MEDIA CENTER
[Long Beach, CA; April 17, 2026]
Society of Professional Motorsports Journalists Announces 2026 Russo-Marvel Founders Award Recipient
Award to be presented at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Carb Day, May 22, 2026
The Society of Professional Motorsports Journalists is proud to announce Paul Pfanner as the 2026 recipient of the Russo-Marvel Founders Award — presented annually to individuals who embody the passion, dedication, and commitment to auto racing that defined founders Bob Russo and Bill Marvel.
The announcement is being made during the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend — the first running of the event without Jim Michaelian, who gave fifty-one years of his life to building what became America’s premier street race. Pfanner has chosen to dedicate the award to Michaelian and the extraordinary team he built at the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach.
“Jim Michaelian was the living embodiment of what this award recognizes. He committed his life to this event, to this sport, and to the journalists and media who covered it. He always understood that the media and the race are partners — that the journalists, photographers, broadcasters, and publishers who show up year after year are not just covering the sport, they are part of what makes it worthy of the audience’s devotion. Without them, the sport loses its legitimacy and its future. Jim understood that. He treated us that way. Every year. For fifty-one years. Long Beach is where RACER was born, where my journey inside this sport found its fullest expression, and where I feel Jim’s presence most deeply. Dedicating this award to him and his team is the only thing that feels right.”
— Paul Pfanner
The award will be formally presented by SPMJ Board President and 2012 Russo-Marvel recipient Paul Page on Friday, May 22, 2026 — Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Paul Pfanner’s connection to Long Beach began before most people knew the city had anything to do with motorsport. When Jim Clark won the 1965 Indianapolis 500 in the Lotus 38 Ford — the first rear-engined car to win at Indianapolis — Pfanner watched it live on closed circuit television inside the Long Beach Arena with his father, Ron Pfanner. He was already a devoted racing fan. That afternoon sealed it. From that moment, Long Beach and motorsport were inseparable parts of who he was and what he dreamed of.
Ten years later, he was present for the inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix weekend in 1975. He has not missed one since.
In 1971, Pfanner found his way inside the sport itself — forging credentials to enter the pits, paddock, and press tower at Ontario Motor Speedway for the Questor Grand Prix. He has found a way to stay inside ever since.
Over the five decades that followed, Pfanner built one of the most enduring bodies of work in American motorsport media — spanning more than a thousand issues across titles including FORMULA, SportsCar, and RACER magazine, which he co-founded in 1992. RACER became the most influential omni-channel motorsport media and marketing platform in North America, with Long Beach as its spiritual home from the very first issue. RACER.com followed in 1997. Under his leadership, Racer Media & Marketing launched multiple digital platforms and provided brand strategy and marketing counsel for the world’s leading automotive and motorsport organizations — including producing the global debut video series for the Tesla Model S in 2009. He sold a majority stake in Racer Communications to Haymarket Media in 2001 and reacquired the RACER brand in 2012 with partners Rob and Chris Dyson.
Following his departure from RACER at the end of 2025, Pfanner has returned his focus to Pfanner Communications and its advisory platform, Pfanner Advantage — strategic counsel for founders, boards, and leadership teams navigating consequential change at the intersection of mobility, motorsport, media, and technology. He is an SCCA Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the Woolf Barnato Award.
Throughout his career, Pfanner has been a consistent advocate for the role of independent journalism in motorsport — arguing that the men and women who cover the sport with integrity and authority are essential to its legitimacy, its growth, and its relationship with the audience that sustains it. That conviction has shaped everything he built.
The Russo-Marvel Founders Award is voted on by past recipients — meaning the journalists, commentators, drivers, and industry figures who have given their lives to this sport have chosen to honor Paul Pfanner with the highest recognition their community bestows.
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The award will be presented on Carb Day, Friday, May 22, 2026, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Time and location to be confirmed.
Past recipients include Paul Page, Mario Andretti, Marshall Pruett, Chris Economaki, Shav Glick, Donald Davidson, and Betty Rutherford.
