IHRA schedule
 

Can we get a schedule for 2012?

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Unfortunately I'm not sure IHRA even knows if they will exist next year

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On another thread Chip indicated a good source said the D9 schedule was close, only awaiting word from one of the tracks.

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I hope that Chad isn't right about that.

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I hope I'm wrong too.

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I hope they let us claim Pittsburgh as a Div 1 or Div 3 race this year like they used to.

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I got an email a couple of days ago saying that the season opener will be at Immokalee February 3, 4, & 5, 2012. That's good news! Jim

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Thank you so much, Jim!!:)

Now I can start my plans for the trip to Florida! I'm chair-person of the Volunteer Fire Dept Reunion Committee, and I didn't want to schedule the meeting the same weekend as the Immokolee Div. 2 race!!:D

Lew

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I have put in several calls to IHRA, asking about some clarifications on their rules, and I have never gotten a call back.

Guess they just don't want more car in IHRA.

David
The New Hemi Guy

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Send a pvt. email to Danny Waters Sr. or just ask him on the forum. He will answer and help you out when he gets back from the PRI show in Florida this weekend. Mike Baker is probably already in Orlando for the show or out of town for Turkey Bird day with family. He's a married man with young kids. They do have a life and family things to deal with. Danny will stear you straight.

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Additionally (to Ex-Tech Man's Mike Baker referrence), you can also call Frank Kohutek (972-289-7223), or Hank (Henry) Blankenship (276-531-8654). Between those three, you should get the answers you need, and please say hi to Keith for me too will ya??? Thanks and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND ALL THE WERTMAN FAMILY!!!

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I'm happy to say that not only will they exist next year, but per Drag Race Central (as well as IHRA.com), they're going to have their 2012 World Finals Race in Memphis, Tn. next year instead of Dinwiddie, Va., for one thing. Moreover, they're adding a Summit Sportsman Spectactular Race Memorial Day weekend at San Antonio International Raceway, and the creation of a Division 7 (for us southwestern USA racers)!

The reason they haven't worked out a schedule yet (one of them as per Skooter Peaco, VP Racing Operations anyway), is they want to schedule around what the NHRA is doing, so both organizations can hopefully maximize their car counts. As of today, my NHRA competition number expires, and I have no immediate plans to renew it for these reasons:

1. How lousy the last 'Vegas divisional went (check out the thread about Patsy and Larry Hills Southwestern Swing, following that race). Furthermore, knowing that Vegas is home to the 2nd and 3rd closest divisional races to Phoenix area racers, adds to the lousy factor!

2. That for just a nickel more than the cost for an NHRA membership ($69.95), I can get not only a membership in the IHRA, but my Stock Eliminator competition number (plus the same number for a bracket class), as well!

3. Knowing that IHRA is creating their own D7, so soon we'll have Pro-Am divisional series points races out in our region too!

4. That San Antonio is getting the afformentioned Summit $5k to winner national event (for only a $200.00 entry fee)!!!

5. Since Salt Lake City was able to triple their car count from last years Nitro Jam race, next years race will be a regular national event, and the winner automatically qualifies for the World Finals!

Sounds like some good reasons to be amped up for next year to me, how about you?

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Couldn't agree more, Gary! I'm anxiously awaiting the full IHRA schedule so I can make my travel plans early.

Although it will involve another 500 or so mile tow, I'm looking forward to the Sportsman's Spectacular at Memphis this year. Another one for the bucket list!

Lew

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This should shed some more light onto the scheduling....

http://www.ihra.com/News/2011/11/30/1/

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In the past I have gotten quick replies to emails on technical questions.

Bill

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Not only did it do that for me, but it magnified the reason I'm not heart-broken about my NHRA competition number expiring the same day! Unlike the Glendora bunch, who've chosen to increase our competition costs (when they should be holding the line or reducing it, to help us racers budgets out), the IHRA (Norwalk bunch), are adding more bang to our traveling buck, so we can have more chances to be championship worthy qualifiers! Although they didn't release anything more about our new D7, I am very happy to know what Rocky Mountain Raceway is doing out here, and that San Antonio Raceway isn't enormously far away from me either!

