The NHRA is a big organization that organizes drag racing events and makes the rules for those races. It's one of the main groups that racers follow in the U.S.
The IHRA is an organization that oversees drag racing events, similar to how sports leagues have rules and regulations. It was created to promote grassroots racing and has its own set of rules that differ from another organization called NHRA.
In bracket racing, drivers compete against each other by trying to match a specific time. This way, even slower cars can compete against faster ones, making it fairer and more exciting.
Top Fuel Funny Cars are special racing cars that go really fast in drag races. They have powerful engines and a unique shape that helps them zoom down the track.
Pro Mod is a type of drag racing where cars can be heavily modified to go faster. They often look different from regular cars because of these changes.
The mountain motor category is a type of drag racing that uses cars with very large engines. These cars are built to go really fast and have special features like big air intakes on the hood.
Pro stock cars are special racing cars that look like regular cars but are made to go really fast. They have powerful engines and are designed for drag racing competitions.
Carburetors are parts of an engine that mix air and fuel together so the engine can run. They help older cars and racing cars get the right amount of fuel to go fast.
National Trail Raceway is a place in Columbus, Ohio, where people can watch drag races. It's a popular spot for racing events and has good facilities for fans.
The Dodge Nitro is a type of SUV, which is a bigger car that can handle rougher roads and off-road driving. It was made to look tough and was popular among people who wanted a vehicle that could go on adventures.
Top Fuel cars are some of the fastest drag racing cars, known for their incredible speed and power. They use special engines that run on a type of fuel called nitromethane.
Valve covers are the parts of the engine that keep oil inside and protect the engine's important parts. In racing, they need to be checked and certified every year to make sure they're safe to use.
Bell housings are parts that cover the transmission and connect it to the engine. They need to be checked every year in racing to make sure they are strong enough to handle the stress of racing.
Blower restraint bags are safety tools used in racing to keep the supercharger from flying apart if it breaks. They help keep everyone safe during races.
Liability insurance is a type of protection that helps racers pay for costs if someone gets hurt or something gets damaged during a race. It helps keep racers safe from big bills if something goes wrong.
Accidental death and dismemberment insurance gives money to people or their families if they get hurt badly or die by accident. It's important for racers because of the risks involved in racing.
Funny cars are a type of race car that looks like regular cars but are built for speed and power. They race in a straight line and can go very fast, similar to top fuel cars.
Formula One is a top-level car racing series where very fast cars compete in races called Grands Prix. It's known for its exciting tracks and skilled drivers.
A Grand Prix is a big car race, especially in Formula One, where the best drivers compete on special tracks. It's a very important event in the racing world.
Car
Packard
Packard was a famous car brand that made luxury cars in the early to mid-1900s. The last real Packard car was made in 1956, which was a significant moment for the company.
The Auto Safety Bill is a law passed in 1966 that aimed to make cars safer. It required things like seat belts and tests to check how safe cars are in crashes.
The Mazda RX-7 is a sports car that uses a unique rotary engine, which is different from most cars that use traditional piston engines. It's known for being fun to drive.
The Plymouth Neon Sedan is a small car that was made by a company called Chrysler. It was popular because it was cheap to buy and good for everyday driving, especially for young people who needed a reliable vehicle.
A self-driving taxi is a car that can drive itself without a person controlling it. It uses special technology to find its way and follow traffic rules.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a part of the U.S. government that makes sure cars are safe to drive. They check for problems and help keep roads safe.
The Tesla Model Y is a type of electric car that looks like a small SUV. It's popular for its technology and how far it can drive on a single charge.
LIVE
Welcome to another In-Wheel Time podcast.
This is your place for all things automotive, the award-winning In-Wheel Time car talk show.
Coming up, IHRA division director Doug Foley can talk about drag racing on a different note.
Later, Jeff has the racing calendar, Mars has this week in auto history, and I'll get you
caught up on the stories making automotive headlines. Howdy along with Mike out of this
world, Mars. We always need more Jeff Seekin. I'm Don Armstrong, our chief engineer, David Ainsley,
getting ready for his big trip up north. Big, big, big trip. Yeah, and he's going to be gone for a
couple of weeks. Yeah, two or three, something like that. Three. Three, yeah, yeah. Three weeks.
