12/31/2024
IHRA Events
Track Partner Proflle: Quaker City Motorsports Park
SALEM, OH, USA — Quaker City Motorsports Park continues to be one of the most successful grassroots tracks in North America.
The Northeast Ohio track brings in plenty of racers from the Buckeye State as well as those from neighboring Pennsylvania and West Virginia. They have fostered a true family atmosphere as the team from QCMP has won the last three IHRA Division 3 (North Stars) Team Finals.
Since the Fox family took over the facility in 2011, there have been numerous upgrades with the latest being more areas getting paved in the pits and making the fueling area more convenient.
They have a tremendous staging area with 14 lanes which can hold 25 cars each. That’s room for 350 cars. But, it remains a great place to spend the weekend thanks to the efforts of promoter A.J. Fox and his family.
“Everyone here is close knit as it’s such a friendly race track,” Fox said. “It’s competitive, but a place where everyone wants to win on everyone’s best day. It’s a different atmosphere than you see at a lot of tracks.”
The track has been home to 2017 IHRA SuperSeries World Champion Chris Black and 2020 World Champion Joe Tharp Jr. Two racers from Quaker City — Bruce Tharp Jr. in Sportsman and Junior Dragster winner Ryan Roberts — made the finals at the Race of Champions at the 2024 IHRA SuperSeries World Finals.
Quaker City racers also performed exceptionally well in the IHRA Division 3 Team Finals which they hosted. Mark Miller was the winner in No Box with Joe Tharp Jr. the Sportsman champion. In a special Teen Championship race, Liam Miller was victorious. The best part for Fox was seeing the team title.
“We’ve grown where it’s a strong team, a big family,” Fox said. “Winning the bracket finals four of the last five years shows where our camaraderie is excellent.”
The vibe is excellent as well as drivers from Canada to Florida have stopped by to race with them. As for the regulars, Mike Donnell (Box), Nick Schecklehoff (No Box), Bruce Tharp Jr. (Sportsman) and Brianna Thornton (Jr. Dragster) were Quaker City track representatives at the IHRA SuperSeries World Finals.
The IHRA’s commitment to grassroots, Sportsman racing ties in perfectly with Quaker City’s philosophy.
“This is a grassroots style track, always going to be while we’re here,” Fox said. “We want it to remain a place that stays friendly and everyone enjoys themselves. We’re going to continue to build bracket racing and our index racing program.”
For more about Quaker City Motorsports Park, check out the track's Facebook page.
Submitted By: Jeff Birchfield
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