How Realistic

[1347]

Originally Posted by Mike Taylor 3601

128 car field,$350entry($44,800.00 split half purse-half to IHRA )IRONMAN and 10K win ,5K RU, 1K semi, Quarters $750 $100per round won starting with 1st round win...

As I said to start... I don't anything about how to do it...
this is just quick math that may or may not be correct LOL

I don't think any track owner in today's financial situation would agree to split the entry fee and run a race like that with only 22k. By the time they pay knowledgeable track officials to oversee class racing, traction compound and all the other costs associated with running an event, I think they would rather run a no.prep race or a test and tune and clear better money. Racers talked about how NMRA was so great and payouts were great for what the entry fees were and you see where that got them.
As much as people complain on how much we pay at divisionals and how little the payout is, track operators complain it almost isn't worth their time hosting the race. It's not just one track saying that, it's many tracks that say that. I am not sure IHRA is looking to host races and not make any money for the "Good of class racing"

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by JP1738

Well no offense, but that's the easy answer. Nobody on this forum races for the money. Don't get me wrong, winning money is great, but if that's all you cared about, you wouldn't be running STK/SS or drag racing in general. Excellence should be rewarded, and the trip needs to be justified before you go. Payouts and contingency need to be defined and sufficient, but there's an amount of prestige the iron man holds that I believe is great than 4th round loser's round money.

What kind of payout is reasonable to you? Be specific. Entry with expected car count, winner, r-up, semis, quarters, etc.

No, Stock and Super Stock racers do not JUST race for many, the way big money bracket racers do.


However, I come from a time when good racers could finance their racing with their winnings. That hasn't been the case in at least a decade or two. If you compare the SHRINKING purse to the escalating cost of a competitive class operation, it's literally INSULTING. Entry fees have gone up 2-3 times, plus additional costs with the sanctioning bodies, and the purse absolutely has not. Further, the sanctioning bodies drove the contingency sponsors out. I know several sponsors personally, and they way they were treated, and their money was taken, borders on criminal. When you consider the current level of spending required to take a truly competitive car racing, the potential for return on investment is absolutely a slap in the face.


It's not that Stock and Super Stock racers race for money, many know that a real win is often not likely in their future. But that fact that a big win would barely pay for the trip is just ridiculous. A racer wants to think that if he managed to actually pull it off, and that's the dream, that the payout would be at least somewhat impressive. These days, winning a national event would be like hitting the powerball and getting $10,000.

[442OLDS]

I don't see any way possible for the IHRA Pro Am races to return with Super Stock and Stock as separate classes.The turnout was usually pretty poor. If they paid $100,000 to win with free entry,it would probably not bring that many more cars out.
I'm just speaking from past experience as I used to attend quite a few IHRA races years ago.They tried all kinds of innovative ideas and nothing seemed to help.

[Phil S/ST]

Originally Posted by JP1738

It has been announced that IHRA plans to continue there bracket program/bracket finals in 2025, with the hope of bringing Pro-Ams and Nitro Jams back in 2026. They also announced division restructuring and Next years team finals dates locations.

Does anyone really believe IHRA will bring back class racing? I am personally very hopeful. Despite never having run an IHRA pro-am event (outside of juniors), I am a huge fan of IHRA and I really wish they would bring it back. I was too young to race Super Rod but it was always my dream to compete in it. It folded up before I turned 16.

I know there will never be another hay-day like there was in the 90s and 2000s, but I think it would be so awesome to bring another real sanctioning body back to compete with NHRA at the grass roots class racing level. Give racers another alternative. At the very least, maybe it could spur NHRA into improving conditions for Sportsman Racers. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I'd do almost anything to bring back the glory, honor, and prestige there used to be to hoist an iron man.

Dawson, I'm also hopeful! A few things IHRA will need to overcome.
1] As stated elsewhere, the payouts must align with entry fees ie they charge x dollars for entry the win, RU, and round money must be enough for racers to want to travel and chase that coveted Iron Man.
2] !/8 mile racing doesn't appeal to everyone.
3] Rules need to be close to what NHRA runs now to help with car count.
4] World Championship!! For all classes. This is the main reason I didn.t chase NHRA points back in the day. I could running IHRA Hot Rod.

IHRA is planning an announcement during PRI so its going to be a wait and see. What's going to throw a wrench in their plans is the half *** attempt they made last year. Ran one race and cancelled the whole series.

[FLEMING]

I'm hopefull.. I was in college back in the good days.. and couldnt really afford or have the time, but did attend a ton of them.. Time to not say.. but its time to do. I feel like most people are letting it go in one ear and out the other sadly.. I think this is the 3rd or 4th time in 10 yrs they have announced real racing coming back.. They can say they tried last year but that isnt true.. They announced it in june of 2023, not another word mentioned. when nothing big was announced that year at pri.. you pretty much knew it was a flop.. I think people started hounding them after that and they were forced to put out a "schedule".. you cant say no one shows up when you literally had no social media posts, or anything of that nature.. Was doomed before it started.. I can say if it came back with some backing, and some thought put behind it to be a legit go at it.. I would make it my priority.. I know some former ihra pts racers locally that feel the same way..

sf fingers crossed

[BTR69]

With the NMCA going away, would it be a possibility that IHRA could run something similar to their format. I'm not aware of the facts regarding NMCA demise, but I've heard plenty about how racers loved to race with them. I'm sure sponsorship money has/had something to do with it. With the popularity of the NHRA divisional races and the CCRA in our area, along with what I assume, (based on what I read) of other class based organizations in other regions, it seems to me that there is a reasonable demand for events based on class racing.

[Larry Hill]

The best part of the NMCA was not the great competition but it was the excellent track prep that allowed the great competition. Win loose or draw the track prep was excellent.

[Dan Bennett]

I have very fond memories of racing in the IHRA even when most racers seemed to dismiss it as minor league. Pro Stock was way different but just as competitive. Comp was the same or more.

But like I said in a post a while ago, when the NHRA locked up the showplace tracks into restrictive long term contracts they sealed the deal against any competition.

It's been a while, and things have changed. IHRA had a lot of small but very good tracks, but I also raced at places like Norwalk and Bristol. And believe it or not, the best surface I ever had to deal with was at Darlington one year. It was the only time I simply couldn't get enough clutch into an A/A.

But it wasn't all sunshine, as the stk and ss entry numbers were much lower. And if you doubt racer skill, look how many became legends when they came over to 'the big leagues". I'm not sure why there were less class cars, other than a hunch that the regions that IHRA was strongest in had racers more interested in building really fast stuff. Think where things like Pro Mod and Top Sportsman originally came from.

In today's world, the cost of entry to a lot of businesses is staggering. Lots of the good smaller tracks have either closed or have not been kept up.

As much as I'd like to see some serious grassroots competion thrive, I just can't see it happening. No insult to the track owners, but take a look at the tracks on their 2025 schedule. Most of them wouldn't be able to handle an NHRA divisional.

And notice I didn't even mention where the funding was going to come from. I just don't see a path to success.