MURRIETA, CA —  POWER AUTOMEDIA’s Pony Wars muscle car rivalry show is back for another great season in 2019 under the Horsepower Wars banner and builds will be handled by the country’s leading performance shops including Vengeance Racing, Arrington Performance, and Power Automedia’s in-house shop.

Horsepower Wars – Pony Wars pits the most legendary automotive makes against one another in a no-holds-barred battle for supremacy. Testing takes place on the dyno, drag strip, autocross, and a braking challenge. For 2019, Pony Wars will feature a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro SS, new Dodge Challenger Scat Pack, and a 2019 Ford Mustang GT as the Big 3 lay it on the line on a level playing field in hopes of snagging supreme bragging rights. Each entry will be purpose-built for the competition and the builds will all be managed by leading performance entities.

Taking point on the 2019 Chevrolet Camaro SS entry, Vengeance Racing, a leader in late model GM performance builds, will unleash maximum horsepower without sacrificing drivability. “We have been following Horsepower Wars and enjoy the level of competition. Who wouldn’t want to participate in a GM vs Ford vs Mopar shootout?” said Ron Mowen, owner of Vengeance Racing. “I feel the Camaro has a solid chance at victory in almost every category of the competition.” With more than two decades of experience with the LS/LT platform, Vengeance Racing prides itself on having exceptional attention to detail, and that track record should ensure their Camaro will be a serious contender.

Handling the 2019 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack project will be Arrington Performance, the HEMI performance specialists, and the shop fully intends to put its Mopar platform at the front of the pack. “When the Challenger was left out of Pony Wars last year, Mopar owners were vocal in their disappointment and we wanted an opportunity to showcase the potential of the Challenger to a worldwide audience,” shared Mike Copeland, CEO of Arrington Performance. “I believe there is a perception that the Challenger is less capable than the others. We are coming to prove that wrong.” Arrington has been backing the Mopar brand since day one and brings the engineering, development, and experience expertise to compete.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled that we have two of the top builders in the country putting together the Camaro and Challenger. I have known Mike and Ron for over a decade, and you couldn’t find two more competitive people who are as dedicated to their craft. This is a huge win for Pony Wars and I have no doubt that both cars–and shops–will put on a great show,” added Scott Parker, Power Automedia’s Vice President of Content.

Finally, the FordNXT Magazine team will build the 2019 Ford Mustang GT in-house and prepare it for Pony Wars glory. The third entry in the bunch will be a collaboration of some of the industry’s leading minds and innovators, with consultants like Fred Cook at Evolution, Matt Kesatie, Steeda, and others as FordNXT steps up to raise the bar. “We’ve been racing Mustangs for years and our in-house teams at FordNXT and Ford Muscle wanted to take on the challenge,” explained Power Automedia President and CEO, James Lawrence, who is certain his team has the right skills. “We’ve been building Mustangs for 20 years, and are currently racing a turbo Mustang in X275. Our shop guys and I think we are as good as anyone out there. Plus, we built the 2017 Horsepower Wars Mustang which barely got edged out last time. I’m confident that we can help put this Mustang in the winner’s circle.”

Which manufacturer and shop will reign supreme? Will Ford finish first, will Mopar make monumental moves, or will Chevrolet conquer the challenge? Be sure to watch every episode of Horsepower Wars’ 2019 Pony Wars series to find out!

MURRIETA, CA —  POWER AUTOMEDIA is excited to announce the addition of Art Michalik as Editorial Director to Power Automedia’s staff. Michalik joined the team in early 2019, and brings with him a wealth of knowledge that will benefit Power Automedia’s readers and magazines.

An avid car enthusiast, Michalik raced in the SCCA Formula Vee series in his early days and translated his passion into a professional career. He graduated from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York, with a degree in Journalism. Early in his career, Michalik worked as Director of Client Services for Stewart Holt Advertising and was involved in managing many premium automotive brands including Brembo, Toyota Racing Development, PowerTrax, K&N, and others. Michalik’s time there gave him a unique insight into how products go to market.

Later, Michalik worked at both Yokohama and Bridgestone in a marketing capacity, served as the General Manager of the Skip Barber Racing School at the legendary Laguna Seca road course in California, and also was employed as a Senior Marketing Manager at eBay Motors. He also has a longstanding history of producing top-quality editorial content, as he has written for multiple publications, manufacturers, and national dealerships.

“Art is eager to share his knowledge, and is a wellspring of content ideas. His influence on TURNology is already apparent, and I am excited to see his effect on other magazines at Power Automedia,” stated Scott Parker, Vice President of Content at Power Automedia. “Art will be a key driver in the growth and success of the editorial department in 2019 and beyond.”

