IHRA
Class Racer.com teams with IHRA for Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular
Courtesy of IHRA
Norwalk, OH – With the biggest IHRA sportsman drag race ever held less than a month away, the International Hot Rod Association and Class Racer.com are pleased to announce a unique and exciting partnership for the upcoming
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular July 8-10 at Maryland International Raceway.
In addition to acting as a partner in promoting the IHRA’s 40th anniversary celebration to be held at the famed Maryland facility, Class Racer.com will also sponsor the Super Stock and Stock racing classes at the richest sportsman race ever held by the IHRA.
“I’m excited about teaming up with IHRA’s Summit Racing Sportsman Spectacular events,” said Ken Miele, owner of Class Racer.com. “The class racer is always looking for events that cater to them and IHRA has done that with the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular events.”
Racing in the shadow of the Rockies
Courtesy of IHRA
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – It is a view unlike any other. Just beyond the grandstands that seat thousands of eager motorsports fans, just beyond the tasty concessions, miles of open pits housing many of the greatest drivers in drag
racing and the state-of-the art facilities, exists a view that is worth the price of admission alone.
And it only exists at Rocky Mountain Raceways.
“It is sometimes hard to concentrate on the job at hand when you are looking down the track and all you can see are snow-capped mountains,” said Top Fuel driver and defending race winner of the Salt Lake Nitro Jam Bobby Lagana Jr. “There is simply no track out there quite like it. It is really something else when you pull onto the track, do a burnout and stage all in the shadow of these beautiful mountains.
“The racing at Rocky Mountain Raceways is always topnotch, but when you throw in such great fans and the wonderful backdrop that Salt Lake City provides it just makes this a unique and special place for us to race.”
Mopar to back Canada’s largest drag racing events in Edmonton, Grand Bend
Courtesy of IHRA
NORWALK, OH – Mopar® Canada, who has been the title sponsor for the IHRA’s Mopar Canadian Nitro Jam since inception back in 2000, has announced an important further expansion of their involvement within Canada’s drag
racing scene.
The progressive company will supplement its sponsorship of the Grand Bend Motorplex event (July 16-17th) with new involvement in a title sponsorship role for the IHRA’s Mopar Rocky Mountain Nitro Jam Nationals at Edmonton’s Castrol Raceway (June 24-27th).
“During our decade with Grand Bend we saw that as a huge success and we were very happy with the response,” said Jim Kiritsis, Head of Mopar, Chrysler Canada. “We felt what better way to improve on that then by adding expanded involvement with the Edmonton IHRA race.”
IHRA unveils brand new website dedicated to sportsman racing
Courtesy of IHRA
Norwalk, OH – The International Hot Rod Association is proud to announce a brand new website dedicated to serving the sportsman racer and providing the latest racing news from the most sportsman-friendly sanctioning
body in drag racing.
The new IHRA.com features a new streamlined presentation, new features and an easily accessible interface designed to provide racers and fans alike a place to go for all things IHRA sportsman racing.
“The first thing you will notice when you visit the new IHRA website is the Ironman trophy jumping off the page and showing what this site is all about – IHRA sportsman racing,” said Skooter Peaco, IHRA VP of Race Operations. “Our goal is to provide a cleaner, easier and more exciting website for our racers and fans and I think this site has all of that and more.”
Mike McIntire savors victory at Pittsburgh Nitro Jam!
Courtesy of IHRA
NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA – Finally, after seven previous meetings and seven excruciating losses to Peter Gallen and 
the “Poverty Stricken” team Mike McIntire and the “McAttack” crew finally got their revenge on Saturday with a thrilling victory during the finale of the inaugural Pittsburgh Nitro Jam at Pittsburgh Raceway Park.
And he wasn’t alone.
Saturday was a night for new winners as Michael Manners retook the Pro Fuel points lead with a victory over Friday winner Robin Samsel and Mike Scott, who traveled all the way from British Columbia to compete in Pittsburgh’s Nitro Jam event, claimed a win over Nitro Harley newcomer Jake Stordeur.
Gallen wins fifth Ironman of 2011 season!
Courtesy of IHRA
NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA – For the fifth time this season Peter Gallen and Mike McIntire met in the finals of a Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car race.
