2 MIKE DUNN IHRA President We’re closing in on the end of the 2017 IHRA season, and wow – what a year it’s been with some great racing! We’ve definitely had our challenges with the weather, but thanks to Skooter Peaco, Mike Baker and our division directors for being proactive and making the schedule adjustments before racers begin traveling to the race tracks. After multiple attempts to reschedule the June State Capitol Raceway event in Baton Rouge, we ended up having no choice but to cancel the event because of all the rain they’ve had in that region this year. And that brings me to Houston, Beaumont, Port Arthur and western Louisiana – the disaster caused by Hurricane Harvey last month is something we’ve never seen before. Then Hurricane Irma made history affecting the entire state of Florida and parts of the Southeast. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by these terrible tragedies. To our racers who live in those regions, I know I speak for the entire IHRA family when I say we’re thinking about you and pulling for you! By the time you receive this digital magazine, we should have completed our final race weekend of the Summit Sportsman National Championship at Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio. Here in early September, I’m really looking forward to awarding some coveted Ironman Trophies as our partners at Summit Racing Equipment award $15,000 championship prizes, and it will be interesting to find out which two champions win a vacation on the island of Aruba. Congratulations to Dominic Blasco and his team at Cordova International Raceway on completing a great World Series of Drag Racing presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts and special thanks to Royce Miller for his help in Cordova. Excellent crowds watched exciting action as three-time Top Fuel World Champion Larry Dixon and two-time World Champion Del Worsham headlined the nitro classes. I was honored to be the co-grand marshal with my former crew chief Roland Leong. Thanks to the entire Quad-Cities region and the official resort of the World Series, the Rhythm City Casino & Resort for their hospitality. And finally, it was a great season for IHRA Drag Racing in Australia. The 400 Thunder Series and IHRA Australia had records on the race track with the quickest racing ever and in the stands setting new marks for spectators. Drag Racing in Australia definitely has a bright future! That’s all for now – see you at the track! Publications Ignite2X Managing Editor Jeff Birchfield Photography BME Photography Contributing Writers Rob Goodman, Michael Dunn, Skooter Peaco Advertising Sales Dana Landry Art/Creative Ignite2X, Ashley Partenza TM Chief Financial Officer Lou Partenza President Michael Dunn Vice President Skooter Peaco Director of New Business & Industry Relations Dana Landry Director of Public Relations Jeff Birchfield Digital Marketing & Strategy Manager Ashley Partenza Director of Creative Marketing Manfred Eissner Membership Coordinator Bobby Carville Senior Director of Competition and Racing Operations Mike Baker Divisional Directors Josh Peake, Jon O’Neal & Frank Kohutek Special Advisor For Track Development Phil Gingerich The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) is owned and operated by IRG Sports + Entertainment™, a TPG Specialty Lending company. The IHRA promotes professional and sportsman racing for drivers of all levels. The IHRA sanctions nearly 100 motorsport facilities in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Bahama’s and welcomes 80,000 racers annually to their IHRA- sanctioned facilities. The IHRA oversees multiple sportsman racing programs including the Summit Sportsman National Championship and the Summit Racing Equipment SuperSeries. AT THE STARTING LINE with IHRA President Mike Dunn