“I’m very excited to be a part of this team,” said Michalik. “I believe there’s always a way that things can be improved, and I’m looking forward to helping elevate Power Automedia’s publications while developing creative new ideas.”

Blending his various experiences into one cohesive role ensures that Michalik will be fit into the Power Automedia culture. His focus on best practices for online content and advertising relations, along with his innate drive towards continuous innovation, ensure a higher standard will not only be set, but achieved, for Power Automedia and its family of cutting-edge motorsports content-focused brands.

MURRIETA, CA —  POWER AUTOMEDIA’s $10K Drag Shootout from Horsepower Wars has officially opened the team application process for the second season of its popular build-off and some exciting changes have been introduced to the event and rules to ensure the most epic event ever.

Horsepower Wars’ intense $10K Drag Shootout challenge pits teams against one another with the goal of building the baddest, fastest, most capable drag car possible in just ten days with a budget of only $10,000 thanks to support from generous sponsors including Comp Cams, Summit Racing, K&N Engineering, E3 Spark Plugs, and others. Open to any and all teams who wish to apply through the online process, the $10K Drag Shootout 2 is truly a feat of fabrication, a test of tuning skill, and most certainly a war of attrition.

Each team selected will be given $3,000 cash and $7,000 in Summit Racing gift cards to purchase needed parts and components, although teams can earn opportunities to win bonus parts or incur penalties through various challenges during the duration.

The official build has been set for May 8-18, 2019, in Riverside, California. Preliminary rules for the 2019 event have been drafted, the stage has been set for another cutthroat competition, and teams have been put on notice to start planning their battle strategies.

New this year are several changes designed to make the competition more thrilling, both for participants and for spectators alike. Most notably and due to popular demand, the $10K Drag Shootout will move to an eighth-mile format and will compete at No Mercy 10 in Valdosta, Georgia in October.

As for performance-based rule changes, teams will be allowed to use E85 as a fuel and are no longer limited to running just race gas. Dual power adders, however, have been outlawed and teams will be forced to choose one only for their builds to encourage more creative thinking. Overall, the rules have been tightened up to increase competitiveness and creativity.

Participating teams may not modify their combinations after completing their builds and there will be no changing of setups after the build. Specs and details of each build, too, will be readily available as all parts requests will be public and a protest period will be in effect. Wideband O2 sensors will be permitted for logging purposes, and qualifying has been extended to a generous six rounds. In 2019, a supplementary repair budget allocation of $1,500 per team has been set that will be strictly limited to repairs only and dispensed on a need-to-use basis.

“We made a concerted effort last year to take in all the feedback we had from the competitors since day one, some of the viewers too, and then combined that with some of the internal feedback during and after the $10K Drag Shootout,” shared Horsepower Wars’ Scott Parker of the changes, which culminated in improvements to the rules, the timeline, and even the application process. “I think we had a great starting point with the rules, and this was just a matter of adjusting to make the competition more fair, fun to watch, and relatable. Even with years of experience on rules committees between us, some things you simply have to learn from experience – and that is what we continue to do.”

The competition will be contested during Duck X Productions’ No Mercy 10 race at South Georgia Motorsports Park in October. After the conclusion of the highly-anticipated drag race grand finale, the winning team and their vehicle will be awarded a well-deserved $10,000 cash prize, their car, and undeniable, irrefutable bragging rights.

“We are looking for the top builders in the country to build the fastest drag car possible in 10 days with $10,000,” continued Parker of the amazing opportunity to be a part of something truly monumental. “Between the build timeline and the lack of testing leading up to the race, these guys have just a short window of time to get the car dialed in. One tiny detail can be disastrous. But for the team that puts it all together, there is no greater feeling.”

Teams who are interested in testing their luck (and skill) in this unique competition are invited to apply online (https://goo.gl/MYMGhm) starting on January 24. The application will remain open until the deadline on February 21, 2019. Team applications must be completely and properly filled out, and applying teams also must produce a video and a photo set prior to the deadline.

Whether you own a shop, are part of a group of racers from the same town, or are an individual that loves to wrench and race, Horsepower Wars invites you to apply to the 2019 $10K Drag Shootout.

MURRIETA, CA —  POWER AUTOMEDIA’s wildly popular Horsepower Wars series has announced a two-year partnership with Summit Racing, and Summit Racing has also been named as the Official Retail Partner of Horsepower Wars.

An innovative show series developed by Power Automedia, Horsepower Wars debuted in 2018 and quickly gained both a global audience and the respect of enthusiasts everywhere. The show pits rival teams against one another with dramatic competitions, on the dyno, at the drag strip, or at the road course, and is poised for an even wilder second season as 2019 kicks off.

