An update within the ever growing renaissance for the IHRA — Canada included…
This season’s amazing and formidable rebound for the iconic IHRA name continues on — with recent Canadian confirmations.
Major topical on that list is news that Ontario’s Grand Bend Motorplex will once again fly the IHRA flag this season.
GBM President Paul Spriet shared this thoughts as his track revealed its plans to evolve back to IHRA from (most recent) WDRA track sanctioning.
“We are very happy to once again be part of the IHRA family and see it come full circle,” Paul stated. “It was 30 Years ago (1997) when I took over GBM. We were with IHRA then and together we brought National event level drag racing back to Canada (at GBM year 2000).”
“Though out 2025 we watched closely and it is so great to see Darryl Cuttell’s (New IHRA Owner) commitment to rebuilding the IHRA. That includes from its stable of member tracks (and new track additions) to once again putting itself into the National event arena — in a bigger way than ever before.”
Under Cuttell, after a 5-race experimental season in 2025, the IHRA has announced a 12-race IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series schedule for 2026 that includes a number of former NHRA national event level facilities.
That schedule however does not include within Canada again – at this point.
But most certainly Canada will likely play back into the future for the IHRA, which sanctions drag strips worldwide.
“Hopefully — sometime in the near future, we might be able to bring one of those National events back to Canada (GBM) again,” Spriet added.
Paul Spriet also clarified that in essence his Grand Bend Motorplex really never did venture far from the IHRA equation. During a somewhat IHRA dormant period (after 2010) all of the WDRA sanctioned facilities were formally IHRA tracks. That was the case when Darryl first purchased the WDRA – last December.
“In effect I have worked with the same people from 1997 to now,” Paul clarified. “We only had a short sanctioning body name change when Skooter Peaco and Jon Oneal started the WDRA. About 60% of the tracks went (WDRA) while the rest stayed with the IHRA name under Larry Jeffers.”
Recent revelations also have Paul Spriet’s St. Thomas Dragway also being IHRA sanctioned beginning in 2026 – bringing the (current total) for IHRA Canadian drag strips to 7 this season.
Developing news too does have both Interlake Dragway (Gimli MB) and Newfoundland’s Eastbound Dragway — very likely to follow suite.
The IHRA’s global track sanctioning list is massive and impressive and encompassing four continents. That includes some 100 drag strips (and counting) in North America (primarily the continental USA) and 11 drag strips within Australia and New Zealand.
A major IHRA historical moment occurred in Canada at the IHRA’s Inaugural Mopar Canadian Nationals back in 2000 – the site of the very first national event win for popular circuit driver Clay Millican.
Posted by Bruce Biegler
DragRaceCanada File Photos
PS — and just for fun! Link back to our archived photo gallery from the Inaugural IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals : HERE
