars – energy, environment, equality, entertainment, and e-mobility, Extreme E is a trailblazer in demonstrating how motor racing, a traditionally carbon-intensive sport, can drive positive change. The championship not only raises awareness about the impact of climate change on global locations, which have included Greenland, Chile’s Atacama Desert, and Senegal, and their communities, but also pioneers and promotes sustainable solutions to mitigate environmental challenges around the world.

Continuing to race the series’ ODYSSEY 21 off-road electric vehicles and leveraging solar and green hydrogen energy, its Season 3 Sustainability Report, published in association with EY, revealed that the racing series maintained its carbon-neutral status and reduced its overall carbon footprint by 8.2 per cent.

This achievement was supported by Extreme E’s motorsport industry-leading race site infrastructure, including the use of green hydrogen in remote locations produced by ENOWA’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell System, while the series also employed innovative waste management procedures, engaged regional suppliers, and sourced food and drink locally for each race event, among many other reduction methods.

Each Extreme E team features a male and female driver who race on the same course in the same race, providing a level playing field for competitors, a world-first in motorsport.

Track data, verified by EY, revealed that the Season 3 female to male performance gap has closed by 51 per cent since Season 1, proving that the rate of progression for female drivers is advanced by gaining equal access to track time and performance development.

Extreme E has also supported opportunities for a new generation of young mechanical and engineering talent, through the creation of the Racing for All programme, informed by the findings of The Hamilton Commission. With Extreme E team numbers limited to just five mechanics or engineers, Racing for All initiative provides an additional position for a sixth member to join each team to gain hands-on experience. Within two years since the initiative launched in 2022, more than half of the Extreme E grid supports a candidate within their team.

In 2025, Extreme E, will evolve to become Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen racing series. Building on the success of Extreme E, Extreme H will demonstrate the capabilities of hydrogen and seek to accelerate the integration of this exciting clean energy in sports, mobility and beyond.

About Extreme E:
Extreme E is a radical off-road racing series, founded by the same team behind Formula E, which showcases electric SUVs and futuristic technologies in some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments.

This five-event global voyage utilises its sporting platform for the purpose of promoting electrification, environment and equality. The series’ goal is to highlight the impact of climate change in some of the world’s most endangered environments, promote the adoption of electric vehicles to pave the way for a lower carbon future, and provide a world-first gender-equal motorsport platform.

The first sport to ever be built out of a social purpose, Extreme E aims to minimise environmental impact while maximising awareness, racing in places that have already been damaged or affected by climate change or human interference and taking fans deep into the heart of the most pressing issues facing our planet’s future.

Not only that, but Extreme E is also helping the car industry to develop future-facing technology using racing as a platform for road innovation, which accelerates change ten-fold.

In 2025, Extreme E will transition into Extreme H – the world’s first hydrogen off-road racing series – and will be recognised as an FIA Championship from 2025, as we continue to be a pioneer in motorsport.

About PIF
PIF is one of the largest and most impactful sovereign wealth funds in the world. Since 2015, when the board was reconstituted and oversight transferred to the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, PIF’s board of directors has been chaired by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, and Chairman of PIF. PIF plays a leading role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation and diversification, as well as contributing to shaping the future of the global economy.

Since 2017, PIF has established 94 companies. PIF is building a diversified portfolio by entering into attractive and long-term investment opportunities in 13 strategic sectors in Saudi Arabia and globally. PIF’s strategy, as set out in the PIF Program 2021-2025 – one of the Vision 2030 realization programs – aims to enable many promising sectors and contribute to increasing local content by creating partnerships with the private sector, in addition to injecting at least SAR150 billion annually into the local economy. PIF works to transfer technologies and localize knowledge to build a prosperous and sustainable economy domestically. As the investment arm of Saudi Arabia, PIF looks to make unique investments, and is building strategic alliances and partnerships with significant international institutions and organizations, which contribute to achieving real long-term value for Saudi Arabia, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030. PIF has also created an operational governance model that reflects its main tasks and objectives, in line with best international practices. Applying this model of governance enhances the level of transparency and effectiveness in decision-making and future progress.

More information about PIF can be found at: www.pif.gov.sa

Media Contact: media@pif.gov.sa

About Continental Tires: Founding Partner and Official Tyre Partner
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation.

The tyres business area has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tyre manufacturers with more than 56,000 employees and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research and development, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The portfolio of the tyres business area includes services for the tyre trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tyres.

About LuisaViaRoma: Official Fashion Partner
Defined by the Financial Times as “a haven for directional fashion,”LUISAVIAROMA.COM is the top online luxury fashion destination with 5,000,000 visitors per month and worldwide shipping. With each new season, the website presents the collections of more than 600 established designers and young emerging talents.

About ENOWA: Official Green Hydrogen Partner
ENOWA is a world-class energy and water company founded in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. ENOWA produces and delivers clean and sustainable resources for industrial and commercial applications using a smart and connected system designed to be circular and takes advantage of NEOM’s optimal solar and wind energy profile. ENOWA benefits from NEOM’s greenfield site, which has no legacy infrastructure, to advance Energy, Water and Hydrogen innovation. ENOWA will act as a catalyst and incubator for developing new, sustainable energy and water businesses while creating a robust economic sector regionally. Through its commitment to renewable energy and efficient water management, ENOWA seeks to become a global reference for industry leaders and setting a benchmark for sustainable circular economic systems around the world.

