New IHRA President - Page 2

Bill Howell · 02-09-2016, 10:22 PM

I participated in a sponsor "Town Hall" conference call with the folks at IHRA today including Mike Dunn, along with other contingency sponsors. I was impressed with how it went and believe we should think very positive about how they value input from the sportsman racers.

Mike Schwartz · 02-09-2016, 11:05 PM

They said this will be a transitional year between the Nitro Jam era and the 2017 program. I think that hiring Dunn hints that they may be bringing back a more traditional competition-based form of racing.

Ed Carpenter · 02-09-2016, 11:42 PM

Good news. I like running ihra races. Two races one weekend. Saves racers money. I hope they keep that part. They do need more participants in sportsman particularly super stock. I have no idea why my fellow D4 refuse to go to Ihra races. I talked Ashton Hudson into coming to a Ihra last year and now he's hitting all of them this year. He likes the treatment sportsman racers get and the two for one. I think people should give it a shot.

Ed Fernandez · 02-10-2016, 04:31 AM

What IHRA needs is a REAL Pro program. If I remember correctly NHRA forbids their "pro class stars" from racing at any other venue. Maybe it's time for IHRA to sic the lawyers on them and free up the market. I remember when IHRA Mountain Motor was the thing.
Then (why I don't know why) after it went away IHRA started a downward spiral. That and the fact that NHRA started grabbing away tracks all over the country. Maybe I'm wrong, if so someone enlighten me.

Jim Kaekel · 02-10-2016, 09:16 AM

Ed: I think there were two things that really hurt IHRA in the past. The first was Bill Bader leaving. Bill was very sharp and had a vision. The second was the Evan Knoll/Torco Race Fuels fiasco. Knoll was pumping a ton of money into both the IHRA and NHRA, and that all "went away" when he got caught by the feds.

Mike Pearson · 02-10-2016, 12:58 PM

I am not a real big fan of the two race per weekend deal. If the car count gets high enough you will be racing well past midnight. That's a real long day. If you have any weather related issues it can push the program into Monday as there is no room in the schedule for anything like that. Plus if you have a problem with your race car you will miss two of your points races at one time. I have been running the div 2 events and they are typically well run. This past weekend in Immokalee there was rain on Saturday afternoon and they attempted to run both races on Sunday simultaneously. I lost first round both races and left the track at 8 pm Sunday. They ran several more rounds that evening but had to complete the race on Monday. Even if u had won several rounds I could not have stayed on Monday due to work commitments. All in all the race was pretty well run.

cal · 02-10-2016, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

I am not a real big fan of the two race per weekend deal. If the car count gets high enough you will be racing well past midnight. That's a real long day. If you have any weather related issues it can push the program into Monday as there is no room in the schedule for anything like that. Plus if you have a problem with your race car you will miss two of your points races at one time. I have been running the div 2 events and they are typically well run. This past weekend in Immokalee there was rain on Saturday afternoon and they attempted to run both races on Sunday simultaneously. I lost first round both races and left the track at 8 pm Sunday. They ran several more rounds that evening but had to complete the race on Monday. Even if u had won several rounds I could not have stayed on Monday due to work commitments. All in all the race was pretty well run.

Hello All.
I Hope Mike can bring IHRA back to its Glory days. Real Pro & Class Racing.
Only time will tel, but I'm going along for the ride.

Keep the doubles, it happens to singles to.

Weather is something none of us can do anything about.
IHRA did the best they could under the circumstances.

I have been at a ____ event that it started raining Thursday night, cleared up and everybody got 1 time run Friday afternoon and it poured again. Everybody got 1 time run Saturday and it rained again. They held us all over to Sunday, even though there was a 80% chance of raining. finally calling the race at noon on Sunday. Then we all got to come back 2 weeks later.

Mother Nature LUV'S Drag Racers
Cal S/ST HR 1177

Keith 944 · 02-10-2016, 04:08 PM

To get the spectators back they need to bring back the fast door cars i.e. pro mods and mountain motor pro stock. to get the racers back get the contingency money back if they get the contingency money back where it was I'll come back. Oh and bring Back the printed version of Drag review I think its great Mike Dunn is now in charge I hope he can turn this ship around!

Bret Kepner · 02-11-2016, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith 944

To get the spectators back they need to bring back the fast door cars i.e. pro mods and mountain motor pro stock.

Ummm...since you obviously don't pay any attention to their program, you should probably be informed Pro Modified and Mountain Motor Pro Stock have both been back in IHRA's line-up for a while now.

