IHRA
Nl’akapxm Eagle Motorplex gearing up for historic weekend
Courtesy of IHRA
Ashcroft, BC – It has been a long wait, but after nearly a decade as the leading motorsports sanctioning body in all of Canada, the IHRA is finally bringing divisional racing to the north with the debut of the Border Bandits Summit Pro-
Am division this weekend at the Nl’akapxm Eagle Motorplex in British Columbia.
It was nearly two decades ago when the IHRA first came to Canada, making its grand entrance in Toronto back in 1992, and now, nearly 20 years and dozens of Canadian national events later, the IHRA is permanently setting up shop with a brand new Summit Pro-Am division set to kick off this weekend in British Columbia with the first of three events in the newly created Division 6, also known as the Border Bandits Division.
“This is something we have been working toward for a long time. We have been reaching out to racers on the west coast for a long time and with the creation of the new division and with so many great tracks getting involved I think this is the first step in really making some noise in areas of the country we have never touched before,” said Frank Kohutek, IHRA Division Director. “We are excited to get a new era in IHRA drag racing underway this weekend with the newly created Division 6.”
Salt Lake and Edmonton kick off Nitro Jam’s summer season in June
Courtesy of IHRA
NORWALK, OH – Through the first half of the 2011 Nitro Jam schedule there has certainly been no shortage of great racing, massive crowds and thrilling shows to get the season underway.
But while the first portion of the season can only be labeled as impressive, it can only serve as a taste of what is to come as Nitro Jam prepares to kick off its summer season beginning next month at two of the biggest events of the entire season.
Following a stop at Pittsburgh Raceway Park on May 20-21, Nitro Jam will head west for the second time this year beginning in mid-June for two of the biggest Nitro Jam events of the year. Stopping first in Salt Lake City at Rocky Mountain Raceways for the Salt Lake Nitro Jam presented by NAPA and then heading north of the border to Edmonton’s Castrol Raceway for the MOPAR Rocky Mountain Nitro Jam Nationals, there is no shortage of great racing upcoming to fill the summer months for drag racing fans in the west.
Grave Digger, ‘McAttack’ Funny Car on display in Pittsburgh Thursday, May 19 leading up to Nitro Jam
Courtesy of IHRA
NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA – In advance of one of the largest motorsports events in the history of western Pennsylvania the weekend of May 20-21, two of the biggest stars of the upcoming Pittsburgh Nitro Jam will have their race
machines on display and be available for autographs at various Frank’s Shoes locations across the Pittsburgh area on Thursday, May 19.
Monster Jam superstar Randy Brown and the world famous Grave Digger monster truck will be on display at the Frank’s Shoes location at 1730 Park Manor Boulevard in Pittsburgh while across town championship racer Mike McIntire and the “McAttack” Nitro Funny Car will be on display at 5301 Grove Road in Pittsburgh. Both displays are from 4-7 p.m. and will feature opportunities for pictures, autographs and special prizes as Frank’s Shoes and Wolverine partner to bring Nitro Jam to the Steel City for the very first time.
IHRA May 2011 Sportsman Newsletter
Courtesy of IHRA
Norwalk, OH – I hope the May edition of the IHRA Sportsman newsletter finds you well. I know many of you in the North are dealing with record rainfall and our friends in the South are dealing with flooding and other challenges. It
has been a tough weather year so far for most of the country, but we remain positive that we will get plenty of opportunity to do what we love this summer.
MORE TRACKS JOIN THE IHRA FAMILY
I believe almost every newsletter has included this headline so far this year. It has been a record year for tracks joining IHRA and even though it is May, tracks are still seeing the benefits of IHRA’s sportsman-focused programs. We are proud to welcome Jackson Dragway in Corinth, MS, Canaan Lonestar Dragway in Lubbock, TX, and next week we will be announcing the signing of the brand new El Paso Motorplex in El Paso, TX. Thirteen tracks have joined IHRA this year, which is an all-time record number for one season.
IHRA approaching record track count with signing of El Paso Motorplex
Courtesy of IHRA
Norwalk, OH – The International Hot Rod Association is pleased to welcome El Paso Motorplex to its family of 
member tracks as the sanctioning body steadily approaches record numbers for member tracks.
El Paso Motorplex, a brand new facility that will be opening its doors for the first time later this month, is the 12th different track to sign with the IHRA in 2011 as the IHRA member track list steadily approaches triple digits. The signing also brings the IHRA one step closer to adding a new division in the Summit SuperSeries as early as next year.
