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Now What?

Big changes at IHRA & NHRA? Maybe, maybe not.

By Jeff Burk
6/8/04

"O Mod" is coming to NHRA in 2005; Bill Bader is leaving IHRA; Clear Channel is going to change IHRA into a drag racing version of Monster Truck shows in 2005!

These rumors -- and I stress rumors -- have almost everyone connected with Pro Modified, the IHRA and the NHRA way up on the tire. The Bader/IHRA rumor got so far out of hand that IHRA and Clear Channel issued a joint statement to try and put the rumors to rest. Unfortunately, it fanned the rumor flames higher rather than put them out.

On the NHRA side, the rumor has Pro Mod team owners and sponsors Jim Jennard of Oakley, AMS Staff Leasing's Dave Wood, and Texas land developer and Pro Mod team owner Tommy Lipar putting an offer on the table at NHRA that would ensure a 16-car field, a bigger purse, and a well-funded points championship for next season. Supposedly the program would be much like what the NHRA Pro Mod exhibition series is now except with more money, more exposure, and unique rules.

I'm inclined to believe that both the IHRA and NHRA rumors have some validity, but not enough for people to start changing their racing plans for 2005 based upon them.

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First, let's look at the NHRA Pro Mod situation. I want to caution everyone that in the past NHRA has never shown any inclination to make Pro Mod bigger and better, regardless of the amount of money or sponsorship that a group might bring to the table. I think that the bottom line is that the professional class racers (especially the Pro Stock teams) in NHRA are afraid that a more visible Pro Mod class will siphon away potential sponsorships, money and TV time they should get (When was the last time a Pro Stock team got a non-automotive major, as in big money, sponsorship?) and they actively campaign against the Pro Mod class being anything but an exhibition class.

I have been told by people involved of an instance where NHRA gave a group of potential Pro Mod backers a dollar figure that would be required for them to allow a 16-car field. The group met NHRA's dollar figure and were ready to sign a contract but NHRA backed out of the deal at the last minute with little or no explanation. I've seen nothing in the years since that incident that would leave me to believe that NHRA management has changed their views about Pro Mod or its future at NHRA national events.

So, before everybody gets convinced that NHRA is going to welcome a Pro Mod extravaganza into their national events that would compete with their Pro classes, I suggest you stop, take a couple of deep breaths and take a long look at NHRA's history with the Pro Mod class. As I said at the top I'm not optimistic that NHRA will allow another act to come in under their big top and steal the audience away from their established stars. I really hope I'm wrong -- I really do -- but I'll remain a skeptic until I see the official NHRA press release.

Now, about the rumored departure of Bill Bader from IHRA and changes in IHRA's race format supposedly mandated by IHRA majority owner Clear Channel Entertainment. This one has had the racing community on fire for a month and even sucked in the Burkster pretty good.

I started hearing rumors as far back as January that for 2005 IHRA was going to change its national event format to more resemble the Monster Truck shows that Clear Channel puts on at arenas.

The rumor had it that IHRA would book in eight Top Fuel, Pro Mod, Pro Stock and Funny Car teams, with the plan of having a four-hour show like the Monster Truck and Moto-cross shows that CCE puts on around the country.

When Aaron Polburn spoke with some professional class racers concerning what they would charge to make laps at one of the "Night of Fire" extravaganza's IHRA is putting into smaller tracks, the racers added two and two together and decided Polburn was doing research for a national event "booked-in show."

Then, two or three weeks ago the rumor mill had Bill Bader retiring or being forced out by Clear Channel. I could find nothing to indicate that was the case, but the rumor got so strong that Bader and Clear Channel's Charlie Mancuso issued a press release expressing support for Bill Bader and IHRA. Unfortunately, the release read like one of those that professional sports teams release just before they fire a manager.

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At the Virginia IHRA national event, IHRA director of competition Skooter Peaco had an impromptu conversation with Bruce Biegler, Bobby Bennett and myself in which he said the tracks weren't attracting enough spectators on Fridays and Sundays, mentioned the possibility of fewer qualifying sessions and the possibility of shortening the number of days that Sportsman racers would be at the tracks, and hinted pretty strongly that changes were coming at IHRA.

That same day Bill Bader did an interview with Bennett in which he spoke in corporate tongue, answering none of Bennett's questions. Then, Bader disappeared for the rest of the race weekend. A lot of racers took all of that information, processed it and came to the conclusion that next year IHRA national events would be a one- or two-day event with booked in professional classes. How they got that conclusion I don't know.

On the Monday after that race I got many phone calls and emails from racers, sponsors and some manufacturers asking me if the rumors were true. I told them that I had no idea. Now, however, after doing some research on this issue for the past few weeks, I'm going to give you my opinion about the IHRA situation.

I do think Bill Bader is delegating some of his responsibilities, but I don't think he will be leaving IHRA anytime soon. I believe that IHRA/Clear Channel is convinced that the IHRA professional classes alone aren't enough to fill the stands, so I do think that you are going to see more of the IHRA national events presented more like the Monster Truck shows with "hip" track announcers, Hooters girls, fireworks, and "freak show" entertainment. Not that they don't do that already.

I think you could see many, but not all, IHRA national events reduced to two-day events with qualifying on Friday and eliminations on Saturday night, with Sunday used as a rain date.

I think two qualifying runs for Pro classes is a real possibility. Hey, they get one shot to qualify for the Indy 500 and two laps to qualify for the Daytona 500. Professional teams can practice all they want at almost any track to be ready for those two laps.

I don't think that IHRA's track owners will allow IHRA/Clear Channel to implement a format change that will lessen their Sportsman car count. The track operators won't give up that back gate money. The companies that support IHRA's Manufacturer's Midway and the contingency program simply wouldn't allow that to happen.

I could be wrong about all of this. The NHRA could announce they signed a five-year deal for the new "O" Mod program tomorrow. IHRA could move their events indoors and change everything to eighth-mile, Bill Bader could announce his decision to retire to Idaho and start raising chincillas in the morning, but the facts and history just don't indicate that any of the rumors we have been hearing are going to morph into reality soon. But stay tuned.

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