IHRA Just Sold
 

Just got the message that Feld sold IHRA to three individuals. Jason Rittenberry, Michael Dezer, and Joe Lubek, who also own and manage Palm Beach and Memphis International are new owners!

Wonder how this will shake out over the next several seasons?

MK

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

I just got an email from them. Be interesting.

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Not sure it's going to take a couple of seasons.........I've heard that the finals in Memphis were very well attended and they really pulled the facility together in a very short period of time. I believe these guys are serious.............

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Would be nice if Palm Beach had an IHRA event there this year. Nothing scheduled though. It is a nice facility.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA what about the SSSSA

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

What would be nice is if they brought back Top Fuel,Pro Mod,Pro stock and some form of heads up sportsmans racing.Those were the days the tracks were packed.Say what you want the tracks were packed and the whole experience was a blast.Plus the IHRA guys and gals were just the nicesest people to work with.

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

Hopefully that will change with this buy out

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Paul,

Couldn't agree with you more! The days of the Saturday Night crowd reaction when Top Stock hit the track hasn't been duplicated since.

To bad racers and officials never could get together on a set of rules that the majority would agree upon and be willing to race. There is a set of rules that would work but it wouldn't ever happen with crate motors.

The only thing that could possibly fly would be rules based upon the concept formulated for the original Norwalk race in 2000 as well as the US Class Nationals. It's really to bad the original format wasn't extended for 2001 and beyond because if it were, most likely, it would still exist.

Once GM got involved and forced the crate motors down our throats it was all over but the shouting. Now that the class has been dead for 5 years and the mistakes have all been identified, I believe it would be far easier to put the eliminator back together. Especially since the LT1 and LS1 combinations are much more of a known quantity.

MK

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

X's a thousand on that. Gary Penn and the boys ruined in back then. Bring it back the original way we had it set up.

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One year IHRA had 34 Pro Mods yes I said 34 at San Antonio. Fun as hell to watch and yes there were actual fans in the stands.

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My thoughts exactly! lets bring back some real entertainment, racing, and a good, fun show. best of luck to them, they just might bring back some of us disappointed racers

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

It was 33 Pro Mods sorry.


1 6695 Rick Distefano, Calgary AB, '53 Corvette 6.062 234.13 237.50
2 2813 Scott Cannon, Lyman SC, *'06 GTO 6.074 237.34 237.34
3 671 Glen Kerunsky, Priddis AB, *'57 Bel Air 6.084 233.96 233.96
4 1382 Tommy D'Aprile, Port Charlotte FL, *'63 Corvet 6.084 232.59 234.17
5 38 Dan Rowe, Rossville GA, '63 Corvette 6.106 204.20 222.66
6 5012 Kenny Lang, Grande Pointe MB, *'53 Corvette 6.108 232.39 232.75
7 1986 John Russo, Middleton MA, *'68 Camaro 6.122 231.20 231.20
8 1313 Chip King, Semora NC, *'69 Daytona 6.129 235.80 235.80
9 6 Quain Stott, Columbus NC, *'63 Corvette 6.135 232.55 232.55
10 1057 Carl Spiering, Jordan Station ON, *'63 Corvette 6.148 233.32 233.32
11 4 Jim Halsey, Street MD, '68 Camaro 6.149 227.46 227.46
12 44 Mike Castellana, Westbury NY, '05 Cavalier 6.153 230.72 230.72
13 2814 Matt Hagan, Christianburg VA, '63 Corvette 6.155 231.08 231.08
14 5 Mike Janis, Lancaster NY, *'06 Cobalt 6.166 232.19 232.39
15 1962 Alan Pittman, Greenville SC, '62 Bel Air 6.184 228.96 228.96
16 8 Burton Auxier, Dixie WV, '53 Corvette 6.195 224.14 224.14