In the inaugural season, Horsepower Wars was made possible with support from viewers and great sponsors, and Summit Racing was a big part of making it happen! Summit Racing’s assistance enabled participating teams to get what they needed, fast, and Summit was a critical element to each build.

It was thanks to Summit Racing’s extensive parts availability and overnight shipping that made the Horsepower Wars $10K Drag Shootout a reality. Now, Summit Racing has proudly been locked in as a major part of Horsepower Wars’ future. For 2019 and beyond, Summit Racing will provide gift cards and product support for both Horsepower Wars’ popular $10K Drag Shootout and Junkyard Truck Challenge events.

“Horsepower Wars epitomizes the spirit of racers, hot-rodders, and performance enthusiasts everywhere,” said Al Noe, Summit Racing’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Our company is thrilled to be part of Season 2, which promises to be even bigger, better, and faster than the first.”

“Summit understands that for their customers, even the smallest items often are needed right away,” said James Lawrence, Power Automedia CEO. “With the unique competitions of Horsepower Wars, Summit is such a natural fit because of their ability to ship products the same day, with their inventory and warehouse locations. They can get parts overnight or within 2-days to almost anywhere.”

Season 2 of Horsepower Wars is shaping up to be even more exciting than ever before thanks to Summit Racing’s contribution in making sure racers and competitors have all the parts and components they need. Season 2 kicks off with production in March 2019, and you can watch it all unfold at HorsepowerWars.com

By: Ainsley Jacobs

MURRIETA, CA —  POWER AUTOMEDIA’s SpeedVideo has announced its official schedule for the 2019 drag racing season, and the year promises to be the most exciting one yet. With access to great championship series including PDRA, NMCA, and NMRA as well as standalone-style shootout races such as the World Cup Finals, No Mercy and Lights Out, World Series of Pro Mod, FL2K, and more, SpeedVideo is set to provide killer HD coverage of more than thirty of the most influential drag races of the year.

Renewing its commitment for live coverage of the PDRA, NMCA, and NMRA seasons for 2019, SpeedVideo will be on-site at each race to provide top-quality online access to all the action as it unfolds. Additionally, SpeedVideo will also return to stream live feeds of great events including the World Cup Finals, Snowbird Outlaw Nationals, Outlaw Armageddon, and the US Street Nationals. Coverage of FL2K will be new for 2019, and a multi-year agreement has been put into place for continued live broadcasting of the No Mercy, Lights Out, and World Series of Pro Mod events.

“In 2018, we had our largest broadcasts to date in terms of views and minutes watched. Now, 2019 is all about giving viewers more exciting racing than ever and making this our most watched year yet. We’ve added races never before seen on SpeedVideo to the schedule and continued our partnerships with the most respected series and independent promoters in the country,” said Tom Bobolts, SpeedVideo General Manager.

SpeedVideo’s dedication to delivering drag racing direct to fans is only made possible through partnerships with the baddest events on the planet. “No Mercy 9 was our first time working with SpeedVideo, and the crew delivered a professional live stream feed which we hadn’t had before,” shared Donald Long of Duck X Productions. “We’ll be working directly with SpeedVideo to cover all three of our events at South Georgia Motorsports Park for 2019 and beyond – Lights Out X, the Sweet Sixteen 2, and No Mercy X – and we can’t wait to get the party started.”

“It seems only fitting that the ‘Biggest, Richest Pro Mod Drag Race in the History of the Known Universe’ be available to the masses by way of the industry’s leading live streaming service – SpeedVideo,” added Wes Buck, founder of the $100,000-to-win Pro Mod shootout in Colorado.

With a projected reach of more than 14 million plays over the course of the year, and more than 100 million minutes broadcast live to fans all around the world, SpeedVideo remains the number one choice for racers and enthusiasts who want to watch the best drag racing action online as it happens. For those who can’t catch the events as they occur, all live-streamed video is also available on demand any time at SpeedVideo.com.

By: Ainsley Jacobs

MURRIETA, CA —  HORSEPOWER WARS and K&N have joined forces, with K&N being named the Official Filtration Partner of the popular automotive show series. In addition, K&N will become the title sponsor of the Horsepower Wars Truck/Junkyard Challenge Competition.

Launched in 2018, Horsepower Wars quickly developed a cult following, featuring fierce competitions between rivals on the dyno, at the dragstrip, or at the road course. Horsepower Wars drew more than 3 million views in its first season. Now, Horsepower Wars is stepping up to a whole new level of awesome for 2019 with K&N proudly on board as a premier sponsor. K&N shall be featured in all three Horsepower Wars show series for 2019.