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About the Society of Professional Motorsports Journalists (SPMJ)
The Society of Professional Motorsports Journalists honors the passion, dedication, and commitment of the men and women who serve auto racing — as journalists, commentators, and contributors to the sport’s culture and legacy. The Russo-Marvel Founders Award is the organization’s highest recognition, voted on annually by past recipients. For more information, visit www.motorsportsjournalists.org.
[INDIANAPOLIS, IN; March 31, 2026]
SPMJ Opens Submissions For Annual Awards
Winners in three classes to receive $500 each
The Society of Professional Motorsports Journalists (SPMJ) is accepting nominations for their annual Media Award Competition. The contest is sponsored by Carl Haas Auto. This is in recognition of the late multi-series championship team owner and entrepreneur last year being inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
This year's competition will award winners in three categories:
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Writer - Articles written in motorsports and published for public consumption
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Photographs - Proof of when and where taken
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On-Air - For on-air journalists. Submissions must be received no later than Friday, May 1st.
Prizes for each category will be $500 to the winners.
In order to enter the competition, you must be a member of SPMJ in good standing. A maximum of two submissions per category of your work can be submitted, covering the period of January 1st through December 31st, 2025.
For more information, check out https://www.motorsportsjournalists.org/media-awards and for any questions, please email Terri Russo-Freeman at stephora@aol.com.
About Carl Haas Automobile Imports
Carl Haas started his parts business in 1960, filling a need for quality race cars and parts in the rapidly growing professional and amateur racing industry. Since the very beginning the companyʼs goal has been to deliver nothing but the best for its customers. Haas introduced a revolutionary program called the Haas FAS-PAC service, which guaranteed delivery of parts in less than 24 hours anywhere in the United States long before any of the express delivery companies were in operation. Haas also did the unheard of and started taking used race cars as trade-ins on new cars. These two programs helped the racing industry grow immensely in the ʻ60s and ʻ70s. Carl Haas Automobile Imports still strives to deliver the same quality parts and service, be it a single part for a club racer or a complete trackside parts program for an entire series. For more information see haasauto.com.
About the Society of Professional Motorsports Journalists (SPMJ)
Founded in 2024 by industry veterans Paul Page and Michael Knight, the Society of Professional Motorsports Journalists (SPMJ) serves as the leading voice for media professionals across all racing disciplines. Built on the professional standards first established by AARWBA in 1955, SPMJ is dedicated to uniting journalists, fostering industry relationships, and providing resources for professional growth. Through mentorship, verified credentials, and the recognition of excellence, the organization empowers a community of storytellers committed to bringing the world of motorsports to life. For more information, visit www.motorsportsjournalists.org.
May 23, 2025
Mike Harris Honored with Russo–Marvel Award for Contributions to Motorsports Journalism
Mike Harris, a longtime award-winning journalist for the Associated Press, has been named the recipient of the prestigious Russo–Marvel Award. The award recognizes individuals who exemplify the passion, dedication, and commitment to auto racing demonstrated by its namesakes, Bob Russo and Bill Marvel.
Originally established by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA), the Russo–Marvel Award is now presented by the Society of Professional Motorsports Journalists (SPMJ). This year’s announcement was made by SPMJ President Paul Page in the Dex Imaging Media Center at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, just two days before the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Harris covered motorsports for the Associated Press from 1980 until his retirement in 2009. He began his journalism career at the Rockford Morning Star and Register in Illinois before joining the Associated Press in 1969. Initially serving as the Indiana Sports Editor covering a wide range of sports, Harris eventually discovered his deep passion for motorsports, which would define the remainder of his career.
Known for his fairness, accuracy, and enduring love of auto racing, Harris was not only a respected writer but also a beloved member of the motorsports community. The Russo–Marvel Award is determined by a vote of its past recipients, further underscoring the respect Harris commands among his peers.
2005 – Michael Knight
2006 – Wally Parks
2007 – Chris Economaki
2008 – Bob Jenkins
2009 – Shav Glick
2010 – Bill York
2011 – Bill Marvel
2012 – Paul Page
2013 – Hulman-George & France Families
2014 – Donald Davidson
2015 – Dick Jordan
2016 – Dan Luginbuhl
2017 – Holly Cain
2018 – Dr. Jerry Punch
2019 – Betty Rutherford
2020 – (Award not presented)
2021 – Mario Andretti
2022 – Kevin Diamond
2023 – Ron McQueeney
2024 – Marshall Pruett
2025 – Mike Harris
May 23, 2025
Pat Caporali Wins 2025 Jim Chapman Award for Excellence in Motorsports PR
INDIANAPOLIS -- Pat Caporali, the lead communications representative for Firestone in the NTT IndyCar and Indy NXT series, Friday was announced as winner of the 2025 Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports public relations.
