2007 Carolina Dragway / IHRA News

GILBERTSON WINS MATCH RACE AT CAROLINA DRAGWAY

Georgia and South Carolina Drag Racing Fans Can Witness Torching of Florida Gators Banner

NORWALK, Ohio (September 12, 2007) – Carolina Dragway will host the O’Reilly Auto Parts Thunder Jam™ presented by Torco Racing Fuels Saturday, September 15, at 7 p.m. The show will feature some of the wildest exhibition vehicles in the world.

In the tradition of crazy things happening at Carolina Dragway, this year, event organizers are planning an even more exciting show. Drag racing fans from Georgia and the South Carolina will see a special ceremonial torching of a Florida Gators banner to help kick-off this season’s college football and basketball rivalries.

“If there is one thing people from South Carolina and Georgia can agree on, it’s despising the University of Florida,” said Thunder Jam vice president of marketing Jim Marchyshyn. “So we’ve decided to hang a huge Florida Gators banner up at the track and watch as Paul Stender torches it with his jet truck.  Let’s give the Bulldog’s and Gamecock’s as much of an advantage as we can”.

Headlining the evening will be:
• Paul Stender’s flame-throwing jet truck
• The “Battle of the Jet Funny Cars”: First Strike vs. Top Secret
• The incredible Benny “human bomb” blows himself up and escapes from a burning inferno
• For the first time at Carolina Dragway…South Carolina’s Andy Kelley vs. North Carolina’s Bob Gilbertson in Nitro-burning Funny Cars
• Plus “Baby Pro Mods” and the World’s Best Sportsman Racers

Families receive discounts at the Thunder Jam. Adult tickets are just $20 and kids 12 and under are $5. Purchase an adult advance ticket at participating O’Reilly Auto Parts stores and received a free kids ticket.

Parking for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Thunder Jam is free and each admission comes with a complimentary pit pass so you will be able to get up close and personal with the drivers and their machines.

In addition, the event also marks the final weekend of the Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by Mr. Gasket. Pro-Am competitors will compete Saturday and Sunday to earn points to see who will be crowned season champions.

For ticket information, visit the track’s website at www.carolinadragway.com, www.thunderjam.com, or call 877-471-RACE.

Carolina Dragway is located at 302 Dragstrip Road, in Jackson, S.C., near Augusta, Ga.

 

List of O’Reilly stores selling the Thunder Jam discount special.

“Buy an adult ticket IN ADVANCE at O’Reilly and get your childs ticket for free..(a child is 10 and under). Childs ticket will be $5 at the track.

Georgia:
1. Augusta: 2818 Peach Orchard Rd.    (706) 792-0673

2. Martinez: 3874 Washington Rd.   (706) 869-9763

3. Waynesboro: 1225 Liberty St.     (706) 554-5687

South Carolina
1. N. Augusta:  1747 Knox Ave.    (803) 279-0369

2. Orangeburg: 835 John C. Calhoun Dr. (803) 531-9920

3. Lexington:  1853 S. Lake Dr.    (803) 356-1636

4. Cayce: 1701 Airport Blvd.         (803) 739-8238

5. Columbia:  2658 Two Notch Rd.  (803) 748-9657

6. Columbia:  3401 Broad River Rd.  (803) 772-9603

7. Irmo:  7571 St. Andrews Rd.  (803) 781-9209

NITRO FUNNY CAR RACER BOB GILBERTSON RETURNS TO HIS MATCH-RACING ROOTS AT CAROLINA DRAGWAY SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15TH 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. --  It's been quite a few years since Nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson has run a match-race but Gilbertson will face off against South Carolina's Andy Kelly in a two-round battle on Saturday night, September 15th at Carolina Dragway in Jackson, S.C. at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Thunder Jam.

Gilbertson, who cut his teeth in in the sport match racing all over the west coast where he started his career, is looking forward to making some laps at the track nicknamed "The House of Hook."

"Being that Carolina Dragway is just a few hours from our raceshop this is a home town race for us and the team and I are ready to show the fans what we've got in a no-holds barred match race," Gilbertson said.  This will be fun and we're looking to setting the track record deep into the three second range at over 250 mph and give the fans their money's worth.  Plus we'll be able to determine who's got the quickest and fastest Nitro Funny Car in the Carolinas."