------------ Not Qualified ------------

17 470 Jason Hamstra, Demotte IN, '63 Corvette 6.202 229.12 229.12
18 7 Ed Hoover, Gilbert SC, *'63 Corvette 6.218 230.21 230.21
19 9 Harold Martin, West Bloomfield MI, '06 Grand Am 6.221 223.65 226.20
20 1941 Eddie Ware, Marietta GA, *'67 Camaro 6.239 229.16 229.16
21 1853 Thomas Patterson, Spring TX, *'41 Willys 6.240 228.19 228.19
22 2 Shannon Jenkins, Tuscaloosa AL, '68 Camaro 6.266 226.35 226.35
23 1948 Rick Moore, High Point NC, '03 Grand Am 6.287 225.60 226.20
24 1955 Charles Carpenter, Harrisburg NC, '55 Bel Air 6.309 222.99 222.99
25 1036 Keith Baker, Dothan AL, '63 Corvette 6.333 220.66 220.66
26 1107 Steve Vick, Mocksville NC, '63 Corvette 6.349 223.28 223.28
27 11 Billy Harper, Paducah KY, '00 Viper 6.404 201.82 201.82
28 7992 Doug Ballance, Folsom CA, '53 Corvette 6.708 206.80 206.80
29 12 Steve Bareman, Elma NY, *'06 Stratus 7.058 149.43 149.43
30 1966 Mike Lockwood, Hadley PA, '66 Corvette 8.223 116.66 116.66
31 5083 Cody Barklage, Eldon MO, *'05 GTO 10.486 116.72 116.72
32 7911 Kip Dupuis, Los Gatos CA, *'57 Special DQ
33 10 Dennis Radford, Baker City

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

It will be interesting to see if or how this affects stock and super stock. I have not renewed my membership this year because I was not happy with how IHRA ran us. No heads up in certain races and scales that broke and weren't fixed. It was like all the things that made us different than bracket cars didn't really concern them. Not to mention buybacks. I feel like there is a big opportunity for them to attract a bunch of stock and super stock racers. They need to be open minded and discuss their plans with people and be receptive to feedback from racers and sponsors.

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

I am cautiously optimistic!
Something needed to change, and I hope this is the right direction.
33 ProMods in TX, and maybe more than that at Rockingham a few years... they had GREAT car counts in all the sportsman classes at one time.
While I know the economy has hurt a lot of things... that is not the only reason for the drop in car count at IHRA races. The current IHRA is not the same as it was in the mid 90's thur about 2005?
I still feel they are more sportsman friendly than NHRA, but they have slowly lost touch with the sportsman racers, and they have quit working to make sportsman racing a key focus. NHRA always had more contingency money on the table, but the split was much closer than it is now... That will take some work by IHRA to get back on par, and I feel this is a big part of getting more sportsman cars back in the pits. This has not seemed to be a focus for them for several years now...
I just paid my membership again a few weeks ago... and plan to race as much as possible this year. I want them to get better and I will support IHRA. Lets just hope the new owners have some focus on supporting the sportsmen racers again!
Ken

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

Ditto!

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x2

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Top Stock would be fun again, no crate motors or nitrous, hell even my old bomb made the show. We would do it again. Joe Jr. dust of the Tiger car!

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Mike, I live 20 minutes from Martin 131 Motorsports Park. Have spectated and/or raced there since 1972. My favorite memory ever at the track was when the Top Stocks ran on, I believe, Friday night at the Northern Nationals. They played the National Anthem,then turned you guys loose. A Checkmate Camaro in the first pair,left lane.Not sure if it was you or Paul. PACKED stands,on our feet! Bring them back,we will come.
P.S. The Checkmate Camaros inspired me to drag race,I race a BB 68 Camaro-stick,of course. Not sure weather to thank you guys or blame you,LOL!

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

Hey Keen,

How is ol' Merc' doing these days?

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Pro Mods or TOP STOCK Pitch one and lets get started. Top Stock would be great but I cannot find how the original rules used were written. Any one have them? Race one race and CiC for the next by .05 less than the fast car runs. That would even the combos after one or two races....Pay top Qualifier to keep them running all out or give a bye also.

