How Cool is this, Reminds me of the old Bowling Green Sportsnationals,

[KEN BUGAJ]

2011 will mark 40 years of sportsman racing for the International Hot Rod Association. To celebrate sportsman racing, IHRA is planning a pair of 40th Anniversary “Sportsman Spectacular” events highlighting 40 years of the best sportsman racing in the country.

Maryland International Raceway will hold down one of those dates the weekend of July 8-10. At press time, an end of the season date for Virginia Motorsports Park to host the Sportsman Spectacular, the Tournament of Champions and Summit SuperSeries World Championships is still being finalized.

Both Maryland International Raceway and Virginia Motorsports Park will feature special sportsman only events that will include a full weekend of racing, big money payouts and national event contingency.

Instead of featuring the usual Nitro Jam professional classes, these sportsman only events will give racers a unique stage all their own capped off with the Tournament of Champions and Summit SuperSeries at VMP to wrap up the season.

In addition to sportsman being the feature attraction, the special Sportsman Spectacular events will also feature record payouts and other perks to help celebrate the IHRA’s 40th anniversary.

“We are always looking at ways to add new and exciting sportsman programs to our schedule and I think the events at MIR and VMP will provide a much needed boost to sportsman racing in those areas,” said Skooter Peaco, IHRA VP of Race Operations. “As IHRA continues its role as a sportsman focused sanctioning body, these two events will allow us to take our innovative philosophy and apply it to sportsman only events. We’re proud of our sportsman friendly programs and really want to try some things that will appeal to all sportsman class and ET racers regardless of their sanction affiliation.

"These events will be a celebration of all sportsman competitors," said Peaco. "The Maryland and Virginia events will offer a great opportunity to try some things we have not been able to try for sportsman racers because of the constraints of a professional show each night. I feel like these two events offer a unique opportunity for class racers to take the spotlight.”