Gilbertson will be racing his very popular "Jungle Jim" tribute car body that won the prestigious "Best Appearing" awards last year at both the IHRA Nationals in Epping, N.H. and the NHRA Nationals in Indy last year.

"Everywhere we run this Jungle body the fans go nuts and I'm happy to be able to bring back some memories for the older fans who remember him from the 70s."

Gilbertson might possibly also have a special guest in his pit for this race.  Gilbertson's long-time friend Bret Michaels, who's currently starring in the Rock of Love show on MTV and lives in Charlotte, is going to try to show up if he can clear his schedule.  Michaels will be looking for some cool drag race chicks for the next season of his hit show and hopefully he'll kick off the search at the Thunder Jam.

The Thunder Jam will also feature jet powered Dragsters and Funny cars and one of Gilbertson's favorite acts, Benny "Boom-Boom" Koske, the "Human Bomb."  Koske, who places himself in a coffin loaded with dynamite and blows himself up, is a cult hero in the drag racing world and Gilbertson, who likes to blow up stuff himself, is a big fan of Koske.

"Our shop is right across the street from a giant fireworks store and we blow up stuff all the time but Benny's explosion beats out anything we've ever done," Gilbertson added.  All of us are really looking forward to this race, having a good time and sending Andy Kelly home with his tail between his legs."

BRAND NEW NITRO JAM™ DVD RELEASED
Nitro Jam—Warning: Contents Under Pressure now available on ihra.com

NORWALK, Ohio (March 30, 2007) – The 2006 racing season provided some of the closest championship points races in IHRA history. Now you can relive all the thrills, spills and chills of the ’06 season as well as other action-packed IHRA events from previous years, with Nitro Jam—Warning: Contents Under Pressure, the new DVD highlighting all 11 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam events from last season.

The DVD, available online in the merchandise store on www.ihra.com, features all the on-track action that made the 2006 season so special. It also includes in-depth interviews with drivers, never before seen footage of some of the greatest drag races of the year and special on-board camera footage. Featured clips from previous IHRA seasons are spotlighted as well, including some of the most spectacular crash sequences in drag racing history.

The spectacle that is IHRA’s Night of Fire is also included, featuring wheel-standers, jet dragsters and Bob Motz’ 20,000 horsepower jet Kenworth.

“2006 was a great season, and this video shows how great it actually was,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. “When I watched it I got goosebumps reliving those not-too-distant memories. The production quality on this thing is amazing, you really have to see it to believe it.”

About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $19.5 million Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is a 12-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of nine events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 70 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Kumho Street Warriorz presented by Hooters. More information can be found at www.ihra.com.

About Live Nation
Live Nation is the world’s leading live music company, annually connecting more than 67 million fans with their favorite performers at over 33,000 events.  We are the largest producer of live concerts in the world, the second-largest venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence.  Live Nation creates superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay.  Globally, we own, operate and/or have booking rights for more than 170 venues, including House of Blues-branded music venues and prestigious locations such as San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Hammersmith Apollo and Wembley Arena.  Live Nation’s websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings.  Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.”  For more information regarding concerts near you, Live Nation and its businesses, please visit our website at www.LiveNation.com .

 

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF THUNDER JAM™ EVENTS

Aurora, Illinois (February 16, 2007) – O’Reilly Auto Parts has entered into an agreement to become title sponsor of the Live Nation Motor Sports Thunder Jam™ property. The first event of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Thunder Jam presented by Torco Racing Fuels will be March 17 in McAllen, Texas, in the southern part of the state at Edinburg International Racetrack.

"With our growth into 26 states and dominance in Motorsports Marketing, the Thunder Jam is a natural fit.  O'Reilly Auto Parts strives to bring our customers the best opportunities in motorsport events and our affiliation with Live Nation will help us reach a new market segment of grassroot motorsport fans," stated Ron Byerly, Vice President of Advertising and Marketing for O'Reilly Auto Parts.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Thunder Jam is a twelve-event drag racing entertainment series featuring some of the wildest and fastest exhibition vehicles on the planet, including jet-powered cars and wheelstanders. The Thunder Jam emphasizes the entertainment aspects of drag racing. In addition, the event brings out local sportsman racers from the surrounding markets.

