July IHRA Sportsman Newsletter

[luckydog]

This is the July IHRA Sportsman Newsletter. Skooter emails this on a monthly basis to many of the IHRA sportsman racers. He usually touchs on topics ranging from upcoming events to the current state of the IHRA. He is looking for some constructive feedback, so what do you have to offer?



HALFWAY HOME

The Nitro Jam, Summit Racing Equipment Pro Am Tour and Summit SuperSeries programs have either reached or passed the halfway point in the season. This is always a good time to reflect on where we have been and where we are headed. Despite some poor turnouts at certain events, I am continually encouraged by the feedback we are getting from our sportsman competitors. The vast majority of our racers see the value in what we are doing and recognize that there can be a better way for sportsman racers.



The different approach we have chosen to take on the Nitro Jam side has meant only good things for those sportsman that actually come to race. The emphasis we have placed on sportsman racing in all our series is finally starting to be noticed in both the IHRA and NHRA community. While some event car counts don’t reflect it, the amount of support that our sportsmen have shown in these difficult times is very encouraging.



We have been constantly asking our sportsman racers for feedback and thoughts as to why they did not participate at a certain event (we do care!). What can we do as an organization to bring more value to our programs? What circumstances are you facing that have cut back your racing? It has been our belief that we needed to use this economic downturn to re-focus our core programs and when things do straighten out that we will be better positioned to become the true home of sportsman racing. Your e-mails and feedback point to the fact that we are on the right track and for that we thank you. The Nitro Jam events may look different when the pros run, but the foundation of sportsman racing remains the same only in a better package and with the finals broadcast on the TV show. It has taken a half a season, but I think the message is finally starting to get out.



We have a long way to go and more tweaks to make, but while we have stopped trying to “be like NHRA” on the national event professional format, I still have a desire (and IHRA as a whole) to make winning an IHRA event as prestigious as what the NHRA sportsman believe their events are. Car counts certainly have a lot to do with the perceived prestige of an event. I doubt that we will ever see the 1,000 car event or 700 car events we have done in the past, but when we can, we as racers will return to our passion. That will come when the economy turns, people get back to work, the contingency program gets back to the level it once was and racers and sponsors finally realize that despite many message board predictions IHRA isn’t going away. It isn’t for sale; it didn’t go under with a national event format change, pro class changes or any other item you want to point to as the end of IHRA as we knew it. The simple fact is that if IHRA was ever going to go away it would have by now with all the ownership, leadership, sponsorship, class changes and format change drama that has happened in the last few years. As we’ve seen recently, being in the drag racing business isn’t as easy as it looks. I believe a lesser company would have folded up shop by now. There are a core group of die-hard IHRA competitors that know IHRA is different for a reason. Its purpose may not always seem clear on the outside, but on the inside the sportsman friendly reputation that has been IHRA’s signature continues to thrive.



What IHRA is made of really isn’t even Nitro Jam related. Nitro Jam may get the headlines, but the health of IHRA really lies in its member tracks and the racers that support them on a weekly basis. IHRA is 86 member tracks strong. The most it has been in a few years. Since our event in Salt Lake City there has been a lot of interest from tracks out that way in starting a new division. There are more racers participating in the Summit Super Series than ever before, which is another good indicator of health and stability at the grassroots level. None of these things make the headlines, but all are good signs that we are on the right track.



As I recently made my annual NHRA divisional event appearance as a competitor, I always take time to look through the pits and talk to other racers and see the difference between NHRA and IHRA. I am continually reminded that IHRA is a blue collar organization. It is the working man’s organization. It is where you are likely to find the management team parking cars at 1am in the rain or washing your muddy tires off before you enter the staging lanes. We are likely staying at the same $60 hotel you are on race weekends. We are focused on efficiency and reducing expenses so we don’t have to charge you more money to fix our budget. It is a group that is passionate about the history and heritage of IHRA but willing to make tough changes in order to preserve its future.



The NHRA racers I saw lining up for a divisional race on Monday are just as passionate as the IHRA guys who have to work Thursday and drive all night to get to the track for Friday morning qualifying. The differences between the N and the I pit areas are still simply amazing. I know there are plenty of NHRA racers who think that IHRA is a second class citizen and there are plenty of IHRA guys who won’t go to an NHRA race for a variety of reasons. I’m not sure what happens in a racers mind that triggers the belief that it is OK for an IHRA racer to run NHRA but an “NHRA racer” wouldn’t be caught at an IHRA race. Why is a person an NHRA or IHRA racer? Are we not all just drag racers? When did we start caring more about motorhomes, stacker trailers, having two cars and fancy golf carts than we do about the actual racing?



The bottom line is the working racer in IHRA land is struggling right now and more cautious than ever before. Tighter budgets, a reluctance to take or ask for vacation time and cautious about spending money on racing are now the norm. We are very aware that when you do race, it needs to have value and that is what keeps us motivated to find creative ways to build more value in all our programs. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again.



I’m bullish on the position we are in right now and while it may look rough in some cases, just remember that we’re focused on where this organization is going and not necessarily where we are at right now. No one thought this would be an easy one-year transformation. No one thinks the economy is going to be all better next year either, so we’re buckled in and the straps have been pulled tight. We’re ready for the ride and have our eye on the stripe.

Skooter Peaco | Vice President FELD Motor Sports -

[voltdr]

What a well written letter. I predominantly race NHRA in Super Comp and race ET racing at my local tracks. I have run a couple of IHRA races. When I race in SC I enjoy the fact that we are put on a ladder and it is predetermined who we race base on R1 times. (I would prefer to Qualify during TT and be on a ladder from the start, BUT I digress, I raced back when Super Gas started and it was that way). I like the distinction between random pairing in the lanes (for Brackets) and a ladder for SC. There is just too much going on in the staging lanes to try and get a certain spot in a certain lane (for many reasons). I enjoyed the racing at the IHRA events but felt like I went back in time.