Recently IHRA bought Memphis raceway, Maple Grove and today they announced they have purchased Heartland park in Topeka!

My understanding was Memphis and Topeka were closed for good and they are bringing them back. That sure sounds serious to me.

This may just work out better than we expected.

That Cuttell fella must have some very deep pockets, or some good friends in the Finance business.

I appreciate what he is doing with the IHRA. So many national records were set at HPT, (First 4 second FC run, 1st 300 MPH FC run), including the fastest run in NHRA history just this year, (Brittany Force's 345.51 MPH), it was sad to see it destroyed.
On a personal note, I got my first Sportsman eliminator win there 27 years ago.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: FootbrakeJim,

Big question is, are they going to stay with strictly 1/8 mile racing in all classes. Topeka, Memphis and Maple Grove all can run 1/4 safety.
I can see it as a cost saving deal for the fuel cars, but all the sportsman need to be 1/4 mile if the track is capable of it IMO

quote:

Originally posted by Big Steve:
Big question is, are they going to stay with strictly 1/8 mile racing in all classes. Topeka, Memphis and Maple Grove all can run 1/4 safety.
I can see it as a cost saving deal for the fuel cars, but all the sportsman need to be 1/4 mile if the track is capable of it IMO

Yes, I think they announced at PRI that all IHRA racing in all classes will be 1/8 mile.

I used to be all about 1/4-mile racing, but over 10 years ago I started going to the so-called dark side of liking 1/8th mile racing. Now, I prefer 1/8th mile & one of the reasons I'm going back to racing S/Pro. I wish more racing out West was 1/8th mile, but I think it's slowly going that direction. Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

I thought the below read was a good one.

https://competitionplus.com/ih...cing-with-its-roots/

2BKING

I figure the insurance savings are substantial in the 1/8 vs 1/4 mile racing.
If that's all there is I am ok with it.

I expect Little Chief is correct about the insurance cost. In our Northeast Texas region, 1/8 is the only option. So, it's an easy decision. Consider that 1/8 offers additional cost savings. Fuel, maintenance, safety, all good things.

Like posted above, Little Chief, myself, and many of our racing connections grew up with 1/4 racing, so it is true, we can learn new tricks.

In fact, the record shows, we are overall tricky racers.

I too was a 1/4 mile racer for many years.
I don't know if it is part of getting older, or just getting used to it, but I have grown to really enjoy racing the 1/8th mile.
Sure, it does not have the same thrill of the higher speed at the stripe, (although I have seen some guys like Big Steve put up some blistering MPH on the short track). But it is a different game, some different strategies come into play, and personally I find a lot less gamesmanship happening in eighth-mile racing, probably because there is less time to fool around. And like Little Chief said, "If that's all there is I am ok with it".
SIDE NOTE: Some fellow racers in the Topeka area who seem to be connected (and excited) with the "yet to be announced" track management team, have said that the IHRA plans to allow many/most of their 1/4 mile-capable tracks to operate their local bracket programs as they see fit, (excluding the IHRA specific events), including the possibility of racing 1/4 mile.

Just heard IHRA is buying the Rockingham circle track. How true...I don't know.

The Rockingham drag strip is NHRA and the circle track uses that for parking and air craft landings when they run....also NHRA has moved the Zmax races to Rockingham at least for 2026. What would IHRA do with that little used circle track?