Words and Photos by Bret Kepner

When the idea was originally conceived for an NHRA National Open to encompass two different geographic Divisions, Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois, had only recently switched sanctions after years of AHRA and IHRA National and Regional events. Through the demise of that original racetrack and the construction of a new facility in 1996, the unique NHRA Spring Sportsman National Open has become a Midwestern drag racing staple through seventeen years of existence.

National Open programs are the first tier of competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Although they rank below the Divisonal series, the Opens still offer every sportsman category on the NHRA roster as well as bracket racing and each eliminator champion earns the treasured “Wally” trophy. NHRA’s hefty contingency program and substantial cash prizes make the events lucrative, as well.

While each of NHRA’s seven geographic divisions hosts at least one National Open, only Gateway’s Spring Sportsman Challenge crosses the divide of two NHRA Divisions for a rare chance in which fans can see racers from a huge area of the nation. Since the boundary between NHRA’s (North Central) Division Three and (West Central) Division Five is the Mississippi River, (conveniently located less than two miles from the GIR starting line), Division Directors Jay Hullinger and Rob Park decided to open each sector’s season with an event which included competitors from an area encompassing Wyoming to Ohio and from Tennessee to Michigan. Combined, Divisions III and V include fifteen states and two provinces of Canada!

Perhaps the greatest attraction of National Opens is the guarantee of one grading point, needed to enter NHRA Full Throttle Events, for each registered driver. Of equal importance at the Spring Sportsman Challenge, however, is the season opener for the eighth-mile Div. III Jeg’s Super Quick Series which annually includes some of the region’s quickest machinery. With a 4.5-second performance maximum, the GIR event boasts a sixty-four car qualified field. In conjunction with Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Super Stock and Stock Eliminators, (not to mention Super Pro and Pro bracket classes and three Junior Dragster categories), it’s an action-packed two-day affair.

Unfortunately, a massive storm front forecasted to hit GIR on raceday forced a tough but fair decision by both the Division Directors and GIR’s new Drag Racing Manager, Rich Schaefer. The call was made to complete the bracket racing program, the special Super Eliminator Shootouts and the Super Quick Series race in the first day of the event. The Super Quick competitors lost one of three scheduled qualifying sessions but still managed to complete two qualifiers and six rounds of eliminations in an eleven-hour period!

The non-qualified fields, (Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Super Stock and Stock), will return to GIR on May 9th to complete the event with another major bracket racing program to be held, as well.