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IHRA 2008 SEASON OPENER TO BE RUN ON 1/8TH MILE; MORE TO FOLLOW IN 2009
As the Agent foretold, the IHRA has seen the benefit of eighth-mile drag racing. San Antonio Raceway will be the site of a historical season opener as the IHRA will host its first scheduled eighth-mile national event. The Amalie Oil Texas Nationals will take place April 4-6, 2008, bringing IHRA racing to the eighth-mile strip for the third time ever.
Track conditions caused two events on the ‘07 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule to be switched from quarter-mile events to the eighth mile and the response from fans, sponsors and racers opened IHRA officials’ eyes to the possibility of scheduling a race under this format.
“Last season we really learned something in San Antonio,” IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. “While the quarter-mile has been the standard drag race for a long time, we learned an eighth-mile national event is a viable, exciting format. The buzz and excitement the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals generated caused us to take a good, hard look at this format. We’re very excited to grow this race and build our eighth-mile national event slate in the future.”
Polburn was alluding to the 2009 schedule when speaking of more eighth-mile national events in the future. Pittsburgh Raceway Park in Western Pennsylvania has begun a $2 million facelift and will host a Knoll Gas Nitro Jam eighth-mile event in June 2009.
“We are very excited about the possibilities in the Pittsburgh market,” Polburn said. “It is a great area full of extremely passionate sports fans. The Tedesco’s have done an incredible job of turning that track into one of our most treasured venues on the Summit Pro-Am circuit and we want to better utilize Pittsburgh Raceway Park. This is a win-win
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The 2008 IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule is: April 4-6 at San Antonio, TX; April 18-20 at Rockingham, NC; May 23-25 at Milan, MI; July 4-6 at Edmonton, Alberta; July 18-20 at Grand Bend, Ontario; Aug. 1-3 at Martin, MI; Aug. 22-24 at Tulsa, OK; Sept. 5-7 at Epping, NH; Sept. 19-21 at Toronto, Ontario; Oct. 3-5 at Budds Creek, MD; and Oct. 17-19 at Rockingham, NC. (DRO file photo) [10/19/2007]
NHRA RACE DAY TO AIR COUNTDOWN SPECIAL
There will be a special edition of NHRA Race Day to preview the “Countdown to 1.” Featured interviews include Tony Pedregon, Rod Fuller, Greg Anderson and Andrew Hines. The show, hosted by David Rieff with analysis from Mike Dunn, will air Sunday, Oct. 21, at 11 a.m. (ET) and originate in-studio from ESPN Regional Television in Charlotte, NC.
Charlotte, eh? Hmmm. [10/19/2007]
