IHRA Awards Banquet

Discussion in 'Pit Buzz' started by AFC357, Nov 14, 2008.

  1. AFC357

    AFC357 New Member

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    To any of my fellow competitors going to the Banquet this year, PLEASE, PLEASE let us know whats going on for 2009! Are we racing (AFC)??? Where are we racing???? Thanks and have fun, Tim
     
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  2. Kenneth S

    Kenneth S Member

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    2009 IHRA Nitro Jam Schedule

    March 6-8 State Capitol Raceway Baton Rouge, LA

    April 24-26 Rockingham Dragway Rockingham, NC

    May 29-31 Dallas Raceway Crandall, TX

    June 13-14 Tulsa Raceway Park Tulsa, OK*

    July 3-5 Castrol Raceway Edmonton, AB

    July 17-19 Grand Bend Motorplex Grand Bend, ON

    July 31-Aug. 2 US 131 Motorsports Park Martin, MI

    Sept. 11-13 New England Dragway Epping, NH

    Sept. 25-26 Maryland International Raceway Budds Creek, MD*

    Oct. 22-25 Rockingham Dragway Rockingham, NC

    * Denotes 2 day event
     
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  3. AFC357

    AFC357 New Member

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    Thats a start, we have a schedule, how about a CLASS??!!:confused: Whats up with the 2-day races?? Only 2-qualifying shots I am guessing?? Somebody chime in here. I am working on the car, just what to make sure I am working on a car with the proper blower:rolleyes:
     
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  4. Kenneth S

    Kenneth S Member

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    If they do away with nitro f/c's we did over a year and half's work for nothing. After we just back halved our chassis to 10.1E they cameout with the 10.5 spec.:(
     
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  5. konrodz

    konrodz Member

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    WoW,they still treat us like S_ _ T....

    I guess they are once again taking there time. So 1 step at a time, maybe next month we will hear the next step. As to 2 quailifing passes that's what it looks like, you would think that they would take care of us a little better since they got rid of the Nitro class. I guess thats the way they operate, even with the new ownership change.
     
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  6. Kenneth S

    Kenneth S Member

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    At the 2-day events they could have 3 rounds of qualifying on saturday, but who know's what their thinking.
     
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  7. Bill Naves

    Bill Naves Member

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    runs

    you know, if you think about all the other classes that they need to run, it will be a challenge to find enough time for 2 runs and forget about going back to 16 cars.Of course they could be thinking about 2 days of complete races in the future...1 shot qualifying and 4 come back to race...then a complete new race(dare I say..show!) on Sunday..."Ladies and Gentlemen,your attention to the center ring please..For the first time in Baton Rouge, for your entertainment pleasure..IHRA drag racing!............"
     
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  8. Kenneth S

    Kenneth S Member

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    Regardless I won't be going to any IHRA national event's if they do away with NF/C.
     
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  9. AFC357

    AFC357 New Member

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    Thats GREAT news Laurie! Ive been spending mucho $$ so I'm glad it isn't for naught. See ya in Lousianna, I was hoping for a race in FL but oh well
     
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  10. john348

    john348 Top Alcohol

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    Wonder why Milan got dropped from the schedule this year after many years of being there? :mad:
     
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  11. DQUES

    DQUES Member

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    I have been thinking the same thing John . Maybe the 2 day events will qualify on friday and saturday morning and race saturday night when the people are in the stands .
     
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  12. Laurie

    Laurie New Member

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    I Stand Corrected--but just for now

    I deleted my first post because I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea and stop reading there.

    I spoke with IHRA today and was told that everything is still up in the air and we should all know by the PRI show. I was told, but cautioned, that the feeling is very good that all will be fine. They are working on potential sponsors and should know very soon.

    So with that, you might want to hold on until December to hear the outcome, or do what I'm doing, and treating it like "business as usual" and get ready for the next season. I don't want to get caught with "last minute" thrashing to get parts ordered, or get stuff recertified.

    Sorry for the misinformation earlier, but it was truly the feeling I had after the banquet.
     
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    Last edited: Nov 17, 2008
  13. john348

    john348 Top Alcohol

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    So laurie i take this is like last year all over again
    wont know if we even have a class to race in until the last minute
    What the hell kind of management is that!
    How can you even prepare to race with that type outlook
    makes it very hard for us guys with "NO" money to want to get ready!!
     
