Contingency Connection guarantees $50,000 to $100,000 in national weekly contingency awards to each member race track and series. Additionally, Contingency Connection offers midseason awards and banquet awards with no added fees for members. Racers simply run decals of sponsors with products they use (or would like to use) to win valuable manufacturer discount coupon awards.

“From a promoter’s perspective, we provide an all-inclusive weekly awards program and the tools to help them make their national contingency program successful.” Jackie Ressa owner of Contingency Connection explained, “In turn,  Contingency Connection serves as a “marketing arm” for manufacturers allowing them to be present at grassroots racetracks throughout the nation.” 

Contingency Connection includes nearly 100 racetracks (considering traveling series), hosting 1,500 events reaching 18,000 racers weekly. Prominent IHRA-sanctioned tracks such as Bunker Hill Dragstrip, Lassiter Mountain Dragway and Roxboro Motorsports Park are among those enrolled. The program also spans a variety of racing from paved tracks, dirt tracks, drift, and drag racing.

Instead of individual award certificates, Contingency Connection provides Racer Rewards Books full of manufacturer product discounts. Member tracks & series are not required to give the Racer Rewards book to an event winner, “Some tracks may present the Racer Rewards book as a hard-luck award to somebody who went out in the first round,” Ressa explained. “The program is more effective when track owners allow the awards to trickle down through the ranks to as many racers as possible.”

Watch for more information about upcoming Contingency Connection and IHRA promotions.

About Contingency Connection

Contingency Connection, the leading grassroots race-marketing and sponsorship platform in North America 30 yearsrunning, delivers national sponsorship to local racetracks & series, while providing an affordable and effective approach for manufacturers to reach target end-users. The Racer Rewards program and the AERA sponsored Engine Professional & Performance Shops Rewards program connect racers, fans, tracks, engine builders, and performance shops with sponsors, manufacturers, and suppliers. Racing includesStreet, Dirt, Paved, Drag, Drift, Grudge, Motorcycle, Drag n Drive, and more. For more information and a list of sponsors & tracks visitwww.ContingencyConnection.com.

There are exciting opportunities for racers who can gain entry to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering by winning the main event in the Super Pro (Box), Pro (No Box), Sportsman, Pro Bike and Junior Dragster classes in conjunction with entering at least two other IHRA races (an IHRA-member track Summit SuperSeries team race or Sportsman Spectacular) before the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. Current IHRA membership is required. 

Each event is tailored to the host track’s racing programs with a $5,000-to-win top prize and $100 entry fee in the Super Pro (Box) class. The Pro (No Box) class features $1,000 to the winner and a $40 entry. It’s $300 for the Sportsman winner with a $30 entry fee. Pro Bike pays $500 to the winner and $50 to enter. The  Junior Dragster class pays back 100 percent of entry with the winner to get an IHRA Ironman and the runner-up to take home an IHRA plaque.

Shelby Thurman (Super Pro), Brady Mase (Pro), Jordan Echols (Sportsman), Billy Warren Jr. (Motorcycle) and Bailey Benda (Junior Dragster) won the IHRA Sportsman Spectacular presented by Moser races at Music City Raceway in 2023. 

Spectator admission is $15 with kids 12-under admitted free. Gates open at 2 p.m. with time runs to follow. Eliminations begin at 6 p.m.

Click here for the Music City Raceway webpage. Be sure to be a part of the action at these and other great IHRA events. Click here for the IHRA membership center or call Heather at (85) JOIN-IHRA. IHRA President Mel Roth and Division Director Cody Pollage will also be on hand to assist you with chassis certifications and memberships.

No wonder it was such a great showing with drivers competing for IHRA Ironman trophies, the popular oversized checks and commemorate medals in addition to their winnings. Some IHRA member drivers earned entry into the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering.

Clayton Mitchell in Super Pro (Box), Charlie Lockhart in Pro (No Box) William Joiner in Sportsman, John Markham in Motorcycle and Copeland Reed in Junior Dragster won in classes represented at the IHRA World Finals. Wyatt Bradley in Teen Street and Emily Cruz in Powder Puff also scored victories.

Mitchell was double-entered in his dragster in the Super Pro class and won both his semifinal matchups. Mitchell had a run of 4.606 seconds at 150.25 mph to win one semifinal and he went 4.617 seconds at 150.15 mph.