So the timing has worked out just fine, I think. We don't have any remote broadcasts coming up,
so that's always a good thing for him. You know, we should do, in like a week, we should fly up
there and just knock on his door. You know, it's not as easy as you think it is. I know, I know.
I know the area. Yeah. All right. Joining us now, IHRA, which is the International Hot Rod
Association, is the division director. His name is Doug Foley. Doug, good morning to you.
Oh, gosh. Oh, Doug, we're muted. No, he's not muted. We're just not getting his voice here.
Doug, can you say something to us? There you are. Yeah, he's a little bit better now.
He's kind of gargly, isn't he, Mr. Mars? Yeah, his internet, if he moves the wrong place,
his internet drops. Yeah, your internet sucks. So we're going to put you on hold for a minute.
You and Mars are going to work out this so we can hear every stinking word you got to say. So
you just hang in there, Mr. Mars will lead you through what we need to go through.
Oh, Lord, are you sure you want him to do that? Yeah, I don't know. I'm not sure about that.
So I will give you this. IHRA, they were a force back in the day,
and they were the competitor to NHRA and different rules, different regulations,
different sanctioned race tracks, different cars. Well, they were, yes, yes, they, well,
because of the different rules, they car builders built cars to the IHRA rules as opposed to the
NHRA rules. So there was this kind of a divide there. It was founded in 1971 by Larry Carrier,
has since become a prominent organization for grassroots drag racing, including the IHRA Summit
Super Series, a prominent bracket racing championship. In recent years, IHRA has seen ownership
changes and a renewed focus on its core values of integrity and passion for the sport. And
so I told you that we're talking about Larry Carrier started it in 71. And
the events are different and a different race tracks. It started at Carrier's Bristol
International Speedway Dragway. It says here, IHRA sanctions races across the North America
with a particularly strong presence in Canada, where it holds three national drag racing events
according to Wikipedia. Now that'd be a fun road trip. Yeah, go to, yeah, go to Canada.
Our grassroots focus, IHRA has found success as a hub for grassroots drag racing with its
Summit Super Series, being a notable example of its commitment to bracket racing. In recent
years, IHRA has undergone ownership changes. Darrell Cattel, becoming the new owner of the
organization, has also seen a renewed focus on free speech, equal opportunities and a fact-based
approach reflected in its return to the X social media platform. It says x.com. I think Doug's
internet connection hooked up right or better. Yeah. So I think we're good to go. Well, I think
that will be the judge of that. He's smiling so I know he can hear us. Say something good, Doug.
How about now? How's that? Oh my God. Yeah. You plugged it from the TV remote into the actual
internet. Listen, technology sometimes is difficult. Yeah, it's not my friend very often.
It eludes some of this and we believe me. We can understand. Welcome, Doug. Welcome. Yeah.
Well, thank you guys for having me. I've been able to hear you the whole time.
Oh, good. I'm glad to hear that because, you know, I remember when IHRA come into existence and
NHRA was really scared because they thought, oh gosh, what are we going to do? We've got some
competition here. Well, good. Competition is good. And I guess what divided the two, you
correct me if I'm wrong, were the different rules for the different categories of cars.
Because not all of the rules from one series transferred to the other. And if you wanted
to race in both series, generally speaking, if you had the money, you had two cars because
some of the some of the changes that you had to make to the cars were significant back in the day.
Yeah, I think that played a part in some of it. But, you know, IHRA is usually ran between
eight and 12 national event races. So that that plays a big part in it too. You know, especially
on the professional side, you know, these guys that run 20 races, they're spending three or
four million dollars a year when you can come over to the IHRA. And we have, you know, this year
we have five national events. And, you know, you cut that cut that budget in half, if not more. So
it's a little more racer friendly. It's, it's a little bit we're, we're geared a little more
towards the work and folk than just the guys that own billion dollar corporations that can
afford to come out and, you know, realistically, you know, outspend everybody else, right?
