No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

I am not looking to start another bashing of the IHRA, because I have had some great times at IHRA events. I am also not looking to start yet another debate on why NHRA cars don't go to IHRA events, because we have gotten no where with that one. I am simply trying to find answers and create some productive dialogue as to why the new IHRA has decided to not run any sportsman classes at probably their best facility, and definitely the largest drawing facility on tour.

http://www.ihra.com/pro-am-tour-news...ortsman-racers

We MIchigan class racers have lost the LODRS event at Stanton, MI and moved it as far away as possible in Division 3. and now we have lost class racing at the only national event in the state. I am not looking for sympathy or comparisons of other "enhancements" and geographical challenges. I am simply hoping that we can rally a stronger voice that will get the new IHRA ownership to change their mind about this decision they made.

Bill Lent
O/SA 3158

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

I found out about this at the PRI show.I was disappointed as you are,but they still are going to have TWO Pro Am races the week after,as well as TWO races at the recently added Cordova National.

I doubt that they will change their mind,but I am planning on actually renewing my membership and racing with them more next year.

Keep in mind that you can still bracket race at the Northern Nitro Jam which probably will pay way more than winning in Stock would have anyways.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

So spectators are going to see,5 old funny cars a couple pro stockers , a few altereds and Harleys :rolleyes: I don"t know what kind of crowd they can expect to get. I think a lot of racers will be nervous to build pro stockers because of the way they were kicked to the curb a few years ago. I also see the average spectator using there entertainment dollars cautiously. This should be interesting.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

Maybe they will like the jet trucks.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

Bill,

Your post is well worded.
I am not sure there is much that can be done to change their mind, but it is worth a try. Here are my suggestions.
You can try to sell the lure of wheel standing, classic Stock and Super Stockers to the IHRA brass. People love wheel standing, classic cars.
You have a little time to let them see what kind of ET fields they will have. IF they feel they need more sportsmen cars, then I would suggest you get a group of Stock and Super Stockers together that will commit to the race, and see if you can talk IHRA into running a combo? Better than no class racing at all? You could present them with an official letter, with xxx number of racers committed to running the combo?
Show that your car count will more than cover the purse and added work for them. Gives them something else to advertise... and they have time to add it to the local media releases, etc.
All they can do is say no?

Good luck!
Ken

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

Palm Beach Nitro Jam is brackets only also. I was told that the Pro-Am schedule is already set and if it was a Pro-Am it would give Div 2 too many points opportunities. I wonder if a non-points Pro-Am class structure would bring in the car count? Sure would be more entertaining for everyone than box/no-box.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

I don't like either and I'm only 45 minutes from Martin. I'll probably still run the event, but run in the Modified bracket class.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

Late last year, rumors had it that IHRA was trying to do just that....give Florida enough ProAms to be it's own division, like North Carolina has been. That would require giving Lakeland, Palm Beach and/or even Orlando IHRA divisional events. The same person who runs Lakeland under IHRA also runs Orlando under NHRA. We'll see if it holds true in 2015.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

Same deal at the San Antonio race. Sucks only an hour from me.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

That was the hope. New owner of Orlando was being persued to switch O-town to IHRA. That would have made it happen. The decision maker was the lil no-points Pro-Am held at Lakeland on Halloween weekend. Lakeland had a pretty short shutdown and the race was not very well advertised. The turnout sucked. Ozzy was a little leery after that and then NHRA promised him a Div 2 race so here we are. Keeping my fingers crossed for next year.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

I know how you feel Bill. Not only is St Louis the most remote place in Division 3 but the time of the event could not be any worse. Why wouldn't you schedule event the weekend before or after the national event. Look at the average high tempurature for these dates andf you will see exactly what I'm talking about. Unless I am in the top three in points I would not be caught dead at this event.

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxcli...7?climoMonth=8

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

I would run the Nitro Jam race if they ran a combo.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

I know NHRA would still like to have a race in Michigan, but Stanton is not a safe race track anymore. Last year Andrew came back after his first run and commented on how much his car was moving around on the big end. We didn't have working scales last year and the comp guys almost revolted. I also know how much the d3 guys would like to have Martin in the NHRA camp. I really think they could do close to what Norwalk does for a points race.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

Bradenton is kinda weird??? Is it a National? Is it a Divisional? Is it a Divisional at a National??? Someone needs to fix this and put the sportsman classes back on the schedule.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