“The steady growth of the Thunder Jam property is a testament to our dedication of bringing an action packed night of family-oriented motorsport entertainment to cities across the country,” said Live Nation Motor Sports/Thunder Jam vice president of marketing Jim Marchyshyn. “The ‘Thunder Jam’ appeals to a wide-range of fans and families seeking an affordable night of entertainment.

“We’d like to welcome O’Reilly Auto Parts to the Thunder Jam series,” added Marchyshyn.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Thunder Jam presented by Torco Racing Fuels schedule:

• March 17 – Edinburg International Raceway, Edinburg, Texas
• May 5 – Motor Mile Dragway, Roanoke, Va.
• June 9 – US 41 Dragway, Morocco, Ind.
• June 23 – Kanawha Valley Motorsports Park, Charleston, W.V.
• June 30 – San Antonio Raceway, San Antonio, Texas
• July 7 – Tulsa Raceway Park, Tulsa, Okla.
• July 7-Mid American Motorplex, Omaha, Neb.
• July 21 – Skyview Drags, Binghamton, N.Y.
• August 4 – Farmington Dragway, Farmington, N.C.
• September 15 – Carolina Dragway, Jackson, S.C.
• September 1- Lancaster Motorsports Park, Buffalo, N.Y.
• October 13 – Immokalee Regional Raceway, Immokalee, Fla.

 

About O’Reilly Auto Parts
O’Reilly Auto Parts is one of the largest specialty retailers of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories in the United States, serving both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets. Founded in 1957 by the O’Reilly family, the Company operated 1,659 stores within the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming as of January 1, 2007.

 

 

2006 Carolina Dragway / IHRA News

eMax PRODUCTIONS TO SPONSOR IHRA DRAG RACING SERIES

NORWALK, Ohio (February 22, 2006) – The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) today announced EntertainMax Worldwide, Inc., a company partly owned by EMAX Holdings, Corp., has entered into a multi-year agreement to be title sponsor of the 11-event IHRA Drag Racing Series. Effective immediately, the series will be known as the eMax Drag Racing Series.

This deal follows last week's announcement by Hoosier Thunder Motorsports that eMax is sponsoring the team's Top Fuel dragster driven by Terry McMillen.

As Nick Kontonicolas of C. Trade Group and McMillen finalized the agreement with eMax for the Top Fuel car, the idea of increased involvement in the sport was being discussed. “After a few introductions were made, IHRA and eMax began discussing the possibilities," said McMillen. "Through those conversations the eMax Drag Racing Series was born.”

EntertainMax will deliver a multi-tiered activation program through IHRA. EntertainMax, a multimedia, entertainment and broadcasting company, will partner with the sanctioning body, which enters its 36 th year in 2006. As part of the announcement, EntertainMax will deliver cross-promotional entertainment packages, including a live concert series to be held during select national events for the 2006 season. The company will also provide marketing and promotional support, including advertising during IHRA's exclusive television broadcast on SPEED Channel.

“EntertainMax offers a unique opportunity for IHRA to further increase the entertainment value of our national events while tapping into segments of the American public un-touched by the drag racing world,” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn . “We're excited to welcome eMAX on-board. The depth of the company and its various divisions will make for a strong partnership with limitless possibilities.”

"The eMax family of companies has an expansive reach and we intend on using all our resources to promote this sponsorship of the IHRA Drag Racing Series,” said Nick Kontonicolas, CEO/President, C. Trade Group, the company responsible for this experiential partnership. “Coupling this partnership by sponsoring Terry McMillen's Top Fuel dragster, the most coveted class in the sport, we will increase their visibility and add to the enthusiasm already surrounding IHRA drag racing.”