What are what are the top, top 10, top eight, how many of you want to put together their classes
of cars? Do you have, you got nitro cars? Oh, yeah. So we'll have top fuel funny car, which
we opened up our pre pre-entry a couple of weeks or a week ago or so. And so we have eight car
fields in both of our nitro categories. And we have more than eight entered in each class. So
we have full fields. We have pro mod, mountain motor pro stock, pro nitrous, top alcohol dragster,
top alcohol funny car. So that's probably our, you know, upper echelon of, you know, our, our
faster cars. Anyway, you know, anyways, so do you want, do you kind of intermingle with the
NHRA? Because I know that they do run pro mods and things. And you can see a telecast on some of
their events, but not as a feature. So do you kind of intermingle with that other events?
We don't really, we don't really have anything to do with, we don't have anything to do with
NHRA, but that the cars and the classes and the rules, you know, they're all
similar enough to where you can come over and race either sanctioning body and still,
you know, not have to spend a fortune to be able to do so. Well, one of the categories,
new categories for NHRA is the mountain motor category. And I heard you say that you've got
that at a IHRA as well. What, what is mountain motor? What exactly is that?
Oh, mountain motors are, they're just big cubic inch pro stock cars. So they're still
allowed to have carburetors. They have the hood scoops, but that big motors, big horsepower,
and they're going, you know, six twenties of 200 and almost 30 miles an hour. So they're a little
different than the 500 cubic inch pro stock cars that everybody's kind of used to seeing. But
mountain motor pro stock is, it was born and bred here at IHRA. So that's a, it's a class that's
near and dear to us. And the, the interest level that we have for this class right now is surpassed
our expectations coming into this year. So we're, we're really looking forward to having those guys
back. How did you get involved with IHRA? Well, so I grew up, my dad races top fuel and he started
an IHRA back in 2003 when he won the rookie of the year back then in top fuel. And then just,
he obviously has kept racing the last 20 something years. And when Larry Jeffers bought the IHRA a
few years ago, he gave me a call and wanted to see if I had any interest in coming on board and
helping out. And then, you know, at the end of 24 Larry Jeffers sold it to Daryl Cuddle. And we've
been rolling right along. I mean, we've, we bought, I think IHRA owns five race tracks now. I'm actually
at one right now. We have our night of fire event here at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio.
So when you say, if you hear burnouts in the background, that's why that would be great.
But when you say you bought, the organization bought the track, you didn't just buy rights to it.
I mean, you physically own the property? Yeah, we physically own the property. Well,
NHRA has got several tracks like that as well. So it's a full quarter mile, right? Yeah,
National Trail is a full quarter mile facility. We also own Galop Motor Sports Park down in
Dunn, North Carolina. We own Kill Care Raceway, Xenia, Ohio, Mylon, Dragway, which is in Mylon,
Michigan. Mylon, Michigan. Yep. Yep. So we got, we got quite a few tracks that have been purchased.
You got a quite a few more that are on the, on the dock. You said, you said you've got eight,
eight, eight drivers or eight cars in a class. Do they follow you around the country or is it
just eight for this particular van? And then you've got eight more for another part of the country?
No, so we, I mean, you know, there's cars that are going to race full time with us.
The nitro cars that have committed to full time racing with the IHRA this year is
Scott Palmer, Dale Creasy Jr., Jack White, Terry Haddock is coming to most of them.
So we have, we have a good, you know, we didn't start this deal really till beginning of May,
end of April, beginning of May for this year. So obviously there's been a lot of talk about it,
but going out and actually doing it. Now we're, we're two weeks away from crowning champions at
our first event since the IHRA has been bought and rebranded. The IHRA hasn't had a top fuel car
race in over 15 years. Wow. Well now you got a full field car.
We have a full field of cars. There's a lot of excitement, you know, a top fuel funny car
that pays $50,000 to win. It pays $15,000 just to qualify. Well, your dad,
he didn't he used to race at NHRA? Yeah, he's actually up at, he's at Norwalk this weekend.
