I hope this isn't true as its another thorn in the side for IHRA


http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/rumor-mill/rumor-mill-no-national-events-really

I had a nice long talk to the second in command at US131 last weekend. For the record 131 is an IHRA facility.
He said he could really care less if there is no national event( Northern Nationals) as they can book in as good a show on they're own. No big loss there.
What he does like is the way IHRA runs the sportsman stuff, bracket finals, etc. They are very happy about that and how it has gone.
There was talk earlier this year of 131 going NHRA, but with no possibility of a national event, that was pretty much shelved. No upside with the racers, more cost and more rules.
So, sportsmen racing is well thought of, and the track will book it's own signature mid season event going forward seems to be the takeaway.

I guess if you were racing in one of the IHRA "pro" catagories, you either find a way to fit into an NHRA class or sit it out for a year to see how it shakes out.
No national or divisional events also means no series championships for sportsman racers either.
If in fact thats what happens......the question in my mind is...... What purpose does the IHRA serve anymore?

I know when Keystone switched years ago from NHRA to IHRA its the best thing that ever happened for the local racer. They treat the racers so much better and at a lower cost. Getting your car certified for both cost a lot of money and IHRA usually would let an NHRA chassis cert slide. Not so much the other way around.

Most of those tracks will book in shows, like Martin will do. The headliners at most of those shows were nitro nostalgia funny cars. Those guys will still get plenty of booked in opportunities.
I would be surprised to see the sportsmen deal shut down.
IHRA serves as a sanctioning body. The value of that is in saving weekly racers from many stupid rules NHRA mandates. That's it's worth. And that accounts for a bunch.

How a track treats its racers on a weekly basis is about the track and personnel, has little or nothing to do with the sanctioning body. In my time at Huntsville Dragway, we were under both NHRA and IHRA sanction. Didn't change one thing about how we operated the track. The ONLY time either sanction has it's own people there are for sanctioned races.

Agreed.
But the point I was making is that those weekly racers would much rather have IHRA than NHRA rules to live with.
Costs less money that way, and money effects a lot of the weekly racers.

Laid side by side, NHRA and IHRA rules are basically identical except for minor ET differences here and there for some requirements. I have worked tech from both books.

People always want to lay all the blame for increased safety rules on the NHRA. It's SFI that sets the rules. IHRA, NHRA, NTPA and many others are always at the meetings and approve the specs. So SFI sets the specs and it is up to each sanctioning body as to HOW CLOSE they follow suggested SFI specs. The closer you follow, the cheaper your liability insurance. So many think IHRA is more racer friendly......really? How friendly they gonna be when they don't exist

I'm always amazed when people talk about the cost of safety. The rules are generally in place because someone either was seriously injured or killed at one point in time, and added safety was required. If you think you only run 11.80's and need nothing more then a lap belt, and no bar, that is YOUR choice, but think of the guy dialed 8.80's next to you, and he gets out of control and hits you. It's NOT going to be pretty. It's your LIFE...

^^^^^^^^
Jeff hits the nail on the head!!

Exactly..........I have never been on fire and hope to never be, but fire scares me. SO, I spent the money on a -20 suit. Am I required to have a -20 suit? Nope, not since I drove a blown alky car, but I still have one. I also wear fire boots, a full helmet sock, thick gloves and a Hans device. I have an expensive helmet with a nomex liner. Why do I wear all this expensive stuff when not required? Because I like myself and prefer to stay around a while. As Jeff says, it's NOT just you. There is usually someone in the other side who can run over you at any time. I never have and never will complain about the cost of safety, nor will I complain about the sanctioning body wanting me to keep it up to date and wear it.

Like the cert rules people complain about. They say "oh I won't run 9s because I need a cage", so they slow their car to 10.0s to save a buck. Is the car one iota safer at 10.0 vs 9.90? Of course not, but they saved a few bucks...........yippee

Tim McAmis gives good advice about overall safety in this video.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GHFAOUqA9sE

Just got the IHRA membership renewal notice in the mail last week. I guess I'll save the $75. No national events, no divisional races & no magazine, what will I get for that $75? This feels like renewing a magazine subscription a couple months before it shuts down.

"National" events tend to be associated with and headline "Pro" categories. Divisionals tend to be Sportsman events with occasional booked-in shows. 'IF" IHRA doesn't have either, the only thing left that I can think of are "Sportsnational" type events throughout their sphere of influence to determine national rankings at the end of the year. It may help Sportsman car counts by having less actual events especially since some divisionals were not profitable to put on. Of course, they would need a good purse and contingency program to make the extra travel worth while.

Just speculating/thinking out loud. But my impression is that IHRA is working on something and will be here in 2017.

As for safety rules, I'm ok with them. But IMO the bigger problem is allowing 8 second cars in the same class that has 14 second and slower cars in the same class - "Stock"!

Yup, they need to do something with stock to keep the faster cars separated.

I always thought anything with a computer should have its own eliminator. It would still be stock, but computer cars should have their own deal.


AND BRING BACK MODIFIED ELIMINATOR.


Yes, I'm that old.

Why?

Take new guy to a race and try to explain Stock, and why the computer controlled EFI cars get to run with the carb guys.

Or say [censored] it and let the older carb'd deals run with updated intakes and carbs.

IHRA and NHRA Divisional races have some STIFF competition going on right now. Anyone that followers the Loose Rocker series ran by Micheal Beard (Mopar racer) knows this. The east coast guys have so many "big money" footbrake, bottom bulb, and top bulb races that pay 10's of thousands of dollars instead of 800-1200 dollars. I went to their St Patricks Day Race this year and hope to hit several more of their races in 2017. These guys ROCK.


http://looserocker.com/


https://www.facebook.com/LooseRocker

Again why? Stock is basically a bracket race unless you run a car in your own class. Doesn't matter about carbs and EFI......just run your number

Excellent info! Perfect advice for the "Street Outlaws" program - right Monte??