Lockhart was right on his 6.02 dial-in with a 6.026-second pass at 112.11 mph in his Chevy S-10 pickup to take the No Box win. He ad a slightly better start, .026 to .035, than Joiner, who was runner-up in this class. Joiner broke out with a 7.577 seconds at 89.78 mph on a 7.60 dial-in.

Joiner had a good launch in his Chevy Camaro in the Sportsman final. He had the .020 to .058 advantage at the tree over Mitch Reed. Joiner went 7.594 seconds at 89.25 on a 7.58 dial-in. Reed had a 7.44 dial-in and posted a 7.41-second pass at 93.15 mph.

Copeland Reed had an even better result than his father with his Junior Dragster victory. He had an 8.959-second elapsed time at 71.25 mph against an 8.93 dial with a .030 start. Hope Capley was slightly quicker than her 7.94 dial-in going 7.932 seconds at 82 mph long with a .050 reaction time.

Markham matched Mitchell’s efforts as he also won both semifinal races. His winning package in the first semifinal included a 6.122-second pass at 112 mph and a .019 reaction time. He wasn’t as quick at the tree .060 in the second race, but went down the 1/8-mile in 6.068 seconds at 112.53 mph for the victory.

Wyatt Bradley had the better start to capture the Ironman trophy for the Teen Street class. He took advantage of a .105 to .200 advantage at the starting line and then raced down the track in 9.591 seconds at 72.53 mph against a 9.56 dial-in. Spencer Pate was runner-up despite a good run of 9.094 seconds at 72.80 against a 9.08 dial-in.

Emily Cruz scored her first win in five years with her vintage GMC pick-up truck in the Powder Puff race. She won on a holeshot .064 to .165 over Brittany Lockhart, the wife of current IHRA No Box World Champion Wesley Lockhart. Cruz posted a run of 7.225 seconds at 89.96 mph with a 7.18 dial-in. Lockhart was close to her 6.47 dial-in with a 6.471-second run at 104 mph.

In addition to the awesome racing on Mother’s Day weekend, it was a fantastic atmosphere thanks to the Gleason Raceway Park staff. From the gate to the track and a variety of tasty concessions helped provide a great experience for the racers.

The IHRA Sportsman Spectacular presented by Moser Engineering will make its debut at Kil-Kare Raceway in Ohio this weekend. IHRA President Mel Roth and Division Director Christopher Eager are scheduled to be there. Click here to visit the IHRA membership center or call 85-JOIN-IHRA to take full advantage of the all the benefits of being an IHRA member.

Since then, Roberts has upgraded to a 2023 RayAlan Race Car. Her dad and another fellow Texan, six-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Erica Enders, are her racing heroes. Buell Motorsports, Fox Air & Heat and RayAlan Race Cars are sponsors.

She’s involved in volleyball and calls science her favorite school subject. Her favorite parts of racing are the competition, making friends and going fast. Makenzie’s racing plans after Junior Dragsters are to move up to Super Comp and one day into Pro Stock.

Keep looking at the IHRA.com website and our social media channels as more Junior racers are highlighted in the coming weeks.

Around the same time she joined Hope 4 Autism, Johnson got involved in a competition with Car Chix which celebrates women in motorsports. Johnson promised if she was one of the winners of the competition and featured in the Car Chix calendar, she would do this race for a cause that’s near and dear to her heart.

“I ended up placing in the top 12 and from that, we’re going to do a big drag race and raise money,” Johnson said. “I thought it would be a one-time thing. We did our first event the following April, which is Autism Awareness Month and the beginning of the drag racing season in Missouri. We were very blessed that first year and over the years it’s grown where a lot of people know us from Autos 4 Autism.”

Through the Car Chix competition, she met and formed a close friendship with IHRA Director of Racer Relations Staci Kettles who has become a huge supporter of the Autos 4 Autism event. Johnson praised Kettles and the staff at Bonne Terre Drag Strip for all they’ve done to help the program.

“I was a spectator at Bonne Terre when it was a sand drags track,” Johnson said. “Jarrod Keen, who is the track owner, made it into the paved 1/8-mile drag strip it is today. Jarrod has been beyond a blessing and his staff have been amazing. They promote it and everybody asks about it. Staci grew up a drag racer and she has always welcomed me with open arms. She’s helped us so much.”

Johnson was pleasantly surprised how others in the racing community embraced the event. She laughs when looking back at the first flyer that she describes as thrown together on a word document. Now, they’ve got a separate Facebook page devoted to Autos 4 Autism, while the Hope 4 Autism website gives greater detail about the overall program.