Gotcha. Yeah, but he'll be down here. He's bringing his, his car out. He's got a few
sponsors right here in Columbus with United garage door and alloy employer services. So
this would be a big race for him being able to get all of his guests out here and
check out the drag races. So you've been going to drag races since you were born?
Yeah, just about. That's right. Well, obviously it's worked out for you. You're a division director.
Which division are you running? So I've run division one and nine basically up and down the
East coast. Yeah. And it's a full time gig for you. Full time. Full time as it gets. Do you still
have a full head of hair? So far, but it's turning gray or turning gray. Yeah. I was going to say
there's big chunks missing from pulling your hair out. You know what the next step is after that?
What's that? Well, we'll see. Exactly. Well, I kind of like the idea of the eight car field.
Yeah. I mean, it's not, I mean, things are going to move pretty quick when you go to the track
and you're not going to be sitting there for three hours trying to get 16 cars through.
We can one of them blew up or whatever, whatever. Yeah. Yeah. And part of it is obviously
the group we have here at IHTRA, we're all racers. So, you know, Josh Peek is here, Larry Morgan.
So the old Larry Morgan. Yeah.
He's smiling. I don't know where you want to go with that. He's one of a kind. He's done it his
whole life and we're really glad he's part of this. He was actually, he's instrumental in this
operation. So having all of these racers here, we kind of can pick and choose, you know, what we
want to adopt and what we don't want to adopt. And, you know, our shows are two day shows Friday
and Saturday. You know, you have two qualifying runs Friday and then
eliminations on Saturday. So that's one of the big things with the Nitro teams is, you know,
you get four qualifying runs and it's 16 car fields. So you have to make eight runs to win
$50,000 over here at IHRA. Our winners' purse is $50,000, but you only have to make five runs
to get there. Are the rules for IHRA, are they pretty much the same as NHRA? I mean, I'm sure
you got to have all the safety effects in place. Yeah, all the rules basically are the same. I
think we're trying to make it a little more racer friendly with being able to open up a few different
options. You know, there's a lot of top fuel cars in this country. Between the States and Canada,
there's a lot of Nitro cars that some of them just, you know, there are some rules that
I don't feel that are that necessary that these teams have to park their cars because they can
afford to do those updates to their cars or ignition boxes or, you know, whatever the rules are,
whatever that particular rule is, it gets expensive quick. You know, one of these, a lot of
fans don't know that these top fuel cars, they have to send out their valve covers every year to
get re-certified. They're bell housings every year to get re-certified. The blower restraint
bags, I mean, the list goes on and on just to do that. You're talking thousands and thousands of
dollars. So if we could, not that we're eliminating that, but that was just a, you know, kind of
ask you a little bit about the insurance aspect of it that you guys apparently provide significant
insurance coverage for your members. Tell me a little bit about that. Yeah, our insurance is
next level compared to, it's not even just drag racing. I mean, any racing sanctioning body,
you know, we have surpassed all of them. So we have, yeah, a million dollars worth of liability
insurance for each racer. So if you aren't a, we have accidental death, dismemberment insurance.
We have, you know, if you get hurt at the racetrack, there's, you can get paid up to whatever,
26 weeks or something like that for workers comp. Like we, we're trying to make it to where it's,
we're not trying to, you know, copy anybody else. We want to set out and do our own thing and make,
make the racers kind of, you know, see what we can, we want to do whatever we can to make it
better for everybody and not just do the same old song and dance. Gotcha. Well, so what is your
big event at the end of the season? Where is that? When is it? So our world finals will be at
Gallop Motorsports Park, which is done in North Carolina. And that's November 5th through the 8th.
But our first one, our season opener kicks off here, like I said, in just two weeks
here at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio, which is just east of Columbus, probably about 30
miles. But that's our first one. It'll be July 9th through the 12th. And you'll be able to see a
full slate of top fuel cars, funny cars all the way through stock, super stock.
I assume that you don't have a big television contract. Can you watch the races online?
