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Kurt Busch to participate in Race of Champions: American NASCAR superstar Kurt Busch has accepted the invitation to participate in the 2014 Race Of Champions, to be held at the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados on December 13-14. Busch has been a major force in America's most popular racing series ever since he became the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion in 2004, the first year the 10-race Chase for the title was introduced. He has now amassed 25 top flight wins, including victory at this year's STP 500 at the Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. In 2014 Busch also became only the fourth driver in motor sport history to attempt a very special double-header. On the same day in May, he raced both in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 at North Carolina's Charlotte Motor Speedway and the world-famous Indianapolis 500. His run to 6th place on his debut at the IndyCar classic earned him the prestigious Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award. That mix of ability will now certainly serve Busch well as he bids for even more glory at his Race Of Champions debut in December. Busch will also have the honour of racing for his home country as he partners this year's Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay for Team USA in the ROC Nations Cup. Busch and Hunter-Reay were team-mates in this year's Indianapolis 500, both piloting cars for Andretti Autosport. Team USA last won the ROC Nations Cup title in 2002 with a NASCAR-heavy team of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Colin Edwards. This year Busch and Hunter-Reay will be part of a ROC line-up featuring stars from all over the world: nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen, Formula 1's Romain Grosjean (the reigning ROC Champion of Champions) and Susie Wolff (Williams development driver), Australian V8 Supercar legend Jamie Whincup and 2014 FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg are already confirmed. The rest of the ROC 2014 field will be announced in the run-up to December's event.(Race of Champions)(10-22-2014)

NASCAR, AMP Group USA partner on indoor karting facility: Retail conglomerate and property developer, AMP Group USA, announced a partnership with NASCAR to form I-DRIVE NASCAR, a new indoor high performance kart racing facility set to open in Orlando on December 19. The family-friendly entertainment complex located at 5228 Vanguard Street will feature kart racing, a bowling alley, gaming arcade, dine-in restaurant and corporate meeting space. The I-DRIVE NASCAR logo was unveiled on October 21 at the 65,000-square-foot facility as part of a special event featuring the two Central Florida-based companies and Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer. The new business is part of AMP Group's ongoing efforts to revitalize the north end of International Drive and will create approximately 150 jobs. The I-DRIVE NASCAR facility will feature a half-mile indoor track and environmentally friendly electric karts, powered by Sodikarts and capable of safely reaching speeds up to 45 miles per hour. Individual racing experiences will begin at $22. I-DRIVE NASCAR will have entertainment options for the entire family. AMP Group plans to build the blueprint for I-DRIVE NASCAR in Orlando before expanding to other U.S. markets and internationally to Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.(NASCAR)(10-22-2014)