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As long as they don't have any don't have any Billy Meyer ideals.
Mike Taylor 3601

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

It should be better than how Feld ran it with racers/enthusiasts now at the helm. Good luck to them as they move forward this season

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

I'm sorry but I disagree with half of the stuff I'm hearing up here. I think the Feldinc guys were doing as good as they could to try to attract the sportsman racers although they were a little misguided at times, they just couldn't get the support. They run a high dollar sportsman event because everyone wanted more money, nobody came! They ventured out west and ran a circus show to pay for it and put people in the seats to give sportsman racers out west an opportunity, nobody showed up! They gave people the opportunity to win one race and qualify for a world championship, nobody showed up! I think they sincerely tried to lure some NHRA guys over with suggestions they had received from these very same people but still couldn't get the racers to support it. I do agree with what was said about getting the pro mods or pro stockers back and what Mr Hill was talking about the scales, heads up and fuel check etc.
My only question is this, will you guys come out and support them now and help build it into a possible alternative to NHRA or will you sit back and wait for them to change it to exactly your likening before you support them. I hope you will choose to support them because without that there will not be much of a future for these guys either.

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

Those who aren't IHRA regulars may get some false impressions from this thread. IHRA weighs S/SS and have heads-up at all events except the TOC itself.

If the scales broke at an event, you could not have heads-up runs for obvious reasons, and it is also obviously a special circumstance, NOT standard operating procedure.

There was only ever a re-entry program at the Sportsman Spectacular races, which are now gone.

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

I watched what they did for PBIR after taking over from Sue Moroso. Dezer and Lubeck are car guys with deep pockets, and not afraid to spend money....LOTS of money. Everyone remembers how that place became the laughing stock of facilities, and the new team turned it around. Also, these guys are racer friendly, not just a group of business people. Hoping it's not wishful thinking, but after years being privy-ed of information at that facility, this IS the perfect arsenal of people and cash capable of delivering NHRA a blow of earthquake proportions. Last year I was informed NHRA has a "weak financial pulse" and wouldn't take much to topple them over in a heavy litigation war as they no longer have lucrative growth prospects. I'll guarantee Tom Compton was not prepared for this. With Bruton Smith waiting in the weeds, knowing the hands on reputation Ritenberry possesses, then add in other "strategic" people who've been maneuvering the last couple years, this could get interesting quick. FYI I read where Ritenberry mentions adding PBIR back to the NitroJam schedule, most likely next year. My fingers are crossed this is the much needed shakeup for the sport. :D

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I agree. With some careful planning and support from racers who are always complaining about the NHRA "enhancements"..it might be time to "put up or shut up".

The next few weeks will be interesting as their plans are announced.

I hope they make the moves to grab the Sportsman racers.

Jok

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

x2!!!!

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In the southwest, strips are few and far between, especially with the problems at Phoenix and in California. Vegas is big into the Nationals and NASCAR, and the other events get what is left over as an afterthought. I'd like to see IHRA get involved somehow.

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Larry...You are right! It would be a blast to run with the old rules again, and yes-we would definitely race!

Dana...Thanks for the kind words and if Team Checkmate is to blame for your addition we are proud to have been the reason!

Jimmy C...How are ya man!!? Merc is doing great! Still plugging away, and we are currently working on aluminum and iron headed versions of the 396/375.

Dick...The original weight break was 8.25 pounds per NHRA HP rating. If the class were revived I think the fair thing to do is level the HP ratings where there are different ratings for the same engine,

For example In cases like the 396/375 there are various HP ratings depending on the class, cylinder head, transmission choice, etc. My thought would be to add all the ratings together and divide them so you would only have one rating for Top Stock. In this case there would only be one rating for all aluminum headed engines, and one for iron heads.

Regardless I wish the best to the new owners of IHRA as well as all of the support staff!

