Unlike the NHRA, the IHRA is listening 12/8/05
Let me give you just a few examples of what I’ve seen. Many IHRA track owners have told me privately for years that, after IHRA dropped fuel Funny Cars and Nitro Harleys, they needed a second professional nitro class to make their IHRA national events more attractive to their fan base. Over the past couple of decades IHRA’s management team seemed determined to dominate and alienate IHRA’s pro classes. As a result, the relationship between the IHRA management and the pro classes soured to the point that many racers quit racing or moved over to the NHRA rather than race with the IHRA. Fuel Funny Car was dropped, as was Nitro Harley and many sportsman classes. When the NHRA announced their Pro Mod program many of the stars of that class immediately left IHRA competition to join that circuit. Some stars of IHRA’s Top Fuel and Pro Stock class also took their act to the NHRA. But, since the recent departure of former IHRA president Bill Bader, the relationship between the IHRA and its racers and track owners has dramatically improved under new president Aaron Polburn, according to the racers and track owners I’ve talked to. The communication between them and the IHRA management is much improved and, as a result, there have been some major improvements for the IHRA faithful that will be implemented for the 2006 season. Let’s look at a few examples of what I’m talking about. IHRA track owners have known for some time that they needed a stronger Top Fuel class and at least one more nitro class. Aaron Polburn recognized that fact and worked hard to find a way to fix the problem. He changed the purse structure for the Top Fuel cars to bring the race day purse into line with what the NHRA pays. He worked tirelessly with Evan Knoll at Torco and in the end -- thanks in part to the NHRA -- worked a deal with Knoll that returned fuel coupes to the IHRA. To try to make the eliminations more entertaining, IHRA went back to the traditional 1-versus-9 ladder for pros. Prez Polburn also is working hard to bring back the Burkster’s favorite, fuel-burning Harleys. After announcing the addition of Funny Cars, the IHRA management team did something that I don’t think the NHRA would ever do and that was to completely rearrange the IHRA schedule to accommodate the racers instead of forcing them and fans make a choice between IHRA and NHRA events. The IHRA even reversed their announced decision to abandon their Division 5 sportsman schedule and brought it back with an innovative schedule that benefits the sportsman racers. Then there are Skooter Peaco and Mike Baker, whose duties include administrating the technical department. While the two have adhered to a strict and fair set of class and safety rules for sportsman and professional classes, they have remained flexible when it comes to the professional classes. For the Top Fuel and Pro Mod classes they have not marched in complete lockstep with the NHRA, where a flood of Top Fuel rules are breaking the banks of some of the less well-financed teams and where Pro Mod had rules that made the cars basically illegal for IHRA or, in the case of nitrous racers, not competitive. This year IHRA has kept their rule changes to a minimum in the pro classes and kept Pro Mod basically the same.
Now, I’m not saying that everything that the IHRA team or their president Aaron Polburn has done is good or what NHRA is doing is all bad. I do wish that IHRA hadn’t raided the Top Fuel points fund to increase the race day payout and that NHRA would keep Pro Mod. I think that IHRA is going to get some major grief from their Pro Stock racers should they allow fuel injected turbocharged small block cars into that class, although I like the idea. And I’m sure there are some other things they’ve done that people don’t like, such as continuing to charge professional teams an entry fee. NHRA, on the other hand, has broadened their sportsman program, increasing races and classes. My point here is that the IHRA’s management team appears to be listening to racers, fans and sponsors, and, more importantly, are willing to reverse or change rules or policy based upon what they’re being told. I’m not saying the NHRA management isn’t flexible or doesn’t listen, but I will say that it has been a very long time since they’ve made the kind of wholesale changes their IHRA counterparts have this year. And I think chances are good that, based upon the stature and success of that sanctioning body, NHRA management doesn’t see the need to change much in their basic package. Aaron Polburn, Skooter Peaco, Mike Baker and others on the IHRA management team have shown the racers, fans and sponsors that they are willing to listen and change. In return, I believe those of us out here who have clamored for those changes owe these guys our support. These men are sticking their necks way out for us and if in return we don’t support them, the consequences for them, the IHRA and those that race at IHRA won’t be good. I think that if you asked each member of the IHRA management team what they wanted for Christmas they would say, “Support from the racers, sponsors, and fans.” (Followed, perhaps, by peace on earth, free beer and a raise.) I know we’ve all been asked to do this before for the IHRA
and the results weren’t always that good, but hope springs
eternal and maybe, as Bullwinkle J. Moose was known to say to the
squirrel, "This time for sure, Rocky!” | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