Yeah, you will be able to. The races will be live streamed. We haven't announced with who yet,
but that'll be coming pretty early this week. So we're looking forward to that. And I think
all the fans at home that won't be able to make it out to the races will
be online and watch appreciate it as well. It's not a prime. Yeah.
That's it. Is it IHRA.com, Doug? Is it IHRA.com? Yep, IHRA.com. You can go on there and look at
the schedule, buy your tickets. And then on our Facebook page, we've been releasing some of the
driver's names that have entered for our events. So I guess that's Scott Palmer. He's entered
Krista Baldwin's coming. Dale Carisi, Jack Wyatt, Terry Haddock. Doug Foley.
Doug Foley is going to be here too. So there's a lot of really good cars. We're really looking
forward to. Well, Doug, it's great to talk to you. And the best of luck to you. And let's stay in
touch. You got something new to tell us. Hey, we'll put you on the air and you can tell everybody.
Yeah, right on for appreciate your time. And thanks for having me on. Good season. Thank you.
Best of luck. Doug Foley, Division Director IHRA, just ahead. Jeff has the racing calendar.
Mars has this week in Auto History, and I'll bring you the week's Auto News headlines all
coming up on the In Wheel Time car talk show. Stay with us. The Tailpipes and Tacos Christmas
Edition 2025 happens Saturday, December 13th from 8 to 11 a.m. And you'll want to be a part of it.
Tailpipes and Tacos is the cruise in everyone wants to attend. And the Christmas Edition is
extra special. Donate an unwrapped new toy and help yourself to a free loopy tortilla breakfast
taco. There'll be adult beverages available for purchase too. And don't forget your ride.
Just cruise in and you're automatically registered to compete for one of three famous chili pepper
trophies. Best hot rod, best classic and best modern classic. Tailpipes and Tacos Christmas
Edition will be held Saturday, December 13th, 8 to 11 a.m. At the loopy tortilla Tex-Mex located
at 703 West Grand Parkway just south of the Katie Freeway in Katie. Oh, and don't forget to bring
the kids. There'll be special trophies and goodie bags for them too. It's the Tailpipes and Tacos
Christmas Edition 25 Saturday, December 13th, 8 to 11 a.m. At the loopy tortilla Tex-Mex at 703
West Grand Parkway in Katie. Bring a toy, get a free breakfast taco and enjoy the camaraderie.
In Wheel Time will be there too. Fire up those engines and pay tribute to the folks who make
freedom possible. Bastrop Zone Heroes and Hot Rides is rolling in for Veterans Day weekend.
Friday night, downtown cruise Saturday, 400 of the coolest rides in Texas. Proceeds help Veterans,
shelters, food pantries and scholarships sponsored by Craig's Jewelry. November 7th and 8th,
Main Street, Bastrop. Don't miss it. You be Jonesen? I'd be Jonesen, man. I'd be Jonesen. Every time
that commercial comes on, I said, you know what? I should be Jonesen. You should be Jonesen. Yeah.
Welcome back to the In Wheel Time car talk show. You're invited to join our live broadcast every
Saturday 10 to noon central on InWheelTime.com, Facebook and YouTube. We hope you check us out
from our home base here at the Sugar Shack Studios. If you miss us, you'll be able to catch all the
action on your favorite podcast channel. Time now for the racing calendar, sponsored by Texas
Muscle Car Club Challenge. Yeah, it's a holiday weekend coming up next weekend. So we've got some
stuff cooking. IMSA is actually off this week. They'll be back in a couple of weeks. So check
that out. They're going to be at Motorsports Park. Xfinity series. Yesterday, the Xfinity ran in
Atlanta. I didn't get any details and really didn't have an opportunity to watch it because
I was doing other things yesterday. Yeah, yesterday at the 27th. And the NASCAR Saturday,
today they're in Atlanta. NHRA 26 through the 29th, which is happening right now. The Summit Racing
Equipment NHRA Nationals, and that's it. Equipment Motorsports Park is what they're calling it.
And then Formula One, not till the end of the month, but they're going to be in the Austrian
Grand Prix. So check them out if you want. Bring out your accordion and put on your Leader Hosen.