The EntertainMax Top Fuel dragster will be debuted by McMillen during spring testing events and at the 5 th annual Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by Ancira Cars, Trucks and RVs and the San Antonio Express-News at San Antonio Raceway, March 24-26. McMillen will compete in Top Fuel after several successful seasons driving the Amalie-sponsored “InstiGator” Alcohol Funny Car, which will receive associate-sponsorship from eMax as well.

eMax replaces Hooters Restaurants as title sponsor of the IHRA Drag Racing Series. Hooters is now the presenting sponsor of the street legal racing and lifestyle event series, Kumho Street Warriorz presented by Hooters.

About EntertainMax
EntertainMax is a multimedia, entertainment and broadcasting company that offers high-quality products and services focused in the areas of pre-recorded music, feature films, TV production, concerts, sporting events and merchandising. EntertainMax Worldwide also owns independent record labels, studios and is in the process of launching a 24-hour broadcast network.

About eMax Holdings Corporation
eMax Holdings Corporation http://www.emaxcorp.com , is a diversified holding company investing in multimedia, entertainment, communication, broadcasting, high-end technologies, and real estate and finance industries through five corporations. eMax Holdings Corporation holds stock interest in EMAX Ventures, Inc.; Artists Innovations, Inc.; Spider Technologies, Inc.; EntertainMax Worldwide, Inc.; and Gold Rush Investments Corp.

About C Trade USA
C. TradeUSA, Inc.(C. Trade Group), http://www.ctradegroup.com , a privately held company with extensive National and International business relationships, is part of the C. Trade Group of Companies. The C. Trade Group of Companies has extensive holdings in the United States as well as in China , Latin America, Greece , and Bangladesh . C. Trade's portfolio of companies specializes in biotechnology, environmental remediation, water purification and remediation, and automotive consultation services. C. Trade Group, Inc.'s President, Nick Kontonicolas, is an experienced, well-seasoned professional investor and corporate venture capitalist. He constantly seeks out new and revolutionary technologies which can be seamlessly integrated within his network.

About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, professional, semi-professional and local level racing provides competitive opportunities for drivers at all levels. The eMax Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2006, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada . The Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Championship consists of competition at national events and 35 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA's Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 90 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the PM-1 Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation's entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Kumho Street Warriorz presented by Hooters. More information can be found at www.ihra.com .

 

Countdown to San Antonio Begins

Though it seems like the 2005 season just ended, the time is drawing near when nitro-powered engines will light up the south Texas sky at San Antonio Raceway. The 5 th Annual Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by Ancira Cars, Trucks and RVs will kick off the 2006 IHRA season March 24-26, opening what is expected to be the most exciting season of IHRA drag racing in history.

The greatly anticipated season opener will re-introduce Nitro Funny Cars to IHRA fans after a 15-year absence. Not since Chuck Etchells claimed the 1990 IHRA World Championship have the Top Fuel Funnies made an appearance on the IHRA circuit as a regular class. Mike Ashley and Del Worsham brought their Nitro Funny Cars to the Udderly SMOOth World Finals in Rockingham last fall in an exhibition capacity, and when IHRA President Aaron Polburn saw the crowd interest and response to the exhibition he went to work with Torco Race Fuels owner Evan Knoll in an attempt to bring the Nitro Funnies back as a sanctioned, competitive class. A few weeks later, IHRA introduced the racing world to the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car class after Polburn and Knoll reached a three year agreement.

The Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car field in San Antonio is expected to be power-packed. Mike Ashley will bring his Torco-sponsored entry to the season opener and has made a commitment to race the entire IHRA series. Frank Pedregon has also tentatively committed a car to run the full season. Brothers Tony and Cruz Pedregon are also expected to make the journey to San Antonio Raceway to try their hands at IHRA's newest class. Tony Pedregon won the 2003 NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car World Championship while Cruz Pedregon was the only racer other than John Force to win an NHRA Funny Car World Championship in the 1990's.

“ San Antonio is going to be an awesome race,” Polburn said. “I am really looking forward to watching the great professional show we have put together for the fans. I'm especially anxious to see the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Cars. The fans will not believe their eyes.”