The Chapman Award is considered by many in the industry as the highest honor in racing public relations. It is named in memory of Chapman, the legendary PR executive and innovator, who worked with Babe Ruth and was named Indy Car racing’s “most influential man” of the 1980s. Chapman died in October 1996 at age 80.
The announcement was made two days before the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Dex Imaging Media Center by Michael Knight, chairman of the selection committee, and one of Chapman’s closest friends. The award is determined by a vote of national media members and is authorized by the Chapman family. PR representatives from all forms of motorsports are eligible for consideration.
For the first time, the award was presented in association with the Society of Professional Motorsports Journalists (MotorsportsJournalists.org). The new media organization was founded less than a year ago by Hall of Fame broadcaster Paul Page, serving as president, and Knight, a founding director.
"Pat's respectful engagement with the media would have earned Mr. Chapman's approval," said Knight, the inaugural Chapman Award recipient in 1991 and now award rights-holder and non-voting chairman. "Jim would have admired how Pat has built new working relationships and maintained those of long standing, providing the media with useful information and behind-the-scenes details, for the benefit of Firestone and others during her career.
“Jim set the ultimate standard of professionalism, which forever elevated PR and media relations. His word and handshake were his bond. He only did things one way: First class. Most importantly, he knew that solid professional relationships with journalists was important in good times and essential in bad times.
"Jim was a true ‘people person’ and understood that nothing could replace a handshake, a face-to-face conversation, a shared meal, or the sound of another person’s voice. Congratulations to Pat for being recognized by the media panel for her work in the spirit and tradition of Mr. Chapman. "
The Chapman Award has three major purposes: 1. To honor Chapman's unmatched legacy; 2. To recognize current PR practitioners who work to Chapman's standard and in his spirit; 3. To provide learning and inspiration for newer and future PR representatives.
Caporali began her career as a radio and TV reporter in Montreal, covering racing, NHL, MLB and other sports for a decade. She transitioned into motorsports communications for several Indy Car teams and, later, in NHRA drag racing with an OEM. She also worked in communications for the IndyCar series for a number of years. Caporali has represented Firestone for the past three seasons.
Knight said Chapman's example and the award are more important than ever because "if still with us, Jim certainly would speak out about the highly impersonal way PR is now done by too many, who think E-mail and social media messages equal relationship-building. Jim not only knew journalists, he knew them as people, and knew their families, because he made the effort to reach-out to them."
Established in 1991 by media and publicists within the CART series, the Chapman Award originally focused on achievement in CART. After a hiatus of several years, the award was resumed in 2004, with eligibility expanded to anyone working in racing PR.
Chapman, who was born in Macon, Georgia, started as sports editor or managing editor of several Southern newspapers before joining the New York Times. He entered the PR business in 1946, as regional PR director for Ford Motor Co. in Detroit.
Soon thereafter, Chapman hired Ruth as ambassador for the automaker’s sponsorship of American Legion Junior Baseball. They traveled together for more than two years for personal appearances and became close friends. Chapman was one of a few at Ruth’s bedside when he died in August 1948 and then officially announced Ruth’s death to the press corps that had maintained an around-the-clock vigil at New York’s Memorial Hospital.
Chapman kept with him a money clip with a pockmarked silver dollar that Ruth used to carry during games for good luck. Chapman said Ruth had used the coin for target practice. He proudly showcased several photos of Ruth in his office. One was inscribed: "To a pal that is a pal." Chapman also displayed a framed letter, written on Ruth's personal stationery from Memorial Hospital, dated July 13, 1948, inviting him to the July 26 premier of the film, The Babe Ruth Story. That letter read, in part, "That evening would not be complete without your being my guest. To you, Jimmy, I say you must be with me that evening."
