Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

Division 5 could use quite a few more divisionals even if the alcohol cars were not able to race there.

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

We lost that option close to here with Salt Lake going back to NHRA. We still have San Antonio,around 1K miles from the Denver area!

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

And then we wonder why racers pass on that event.

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

True we did lose that option Lane, but I'm heart warmed by Frank Kohutek (the IHRA Div. 4&7 director saying (back in April,2013), that New Mexico now has Hobbs Dragway, and a strip in Roswell, NM now both flying the IHRA sanctioning banners. It's his hope that this will allow IHRA to continue to expand west (including their D7)!

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

How is Tucson doing since switching?????? I'd like to race there again. For that matter, I would like to race in Salt Lake City if it wasn't 600 miles of mostly 2 lane roads through the mountains.....LOL Correction......it is about 800 miles from Phoenix. Hiway 89 is closed south of Page, so would have to go through Las Vegas to get there....

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

Gary, I just looked at their website, and it seems like they're very happy with flying the IHRA banner, and quite honestly I don't see them wanting to switch back. Their Nitro Jams get hundreds if 1k + spectators every year, and it's only a 1-2 day race! Last I heard, it's possible the new IHRA owners might try to cement their presence there so as to keep NHRA from having a chance at getting it back? I'm disheartened that we lost Salt Lake City from D7, however compared to the other D7 tracks they have, it was like Bandimere Speedway to between Topeka and Brainerd kind of far. Perhaps they might create a D8 someday, but first they need to get their D7 Pro-Am series up and running, and I surely would be good with that!!!

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

will division 5 turn to IHRA?

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

I just had a look at Brainerd's entry lists. Single-digit entry numbers in TA/D (7), TA/FC (4), Comp (5) and Super Stock (3). Stock is doing better with 29.

Hopefully, things improve in the next 3 weeks or it won't be much of a show.

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

Doug, they supposedly already have a D5 for IHRA, but it's only a select number of tracks, and it's not as far west as NHRA's D5 (meaning no Colorado, Wyoming, or Saskatchewan, Canada), and their D5 has some tracks that for the NHRA, would be in their D3 states. Moreover, one of their best track aquisitions (imho), was Thunder Valley Dragway, in Marion, SD. They have primarily been racing under bracket racing only programs, but I'm not sure honestly what's going on up there? Hopefully someone who lives in the area, may correct me on their D5 stuff, but they're about as strong, as IHRA's D7...

As for a specific answer to that question, I doubt if D5 (NHRA) will go IHRA, because Bandimere Speedway, Brainerd, and Heartland Park are too strong (not to mention several other tracks near to each of them). However, who would've thought Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson would go IHRA, and they unanimously voted in favor of switching 2.5yrs ago?

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

I think BIR will fill up. Most racers wait, rather than to give NHRA the entry early.

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

The track at Roswell NM is down or having problems for now. Just saw it on the El Paso area website. Partnership didn't work out.

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

I certainly don't blame them either for waiting, and I also think BIR will fill up. They always field a very strong bracket team, and the semi pro (aka sportsman categories), generally always do well out there. I'd consider living/racing there, if it didn't get so dog gone cold and snowy in the off-season!!!

I'll enjoy my desert area, Denver was bad enough during the winter (and they seldom get as cold as Minnesota does), give me the sunshine and the triple digit heat, over that any day...however Brainerd is a nice track, and I enjoyed being there to visit!

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

I'm looking forward to the event. I'll be there Friday to Sunday, taking pictures like crazy. :D

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

Cool Brent, and hopefully lots of Stock & Super Stockers....

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

Looks like that was correct...
IRG Sports + Entertainment acquires Southwestern International Raceway in Tucson
http://www.ihra.com/ihra-tracks/trac...eway-in-tucson

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

That's some really good news to read about Michael, and thanks for sharing that here! Now there's greater hope that D7 will create a Pro-Am series, and thus us western sportsman racers will now have a viable option for our class racing dollars...and if diehard NHRA types will not give the IHRA a try for their racing dollars (now), then I will enjoy racing with the Tucson based Hawk Bros. (who by the way already proved how tough they are by winning an IHRA World Championship in the No-Box category, 2yrs ago)! Hopefully the Pro-Am series will get started next year too!!!

Welcome IRG to SIR!!! :)

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

What exactly is an NHRA type?

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

I will quote from "The Miz" of WWE fame by saying...really? REALLY? Really? I think you've been around the drag racing block Harry long enough to know what I mean by this...diehard NHRA types are those who no matter what the IHRA presents them (and no matter how much better a bang for the buck they can get by stepping out of their more expensive NHRA comfort zone), won't place their operation in an IHRA sanctioned pit area, let alone run their car/truck down an IHRA sanctioned track.

Have you forgotten how dismal the entries were at the San Antonio "Summit Sportsman Spectactular", last year? It was awful! Although the entry lists were better for the other ones they had further east, in comparison to Indy, and some other east coast national/divisional events, even their turnouts were subpar! Why? My best observation is the diehard NHRA types didn't care about racing for $5,000 bucks instead of $1,500 to maybe nearly $2,000 from the NHRA sportsman categories...ohh, and only paying $200 bucks instead of the then $305 for an entry fee! I guess there are those who would rather spend more and race for less, just for the glory (or nowadays lack thereof) of being in an NHRA national event?

Perhaps the next time you see Mark Faul in your area, ask him how he feels about not being a diehard NHRA type, and what it's done for his racing budget???

p.s. I'll excuse those of us who (per geographic location) don't have that option, but for those of you who do, it doesn't make sense to me....however, it's your money and you'll spend it as you please....I just don't see the logic in overlooking another sanctioning body who places more significance on us sportsman racers, than the one who lets us know (numerous times), that we're the "FILLER CLASSES" for the down-time between each pro session/round...I would think we should want to be respected and appreciated more than that, imho...

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

Mark is in a little different situation than most class racers. It is how he makes a living. In the north west we don't have a lot of big money bracket races that other parts of the country have so if you want to make money and have the ability you have to travel. I'm sure if IHRA could draw the pros NHRA has you would be filler material there to.

Re: Lack of Sportsman Entries for Denver
 

Sorry Harry I don't buy that different situation comment for Mark, and you have a big money race in Boise, Id., that people where I live would have to travel to 'Vegas for the nearest race of a similar nature. Mark also races IHRA, because they offer him a good return on his investment.

I personally am glad that IHRA doesn't offer what NHRA does, because they continue to prove that they care for us sportsman racers more than the NHRA does...don't believe it, compare the new look of National Dragster (where sportsman racing coverage is concerned), to how Drag Review Magazine expresses us as opposed to the pros they have at their Nitro Jam races (furthermore, take additional note as to how IHRA does race coverage at their divisional Pro-Am series races compareds to NHRA's divisional race coverage! Ask Michael Beard, or the guy who just won Martin Michigan who also runs NHRA with the Dodge what they think. IHRA cares more, and they always prove it!