IHRA and Memphis

[Bill Bagley]

Most of you - at least in this neck of the woods - knew about the IHRA two-race event scheduled at Memphis International Raceway this past weekend. I’ve been to this track a number of times since returning to drag racing as a Stock Eliminator participant in 2009. My initial impression with the quality of the facility combined with the professional manner in which the races are run have kept me coming back. This past weekend was no exception; however, turnout was absolutely embarrassing for both IHRA and the track operators. We racers awarded their efforts and hard work with a total entry count of 54. I believe Stock may have had the highest number of participants in its category at 17.


The staff handled the disappointing outcome very well, called a driver’s meeting early Saturday to share their disappointment with turnout, but thanked the few of us for being there. Given what they had to work with, they made the smart decision to run both events through to completion on Saturday and allow the local bracket program to merge in during the second race for their scheduled Saturday evening event.


After looking for answers and gathering viewpoints among the few class racers there to visit with, nobody could come up with a reasonable explanation and all were very disappointed. A few observations:

• It was hot (always is in Memphis during August) with little chance for rain in the forecast and we got none.
• MIR is an outstanding facility that based on my experiences, is run as well as any anywhere.
• We all want and need facilities like this not only to survive, but thrive in order to provide the track operators a living and us a venue where we can do what so many of us love to do.
• Unless I overlooked it, there were no other schedule-conflicting events anywhere in the region. What am I missing?

I comment here infrequently, but I check the forum often and read through most of the threads where meaningful and constructive information is being shared which is why I’m offering up this topic for discussion. In my mind it’s just simply perplexing ... I can’t figure it out and hope to get some feedback.


By the way, I think we were all impressed with the HUGE Saturday night bracket racer support this race track has cultivated – a heck of a turnout loaded with quality race cars. I have no idea if a track of this magnitude can make it on a bracket program alone, but I’m sure IHRA is wondering what to do with Memphis.

[Ross Family Racing]

Bill,
Many,many racers I've talked to think IHRA has disappointed them again. Many feel that doing away with the Divisions gave them less to shoot for. (Many racers work for a diviisonal championship). I know they now have the National Championship but really how many IHRA racers will tow that much to chase that. Many will chase divisional points, even for the smaller amount of money awarded to them for the divisional championship. Last year Stock racer Jeff Gardiner won division. He said he had been trying to win it for years. That accomplishment was huge for him.
I also think that IHRA's lack of letting racers know of long term plans hurts them. Where are the real Naitonal Events???
Really when you go to a divisional, (NHRA or IHRA) the lack of spectators takes away from the excitement.
I think IHRA's format of 2 races on one weeked is great. Last year we chased points all over division 3 and enjoyed it. This year we will be at the season ending race at Dragway 42, that's it!!!
Stock and Super Stock racers have many excuses for not going, some good-many not good. Mike Beard can tell you about the disappointment of S/SS racers not supporting a good paying event that had much fun built into it.
That said, Our family has always liked the IHRA way. Lately we've not been feelin it because of some of the reasons above.
Jeff Ross
Ross Family Racing

[Mike Pearson]

My guess would be they picked a bad weekend to schedule the race. The same weekend was Brainerd. Bowling Green is this weekend and Indy is the following week. Not many can take that much time off of work and do that much traveling. Most all of the racers run both sanctioning bodies. That's the hot bed of racing in that part of the country for NHRA. IHRA needs to figure out how to schedule their races so they are not on top of the NHRA schedule.

[Dan Fahey]

Notice that these national events were barren. Tried to go to as many as possible but did not have the pop or excitement and the fans just did not show up.

Did not see and active marketing. If you were not an IHRA member you did not know these races existed. Didn't help that NHRA and NMRA are pulling racers from all parts of the planet.

I liked that Divisional and National Races were separated. Remember the seasonal National Races Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall Nationals. National Records were set at the Nationals. They were special to go to. Do not see many IHRA tracks west of the Mississippi.

I was the only Stocker racer he did not name and when he did could not even pronounce my name. Comments were few about any of the racers and their cars.

I am a contingency sponsor and was that was never mentioned in any of the races. In fact the only sponsor mentioned was Sunoco.

However walking in the pits and met several racers. Lots of conversation about those planning on building a Pure Stocker.

Kind of like the excitement for driving IHRA has taking a rest.

[Pat6868]

Ihra and Empire ran a tight show. Quality cars and great racing by the drivers. The two Barracuda stockers were impressive. Pat.

[Marty Buth]

I always liked making the 600 mile tow to Memphis when it was NHRA. They had a bigger draw for cars when it was NHRA. I agree with the poor scheduling comment above, but for me, no way I am towing that far for IHRA. Just my $.02.

[Larry Hill]

There was also a double Combo race at Bowling Green this past weekend.

[Ed Carpenter]

I love Ihra races. Went to San Antonio this year for the double had a great time. Here's the problem. Too many "I'm to good for IHRA" nhra racers out there. It's nhra or nothing. Whatever......

[HR9121]

I don't have any specific answer but Stock and SS car counts have always been a little low but solid. They have always had very respectable .90 class counts to make up the difference in my opinion but I have noticed the last several races a steady decline in those as well. The alarm really sounded for me with the Maryland race which is very nice facility and they also had a bad turnout especially in the .90 classes.
Maybe these guys are concentrated on more big moneybracket races, just a thought.
For me it is simple, I like running 1/4 mile races and I don't have the time to run both series so I have opted to spend my time running NHRA. I also like the NHRA nationals so its really just a matter of preference. I had planned to go to Budds Creek, even purchased my membership but had a problem come up and couldn't go. That was several weeks ago and I still haven't received my membership card.
Ed is right there are some out there that will not run IHRA but what has happened to the ones that were? I hope for their sake they figure it out soon because 54 cars will not cut it for long, I see them having a real issue trying to sell a national event program to a track next year right now!

[Dan Fletcher]

I'm unsure of what the answer is either, but I can almost guarantee you the question won't have to be asked for long. IHRA has tried and tried to put a sportsman series out there in multiple configurations and people just refuse to support it with numbers that will make it a sustainable business model.

Excuses are excuses. Scheduling conflicts, 1/8 mile, don't like the points structure, buy backs, the dog ate my membership card, whatever. Yes, they are far from perfect, they do things that annoy me as well, but it is an option, an alternative, its a venue to compete at, but it will not be there with this level of support. And frankly, I think its too late, this was the last crack at putting something out there in hopes of getting a decent car count.

Sure, the old IHRA national events had more excitement, but so did the old NHRA national events. The events in the current IHRA SSNC format, while considered nationals, are obviously more like points meets, but so what. Timothy won Hot Rod Saturday at Empire and got $1500 purse and 9 stickers at $200. It was the same deal at Pittsburgh when each kid won in Stock and Super Stock. $150 to enter, double events, and only 2 days required. How isn't that a good deal.

Again, they are flawed, but so is NHRA. I'm not throwing rocks at anyone, but sometimes we're our own worst enemy. After all the talk, no one supported Beard's race, so not wanting to lose his *** he bailed. IHRA and track operators can't continue to throw good money after bad, and the complete lack of support, for whatever reasons, is going to make NHRA the only game in town other than combos.

Won't be any need for excuses soon...