The Torco Pro Modified class will also be vastly improved in 2006. When AMS declined to sponsor the Pro Modified class in the NHRA next year a number of quality teams were left looking for another place to race. Add the influx of quality teams from the NHRA side to what was already the best professional Pro Modified class in the world, IHRA's Torco Pro Modified, and the best Pro Mod competition gets a whole lot better.

Mike Castellana will begin the defense of his first career world championship along with teammate and crew chief Shannon Jenkins. Castellana and Jenkins finished 1-2 in the '05 Torco Pro Mod standings, proving to the rest of the field that in the nitrous vs. blower battle the nitrous cars are in front for the time being.

“The nitrous-blower debate has been going on for awhile now,” Polburn said. “I think Skooter Peaco and Mike Baker have the rules to the point where it is pretty much anyone's race every time out because the cars are so competitive. I'm looking forward to watching this class because anything can happen. You just never know.”

While the nitrous-blower debate is taking place in the Pro Mod pits, those in the Torco Pro Stock pits will be talking about who will be the next member of the Lenco Transmission 6.30's Club. Last year, in the first year of the program, Brian Gahm, Steve Spiess, Frank Gugliotta, Jerry Haas, John Nobile, Rick Jones , Dan Seamon and Robert Patrick all ran in the 6.30's to claim the first eight spots in the 16-driver club.

Spiess, in particular, was dominating last season. He won four national events, including a mid-season string of three in a row, to give the Chevrolet Cobalt its first-even motorsports world championship. Robert Patrick, Brian Gahm and the other Ford boys want what Spiess has. Dan Seamon won the Torco Pro Stock Ironman in San Antonio last year, the first of his two '06 national event victories.

Rob Atchison is looking to move into uncharted waters in Alcohol Funny Car. No IHRA driver has ever won four straight IHRA World Championships in the class. Atchison , with three consecutive, can do something his biggest rival, Mark Thomas, failed to do in 1993. Back then Thomas was coming off his third straight championship season, but Todd Paton ended his quest for #4. The first of Atchison 's seven national event victories came in San Antonio last season, and he will look to repeat in Texas to kick his pursuit of title #4 off right.

Finally, the '06 season promises to be the most exciting and competitive season of Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel in IHRA history. Clay Millican has won five consecutive Top Fuel championships, but he will have the deepest and most talented field of pursuers after his crown this season. Andrew Cowin, who once held the IHRA world record for Top Fuel et, will run the entire '06 IHRA schedule with Scott Griffin Motorsports. Doug Foley and Rick Cooper, Torco's two-car team, have a year under their belts and are expected to be even more improved. The pair finished #2 and #5 in the world last season. Bobby Lagana, who split time between his own car on the IHRA side while driving Bill Miller's Top Fuel entry on the NHRA side, has a new car and will run the full IHRA schedule this season.               

New Rules for IHRA Junior Dragster Series

If you are planning on competing in the Junior Dragster class this year please be aware of the few significant rule changes that have been implemented for junior competition this season. The first new rule concerns "auto start" and staging. As opposed to previous seasons, "auto-start" will be used in all junior dragster classes. Previously it was not used in the Beginner class. Also, if either car rolls deep after "auto start" has been activated, the competitor accepts the deep staging and will not be pulled back. Pullbacks in the case of complete overstaging will be permitted one time if time permits, but if the auto start system cycles during the pullback the run will stand. If a car deep stages accidentally there will be no pullback.

Another new rule this season concerns licensing and licensing runs. First off, licensing runs will not be made at national events. All licensing passes for either a new license or a license upgrade must be made prior to the national event. San Antonio Raceway and Cordova Dragway Park will host a "test and tune" session Friday night, before the Junior National event, where licensing passes may be made. Also, if you are looking to upgrade your license you must make the required passes. In the past a junior driver could upgrade according to age, but now licensing upgrade passes must be made to upgrade your license.

The 2006 IHRA Rulebook states: "Competitors must make six passes to obtain or upgrade IHRA license (2 launches, 2 half track and 2 full passes within ET range for respective license).

Finally, all Junior Dragster entries must have a mechanical shutoff switch to ground the spark plug located within easy reach of the driver.

