Norwalk, Ohio, May 18, 2011 – Summit Racing Equipment and the International Hot Rod Association are proud to announce that Summit Racing will be the title sponsor of IHRA's Sportsman Spectacular events to be held in July and October.
Created in celebration of IHRA's 40th anniversary season, the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular events will be the two largest and richest sportsman races ever held in IHRA competition. They are scheduled to take place July 8-10 at Maryland International Raceway and October 14-16 at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Open to all racers, and featuring all seven IHRA touring classes, the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular events pay $5,000 to win in each class. All IHRA and valid NHRA memberships, licenses and chassis certifications will be accepted. In addition to the big payout, each event will award national event contingency and an IHRA Ironman. IHRA members who win their classes will earn automatic entry into the Summit Racing Tournament of Champions in October.
"The IHRA has put together two exciting events to celebrate Sportsman Racing this year and Summit Racing is honored to participate" said Jim Greenleaf, Summit Racing Equipments Motorsports and Events Manager. "Sponsoring the Sportsman Spectacular Races along with our other IHRA sportsman programs including the Summit Racing SuperSeries, Pro-Am Series and Tournament of Champions is our way of saying 'thank you' to the sportsman racers who have supported Summit Racing over the years. We expect these events to see the best of the best in sportsman racing for two very exciting weekends of sportsman drag racing."
Both Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular events put IHRA sportsman racers center stage and celebrate 40 years of the best sportsman racing in drag racing.
"These are two of the most anticipated IHRA events. As we celebrate 40 years of great drag racing, we are thrilled to partner with Summit Racing Equipment to bring two of the biggest sportsman races ever to Maryland and Virginia later this year," said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. "We wanted to give back to the racing community with a special race just for them featuring big payouts and lots of extras and open it up to all competitors regardless of where they race. We want to celebrate our great sportsman racers and give new competitors the chance to experience the IHRA for the very first time."
In addition to competition in IHRA's regular Pro-Am classes, the two events will also feature record payouts in Top and Mod and will include a large contingent of Junior Dragsters. Competition in Top, Mod, and Junior Dragster will be open to all competitors regardless of racing affiliation.
The first Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular will take place July 8-10 at the legendary Maryland International Raceway. The second event takes place October 14-16 at Virginia Motorsports Park. The event in Virginia is the last-chance qualifier for the Summit Racing Tournament of Champions which will take place later that weekend.
"We are very fortunate to have a great partner in sportsman racing like Summit Racing. Its commitment to all of IHRA sportsman racing is tremendous," Polburn said.
Summit Racing Equipment started from humble beginnings and has grown into the world's largest mail order automotive performance equipment company. Headquartered in Tallmadge, Ohio, the company has three Retail Store and Distribution Centers in Tallmadge, Ohio, Sparks, Nevada and McDonough, Georgia. Summit Racing Equipment is also one of the biggest supporters of sportsman drag racing in the industry today and continues to find new and inventive ways to show its support each year.
For more information on the Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular events visit www.ihra.com for complete details.