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I am really wondering why there aren't any Nitro Jam events anywhere close to the Carolinas?
NC and SC are IHRA sportsman havens, and on the 'Pro' side of the spectrum Pro Mod type stuff is *everywhere* around these parts. Not uncommon for 25 Pro Mods to show up at an outlaw track or for an obscure association's event.

Just a few years ago there were two National events each year at Rockingham. Now the closest IHRA national event type show is 600 miles away.

What is the deal??

Years ago the IHRA was heavily concentrated in the South East....I remember the pilgrimages to Bristol, Darlington, and Rockingham every year back in the 1980's....I think for a while IHRA was based out of Bristol iirc. And even in the 70's that kind of schedule was held.

The stands were packed with people and the pits were full of pro and Sportsman cars alike at all of the IHRA Nat's that I went to from 1985 to 2005ish....at least 50 all totaled.

Herb Jr has written about his Pro Mod type shows on thursday nights at Piedmont Dragway and indicated the place was jam packed with spectators...this was verified by a couple friends that ran their cars in those shows.

I stopped by Farmington one night 3 years ago while traveling through for a show that featured Pro Mods, a jet car, and a wheelstanding school bus along with a Gamblers race (bracket race with hardly any cars) and the place was unbelievably packed...heck, I couldn't even see the track because there were people everywhere.

Just seems to me that IHRA could put together a program with Rockingham and Darlington that is similar to ones of a decade ago and be successful.

And if the ADRL is gone or going away or whatever it looks like an opportunity for IHRA to gain some momentum.


We have the spectators, we have the cars, and we have the tracks. I don't understand...*shrugs*.

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Michael,
I agree 110% with your post. I have been asking the same questions. The word I got is it's not IHRA but the tracks. Nobody wants to take the risk anymore of putting on an event of that magnitude.
Chip Johnson

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Since there are about four IHRA tracks in Ohio, and some are ones I used to run back in the day, I thought it might be fun.

But after leaving two messages, and then with two weeks of waiting, and I do understand that these folks have lives, I was beginning to wonder..

I will wait until next week, and try one more time.. If that doesn't do it, I will stop trying, and then I just won't do it.

Thanks for all of the contact info.

David
The New Hemi Guy

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I would be very suprised if you don't get the info that you are looking for, in the past when I've had had questions I either got an immediate answer or they got back to me in a day or so. Are you sure you're not calling Glendora by mistake?

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Chip,

Maybe if enough of us ask questions to the track owners and show enough interest somebody will take a risk. The problem I'm having in digesting all of this is if tracks in Palm Beach, San Antonio, and SLC can profit from such an endeavor then why can't Rockingham or Darlington? I'm not questioning you, I know you know the major players in all this much better than I do. I'm just trying to wrap my mind around how these events can be profitable in areas that aren't really known for drag racing and yet here in NC you can find IHRA cars and Pro Mod/10-5/ 275 type cars on every corner in any town across the state but no one is interested in putting together a show .
Last night I looked at the ADRL schedule, Rockingham isn't on the list anymore and that association used to give away free tickets to their events.....now they are charging a pretty fair price.

Seems to me Steve E could put on an 'outlaw' 1/8 mile copy cat version of the ADRL and bring in IHRA sportsman cars to create a pretty good event.

Maybe I'm dreaming.

I'm really worried about the health of drag racing. And that goes for everything from local brackets to the HRA's.

