Racers looking for a little more action and a little more time in the spotlight will get their wish at all Nitro Jam/Pro-Am combination events in 2013. 

Beginning with the San Antonio Nitro Jam in April the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) has announced a new qualifying schedule that will give all participants a round of qualifying on Friday night just prior to the Nitro Jam professional rounds at all Nitro Jam/ Pro-Am events. 

The move will place sportsman racers center stage Friday night during the opening round of Nitro Jam and will cut down on Saturday’s schedule to better allow for an earlier finish with all finals scheduled to be run during Saturday’s Nitro Jam finale. Saturday winners will also receive a special-edition Nitro Jam Ironman and increased contingency.

   The new qualifying setup will put IHRA racers centerstage at all Nitro Jam/Pro-Am events

“We are always looking for ways to incorporate our incredibly talented sportsman racers as part of the Nitro Jam show and we felt that this is a perfect way to put our racers in the spotlight while also ensuring that sportsman eliminations don’t run late into the night on Saturday,” said Skooter Peaco, IHRA Vice President. “This will give us an opportunity to showcase our racers Friday night and also allow us to better manage Saturday’s schedule so that the final rounds can be seen by the thousands of Nitro Jam fans.  

“After watching entry patterns last year 90 percent of the competitors are already on the property Friday evening anyway so really it is a win-win for everyone.” 

Racers will get one round of qualifying on Friday prior to the Nitro Jam professional rounds and one additional round of qualifying Saturday morning at all Nitro Jam/Pro-Am combination events. Eliminations for Saturday’s race will take place throughout the day with the semifinals and finals being included as part of the Nitro Jam show Saturday night. 

Sunday’s Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am presented by AMSOIL race will be run as originally scheduled.  

The new qualifying schedule will begin at the San Antonio Nitro Jam April 5-7 at San Antonio Raceway and will be in effect at the Bradenton, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Grand Bend, Martin and Memphis Nitro Jam events. 

For more information on the 2013 IHRA Summit Pro-Am and Nitro Jam schedules please visit www.ihra.com .