IHRA World Champions to be crowned at season finale
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (October 2, 2012)
– With a completely renovated facility, a new staff and over $200,000
on the line over the course of one weekend, Memphis International
Raceway and the International Hot Rod Association is thrilled to welcome
the much-anticipated return of championship sportsman drag racing to
one of the nation's premier drag racing facilities.
The
track, located in beautiful Millington, Tenn., will host three full
days of sportsman drag racing at the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment World
Finals October 12-14 featuring three distinct races and the crowning of
champions in all of IHRA's sportsman categories.
And the entire weekend is free to spectators with a special ticket available online only at www.ihra.com.
Memphis International Raceway will be the site of the 2012 IHRA Summit World Finals
"Memphis
International Raceway is honored to be the host track for the 2012 IHRA
Summit Racing Equipment World Finals," Vice President and General
Manager Pam Kendrick stated. "The initial year for the IHRA and MIR
partnership has been very successful and we are thrilled to cap off our
first full season as Memphis International Raceway with the IHRA World
Finals."
In
2011 the World Finals weekend, formerly held in Virginia, attracted
hundreds of racers from 26 states and five Canadian provinces to take
part in sportsman drag racing's biggest weekend. And with the event more
centrally located than ever before, the IHRA is thrilled to be bringing
its biggest weekend of racing yet to Memphis International Raceway to
close out the 2012 season.
"Ever
since Memphis joined the IHRA family we have looked forward to holding
our biggest sportsman race of the year at this incredible facility,"
said Skooter Peaco, IHRA VP of Race Operations. "Memphis is a better
location for our diverse group of racers that will be traveling from all
corners of North America. It is also the perfect location from a
facility perspective for hosting a race of this magnitude. Racers and
fans alike will certainly enjoy the caliber of racing this event
produces year after year."
Featuring
three huge races made up of the best racers in the world, the World
Finals weekend at Memphis International Raceway will include the Summit
Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular open to all racers followed by
the invitation-only Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions and
Summit SuperSeries presented by AMSOIL and Moser Engineering World
Championships all in one incredible weekend.
The International Hot Rod Association's biggest stars will be in Memphis October 12-14
The
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular presented by AMSOIL will
kick off the weekend on Friday, October 12. Only $200 to enter with a
huge payout on the line, winners of the Summit Sportsman Spectacular
will fill the final spots in the Tournament of Champions field plus
collect a $5,000 payday, national event contingency, a special edition
Ironman and more.
The
Summit Sportsman Spectacular is open to both IHRA and NHRA licensed
competitors in Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Super Stock, Stock, Quick
Rod, Super Rod and Hot Rod, however only IHRA members can earn a spot in
the championship tournament. The Sportsman Spectacular also features a
re-entry round for first round losers, however any drivers that fall
into the re-entry round will not be eligible for the TOC.
The
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular will get underway on
Friday, October 12 with time trials beginning at 9 a.m. and the first
round of eliminations beginning immediately after.
On
Saturday, October 13 the Summit Sportsman Spectacular will conclude
with the final round of eliminations as the huge weekend purse of over
$200,000 gets divvied up for the first time.
Immediately
following the Sportsman Spectacular the Summit Tournament of Champions
will get underway with two time runs followed by time trials for the
Summit SuperSeries at 1 p.m. and the Summit SuperSeries World
Championship runoff beginning at 3 p.m.
The
Summit SuperSeries consists of the 32 best grassroots racers in the
world and 16 of the best Junior Dragster competitors coming together to
compete for the Top, Mod and Junior Dragster World Championship and over
$20,000 in cash and prizes. Consisting of the best racers from IHRA
member tracks around the world, the top 16 drivers in each class will
travel to Tennessee to battle it out for three of the most coveted
championships in drag racing today.
You can watch the entire IHRA Summit World Finals LIVE on IHRA.com
Winners
will receive $10,000, plus additional prizes that include a brand new
American Race Cars dragster with a Trick Flow engine, an Aruba vacation
and more for the winner of the Top class, an enclosed trailer, custom
golf cart, Aruba vacation and more for the winner of the Mod class and
$3,000, a brand new Vic Puglia Junior Dragster with an engine courtesy
of Steve Waller at Junior Specialties and more for the Junior Dragster
champ.
The
weekend will conclude with the running of the third annual Summit
Tournament of Champions beginning at 9 a.m. on Sunday, October 14.
The
Summit Tournament of Champions is an invitation-only field consisting
of drivers that have either won a Nitro Jam national event, won a
special TOC qualifier or finished in the top three in their respective
Summit Pro-Am division.
All
year drivers have worked toward this weekend with a chance to be
crowned a world champion and take home $10,000, a special championship
Ironman and the coveted No. 1 for their machine for the following year.
In
addition to all of the championship drag racing, the IHRA will hold its
annual Awards Celebration at 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 13 on the
grounds at MIR. The Awards Celebration will honor the drivers of the
Summit Pro-Am Tour and Summit SuperSeries and will feature the handing
out of all of IHRA's special awards including the coveted Sportsman of
the Year "hall of fame" award and the Sportsman Driver of the Year
performance award.
For more information on the World Finals weekend at Memphis International Raceway the weekend of October 12-14 visit www.ihra.com for complete details, schedules and more.
Weekend At A Glance…
WHAT: IHRA Summit Racing Equipment World Finals
WHERE: Memphis International Raceway
WHEN: October 12-14
CONTACT: 5500 Victory Lane, Millington, TN 38053 / (901) 358-7274
IHRA SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT WORLD FINALS SCHEDULE
Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Spectacular presented by AMSOIL
FRIDAY: Time Runs (2) @ 9 a.m.; Eliminations Following Time Runs; Re-Entry Round Following Eliminations
SATURDAY: Conclusion @ 9 a.m.
Summit Racing Equipment SuperSeries presented by AMSOIL and Moser Engineering
SATURDAY: Time Runs (2) @ 1 p.m.; Eliminations @ 3 p.m.
Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions presented by AMSOIL
SATURDAY: Time Runs (1) Following Sportsman Spectacular Finals
SUNDAY: Time Runs (1) @ 9 a.m.; Eliminations Following Time Runs