MK

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

This group has done a great job with the facilities at PBIR. The potential problem is the do not have a nitro jam or pro am at their track. I don't think Feld pulled the plug on their events. I think the management dropped these events due to lack of support. I could see the potential for ths group to go in a different direction due to the lack of support from the existing sportsman classes. I would not be suprisef to see them go in a direction like ADRL and drop the existing class structure with the exception of top sportsman and dragsters. The program at their track in south fla is a bracket race facility with a few other big money non class events like the 5 day bracket deal. Let's hope they want the stock, Super Stock and HR,SR and QR in the future of their program.
Just an observation on my part as I have run most every class event run ther since the remodel of the facility.

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Maybe they will bring back modified. Come on, someone had to say it.

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Modified Production :D

It always had an attractive Marketing ring to it...!!

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

If they did it right it COULD be a great thing. I know there are a lot of Comp cars out there that just sit at home because they don't feel like they are competitive in NHRA. It would be a good chance to get those cars back out there.

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

Brian, never here from you. What's going on.

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IHRA had Modified Eliminator. It was discontinued after the 2002 season.

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I remember.... It also only paid like $600 to WIN a points race. You can't get people to run those kind of cars for no money. Maintenance costs are too high. IF they can do it right and offer a decent payout, I think (and probabley alot of others will agree) that it is worth revisiting. It's a VERY cool class and I'm sure there are a lot of Comp guys that are sick of only being able to play in NHRA's sandbox.

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

The IHRA does have classes in Super Stock that are probably the closest thing today to Modified Production.....the current classes are 'Super Stock Production' and I'm glad to say we have quite a few racers that run these classes in the Carolinas. Some classes are single carb 4 barrel and some are single carb 2 barrel.

Jimmy Flynt w 66 Chevy 2 327 4-speed, Mike Boyles (sp?) with a '57 chevy wagon 283 4-speed , Gil Carty with a Chevy 2, James Stoneman with a sbc 4-speed 68 Chevy 2, Mark Young old and new Mustang,are just a few SS/Production racers and many of them are manual transmission cars. I think a member here by the name of Jim Reynolds runs a SS/PAA '57 Chevy and a '60 Vette.

There is probably some video action of these cars on Youtube if ya search for 'em :)

Okay...I couldn't resist....here is Boyles in his Good Ol' Charlie Brown '57 wagon way back in 1993....car is raced in the same configuration today iirc.

*look at the fans in the stands...packed to the hilt and all are on their feet*

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQxvKFQMKw0"]MIKE BOYLES 57 CHEVY WAGON - YouTube[/ame]

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Well, I wasn't going to post any more videos of the wheel standing and gear jamming 'SS/Production' IHRA super stockers that so many of us saw every year at Darlington SC (best spectator track in the country imo) and Rockingham NC and Bristol TN.

But I could not help myself,lol.

And I am doing this in part to tease Lynn Engels and my good friend Doyle Evans who is actually in this video with his '67 Camaro.

This is Darlington around 1992. Best drag racing of all times. I'm proud to say I skipped school and quit work to go to these races back then.

Remember when super stockers jumped around like monkeys on amphetamines? well here ya go-

And a note to Doyle-I've always told you I couldn't make ya rich but I might make ya famous,lol.

Enjoy- btw, the cars with scoops are Production SS, 2nd pair has Boyles in the '57 Wagon vs a SS/Production '57 vette, 3rd pair has a '63 Bel Air Convertible (how cool is that?) SS/Production , 4th pair has Jimmy Flynt in his Chevy 2, Doyle in the 5th pair, Jerry Jennings in the 6th pair...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPW0wq44OHQ"]SUPER STOCK - DARLINGTON 1992.avi - YouTube[/ame]

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Somebody mentioned 'IHRA' and 'Modified'. So, I had to post this video again.

I just had to. LOL.

Take note how the fans are jam packed 5 deep all along the fence on both sides. To say the HRA's have completely dropped the ball would be an understatement of epic proportions.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kswkSEyOj8"]IHRA MODIFIED ELIMINATOR, BRAINERD OPTIMIST DRAG STRIP, MID 80'S - YouTube[/ame]

Re: IHRA Just Sold
 

I can tell from the sound of the engines , that was along time ago .