For more information, please visit: enowa.neom.com

About Vodafone Business: Official Technology Communications Partner
With expertise in connectivity, global scale and the leading IoT platform, Vodafone Business is a leading technology communications company helping organisations succeed in a digital world and keeping society connected. Vodafone’s purpose is to connect for a better future, enabling an inclusive and sustainable digital society, and many of its solutions have sustainability and inclusivity embedded.

Vodafone is a leading European and African telecoms company. We provide mobile and fixed services to over 330 million customers in 15 countries (excludes Italy which is held as a discontinued operation under Vodafone Group), partner with mobile networks in 45 more and have one of the world’s largest IoT platforms. In Africa, our financial technology businesses serve almost 79 million customers across seven countries – managing more transactions than any other provider.

This collaboration will see Vodafone Business leading innovations and capabilities such as 5G, MPN, IOT and MEC, integrated into Extreme E’s global operations and will include full involvement in the purpose- driven elements of the series, with special prominence on Extreme E’s Legacy Programmes and the Science Laboratory on board the St Helena. Through its IOT solutions, Vodafone Business is helping sustainability efforts, including agriculture, forestation and decarbonisation of energy grids.

Find out more on http://www.Vodafone.com/business and follow Vodafone on its social media channels:

Twitter: @VodafoneGroup
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/vodafone

About EY: Official Sustainability Partner
EY is a global leader in assurance, consulting, strategy, transactions and tax services, and already plays a significant role in working with Extreme E. Originally announcing its collaboration with the championship back in 2020, EY came on board to help Extreme E achieve its commitment to minimising its overall footprint whilst creating a positive legacy.

Whilst Extreme E strives ‘to race without a trace’, the framework provided by EY has helped the series to minimize its environmental impact across each of its remote race locations. Both prior and post-racing impact assessments have supported Extreme E to strategically plan their actions within these areas.

EY and Extreme E will work closely together to promote the five pillars of Extreme E (or “Five Es”) through the adoption of ‘XE Talks’. These informative presentations, facilitated by Extreme E’s Scientific Committee, will shed light on the Five Es, showcasing the joint commitment of EY and Extreme E.

About Symbio: Official Hydrogen Fuel Cell Provider
Symbio is a leading technology and industrial partner for sustainable mobility pioneers. A front-runner in zero-emission hydrogen mobility, Symbio combines industrial leadership, breakthrough innovation, and entrepreneurial agility to create tailor-made solutions and support its clients in the deployment of their clean mobility roadmaps. Symbio designs and manufactures a wide range of StackPacks (pre-integrated and pre-validated fuel cell systems) that meet all power, durability, and autonomy needs of on-road and off-road hydrogen mobility. 

In 2023, Symbio inaugurated SymphonHy, the largest integrated fuel cells Gigafactory in Europe, with a capacity of 50,000 fuel cell systems per year. The Group ambitions to manufacture 200,000 StackPacks annually by 2030 to accelerate the deployment of clean mobility that is respectful of both the environment and health.

An equally-owned joint venture between Forvia, Michelin, and Stellantis, Symbio combines 30 years’ experience, and has a track record of more than 8 million kilometers driven by its solutions. To learn more, visit www.symbio.one.

About Kaizen Clean Energy: Official Clean Energy Technology Provider
Kaizen Clean Energy (KCE), a manufacturer of hydrogen generators, is developing integrated solutions for electric vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen fuelling, and distributed power for the grid and critical assets.

KCE offers its mobile microgrid to customers through an Energy as a Service contract, which eliminates large capital expenses and provides customers with the flexibility to scale with energy needs over time.

Kaizen Clean Energy will support ENOWA – NEOM’s energy, water, and hydrogen subsidiary and Green Hydrogen Power Partner to Extreme E – in delivering a pioneering hydrogen microgrid solution to the championship.

Find out more on: www.kaizencleanenergy.com.

About ALLCOT: Official Environmental Contribution Partner
Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, ALLCOT works together with communities, organizations, and governments worldwide in climate actions, to accelerate the transition to Net Zero. ALLCOT develops Climate action through projects and solutions with triple impact: environmental, social, and economic; using four strategies:

Sustainability strategies: Innovative, comprehensive, and tailored solutions for businesses to reduce and compensate greenhouse gas emissions and measures the socio-economic co-benefits through the SDGs.

Project development and implementation: Implementation of carbon projects in developing countries, rooted in community engagement, environmental stewardship, and economic viability, driven by integrity, equity, and transparency.

Capacity building: Providing individuals and communities with practical skills and knowledge, possible to apply in their daily lives.

Advocacy: Creating systemic change to work closely with policymakers and stakeholders to promote sustainable policies and practices at the local, national, and international levels.

Find out more on: www.allcot.com

About Jackson Swiss Partners: Official Foreign Exchange Supplier

Jackson Swiss Partners, known for its lean, debt-free, and profitable business model, prioritises client protection and financial prudence above all else. With a steadfast commitment to avoiding speculative ventures and minimising risk exposure, Jackson Swiss Partners sets itself apart by offering bespoke FX hedging solutions akin to insurance policies rather than traditional trading strategies.