Prior to her involvement, Johnson was a corporate trainer for a large insurance company. She became involved in the cause through one of her best friends who co-founded Hope 4 Autism. She was there with her friend whose child was diagnosed with autism and saw how it affected families financially.

She cited a case of a service dog for the child and how fast the expenses added up. The support is greatly needed as it’s quickly revealed those with autism often have a specific talent or ability that can be tapped into. The program, which serves teens and young adults, helps find the ways they learn and the areas they excel at.

They’re empowered through vocational and social opportunities to help them lead a fuller life. There are different ways you can get involved in supporting this great program.

Click here to check out the Autos 4 Autism Facebook page with plenty of fantastic photos from this great event. Also check out the Hope 4 Autism website for more information about this program. 

Bonne Terre Drag Strip has more great events coming up. Keep up with the latest news here on the track’s Facebook page.

“This adds recognition to our track, and we’re proud to fly the IHRA colors,” track promoter Jeff Shirk said. “We know the IHRA has been looking to expand and we’re happy to help in that area.”

The three tracks are working together to promote a big shootout for their racers at the end of the season. Matter of fact, it was the relationship with Eagle Field track operator Rocky Phillips that sparked the interest of Kingdon Drags and IHRA. Shirk and Phillips go way back as Shirk helped train him on the track’s former timing system.

Shirk is currently working on a new timing system at Kingdon Drags, which has its biggest event in September. The 18th annual Return to Kingdon Drags is the track’s largest event of the season. The 2023 edition featured an arm-drop, test-and-tune and The Beast Jet Dragster on Friday, an open timed test-and-tune on Saturday, followed by opening ceremonies and a Nitro Cackle Fest. Sunday’s schedule included another test-and-tune, opening ceremonies and final eliminations.

They always try to pay homage to the early days of racing as Shirk explained some at the track are into the old-school, heads-up racing and others who like the time slips.

“Our September event, we start with the arm drop, move to the timers and finish with a bracket, dial-in,” Shirk said. “The Return to Kingdon Drags Reunion is always the big race, but we have some smaller ones too.”

The Kingdon strip was built in the early 1940s by the military and used as a training facility for pilots. Bob Cress, a Stockton police officer, converted the use to a drag strip as a way to get illegal racing off the streets and provide them with a safer and legal alternative.

“Big Daddy” Don Garlits debuted the “Swamp Rat” at Kingdon in 1959 and the facility became an operational airport again in the 1970s. Shirk held his first race at Kingdon in 2006, honoring the racers who drove there in the past. For the races, they fence it off and bring in the portable pieces like a full barrier to host the races.

They are good neighbors for the community and have used proceeds from the races to donate to military organizations. The racing can get serious as Shirk recounted how one driver got his  wheels so far up at the start, it destroyed the transmission and everything else when the car came down.

Shirk is serious about spraying and prepping the track to make it the best for the racers, while they also create a great family atmosphere. Several vendors come in to provide food options including a nice selection of desserts. They also work hard to bring in sponsors which include Premier Pools, United Rentals and Teichert Construction.

For more information about Kingdon Drags, click here to look at the track’s Facebook page. Welcome to all the new California racers. Make sure you take advantage of becoming an IHRA member as it’s fast and easy to join.

Click here to visit the IHRA membership center. You may also call 85.JOIN.IHRA where our friendly IHRA membership coordinator Heather Roth can take you through the process of getting you on track.

Racers in Box, No Box, Sportsman, Motorcycle and Junior Dragster classes will compete for prestigious IHRA Ironman trophies and the very popular oversized championship checks. IHRA members will also be in the running for limited-edition Sportsman Spectacular commemorative medals.

There are exciting opportunities for racers who can gain entry to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering by winning the main event in the Box, No Box, Sportsman, Motorcycle and Junior Dragster classes in conjunction with entering at least two other IHRA races (an IHRA-member track Summit SuperSeries team race or Sportsman Spectacular) before the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. Current IHRA membership is required.

Each event is tailored to the host track’s racing programs with a $5,000-to-win top prize and $100 entry fee in the Super Pro (Box) class. The Pro (No Box) class features $1,200 to the winner and a $55 entry. It’s $750 for the Sportsman winner with a $45 entry fee. Motorcycle pays $400 to the winner and $45 to enter. The  Junior Dragster winner will get 45 percent of the entry fees and the runner-up receives 25 percent. 