“We at IHRA are excited about bringing the new track in El Paso into the family. This is another step in forming a new division in the west,” said Phil Gingerich, IHRA Director of Track Development.
Big league nitro racing returns to Pittsburgh May 20-21
Courtesy of IHRA
NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA – It has been several years since the sights, sounds and smells of big league nitro racing have 
filled the lanes at Pittsburgh Raceway Park, but that will all change later this month when the IHRA Nitro Jam series makes its debut at the western Pennsylvania track May 20-21 for the Pittsburgh Nitro Jam.
Three pro nitro classes will be in attendance at the debut event, along with several exhibitions and local racers making for one of the biggest drag racing events in the state in just a few short weeks. And it will all take place at a facility rich in drag racing history as Nitro Jam brings professional drag racing back to the Keystone State for the first time in many years.
East coast’s top Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car team taking on the world
Courtesy of IHRA
NORWALK, OH – He has broken world records, won dozens of races and now he’s proven himself among the elite in nostalgia Funny Car competition.
No, these days there isn’t much left for Peter Gallen to prove in the world of drag racing.
Coming off of his first trip into the wild west, the land of self-proclaimed nostalgia Funny Car royalty, Gallen returns with several new records, a pair of shiny Ironman trophies and the respect of just about everyone in the world of nostalgia racing. And he isn’t quite done just yet.
“I am just thrilled with the way the car has been running. It just keeps continually repeating performance wise,” Gallen said. “Our secret weapon has been John Benigini. He is our car chief and I know when he touches anything I don’t have to look it over – it is done right. John, along with Bob Rosetty and my son Peter, that is my crew and they make sure everything is done right so I can concentrate on the tuning calls.
Pittsburgh Raceway Park unveils facility upgrades in anticipation of Nitro Jam debut
Courtesy of IHRA
NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA – In anticipation of one of the biggest motorsports events to ever visit western Pennsylvania the staff at Pittsburgh Raceway Park have spent the offseason upgrading the 
facility and getting it ready for a full season of racing highlighted by the highly anticipated debut of Nitro Jam May 20-21 at the Pittsburgh facility.
Over the past few weeks nothing has been able to slow Pittsburgh Raceway Park owner Michael Tedesco from performing numerous improvements at the IHRA sanctioned drag racing facility in Westmoreland County, including numerous upgrades to the track surface, grandstands and spectator facilities as the track prepares to open its doors for the first time later this month.
Manners, Evans locked in epic Pro Fuel battle
Courtesy of IHRA
NORWALK, OH – Same story, different year. It was only five months ago when Bill Evans and the “Black Pearl” crew 
wrapped up their first Nitro Jam championship to conclude an epic title fight with Mike Manners that wasn’t decided until the final pass of the 2010 season.
This year, already halfway through the schedule, it appears the same great battle will once again dominate the headlines as Evans and Manners are once again locked in an epic struggle in Nitro Jam’s popular 100 percent nitro-powered dragster class heading into Pro Fuel’s biggest race of the year next month in Pittsburgh.
After sweeping the Pro Fuel class in San Antonio Michael Manners has closed within two points of class leader Bill Evans
“It has been a wonderful year so far for our team, especially with the two wins in San Antonio. We were a little disappointed with some of the inconsistency the first half of the year, but the car is running as good as ever at this point in the season,” Manners said. “The crew has done an excellent job keeping us fast and competitive and it looks like this year we might have something for that ‘Black Pearl’ team.”
Nitro Jam’s Harley riders providing best show on two wheels
Courtesy of IHRA
NORWALK, OH – They are the true daredevils of the sport, modern day masters of the impossible.
Reaching the fastest speeds in the world among the two-wheeled community with no traditional safety nets to speak 
of, the riders of the Nitro Harley division are renowned for their death defying 220 mile per hour passes, incredible showmanship and parity among the racers.
And all of that has been on display and then some on the IHRA’s Nitro Jam tour this season.
Through four Nitro Jam events already completed in 2011, all four Nitro Harley riders have tasted victory and all four have taken their turn at the head of the pack. Beginning with Steve Dorn at Palm Beach through Randal Andras’ big win in San Antonio earlier this month, the Nitro Harley riders has proven the most competitive of the quintet of Nitro Jam classes and they are showing no signs of slowing down entering the second wave of races beginning next month.
