Hoffart, Soper, Jones look to keep 'wild card' champions streak alive
NORWALK, Ohio (September 21, 2012) – It is one of the most sought after championships in all of drag racing.
Drivers
travel from all across the globe just to have a shot at this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To some it is a lifelong dream just to
qualify. To others winning can change everything. And now the
much-anticipated Summit Racing Equipment SuperSeries presented by AMSOIL
and Moser Engineering is back and will get underway at the Summit
Racing Equipment World Finals October 12-14 at Memphis International
Raceway in Tennessee.
Every
weekend leading up to that weekend at tracks all across the United
States and Canada drivers are doing battle for a coveted spot in the
Summit SuperSeries program at Summit Team Finals events across the
country. But for drivers at tracks outside of the coverage area of a
Team Finals event, they are left waiting for a chance to be selected in
the Summit SuperSeries field via a random drawing for three "wild card"
spots done at the IHRA World Headquarters in Norwalk, Ohio.
Monte Soper has already planned his 4,700 mile trip from Alaska to Memphis for the World Finals
And
from that pool the IHRA has selected three drivers, one each from Top
ET and Mod ET and another from the brand new SuperSeries Junior Dragster
program, to travel to Memphis to compete in the Summit SuperSeries
World Championships. And this year's wild card recipients are Greg
Hoffart from Magic City International Raceway in Minot, N.D., Monte
Soper from Alaska Raceway Park in Palmer, Alaska and Josh Jones from
Rocky Mountain Raceways in Salt Lake City, Utah.
All
three drivers have a long drive ahead of them highlighted by Alaska's
Monte Soper who noted that from his doorstep to Memphis, Tenn. it is
4,700 miles. But all three drivers know that anyone can walk away from
the World Finals a champion with former wild card selections Jonathan
Tromp from Aruba winning in 2004 and Matt Hawk and Chris Hall winning
back-to-back No Box title in 2011 and 2010, both from the "wild card"
spot.
"I
am definitely aware that the wild card drivers have won this thing
before and that really makes you believe it can be you," Soper said. "I
am super excited. This has been a dream of mine since I started racing
to race at the World Finals and I can't wait to get down there."
Soper
is no stranger to winning, taking three of the last four track
championships at Alaska Raceway Park in Mod ET behind the wheel of his
1968 Chevrolet Camaro. Another driver with a lot of experience behind
the wheel is Top ET selection Greg Hoffart. Behind the wheel of his 1994
Horton dragster, Hoffart finished third in points at his local track
and looks forward to traveling to Memphis – a nearly 1,500 mile drive –
to test himself against some of the best in the business.
Greg Hoffart will travel from North Dakota to compete in the 2012 IHRA Summit World Finals
"I
am very excited about this whole deal. I couldn't hardly believe it
when I got the call," Hoffart said. "I have had a pretty decent season. I
run a '94 Horton rear engine dragster with a 598 big block and finished
third in points. My wife and I both race, she runs a '68 Camaro, and we
have a lot of fun doing this drag racing thing and this will be nice
for the both of us.
"Some people go on holidays to a beach or a cabin, we drag race. That is what we love to do."
The
final wild card selection is Josh Jones from Rocky Mountain Raceways in
Utah. Jones will be participating in the brand new Summit SuperSeries
Junior Dragster program looking to be crowned the very first Junior
Dragster world champion. And it wouldn't be the first time a driver from
RMR has been crowned champion as Chris Hall won the No Box title in
2010.
Summit
Racing Equipment, the Official Mail Order Company of IHRA, is the
sponsor of the revolutionary series for IHRA ET bracket racers.
Providing the base for the Summit SuperSeries are the 100 IHRA member
tracks from which thousands of drivers in multiple countries compete.
Each
Summit SuperSeries track champion will square off at their local Summit
Team Finals event in their respective division for the right to travel
to Tennessee and compete for the world championships and their share of
over $200,000 in cash and prizes. The field of Top ET, Mod ET and Junior
Dragster is 16 strong in each class.
Josh Jones will try to become the very first IHRA Junior Dragster world champion
All
qualified entries will receive $1,000 tow money from Summit Racing
Equipment. Payout in Top ET and Mod ET will be $10,000 to the winner,
$7,000 to the runner-up, $2,000 for a trip to the semi-finals and $1,000
for the quarter-final round. In addition, the Top World Champion will
take home a turn-key dragster from American Race Cars complete with a
specially built Trick Flow power plant, in addition to a custom World
Championship Ironman, a trip to Aruba and more. The Mod Champion will
also take home their share of prizes including a custom golf cart,
enclosed trailer, a specialty Ironman and a trip to Aruba. The inaugural
Junior Dragster champion will receive $3,000, a brand new Vic Puglia
dragster with an engine courtesy of Steve Waller at Junior Specialties, a
special Ironman and more.
In
addition, the three champions will also be recognized at the IHRA
awards celebration on the grounds at MIR on Saturday, October 13.
