Summit Racing Equipment, IHRA increase Pro-Am Tour prestige by adding more cash, more exclusivity
Summit Pro-Am Tour now the only path to the Tournament of Champions
NORWALK, Ohio (December 27, 2012)
– The very backbone of the International Hot Rod Association is the
sportsman racer. And nowhere are those racers featured more prominently
than within the battleground of the Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour
presented by AMSOIL.
Already
one of the most prestigious programs within the IHRA, thanks to Summit
Racing Equipment who have renewed their commitment to sportsman racers
by signing a multiyear deal to return as sponsor of the program, the
Pro-Am Tour just got a whole lot more exciting.
In
2013 the IHRA and Summit Racing Equipment are adding more cash and more
exclusivity to the program by increasing the payout to win a Pro-Am
championship, adding payout through third place in each division and
making the Pro-Am Tour the only path through which to earn a berth in
the Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions presented by AMSOIL.
Beginning
next season the only way a driver can earn a spot in the Tournament of
Champions is by finishing in the top three in their respective division
on the Summit Pro-Am Tour. Individual race winners will no longer earn
an automatic tournament bid, instead focusing all championship
aspirations on those racers that chase points on the Pro-Am Tour and
enjoy season-long success essentially making every Pro-Am event a TOC
qualifier.
Most
all Nitro Jam national events will continue to feature double Pro-Ams
with increased contingency, payout and a national event Ironman
available on the final day of Nitro Jam, but only those chasing points
on the Pro-Am Tour will be eligible for the year-end championship
tournament. All divisions will continue to feature double Pro-Ams with
the exception of the Raiders Division, however a few races within that
division will experiment with the extremely popular double format.
To
further enhance the prestige of the tour each Pro-Am champion will
receive an increased payout of $2,000. Champions will also receive an
IHRA Ironman and an IHRA Gold Card. Pro-Am championship runners-up will
continue to receive $500, while drivers that finish in third place in
their division will now receive $250. All drivers that finish in the top
three will also earn a ticket to the Summit Racing Equipment World
Finals to compete for the World Championship.
"Since
its inception over a decade ago the Summit Pro-Am Tour has grown into
our preeminent sportsman championship series," said IHRA President Aaron
Polburn. "We have seen it grow from a regional racing series to a
program that has multiple divisions covering nearly every corner of
North America. Next year we want to continue to add even more benefit to
the racers that run the series by increasing payouts and making it the
exclusive path to the Tournament of Champions.
"We
are excited about the changes to the series and we think these changes
will benefit our Pro-Am racers and add even more incentive for new
racers to find out what this program is really all about."
All
other Pro-Am rules and guidelines will continue to be in effect. For
more information on the 2013 Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour
presented by AMSOIL visit www.ihra.com/SummitProAmTour.