Gates open at 10 a.m. with time trials to start at 11 a.m. Spectator tickets are $15 each with kids 10-under admitted free. Click here to check out the Facebook page for Kil-Kare Raceway for this and other exciting events like this Saturday’s Quick 16 Dragster and Door Car races.

Be sure to take advantage of all the benefits of being an IHRA member. Click here to visit our membership or call 85.JOIN.IHRA where IHRA membership coordinator Heather Roth helps to make it easy getting you on track.

Through the IHRA Sportsman Spectacular, racers have more opportunities than ever before to qualify for the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering. In addition, they will compete for prestigious IHRA Ironman trophies and the very popular oversized championship checks. IHRA members will also be in the running for limited-edition Sportsman Spectacular commemorative medals.

Racers can gain entry to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals presented by Strange Engineering by winning the main event in the Box, No Box, Sportsman, Motorcycle and Junior Dragster classes in conjunction with entering at least two other IHRA races (an IHRA-member track Summit SuperSeries team race or Sportsman Spectacular) before the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. 

Current IHRA membership is required, and each event is tailored to the host track’s racing programs. Here’s a little about each track.

Gleason Raceway Park in Gleason, TN has been transformed under the leadership of the Northup family. They’ve done work from one end of the track to the other. The launch pad has been reworked and they’ve added to the shutdown area. See the flyer below for this weekend’s races.

Kil-Kare Raceway in Xenia, OH has a rich history in motorsports at both the drag strip and oval track. The dragway, which first opened in 1959, has seen legendary stars such as “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, “TV” Tommy Ivo and Bob Glidden race down the drag strip. Here is the flyer for their upcoming race.

Dragway 42 in West Salem, OH is recognized as one of the finest drag strips in the country. It has hosted major IHRA races in recent years including the Division 3 (North Stars) Summit Team Finals and the IHRA Sportsman Spectacular. They have several other big events throughout the year including the Dragway 42 Music Festival.

Music City Raceway in Goodlettsville, TN, a suburb of Nashville, even has a guitar dragster on wheels as its logo. Their racers were some of the most successful in the country at the 2023 IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals with Kane Austin racing to the Motorcycle championship and Jonah Allen winning the Race of Champions. They had four racers finish in the national top 10 standings.

Make sure you’re ready to take advantage of all the benefits of competing in these events, like being eligible for contingency bonuses as an IHRA member. Click here to visit our membership or call 85.JOIN.IHRA where IHRA membership coordinator Heather Roth will help make the process smooth and easy.

The International Hot Rod Association would like to thank all the racers, crews, sponsors and others who showed up to support the event. We also want to give a shout out to those who watched yesterday’s Gamblers races and today’s live broadcast on the IHRA-TV channel on YouTube.

Action is scheduled to return to Darlington Dragway with a test-and-tune on Wednesday and the Spring Blast Off next Friday and Saturday. The IHRA has more Hot Rod Classic races coming up at Muncie Dragway, Kuhnle Motorsports Park and Alabama International Dragway.

Thanks to IHRA Hot Rod Classic sponsors Don Baskin Trucking LLC, M&M Transmission, Extreme Racing Oils, Stroud Safety, Hoosier Racing Tire, and TMF Metal Solutions for their support throughout the weekend.

Bilton drove his blue Chevrolet Vega GT down the track in 6.075 seconds at 108.93 mph in the Box Gamblers victory. Bryce Pittman was runner-up in his white Chevrolet Camaro, posting a run of 5.956 seconds at 116.40 mph. Bilton had the .008 to .016 advantage at the tree.

There were more victories for the Bowtie Brigade as the No Box final saw Keir drive to the win in his silver Chevy S-10 pickup despite Ross Freeman getting a .024 to.039 better start. Keir finished in 6.769 seconds at 100.04 mph. Freeman roared down the drag strip in 5.877 seconds at 111.58 mph in his white Chevy Nova.

Jackson was the winner in his red, white and blue patriotic-themed Junior Dragster with a 7.905-second pass at 83.91 mph coupled with a .015 reaction time. Braydon Crayton had a great start at .007, but came up just short with his 8.921-second elapsed time at 72.25 mph.

After eliminations, more fun ensued with the golf cart and pit bike race. In a battle of two wheels, Morgan rode his bike to the win over Robert Holton.

You can click here to check out the IHRA-TV channel on YouTube to watch the action from the Gamblers' race.