And for the fifth time this season Gallen walked away the victor.
In front of a rambunctious Pittsburgh crowd in Gallen’s home state, the driver of the “Poverty Stricken” Vega cruised to his fifth win of the season and seventh consecutive victory over McIntire in a thrilling race at the inaugural Pittsburgh Nitro Jam Friday night at Pittsburgh Raceway Park.
Gallen was joined in the winner’s circle by Robin Samsel in Pro Fuel who upset new points leader Bill Evans and Jay Turner picked up his series-tying third win of the year in Nitro Harley over Steve Dorn.
Cherissa Smallwood Anticipates First Race at Pittsburgh Raceway Park
Courtesy of Nitro and Lace
Pittsburgh, PA – Cherissa Smallwood, pilot of The NitroandLace.com Pro Fuel Dragster Team, is elated to be racing her forth of five IHRA Nitro Jam Races slated on her teams schedule for the 2011 racing season. 
Smallwoods team, led by her father Ron Griffis, have had their hands full since the San Antonio Race earlier in the year.
“We had a gremlin that weekend that was really difficult to diagnose in two days of racing” said Smallwood, “we never got to really look at everything after Baton Rouge as Mike Manners was kind enough to allow us to leave the car and rig at his home in Houston so we could save on fuel and obvious wear and tear on the rig.
“This weekend, we have redone some things that we are very excited about and looking forward to turning our whole program around, for not only the great IHRA Fans in Pennsylvania, but all of our IHRA Family as well.”
Cannister gets first taste of nitro at Pittsburgh Nitro Jam this Friday and Saturday
Courtesy of IHRA
NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA – It will be déjà vu all over again for Laurie Cannister this weekend in Pittsburgh – sort of.
While Cannister will return to the familiar seat of a Funny Car this Friday and Saturday at the Pittsburgh Nitro Jam at Pittsburgh Raceway Park – a ride she piloted to an IHRA World Championship in 2008 – it won’t exactly be the same as the multi-time champion trades in alcohol power for the raw excitement of nitro behind the wheel of the “Bullet Bob” Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car this weekend in Pittsburgh.
Cannister, who won the IHRA Alcohol Funny Car World Championship back in 2008, will get her first taste of nitro racing this weekend at the Pittsburgh Nitro Jam against Nitro Jam veterans Peter Gallen, Mike McIntire and Greg Jacobsmeyer at the famed track in New Alexandria.
Summit to sponsor IHRA’s biggest-ever sportsman races in July and October 2011
Courtesy of IHRA
Norwalk, OH – Summit Racing Equipment and the International Hot Rod Association are proud to announce that Summit Racing will be the title sponsor of IHRA’s Sportsman Spectacular events to be held in July and October.
Created in celebration of IHRA’s 40th anniversary season, the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular events will be the two largest and richest sportsman races ever held in IHRA competition. They are scheduled to take place July 8-10 at Maryland International Raceway and October 14-16 at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Open to all racers, and featuring all seven IHRA touring classes, the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular events pay $5,000 to win in each class. All IHRA and valid NHRA memberships, licenses and chassis certifications will be accepted. In addition to the big payout, each event will award national event contingency and an IHRA Ironman. IHRA members who win their classes will earn automatic entry into the Summit Racing Tournament of Champions in October.
Rivalries aplenty at Pittsburgh Nitro Jam
Courtesy of IHRA
NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA – Whether going toe-to-toe at events nearer to their homes in Pennsylvania and Ohio, or traveling thousands of miles across the country to compete against the best in the nation, you can always count on
finding Peter Gallen and Mike McIntire in the final round.
Already in 2011 it has happened four times and you can add another pair of meetings to the count from last year’s tour of duty.
Coincidence? Perhaps not.
“Many times we are simply the two best cars on the track,” McIntire said from his home in Chesterland, Ohio, already hard at work preparing for this weekend’s Pittsburgh Nitro Jam at Pittsburgh Raceway Park. “I have been racing for like 20 years and while Pete is a bit older than me, we have developed quite a friendly little rivalry out there. Our families have gotten close, but on the track it is all business and we are always measuring ourselves against those guys.”