Leader Hosen and get your stein a beer. Speaking of Leader Hosen, Mr. Mars has this week in Auto
History. Yeah, buddy, lots of things going on this week in Auto History. So starting this week in 1906,
it was the first French Grand Prix. Now this was organized by the Automobile Club de France.
Oh, la, la. And it was the first official motor racing Grand Prix which set the stage of the
precedent for the modern Formula One racing. Now also this week coming up in 1956, the last
true Packard rolls off the assembly line. Now you say that because it's happened at Connors,
at Detroit's Connors or Avenue Plant. It came off. But there were some Packards that were made and
rebadged as Studebakers after that. But this is when the last true Packard came off the line.
Also in 1957, Illinois enacted the first US seatbelt law. Now this became originally
compliance was kind of low. Nobody really kind of cared about it, but they really started pressing on
it. And now it's mandated across the whole country. Then in 1966, the US Senate passes the landmark
Auto Safety Bill. Now if you recall back Ralph Nader, produced in 1965, came out with his book
Unsafe at Any Speed. And this mandated the law, which led to this law, which mandated dashboard
seat belts and crash testing, and actually reorganized and revolutionized car safety.
Then in 2001, the first installment of the Fast and Furious premiered in US theaters. Now this
for some reason, this thing took off about underground street racing,
heavily modified cars like the Mazda RX-7 and the Dodge Charger. I never saw that movie.
You never saw it. You don't get out much, do you? Well, it interests me. That's the first
one. If you don't watch any of them, that's the one to watch. I was busy that day. Also in 2001,
the last Plymouth rolls off the line. Now this was Chrysler's longstanding marquee
and seats production. And the final model was a silver neon coming off the assembly line.
And marked the end of Chrysler, which started in 1928. Not the end of Chrysler or the end of Plymouth.
What do I say? Can the Chrysler? Oh, yeah, you're right. It says Chrysler consolidated.
I thought Dodge had the neon. Chrysler had the, was it Dodge? Chrysler neon? Plymouth neon.
Okay. Yeah. I was confused because I know that they were small cars. Well,
we got to blow the dust off these things, you know, so we can bring them out. I live confused.
Dazed and confused. There you go. Okay. News headlines. Yesterday after dinner, days,
entasement. Is it a word, entasement? It is not. Tesla Incorporated self-driving taxi
appeared to violate traffic laws during the company's first day offering paid rides
with one customer capturing footage of a left turn gone wrong and others traveling in cars
that exceeded posted speed limits. Yeah. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is aware
of those incidents and is in contact with the company to gather additional information.
In a video taken by Rob Maurer, an investor who used to host a Tesla podcast, the model
wise he, model why he is riding in, enters an Austin intersection in a left turn only lane.
The Tesla hesitates to make the turn, swerves right and proceeds into an unoccupied lane meant
for traffic moving in the opposite direction. Nice. Nice. And it was 14 years old and you
do the math. Honking horn can be heard as the Tesla re-enters the correct lane over a double
yellow line, which drivers aren't supposed to cross. In two other posts on X, initial
writers and driverless model wise shared footage of Tesla's speeding, a vehicle carrying Sawyer
Merritt, a Tesla investor, reached 35 miles an hour shortly after passing a 30 mile an hour
speed limit sign. Well, I guess they got a little work to do. Representatives for Tesla
and the Austin police department didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the videos.
The automaker recalled more than 362,000 vehicles in February of 2023 after NHTSA said its driver
assistance system may allow cars to infringe on local traffic laws. A spokesperson for the
city of Austin said it didn't receive any safety incident reports regarding Tesla's
taxis over the weekend. Well, either that or they closed down the particular part of Austin
that these things were going around in circles in. I don't know. So it crosses double stripes,
speeding, all that. And you hear horns from the other people. Ford Motor is recalling the
majority of its salaried workforce back to the office four days a week. Employee,
automaker's latest effort to boost employee and company performance. Spokesperson said the new
policy affects the majority of its global salaried workforce, but declined to provide a specific
number for notified employees. June 25th takes effect September 1st. Businesses around the
world have grappled with how much flexibility to allow workers since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
Some such as JP Morgan and Amazon have mandated that hybrid workers return
five days a week. Everybody back to work. All right. We'd love to hear from you.