The K&N brand has been a longtime favorite of street performance drivers and hardcore racers alike. The company’s performance air intake systems and filtration elements are known to offer superior performance and are trusted by countless enthusiasts around the globe to enhance their vehicles.

“K&N is excited to partner with Power Automedia in 2019 as a premier sponsor of Horsepower Wars,” said Phil Swire, Chief Marketing Officer at K&N Engineering. “Since 1969, we’ve been dedicated to spearheading innovative, top-of-the-line filtration technology—for high-powered vehicles in demanding competitions like Horsepower Wars, as well as for daily drivers.”

“We are proud to partner with a market leader like K&N,” added Scott Parker, Horsepower Wars. “Having a competition that takes place on dirt where proper air filtration is essential, like the Truck Challenge, makes K&N a natural fit as the title sponsor. The other series can also benefit from top performing induction and filtration options, just as K&N’s customers have for decades. Horsepower Wars first season was bigger than we expected, and with K&N’s support, Season 2 is shaping up to showcase some amazing competitors and competitions!”

Together, Power Automedia and K&N are building something special. Horsepower Wars fans and viewers can expect an even bigger, more exciting 2019 as Season 2 is slated to deliver special content, also including Pony Wars: Mustang vs. Camaro vs. Challenger and the innovative $10K Drag Shootout, and more! Season 2 content kicks off in March 2019.

MURRIETA, CA —  POWER AUTOMEDIA has added two respected members to its team, as Lloyd Hunt has returned as National Sales Manager and Jeff Jacques has been hired as the company’s Business Development Director.  Known for top-notch content and quality, Power Automedia is expanding the business development team with equally high-level talent.

Hunt’s career at Power Automedia began in 2007 when he was hired on as Publisher where he interacted with clients to help build powerful digital marketing strategies that delivered results through branding, content, and social media. Now, in a new role as National Sales Manager, Hunt will help lead all business relationships at Power Automedia with vision, dedication, and energy.

“I’m happy to come back to my home at Power Automedia where I started nearly 11 years ago. Having the opportunity to spread my wings outside the company really gave me a powerful insight into what manufacturers need beyond what marketers and publishers would traditionally think,” shared Hunt. “I’ll be able to better help our partners and I’m excited for the opportunity.”

 

Similarly, Jacques also brings a wealth of knowledge with him as the experienced media professional has a solid background in sales and account management. “With Power Automedia, I found a group of people who appreciated the automobile as much as I did. I have seen their dedication to helping their clients, and am thrilled to be part of that process,” added Jacques.

 

“We are excited to have Lloyd and Jeff on the Power Automedia team. Lloyd’s leadership will only strengthen our client relationships, and Jeff is a very solid and experienced media expert,” said Power Automedia CEO, James Lawrence.

MURRIETA, CA —  Power Automedia’s all-original show Horsepower Wars debuted in 2018, to rave reviews, millions of viewers, and a season of action-packed competitions and storylines. Horsepower Wars returns in 2019 even bigger.

Horsepower Wars shows feature a series of competitions between automotive shops, engine builders, racers, and tuners. Each show series consists of a shootout where viewers get to witness the entire build process and competition… culminating in one winner.

In 2019 – there will be three Horsepower Wars series:

• • $10K Drag Race Shootout “2” – The wildly popular reality show returns – where four teams compete with $10,000 to build a drag car in only 10 days. After the builds, they have to square off in a heads-up drag race, where one winner will stand alone at the end on the biggest stage!

• Pony Wars 2019 – The popular Mustang vs. Camaro show returns, with the addition of a new Dodge Challenger – adding a Mopar to the mix! This year’s show has new twists and turns, and millions will be watching to see if the Dodge or Mustang can wrestle the crown from the 6th Gen Chevy…

• Junkyard Challenge – An all-new series debuts in 2019, where teams fiercely compete in multiple driving competitions using affordable trucks that they build using creativity and ingenuity. The teams will do battle in a variety of racing competitions, from offroad, dirt track, tug of war, and more!

“Horsepower Wars was an amazing new launch for us in 2018, and we reached more than 3 million viewers,” explained James Lawrence, Power Automedia CEO. “The competitors were amazing, the sponsors helped make it possible, and we can’t wait for 2019 to start. You’re going to have to see it for yourself. We can’t wait to start unveiling some of our plans, new sponsors, and challenges. I’m really proud of our production team’s work on this, and next year is just going to be really fun.”

Horsepower Wars’ Season 2 kicks off in March 2019 with filming for Pony Wars 2019. Sign up to receive show information, news, and updates at HorsepowerWars.com.