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Michael if you reread your post you answered your own question. They are going to those new areas because those fans will pay to see "THE SHOW". In our area we have "EDUCATED FANS" that will not. We can bring in twice as many racers but half as many spectators. Thats why IHRA is leaving us in the dust.
Chip

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David,
Did you e-mail Baker or call him? I would try again maybe your message did'nt go through.
Chip Johnson

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Good point Chip, sportsman racers pay there own way with entry fees but the "Show" is paid for by putting people in the seats and people in this area are not real concerned with watching a monster truck drag race. Bring back the pro stock cars and pro mods and you can fill the seats at the rock, you don't even need the fuelers either.

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bingo

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Well, as of today the IHRA Pro-Am schedules for Div.'s 2,4, & 9 are posted...I hope that helps....

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talked to Skooter Friday, he told me this next week the rest will be posted

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Whoever scheduled Memphis August 17-19 is an idiot. They will have no cars. Memphis is one of the hottest and most humid places in the country that time of year. I was really looking forward to going back to Memphis this year and will probably go for the big Sportsman race in October but never in August. Can you say 100 degrees and 75% humidity.

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Maybe they've never been there in August? :-)

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They apparently figured out South Carolina in July isn't such a good idea because they moved Carolina Dragway to May (BTW its a great little track). Too bad about Memphis though, that place is just plain brutal in August and their car counts will suffer greatly because of it.

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It is not just IHRA the track had something to do with the dates to.
If you think car count will be down that should make yall want to go even more gives you a better chance plus they are going to pay the same with 100 cars or 10 cars in your class.

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The heat won't keep me away. I'm from Oklahoma. Same weather here. Funny thing, while at Indy this year the local weather guys kept talking about how many days they had seen over 90 deg. LOL around here most every summer day is over 90. We count days over 100. Not everybody is from here.

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You need to go to Bristol in July,,,lol
4500 ft corrected and high 90's

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Sounds like my neck of the woods (er desert), too Ed...lol

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We have been to Memphis when it is so hot the only place to stand to keep your feet from frying is under the crossover in the staging lanes. We are very acclimated to hot down here, right Ed? I dyno tested an engine last july30 with 95 deg carb air temp and 69% humidity. I think the DA was about 3500 Ft. Got a great tune up for our summer weather. That track was always good in the heat. Park in the grass it is a little cooler.....

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Seriously, guys? I've been to Canada when it was 98 degrees and 98% humidity. Guess what, if it's hot at the track, it's going to be hot at home. Me, I'm going racing. Many S/SS racers have their motorhome/toterhome rigs with A/C to hide in between rounds anyway. And maybe everyone has forgotten the holy grail of S/SS racing, the US Class Nationals was 107 degrees, and if you drank a bottle of water it fell out your feet. As far as I remember, it was still the greatest race ever.

I think the number of excuses for not going to a race are starting to rival the "reasons why I lost". :rolleyes: Good grief.

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Michael if you think there are going to be many cars in Memphis in August you are just wrong. Any one that knows what Memphis is like that time of year knows it's brutal. I have a select number of weekends that I'm going to race in a year and Memphis in August will not be one.

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I didn't make any predictions on car count.

If the Memphis Pro-Am weekend makes sense for my schedule, then I will go, regardless of whether it's 65 or 105. Again, that's just me. Drag racing is a way of life for me, not just a hobby.

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I raced at Beaver Springs once in August on a 100 degree day. I got sick in the middle of the day, threw up, and left for home before first round.

My parents quit going to Englishtown in 1978 after the heat and humidity were so bad my mom would get heat stroke annually.

Bottom line, some people can't/don't want to race in extreme heat. I didn't feel that great at Byron in '01, but I wasn't competing back then. I don't think I would want to race in that type of weather.

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When the Memphis points race was early in the year there were always good crowds, I remember the year NHRA had the National event the last weekend in June and it was miserable. You could ride down by the tech trailer and it was closed up tight with all the tech guys inside in the air conditioning. That was the last year for that, It was moved to the fall and had a successful run for a number of years. If IHRA wants to have a successful event they need to look at the history and make good decisions. If I sound like an expert on Memphis I am. I lived there for 20 years.