With the changes going on at IHRA I wonder if we are headed in a different direction

Scotty Gardner used to run Cordova and was a great manager. Not real sure what they are trying to accomplish though.

IHRA today announced free membership fees for IHRA tracks. Not the racers but the tracks for 2023.

From what I've seen so far it appears this is a group that was trying to buy the IHRA and got outbid. I've seen a couple conversations on other sites, lots of vague promises, but nothing about what they're really going to do.

Last week I received an email from IHRA. This is part of it:

Did a quick Google and found this: https://www.racingjunk.com/news/ihra-changes-management/

It was this section in particular that got my attention after having seen the announcement above:

"Still, in the background, there have been members of IHRA’s [former] leadership team that have been looking to start competing sanctioning bodies. The new IHRA leadership has signed restrictive agreements – including non-competiition and non-disclosure – intending to halt competing organizations. “We believe that any of these communications that you may have received are breaches of contracts and agreements with us; they are legally unable to compete with the IHRA for an extended period of time,” the release stated."

Well it’s happening

Pittsburgh Racer

I am not sure but I am guessing this is a good thing for your track? or is it something you are not fond of? i m not sure. I would think its a good thing. The new sanction sounds to be good, maybe less red tape? I know most of us do not like change.

your thoughts

I honestly don’t know. I guess the guy that took over IHRA (bought out technically) did it for the right reasons but and now it gets confusing some guys really dislike the partner. IHRA went downhill years ago for many when they went bracket race only. Lots of guys are speaking highly of the crew in the new organization. I joined points as it was free but I love big money events so I only hit three points races and you know where that gets you. On the outside. So I guess as it stands our last IHRA bracket finals is at Dragway 42 next weekend. So long story short I know nothing.

I'm not a professional racer like you guys. Going out a few times a year makes me happy and I get my need for speed. My biggest concern starting last year at KRP is the increase cost of T & T, entrance fees, spectator fees, etc. Why the 50%+ increase ? I don't get it. I'm getting a lot of feed back from fellow racers about the added cost to race there. Not too many happy campers that I've talked to. The PID event in a few weeks, Saturday spectator fee $25 per person!!!! Geeze! I'm done venting.

I tried to fine something, anything, that provides some insight into the riff at IHRA w/ the new owner and can't find anything that's been made public. And there are people who say the WDRA is going to be run "by the same people that ran the IHRA into the ground".

I'm waaaay on the outside of this, other than the MIR / Royce Miller connection to WDRA now.

Everything and I mean everything has gone up. My electric has gone up 40% and is going up again. Greg and I talked and you wouldn’t believe what he pays. Gas to cut the grass has gone up, employees wages went up bigtime, insurance goes up yearly and does his rent probably. You couldn’t even come close on what traction compound costs, when it can be found. And the list goes on and on.

It would appear US131 Motorsports park is making the move away from IHRA as well.
Guess my thought is, I don’t understand why, at least at this point. 131 hosts the bracket finals for IHRA every year, and the new IHRA owner to be has a very good reputation( Jeffers)
My thought is, why not let things shake out a while before leaping from a known weight supporting lillypad, to another, that at this point is unknown …
Which all leads me to believe( because a number of well run tracks seem to be moving) is there must be more to all of this than meets the eye.
Jason, who has run 131 for 20 odd years has tons of contacts in drag racing, and 131 is an excellent, even elite, facility. Time will tell about all this stuff

I get it, but maybe an alternative to KRP, for me would be Quaker City. It's only another 1/2 hour further drive from where I live and no tolls plus it's allot cheaper to have fun. To me, just with the spectator fees, if you get two people to watch at $25 each, compared to 100 people at $10 each, seems pretty cut and dry to me which brings more money to the track, plus the opportunity for those spectators to spend more money of refreshments. You guys that run all the time, how many people are in the stands? On YouTube, I've been watching KRP races. NOBODY in the stands. My bills have gone up also, but not 40-50%. Maybe I'm too frugal???? I don't want to cause waves here, These are my thought and concerns. I certainly don't expect any changes at KRP. I could care less what affiliation the track has. With that, at this time I'll do the PID meet and next year start racing at Quaker more often. Too bad, cause I've been doing KRP since the late '60's.

Their biggest trick will be getting enough tracks close enough together you can have a bracket finals program.

I have already seen it posted that this is going to court. All the players in the WDRA are supposedly on a "No compete" clause.

I have had a lot of casual discussions with Royce Miller over the many years I raced at Maryland International Raceway in Budds Creek, MD.
My overall impression was Royce is good for racing. I have seen the negative and positive. He definitely likes drag racing, but he is also a business man.
I am very surprised to see him separating from IHRA, as he has "moved up" in that organization since ending his running of the track in Maryland.

I have said for many years (decades), that bracket racing is not very interesting for most spectators, but is very exciting for racers. IMO, low admission prices multiplied times more people equals more revenue. A racer will spend money to be at the trace all day (12+ hrs), but a typical spectator (of bracket racing) is not. They would pay $5-$10 to watch the local racers for a few hrs before going "out on the town" for the rest of the night; but not $20-$25 since they are not going to stay 8 hrs.

From a business stand point, I don't know how a local track can make finances meet with just bracket racing. Few spectators at weekly races from what I have seen. The big events can draw spectators. One track here in NC has moved to only 7 points races this year, and almost all big, special races with big spectator fees. I remember before the great recession (~2008) 22 points races in Maryland.

Only a few of the guys from IHRA were under the non complete, and none of them are running WDRA so it’s a non issue regarding that issue. Most likely behind the scenes though. They are the ones trying to buy it from the management group, the story goes that they turned down there offer and sold it to the new owner for less. But who knows if that part is true or not

Hmm see Beaver Springs is on the list....

Wander if my home track Mason Dixon is considering too.....