Remember when the only event of any significance at most national-event tracks was their annual or semi-annual NHRA or IHRA national event. Those races almost promoted themselves. They were, for most fans, “must see” events and often the cost of attending wasn’t a factor. These days many national-event facilities are open 10 months or more a year and they have some sort of motorized “you can’t miss this freak show” event/race every other weekend. For the occasional drag racing fan that means an NHRA or IHRA national event is just another “special” on the motorsports menu. Somehow the major sanctioning bodies need to change their fans’ and the elite media’s perception that drag racing national events are unique. It will take more than a few flashy ads aired for a few weeks prior to the events.

I see where former drag racing nitro funny car team owner James (Jim) Jennard is number 138 on the Forbe’s 400 richest men in the United States list. Current Funny Car team owner John Paul DeJoria came in at 234 on that list. Forrest Lucas, Ken Black, and Johnny Gray were not on the list. NASCAR owners Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske, whose net worth are listed at 1 billion dollars and 1.7 billion dollars respectively didn’t make the top 400 list. I don’t know what those numbers mean other than there are more very wealthy men with a serious interest in drag racing in the U.S. than there are that are involved in NASCAR.

Jason Rittenberry, formerly with IRG, should get the credit for insuring that the IHRA as a business is going to be around for some time to come. I believe that if the current owners of the brand hadn’t been convinced by Rittenberry to buy the West Palm Beach, Fla.; Cordova, Ill.; Maryland Int’l.; and Memphis International properties after the financially disastrous year the sanctioning body has had due to weather, the ownership group would have bailed. But thanks to Rittenberry they purchased four expensive drag racing properties that will be impossible to sell at a break-even much less profitable price until the IHRA itself is making money. So I think the series is safe for the foreseeable future and that is good news for the sport.