In 1950, Chapman left Ford to start his own PR firm in the Detroit area. One of his first clients was Avis founder Warren Avis. Chapman devoted much of his time to financial PR, which he once called his “favorite form of PR,” and helped companies get recognition among analysts and even gain admission to the New York and American stock exchanges.
Chapman’s first venture into motorsports was in 1951, when he joined with NASCAR founder Bill France to promote the Motor City 250. The race was part of Detroit’s 250th birthday celebration, a Chapman client. In 1967, Chapman entered Indy Car racing with client Ozzie Olson’s Olsonite sponsorship of Dan Gurney’s team, which later featured Bobby Unser as driver.
“Jim was one of the most innovative and imaginative PR men ever to grace a pit lane,” said Gurney, the American racing great who died in 2018. “Jim practically invented most of what is now considered routine sponsor PR work. He was the first, as far as I know, who thought of putting up a sponsor hospitality tent alongside a racetrack (at the old Riverside International Raceway), filling it with extravagant race car ice-sculptures, beautiful food and beautiful people from the business, sports and movie industries. He started an ‘open house’ tradition in Ozzie’s hotel suite in Indianapolis, where journalists could rub shoulders with John Wayne or (astronaut) Scott Carpenter.”
Chapman also directed Olsonite’s sponsorship of the Driver of the Year award. He orchestrated all the details, including the media panel voting, and an annual luncheon at New York City’s legendary ‘21’ Club. That gathering was considered so prestigious it was routinely attended by leaders of all the major U.S. sanctioning organizations regardless of what series the Driver of the Year competed in.
Chapman’s greatest professional acclaim came from 1981-1992, as director of PPG Industries’ CART series sponsorship. Chapman was instrumental in raising PPG’s prize fund from $250,000 to more than $3.75 million at the time of his retirement in February 1993. The all-female PPG Pace Car Driving Team was another Chapman innovation, as were the PPG Editors’ Days, when he brought business and feature writers to the tracks for lunch, pace car rides, and driver interviews.
In 1982, Chapman negotiated a landmark sponsorship for PPG with then- IMS President Joe Cloutier, which formally made the Indy 500 a points-paying event in the PPG Indy Car World Series. Chapman famously wrote key details of their agreement on a matchbook cover during a late-night dinner with Cloutier. The deal made PPG the largest corporate contributor to the Indy 500 prize fund and continued through the 1995 season.
“That was one of the most satisfying moments of my career,” Chapman recalled. “Roger Penske (whose team has won a record 19 Indy 500s and who now also owns IMS), among others, told me it was the best thing that had ever happened to CART.” In later years Chapman arranged for PPG, in addition to its major contribution to the race's prize fund, to become sponsor of the $100,000 Indy 500 pole award and to pay a special $200,000 winner’s bonus in the early runnings of NASCAR’s Brickyard 400.
In its obituary, the New York Times wrote that Chapman "served as a father confessor to many top racing drivers." Two-time Indy 500 winner and PPG Cup champion Al Unser Jr. said on behalf of his fellow drivers, "With Jim, when he says ‘jump,’ we just ask ‘how high? And we do it right then.”
Indy Car Racing magazine named Chapman the sport’s “most influential” man of the 1980s, saying he turned “a public relations assignment into an art form.” After his retirement, Chapman continued to advise PPG, and agreed to Mario Andretti’s personal request that he serve as honorary chairman of Andretti’s “Arrivederci, Mario” farewell tour in 1994.
Chapman's professional achievements earned him vast recognition. The mayors of Detroit and Long Beach, Calif., presented him proclamations and the key to each city. In 1993, Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh named him Sagamore of the Wabash, the state's highest honor. He served as president and/or director of more than 30 Michigan and Detroit-area civic and charitable organizations. Chapman became active in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and represented the Detroit Urban League and United Negro College Fund in several controversial situations. He admitted to shedding "buckets of tears of joy" when Willy T. Ribbs became the first African-American driver to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1991.
Beforehand, Knight remembered two JCA winners and two voters who died since the last presentation: 2011 honoree Bill York, 2014 recipient Jon Edwards, and media panelists Larry Henry and Al Pearce.
