IHRA 2013 Circuit Developments 

The International Hot Rod Association has a number of new developments for the upcoming 2013 season impacting both Professional and Sportsman racing… 

• CarSafe named presenting sponsor for major U.S. Nitro Jam stops 

After an extremely successful debut Nitro Jam season in 2012, CarSafe is pleased to announce that it will expand its commitment to include the entire Nitro Jam series by once again partnering with the series as presenting sponsor of the 2013 Nitro Jam U.S. Tour. 

CarSafe, based in Oklahoma City, Okla., partnered with Nitro Jam during the extremely successful Northern Nitro Jam at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in August of 2012 and the partnership was an immediate hit. In front of a capacity crowd CarSafe was introduced to the unique Nitro Jam fan base and that relationship will continue in 2013 as CarSafe serves as presenting sponsor of Nitro Jam’s biggest U.S. events in Arizona, Texas, Florida, Michigan and Tennessee.

“We have enjoyed a very successful relationship with IHRA and Nitro Jam over the past year. Nitro Jam’s commitment to fast, thrilling, family entertainment is unrivaled in the industry and they continue to impress us on all counts,” said Mark Eckman, CarSafe Owner. “Developing new customer relationships through motor sports is a goal of ours and CarSafe could not be in better hands. We look forward to continue working with Nitro Jam in 2013.” 

CarSafe is an agency that provides Vehicle Breakdown Protection, or what most people know as “extended warranties.” With amazing benefits including roadside assistance, towing and rental cars, CarSafe’s Extended Vehicle Service Agreements help keep your car on the road and your wallet in your pocket. 

CarSafe is dedicated to being the leading provider of Extended Vehicle Service Agreements and taking the worry and frustration out of vehicle repairs. CarSafe provides practical and affordable coverage options for all types of cars and trucks. And with CarSafe’s extensive background in customer service within the automotive industry, the CarSafe team is looking forward to partnering with Nitro Jam at most all of its stops on the 2013 schedule. 

“This business is all about providing great customer service and listing to what our fans want and that is what makes CarSafe such a perfect partner,” said Nitro Jam President Aaron Polburn. “Nitro Jam is all about providing an incredible show at an affordable price that keeps fans coming back for more. We like to say that we sell ‘wow’ and I believe that with a great partner like CarSafe we can continue to grow and provide an exciting show unlike any other out there.”   

Featuring a unique lineup of nitro-powered motorsports entertainment, Nitro Jam is dedicated to providing “wow” to race fans of all ages all at an affordable price. Nitro Jam’s thrilling lineup includes everything from 300 mile-per-hour, fire-breathing Top Fuel Dragsters and out-of-control Prostalgia Nitro Funny Cars to jets, nitro motorcycles, Fuel Altereds, fireworks and more all presented in an exciting show format. 

The 2013 Nitro Jam presented by CarSafe season begins in March and runs through October with stops all across the United States and Canada.

For more information on the 2013 Nitro Jam season visit www.nitrojam.com. For more information on CarSafe visit www.carsafe.com or call (866) 466-5239 to receive a free quote. 

• Summit Pro-Am Tour now the only path to the Tournament of Champions 

The very backbone of the International Hot Rod Association is the sportsman racer. And nowhere are those racers featured more prominently than within the battleground of the Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL. 

Already one of the most prestigious programs within the IHRA, thanks to Summit Racing Equipment who have renewed their commitment to sportsman racers by signing a multiyear deal to return as sponsor of the program, the Pro-Am Tour just got a whole lot more exciting. 

In 2013 the IHRA and Summit Racing Equipment are adding more cash and more exclusivity to the program by increasing the payout to win a Pro-Am championship, adding payout through third place in each division and making the Pro-Am Tour the only path through which to earn a berth in the Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions presented by AMSOIL. 

Beginning next season the only way a driver can earn a spot in the Tournament of Champions is by finishing in the top three in their respective division on the Summit Pro-Am Tour. Individual race winners will no longer earn an automatic tournament bid, instead focusing all championship aspirations on those racers that chase points on the Pro-Am Tour and enjoy season-long success essentially making every Pro-Am event a TOC qualifier. 

Most all Nitro Jam national events will continue to feature double Pro-Ams with increased contingency, payout and a national event Ironman available on the final day of Nitro Jam, but only those chasing points on the Pro-Am Tour will be eligible for the year-end championship tournament. All divisions will continue to feature double Pro-Ams with the exception of the Raiders Division, however a few races within that division will experiment with the extremely popular double format. 