Bret Kepner · 02-11-2016, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez

If I remember correctly NHRA forbids their "pro class stars" from racing at any other venue.

It's official; you do NOT remember correctly, Ed. LOL! Obviously, the NHRA has never forbidden Pro racers to race "at any other venue".

02-09-2016, 10:22 PM	#11
Bill Howell Sponsor Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Aiken, SC Posts: 313 Likes: 25 Liked 216 Times in 62 Posts	Re: New IHRA President I participated in a sponsor "Town Hall" conference call with the folks at IHRA today including Mike Dunn, along with other contingency sponsors. I was impressed with how it went and believe we should think very positive about how they value input from the sportsman racers. __________________ Bill Howell 2059 STK

02-09-2016, 11:05 PM	#12
Mike Schwartz Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Maryland USA Posts: 497 Likes: 99 Liked 192 Times in 65 Posts	Re: New IHRA President They said this will be a transitional year between the Nitro Jam era and the 2017 program. I think that hiring Dunn hints that they may be bringing back a more traditional competition-based form of racing.

02-09-2016, 11:42 PM	#13
Ed Carpenter Live Reporter Join Date: May 2006 Location: Dripping Springs, Tx Posts: 2,698 Likes: 185 Liked 504 Times in 126 Posts	Re: New IHRA President Good news. I like running ihra races. Two races one weekend. Saves racers money. I hope they keep that part. They do need more participants in sportsman particularly super stock. I have no idea why my fellow D4 refuse to go to Ihra races. I talked Ashton Hudson into coming to a Ihra last year and now he's hitting all of them this year. He likes the treatment sportsman racers get and the two for one. I think people should give it a shot. __________________ Ed Carpenter 2005 Chevy Cobalt A/SM Race Engine Development

02-10-2016, 04:31 AM	#14
Ed Fernandez Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NOO JOISEY nexta NOO YAWK Posts: 5,879 Likes: 38 Liked 100 Times in 45 Posts	Re: New IHRA President What IHRA needs is a REAL Pro program. If I remember correctly NHRA forbids their "pro class stars" from racing at any other venue. Maybe it's time for IHRA to sic the lawyers on them and free up the market. I remember when IHRA Mountain Motor was the thing. Then (why I don't know why) after it went away IHRA started a downward spiral. That and the fact that NHRA started grabbing away tracks all over the country. Maybe I'm wrong, if so someone enlighten me. __________________ Former NHRA #1945 Former IHRA #1945 T/SA

02-10-2016, 09:16 AM	#15
Jim Kaekel VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,222 Likes: 134 Liked 498 Times in 104 Posts	Re: New IHRA President Ed: I think there were two things that really hurt IHRA in the past. The first was Bill Bader leaving. Bill was very sharp and had a vision. The second was the Evan Knoll/Torco Race Fuels fiasco. Knoll was pumping a ton of money into both the IHRA and NHRA, and that all "went away" when he got caught by the feds. __________________ Jim Kaekel 3836 STK

02-10-2016, 12:58 PM	#16
Mike Pearson VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,328 Likes: 547 Liked 1,656 Times in 507 Posts	Re: New IHRA President I am not a real big fan of the two race per weekend deal. If the car count gets high enough you will be racing well past midnight. That's a real long day. If you have any weather related issues it can push the program into Monday as there is no room in the schedule for anything like that. Plus if you have a problem with your race car you will miss two of your points races at one time. I have been running the div 2 events and they are typically well run. This past weekend in Immokalee there was rain on Saturday afternoon and they attempted to run both races on Sunday simultaneously. I lost first round both races and left the track at 8 pm Sunday. They ran several more rounds that evening but had to complete the race on Monday. Even if u had won several rounds I could not have stayed on Monday due to work commitments. All in all the race was pretty well run. __________________ Mike Pearson 2485 SS

02-10-2016, 04:08 PM	#18
Keith 944 VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Dela-where? Posts: 2,124 Likes: 1,015 Liked 1,661 Times in 526 Posts	Re: New IHRA President To get the spectators back they need to bring back the fast door cars i.e. pro mods and mountain motor pro stock. to get the racers back get the contingency money back if they get the contingency money back where it was I'll come back. Oh and bring Back the printed version of Drag review I think its great Mike Dunn is now in charge I hope he can turn this ship around! __________________ KEITH MAYERS 2 X somebody many X nobody Last edited by Keith 944; 02-10-2016 at 06:29 PM.