Shoot us an email. The address is info at nwheeltime.com and we will continue and say goodbye
after these brief messages. Who doesn't like a social event? How about one that centers around
your love for all things automotive? Another Gulf Coast Auto Shield car social is back. Saturday,
December 6th, 9 to noon at 11275 South Sam Houston Parkway just south of the Southwest Freeway.
It's a morning packed with incredible cars. Some of the finest rides in town from classics to
modern exotics. Here's your chance to talk to fellow car lovers. Grab a coffee and check out how
Gulf Coast Auto Shield keeps these rides looking perfect. Meet the team. Take a look around the
shop to see firsthand how Gulf Coast Auto Shield gets the most of the look you're trying to create.
In wheel time will be there with their live car talk show. You might just be one of the guests.
Don't miss this free, fun and fast paced car gathering of fellow car lovers and their rides.
Saturday, December 6th at Gulf Coast Auto Shield 11275 South Sam Houston Parkway.
Bring your car, bring your friends and bring your love for all things automotive. We'll see you then.
The award-winning In Wheel Time car talk show now reaches 5.3 million folks each year.
Check us out on InWheelTime.com, YouTube, Facebook and podcasts available from your
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Well that's all for this week's In Wheel Time car talk show. Be sure and check us out online
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When you're on the road this summer, grab a podcast from your favorite podcast provider,
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The In Wheel Time video technical director is, we always need more Jeff Zekin, the booking agent,
video editor, people finder and do all. Mike, out of this world, Mars. Chief Engineer, David.
Ainsley. I'm Don Armstrong. Be safe out there. Stay cool. Have a great and safe Fourth of July
week for all of us here at the In Wheel Time car talk show. We'll see you soon.
That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time car show. I'm Don Armstrong,
inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning,
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About this episode
Doug Foley, the division director of the IHRA, shares insights on the organization's renewed focus on grassroots drag racing and its competitive stance against NHRA. The discussion covers the different racing classes, including the popular Summit Super Series, and highlights the IHRA's commitment to affordability and accessibility for racers. Foley also discusses the ownership changes within the IHRA and the introduction of new events and safety measures, making it an exciting time for drag racing enthusiasts. The episode wraps up with updates on upcoming races and the racing calendar.
Nitro belongs to the people who build the cars, tow the trailers, and wrench late into the night—and that’s exactly where we start. We sit down with IHRA Division Director Doug Foley to unpack how a racer-led sanctioning body is rebuilding big-league drag racing around access, value, and raw excitement. Think eight-car nitro fields, a clean two-day show, and five passes to a $50,000 purse—designed to cut costs without cutting thrills.
Doug takes us inside IHRA’s class lineup, from Top Fuel Funny Car and Top Fuel to Pro Mod, Top Alcohol, and the fan-favorite Mountain Motor Pro Stock. He explains why IHRA’s rules hew close enough to NHRA for cross-compatibility while staying flexible for teams sidelined by expensive mandates. We also dig into the hidden economics of safety recertifications and how smarter formats reduce parts attrition and travel burn, giving privateers a real shot.
One of the biggest shifts: IHRA now owns multiple tracks, including National Trail Raceway, Milan Dragway, and Galot Motorsports Park. Facility ownership creates stability, consistent prep, and better sponsor value. Add in serious member insurance—robust liability, accident coverage, and income protection—and the message is clear: take care of racers and the show gets better for everyone. We map the season opener in Ohio, the World Finals in North Carolina, and tease livestream details so you can watch from anywhere.
If you care about sustainable nitro, big-inch Mountain Motor action, and events built by racers for racers, this conversation is your pit pass. Subscribe, share with your track crew, and leave a review to help more fans find the show. What would you change to make pro drag racing stronger? Tell us—we’re listening.
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