For more information on the IHRA Junior Dragster national event series, please see the 2006 IHRA Rulebook and refer to pages 111-115. Three national events are scheduled for the 2006 season, March 4-5 at San Antonio Raceway, July 22-23 at Cordova Dragway Park and Aug. 12-13 at Maryland International Raceway. If you have any questions regarding licensing or entry, please call Donna Harper at the IHRA office (419) 663-6666.

IHRA Turbo Pro Stock Program Postponed for 06

The IHRA Competition Department has announced that turbo charged entries will not be a part of the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Stock program in 2006.

“After much deliberation, we've decided to delay the inclusion of small cubic inch turbo charged entries into what is a very competitive Mountain Motor pro stock program,” said IHRA Director of Competition and Technical Services Mike Baker. “Our decision was based upon the time frame necessary for gathering data and obtaining firm commitments from the various teams wishing to compete in the 2006 season.”

Instead, the 2006 racing season will be used to obtain information essential for the successful introduction of this non traditional combination into the “naturally aspirated” world of IHRA Torco Racing Fuels Pro Stock in the future.

“We've proven that our competition department can design standards that facilitate fair competition, along with providing racers, sponsors, and the spectators with a variety of combinations to choose from and cheer for,” stated Baker.

The Torco Racing Fuels Pro Stocks will kick off their season at the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals March 24-26 at San Antonio Raceway.

NEW FORMAT ANNOUNCED FOR 2006 SUMMIT SUPERSERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2006 version of the Summit SuperSeries is taking on a new format,
one that is sure to catch the attention of all IHRA member track
competitors.  In 2006, each of the track's Performance Rating (P.R.)
champions will race each other to determine the "Elite 8" field of Box
and No Box finalists for the World Championship race.

The groundbreaking program will continue to use the 30 round P.R.
ranking system, but instead of having to have one of the top 6 scores in
the nation as was the case in 2005; a racer will simply have to be the
P.R. champion at their home track in order to race for the championship
this year. 

Each track P.R. Champion will race each other at the Summit Team Finals
in their respective division.  The champion of the race will have earned
their way into the 8 car field of finalists that will again race for the
Summit World Championship during the IHRA World Finals in Rockingham,
North Carolina on October 20-22, 2006.  The World Championship race will
be held during Sunday's final eliminations during the professional
session.  The race will also be filmed by Speed Channel and seen when
the IHRA World Finals airs on Speed in the fall.

There have also been provisions made for divisions that run the Summit
Team Finals after the World Finals is over, and for tracks that are
geographically unable to attend a team final to ensure that no one is
excluded from the program. 

The program highlights are as follows:

*    Program will begin February 1st, 2006
*    Each track will determine a P.R. winner by September 11th based
on the 30 round format as currently in place.  Any points discrepancies
should be handled with your home track first.  All points and positions
will be declared official and final on September 14th regardless of any
unresolved discrepancies so as not to affect the ability to hold the
Team Finals run-off.
*    P.R. Champions from each track in Division 2,3,4,5 will run each
other at their respective Summit Team Finals.  This will take the place
of the Race of Champions event.  Each winner will advance to the Elite 8
in their class and race for the Summit World Championship at the IHRA
World Finals.
*    P.R. Champions in Division 1 will run off at the Torco Race
Fuels President's cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway on
September 30th, 2006.  The winner in each class will advance to the
Elite 8 and race for the Summit World Championship at the IHRA World
Finals.
*    An "At-Large" position in the Rockingham World Finals Run-Off
will be filled by selecting the racer with the highest P.R. score from
the participating tracks that at are geographically unable to attend a
Team Finals (Aruba, Alaska, Edmonton, etc.) If the person with the
highest P.R. from among these At-Large tracks can not attend the World
Finals, the 2nd highest score will be offered the spot.  We will go down
the list until a participant that can attend the Rockingham World Finals
is found.  This will make sure the At-Large spot is represented with a
participant from one of these tracks. 
*    The 7th and 8th spots in the Summit SuperSeries Elite 8 at the
IHRA World Finals will be filled via a "Wild Card" drawing for all
participants with a P.R. of .501 or better.  All tracks, regardless of
division or At-Large status are eligible for the Wild Cad drawing.  If
someone is pulled for the wild card position that is already one of the
6 entered in the run-off, another name will be pulled. 
*    Each winner of the respective P.R. Track Champion run-off, the
At-Large winner and the two wild card selections will go to the
Rockingham World Finals to compete for the World Championship on October
20-22, 2006.  Each participant will receive $1,000 in tow money from
Summit Racing Equipment when they tech in at Rockingham!