The permanent Jim Chapman Award is cast in bronze and features a classic photo of Jim wearing his favorite navy blue double-breasted blazer and the names of all the award recipients. The raised text under Jim’s photo reads:
“James P. Chapman (1916-1996). A great man who deeply cared about country and church; family and friends. A legend in the public relations industry who set the ultimate standard of professionalism and excellence. A superstar who superstars like Babe Ruth wanted at their side. A pioneer in motorsports PR who practically invented most of what is now considered routine. A true 'People Person' who knew a mutually-respectful relationship with journalists was important in good times and essential in bad times. A mentor kind enough to help others achieve success. A gentleman who understood nothing could replace the sound of the human voice, a handshake, a face-to-face meeting, a shared meal, a hand-written note of thanks.
“All who ever have, do, or will work in public relations stand on Mr. Chapman's shoulders.
“The true honor of the Jim Chapman Award is not a plaque. The true honor is having one's name forever associated with that of the great James P. Chapman. A committee of journalists adjudged those named here worthy of this high honor.”
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1991 – Michael Knight
1992 – Tom Blattler
1993-94 – Deke Houlgate and Hank Ives
1995 – Kathi Lauterbach
1996 – Marc Spiegel
1997 – Mike Zizzo
1998 – Tamy Valkosky
1999 -- Carol Wilkins
2000-2003 – (Award not presented)
2004 – Doug Stokes
2005 – Susan Arnold
2006 – Kevin Kennedy
2007 – Dave Densmore and Bob Carlson
2008 – Judy Stropus
2009 – (Award not presented)
2010 -- Jim Hunter
2011 -- Bill York
2012 -- Judy Kouba Dominick and Nancy Wager
2013 -- Anne Fornoro
2014 -- Jon Edwards and Elon Werner
2015 -- Linda Vaughn (honorary)
2015 -- David Ferroni
2016 -- T.E. McHale and Dan Layton
2017 -- Andy Hall
2018 -- Dick Jordan
2019 -- Dan Zacharias
2020 -- (Award not presented)
2021 -- Owen A. Kearns
2022 -- Amy Walsh Stock and Steve H. Shunck
2023 -- (Award not presented)
2024 -- Suzi Elliott
2025 -- Pat Caporali
CONTACT: Michael Knight
602-315-3900 (mobile) or 480-661-5240 (office)
E-mail: SpinDoctor500@aol.com . X: @SpinDoctor500
April 26, 2025
SPMJ Announces Journalism Contests Honoring Racing Legend Carl Haas
SPMJ professional members will have a chance to win prize money in our first journalism contest later this year, offered in memory of one of the winningest team owners in racing history.
First place in each category will include a $200 award. That will be in the name of the late Carl Haas, who was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America last month.
Full contest details will be announced later.
The written tribute in the MSHF's ceremony yearbook aptly stated: "Few have enjoyed careers in motor racing as expansive as Carl Haas': Team owner, race promoter, racing car and parts salesman and longtime chairman of the SCCA's Board."
Haas and Paul Newman co-owned Newman/Haas Racing, eight-time champions in the CART and Champ Car series between 1984-2007. Mario and Michael Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Cristiano da Matta and Sebastien Bourdais were the team's titlists. Paul Tracy and Christian Fittipaldi added to Newman/Haas Racing's total of more than 100 Indy Car victories.
Haas was a winning SCCA amateur racer in the 1950s and into the 1960s before focusing on business. He fielded cars in the U.S. Road Racing Championship, Can-Am, Super Vee, Formula 5000, Formula One, NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series. His driver lineup included Jackie Stewart, Brian Redman, Alan Jones, Jacky Ickx, Masten Gregory and Patrick Tambay, among others. In Can-Am and F5000 Haas' entries won almost 40 times with seven consecutive championships.
Success attracted such blue-chip team sponsors as Budweiser, Beatrice, Citicorp, Texaco, L&M and McDonald's.
Carl Haas Auto was America's largest seller of racing cars and components, top brands such as Lola chassis and Hewland gearboxes. Haas served the sport in numerous other capacities: Chairman of the SCCA Board of Directors plus CART and Road America director and promoter at the legendary Milwaukee Mile and Houston street event.
Haas died in 2016 at age 87.