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  14. Will Hanna

    Will Hanna We put the 'inside' in Top Alcohol
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    heard this one...

    I really hope IHRA has something 'real' secured for the AFC and other classes. Anyone looking for a legit corporate deal would have needed to have a schedule to them months ago. Not to mention, oh by the way, we're not 100% sure we have a class yet.

    It's sad because the IHRA AFC class has really come around the past few years. I think we would all like to see it opened back up to a 16 car field, but we all know there's no chance of that with the current management.

    We can all hope, but who's going to believe the lines from the same people that told you 'the deal is done, look for announcement next week.' Kinda like the sign you see at some bars "free beer tomorrow."

    I'm sorry but hanging racers out until December is unacceptable.

    So what's the over/under on the announcement getting pushed back to after the first of the year at PRI?
     
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  15. Tob

    Tob Jr. Dragster

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    Run NHRA

    Laurie, Just go ahead and order a couple of new blowers and run NHRA. Kick some ass in NHRA.

    Hope all is well.

    Toby
     
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  16. Chris Gerber

    Chris Gerber New Member

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    The management knows drag racers. They can announce the class a week before they open the gates at their first race and there will be a line of cars waiting to get in.

    In my opinion, all IHRA races should be two days. If you don't have your program together enough to get in on two shots, then maybe you should go out to a test session.

    I went to the IHRA race in Milan this past year and the BB/FCs (or whatever they're called this year) kicked butt. The fuel cars were not worth the time I spent baking in the stands.

    Long live IHRA. That is where I grew up.
     
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  17. BLOWN INCOME

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    Could'nt Have Said It Better Myself ,chris....fuel F/c's Had A Horrible Show All Season ! Very,very Few 4.90 Runs And In Most Cases The Top Half Of The Ta/fc's Qualifing Field Would Have Made The Nf/c Field...great Jod To The Ta/fc's...
     
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  18. Will Hanna

    Will Hanna We put the 'inside' in Top Alcohol
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    the disease

    Chris,

    Sadly you are right. IHRA is a for profit corporation and the racers should feel lucky they have a class to race in. IHRA's responsiblity is to make profit for it's shareholders, not ensure the livlihood of it's racers or any particular class if it is not deemed profitable by management.

    I don't own stock in IHRA. I still cling to the notion that the sanctioning bodies are the custodian of our sport and our way of life in many instances. I'd still like to think that at some level, the decision makers in both the NHRA and IHRA are driven at least a little bit, what's best for the sport. There is no denying the TAFC class is the stepping stone to the big show for drivers, tuners, crew and pr/marketing for that matter. For many more, it's the summit of a lifelong dream, not another step towards the top.

    I still think that what the IHRA is doing to it's professional racers is wrong. How can a team owner even hope to land product deals next year if they don't know if they are going to have a class. Sure some teams have the budget to buy NHRA gear and make the switch at the last minute, others don't. Well, product deals are few and far between anyway, so what the hell right?

    How much longer are the IHRA racers going to keep drinking the Kool Aid? What is this, the third year in a row going into an offseason worrying if you have a class next year? Take a look around the economy, if the fate of the IHRA AFC class rests on a sponsor, the outlook isn't pretty, but it's a reality you may be forced to accept.

    I hope I'm dead wrong and a deal gets done. I just feel like there's a lot of money on the line for a lot of people, and someone needs to play the devils advocate.
     
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  19. Bobby Bennett

    Bobby Bennett New Member

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    Cajun

    This actually won't be the first time the IHRA has come to State Capitol, if they make it through the finals rounds -- it will be the first time they've completed a race there. In 1991, they qualified an event but when it rained out -- they never returned to finish it.
     
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  20. LEN COTTRELL

    LEN COTTRELL Member

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    IHRA national event at Darlington in 1976

    That is not the 1st time IHRA has done that. After 2 days of qualifing in 1976 at the Darlington National event, John Speelman and I were #1 qualifier in Pro Comp. After Sunday was rained out, they announced that they would reschedule the finals. They never did and they never paid anything to the qualifiers. That was the last time I raced an alcohol car at an IHRA event.
    Len Cottrell
    "Chicken Chokers" TAD
     
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