To further enhance the prestige of the tour each Pro-Am champion will receive an increased payout of $2,000. Champions will also receive an IHRA Ironman and an IHRA Gold Card. Pro-Am championship runners-up will continue to receive $500, while drivers that finish in third place in their division will now receive $250. All drivers that finish in the top three will also earn a ticket to the Summit Racing Equipment World Finals to compete for the World Championship. 

“Since its inception over a decade ago the Summit Pro-Am Tour has grown into our preeminent sportsman championship series,” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. “We have seen it grow from a regional racing series to a program that has multiple divisions covering nearly every corner of North America. Next year we want to continue to add even more benefit to the racers that run the series by increasing payouts and making it the exclusive path to the Tournament of Champions. 

“We are excited about the changes to the series and we think these changes will benefit our Pro-Am racers and add even more incentive for new racers to find out what this program is really all about.” 

All other Pro-Am rules and guidelines will continue to be in effect. For more information on the 2013 Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by AMSOIL visit www.ihra.com/SummitProAmTour 

• Summit TOC field narrowed to include only the year’s best drivers 

Only the best of the best will participate in the 2013 Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions presented by AMSOIL. That is because beginning next season the IHRA will be narrowing the field to only include the top drivers on the prestigious Summit Pro-Am Tour making the tournament field a true cross-section of the best IHRA racers from across North America. 

While past versions of the IHRA’s year-end championship tournament have included a collection of special event and big race winners in addition to Summit Pro-Am Tour regulars, beginning in 2013 the Summit Tournament of Champions will only be made up of drivers competing on the Pro-Am Tour recognizing year-round success at a multitude of different tracks. 

And the entire program will be highlighted by a renewed commitment to sportsman drag racing as sponsor Summit Racing Equipment recently signed a multiyear deal to return as sponsor of the program. 

Beginning next season the only way a driver can earn a spot in the Tournament of Champions is by finishing in the top three in their respective division on the Summit Pro-Am Tour. Single race winners will no longer earn an automatic tournament bid, instead focusing all championship aspirations on those racers that chase points on the Pro-Am Tour and enjoy season-long success. 

To further reward drivers that compete on the Summit Pro-Am Tour, Pro-Am champions will receive an increased payout and payouts will be expanded to include drivers that finish in third place in their respective division. 

While automatic, one race bids have been eliminated, competition at Nitro Jams will continue to be an important part of the formula as most all Nitro Jams in 2013 will double as a Summit Pro-Am weekend. But instead of one race qualifiers, essentially all Pro-Am races will act as a chance to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Sportsman competitors that win on the final night of Nitro Jam will also receive an increased payout, contingency and a national event Ironman. 

The narrowed tournament field, which determines the World Champion through 10th place in each of the IHRA’s seven touring classes, will award $10,000 to the World Champion in addition to a special edition Ironman and more and will be contested at the Summit Racing Equipment World Finals at Memphis International Raceway. Championship runners-up through fifth place will continue to receive a cash prize, while drivers finishing sixth through 10th in the world will receive a gift card courtesy of Summit Racing Equipment. Visit www.ihra.com for complete Tournament of Champions payout information. 

The new Tournament of Champions structure will continue to generate a first round ladder based on drivers that show up to compete at the IHRA World Finals and each class ladder will be generated via reaction time from the final qualifying time prior to the race.

A driver may compete in the Summit Tournament of Champions in a maximum of two different classes, but may not drive the same car in two classes during the race.

Once the field is set the best drivers in Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Super Stock, Stock, Quick Rod, Super Rod and Hot Rod will go head-to-head against their peers with the final seven drivers left standing being named an IHRA World Champion. 

“When we first designed the Tournament of Champions the idea was to reward all those drivers that had a good year by giving everyone, from the traveling pro to the guy that can only race regionally, an equal opportunity to chase a World Championship,” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. “While the TOC has served that function well by giving us a diverse group of champions each year, we wanted to take it a step further in 2013 by limiting the field to only those that compete on the Pro-Am Tour. 

“In researching the tournament field over the past few years we found that most drivers that qualify for the tournament are chasing Pro-Am points anyway, so we took the next logical step by narrowing the field to only include those that do well throughout the season as oppose to someone who does well at one race. 

“With this new format we are rewarding those that compete throughout the year on the Pro-Am Tour while still giving those drivers that can’t travel an equal shot at competing for a championship.” 

All other Tournament of Champions rules and guidelines will continue to be in effect. For more information on the 2013 Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions presented by AMSOIL visit: www.ihra.com/TournamentofChampions. 

Posted by:  Larry Crum