WHAT CHANNEL IS IT ON?

Photos by the author

Since Bill Bader officially took over IHRA's helm in January 1998, the Norwalk, Ohio-based drag racing organization has been on a bit of a roll. Bader's purchase of IHRA obviously was the catalyst for all things to come, but the signing of Summit Racing as the series sponsor in 1999 -- along with the sizable points fund increase it brought to the table -- was really what put IHRA back on the motorsports map. Add this to the tireless efforts of Karen Raffa and the revamped IHRA has put together an impressive points fund and contingency program in a relatively short time.

When Bill Bader took over IHRA in 1998 he outlined a five-year growth plan.

Meanwhile, marginal facilities fell by the wayside, current tracks were upgraded, and more prestigious venues joined the IHRA fold, most notably longtime NHRA-sanctioned Virginia Motorsports Park early this year. The IHRA also became a truly international series in 2000, when a race was added in Canada, with a second Canadian event on the schedule for 2002, and there's clearly a plan in the works to expand the series westward in the United States.

Perhaps most importantly, though, new -- and some not so new -- personable and talented stars blossomed in the refurbished IHRA ranks, giving the organization renewed credibility in the motorsports press, and sometimes even in mainstream publications like USA Today. Plus, pro and sportsman racers alike gained a new appreciation for IHRA's track preparation and tech inspection teams (most of the time, at least), which certainly made for a more cohesive and cooperative production come raceday.

Still, something was always missing, and unless something big is in the works -- and it may be, I suspect only Bader knows for sure -- the missing piece may negate all that has come before it.

IHRA has got to get a decent television deal.

Sure, it had cable network coverage for its pro classes the last couple of years on a combination of Speedvision (2000, 2001) and TNN (nitro classes and Pro Mods only in 2001), but these were always tape-delayed shows, sometimes weeks or even months after the event. I know the theory was that in 2001 at least, the shows were on at a predictable time on a given day over a series of consecutive weeks, thus giving fans a chance to plan their viewing. But in this era of instant information, the impact and interest of a tape-delayed sporting event just doesn't make the cut. And maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the goal of TV coverage is to expose the sport and build a wider fan base; I just don't see how the old arrangement did anything but satisfy the die-hards who already counted themselves among the IHRA faithful.

And the commitment of these networks to IHRA has to be questioned. For the last two years there were no TV cameras in attendance at the season-ending events, where champions were crowned at Rockingham and Shreveport, respectively, because both races were rain-postponed and the networks couldn't find it in their means to provide even a marginal presence. How's that for rewarding those few souls who actually did plan to follow the series on TV all the way through the season?

Regardless, as disappointing as the last couple of seasons of television coverage has been (though to be fair, I think the productions themselves were improving almost every time out), the IHRA has an even bigger problem heading into the 2002 national event campaign -- it has no TV contract in place!

Will scenes like this continue next year? No television package was in place just 15 weeks before the first IHRA national event of 2002.

As recently as Dec. 1, high-ranking IHRA officials confirmed this concerning situation, saying only that, "Bill says there will be a show and it'll be bigger and better than ever." Let's hope so, but with the new season set to begin Mar. 22-24 at Rockingham Dragway, there's not a lot of time left to ink a deal. And I have to wonder what network is even able or desires to broadcast IHRA drag racing.

TNN? No, because the renamed National Network clearly wants out of motorsports programming as it has already axed its World of Outlaws coverage and remains committed to ASA stock cars only to satisfy the last year of a contract. ESPN/ESPN2? Not likely, since the NHRA is already there. Speedvision (soon to be Speed Channel)? Maybe, although in an "Open Letter to Speedvision Viewers," posted Nov. 30 to speedvision.com, Speed Channel President Jim Liberatore described the planned line-up for 2002 and IHRA (or any drag racing, for that matter) was conspicuously absent. That could change, of course, as Liberatore even emphasized his list "is not meant to be complete or represent our entire schedule." Still, it's certainly not encouraging for IHRA fans or racers.

So, what's left? Is IHRA going to wind up on some obscure cable channel that only a small fraction of Americans receive? Will Canadian fans even have a chance to watch the series on TV in 2002? At this point I guess anything would be better than nothing, especially for those racers who are still seeking sponsors and need some kind of TV exposure to sweeten their sales pitches. They're already in a "need-to-know" situation.

As I said, maybe Bader has something up his sleeve -- it wouldn't be the first time -- and we'll soon see IHRA over the airwaves or on cable systems nationwide. If that happens, I'll be among the first to congratulate him. I'd just like to know about it sooner than later, and I'm betting there's a lot of IHRA sponsors, team owners, drivers, and fans who feel pretty much the same way.

(more stories)

Copyright 1999-2001, Drag Racing Online and Racing Net Source