"Racers really liked competing against each other in Rockingham, during
the pro rounds and on TV.  It was a once in a lifetime shot for them"
said IHRA President Aaron Polburn.  "We spent this past season working
on a way to give all racers much better odds of making the Elite 8 in
Rockingham.  There was concern that the level of competition at all
tracks was not the same.  Some racers didn't think they had a shot
because no one could have a 29-2 record at their track.  Basically you
had an 8 in 3,000 chance at being the Summit world champion in 2005.
With the program now being raced for at the track level, a racer simply
cares about the competition at his home track and being crowned the P.R.
champion at his track.  Now the odds are extremely favorable to all IHRA
racers regardless of track.  The Summit World Championship is in the
competitor's control from the first round at his home track through the
final round at Rockingham.  This does not reward the racer who has a
great day at the Summit Team Finals.  One or two good races do not make
a champion.  A world champion should have consistently good performance
on a weekly basis and that is what we have been able to accomplish.
This program was revolutionary when it first debuted in 2002.  It has
undergone some changes to improve the process along the way.  No one has
ever had a program like this before, so we needed to fine tune it.  With
the help of our track operators that run the program and Summit Racing
Equipment, we have been able to come up with the best version to date"
said Polburn.

The 2006 Summit Super Series begins February 1st.  Competitors must sign
up for their IHRA home track points and renew their IHRA membership and
competition number before Summit SuperSeries points will be counted.
For more information contact the IHRA participating track near you or
Donna Harper at IHRA headquarters at dharper@ihra.com.

 

2005 Carolina Dragway News

Race Tech Sponsors Free Entry and Free Car Program for IHRA Division 2 Racers

IHRA and Race Tech Race Cars have announced that racers competing in IHRA's Division 2 Heat Wave on the Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour will have a special program to look forward to in 2005.  Race Tech Race Cars will sponsor the Race Tech “Free Ride” program, which will award every Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour event winner in Division 2 this season free car and driver entry for every Division 2 event in 2006.  Race Tech will also give away a free car to one lucky Division 2 racer at the end of the season.

 “After a few races into a season, there are a lot of racers who know their chances of winning the division or even finishing in the top 10 are slim,” said IHRA Vice President of Racing Operations Skooter Peaco.  “With this new Free Ride Program from Race Tech, every time a racer goes to a Division 2 event, whether it's the first race or the last race of the season, they can win a ‘free ride' for all of next year's Division 2 events,” Peaco stated.

The Race Tech Free Ride program will be open to all event competitors in any of the seven Mr. Gasket Pro-Am points classes in Division 2.

 “We had a very strong showing again by our racers in 2004,” said Race Tech owner Russ Farmer. “The IHRA Top Dragster World Champion, and three of the six divisional Top Dragster Champions were all Race Tech owners. And our racers also showed very well in the top twenty both nationally and at the divisional level, in several Mr. Gasket sportsman classes. So we wanted to develop a program that would give a little something back to the IHRA Sportsman racers that have supported us over the last 16 years,” Farmer stated.

In addition to awarding Division 2 car and driver entry fees for 2006, Race Tech Race Cars will also be giving out a brand new Race Tech Dragster to one lucky Division 2 Competitor.  Every racer that competes in any Division 2 Heat Wave event will be eligible to win.  At each Division 2 event, one tech card will be drawn from each IHRA Mr. Gasket points class that will advance to the final draw.  The 42 winning cards will be placed together at the final event at Carolina Dragway and one card will be selected as the winner of the Race Tech Race Cars 240” Top Dragster base car valued at over $10,000.00.

Visit the official Race Tech Race Cars website at www.racetechracecars.com for more information.