We really had high hopes for the comeback of IHRA when we heard about Scott Gardner taking over:rolleyes:
Boy were we wrong :( apparently there is someone still there with enough influence to inhibit IHRA from growing and going forward as a organization.
We more than most have promoted and supported IHRA in the Midwest even though like thousands of others I was screwed by Billy Meyer when he took our money then sold out but we went ahead and paid Ted Jones and co. again in the same year, because we just wanted another place to be able to race S/SS and at the time great lakes dragway in union grove wisconsin had just gone IHRA and was awarded a national event, so it seemed like a good idea at the time :)

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

From what I recall when it first started, most divisions would get one of their ProAm divisional events incorporated into a Nitro Jam "national" event. For Sportsman racers, the "national" tag provides a higher contingency payout and the opportunity for Sportsman cars to race the final rounds in front of a crowd. Good for a little extra money, ego and sponsor exposure. But it still is a divisional event as far as points and qualifying for the Tournament of Champions/World Finals is concerned.

I would like to see "real" national events or Sportsman Spectacular/Sportsnational type events return. But history had has shown that not enough racers supported it. IHRA tried, got burned and changed their championship format.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

I don't think that's fair to Scott at all. Would we like to see more changes overnight? Sure! That's not how it works. He wasn't even brought in until November, so most 2014 plans had to have already been in place. It's going to take time to turn the ship around.

I was counting on the US131 Nitro Jam following tradition on its date and format as well. We scheduled one of our events for the following week, not knowing that there would be no Pro-Ams at that Nitro Jam. With the conflict the week after, my schedule just doesn't work with IHRA this year. I'm not going to throw my hands up in the air. It is what it is. I'll root for them to grow, and look forward to possibly returning next year.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

The race at Immokalee was awesome when they ran a three day format of 2-divisionals and a sports-national on Sunday.....just my .02

Why not:

IRR - 2-day
Bradenton - 3-day
Lakeland - 2-day
PBIR - 3-day

Done......???????

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

The concept is good, but the car counts won't support payouts bigger than what they have now for ProAms. There are ProAms with even less cars showing up around the country.

The Sportsman Spectacular races were great with $5,000 guaranteed purse and no re-entries if over 64(?) cars to entice more NHRA racers. Some had classes with only a handful of cars. Even with what appeared to be a good turnout, like at Budds Creek, I heard they lost money. I still can't understand why more cars didn't show up for that kind of money.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

Myron, it's actually very simple--it didn't have that magic 'N' in front of it (NHRA). Many racers simply will NOT GO to a race that is not NHRA-sanctioned and offer a Wally to the winner. F*** IHRA, S/SS combos, and bracket races, regardless of payout. Hence why I came up with the term a few years ago--"There are drag racers, and there are Wally-chasers--and they are NOT the same".

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

I wouldnt throw stanton under the bus. I had 1.18 60' and went 8.48 at that points meet last year. Martin isnt gonna switch to NHRA for a points meet. We go there and test, and have seen Jay there meeting with the track operator. 20 spectators for a points meet doesnt pay the bills.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

The place used to be packed in the early 80's for the Popular Hot Rod Meet, big crowds from Chicago.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

You must have meant to say There are bracket racers and there are Wally chasers. Right?

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

You guys crack me up. Bracket racers and wally chasers. Buff Daddy most people build a class car to run NHRA, that's just the facts of life. STK/SS combos are a filler and bracket racers are just that, bracket racers.

I can remember in 2002 I went to my first IHRA National event at 131. Over 150 class cars and the stands were packed. After Top fuel ran that night it took some people 3-4 hours to get out of the parking lot. I went the last time to the nationals at 131 in 2011 and it was a sad excuse for a national event, maybe 50 class cars and maybe 250 people in the stands.

Why are class cars and other classes not running national events in 2014?
Why are car counts down at Nationals and Pro-Am?
What is IHRA plan to improve car counts?
Why are racers that ran with us before not running with us now?
What is next years plan to improve IHRA?
Why are our car counts down if everyone likes the Tournament of champions format?

These are the question you IHRA racers should be ask IHRA management now.

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

Bill Bader was at the helm of IHRA back then. Unfortunately, he went on to greener pastures. IHRA then jumped on the Evan Knoll/Torco Racing Fuel band wagon, yet they didn't have the common sense to wonder where Knoll's money was coming from, they just took it. And now, IHRA is at another fork in the road....

Re: No Sportsman at Northern Nitro Jam
 

Hey guys the IHRA did not do this. It was the tracks decision to run the pro am separate. I called John O. yesterday about running same car in two divisions at a combo race (in div. claim for one and three) got a no on that. Then I made the mistake asking about why the pro am was on a different date than the nitro jam, he went into a very long discussion on that matter. He also told me to get you guys to pick up the phone and call him, he is always available to answer these type of questions instead of the usual rants. anyway, if you have the time to shoot the ****, give him a call, number is on website for div 1,3 and 5 director.