It’s time once again to give award and tribute to our respective champions - and have some fun at the same time! The MIR Racer’s Party and Awards Ceremony is coming on Saturday, February 25, 2012 and will kick off at 7:00 pm at the Waldorf Jaycees Hall. It is a great night of fun and games in addition to honoring our champions. You may have noticed that some tracks are cutting back and/or eliminating their awards banquets altogether…but not MIR! Our champions deserve the recognition of their championship! Tickets are still only $30 each; and they include a great meal, games and entertainment, the awards ceremony, music, dancing and more! So join us on Saturday, February 25th, as we celebrate a season full of memories and achievements.

Attention all Top ET drivers, mark your calendars for two awesome weekends, the Mountain Motor Nationals on Friday & Saturday, May 11-12 and the Superchargers Showdown on Friday & Saturday, September 21-22. These events will feature a huge $5,000 to win payout each day! Purses on these races also include round money at $100 per round starting with 2nd round winners. These two events plus the 5K ET Clash (at the IHRA Pro Am Tour) are the only 1/4 mile Top ET High Roller races for the 2012 season.

The ever popular 10K-2K Poker Bash on Saturday and Sunday, August 18-19 will again feature a huge jackpot each day of $10,000 to win in Top ET plus $2,000 to win in Mod ET! This race will be run on the 1/8 mile and points will be in effect both days for Top, Mod, Motorcycle and Junior.  In addition to the big bucks you can win on the track, we'll also have a fun $1,000 to win Poker Contest both days that anyone can enter for just $10 a hand (all racers will receive one free hand with their driver ticket)!

Check out the Important Racer Notes for information pertaining to the Speed Unlimited ET Series Points Program.  Keep current with some of the new changes, policy revisions and more.  Many of the common racer questions can be answered right here.

The ever-popular team format plus the addition of a dedicated Friday at the Junior Dragster Team Finals has quickly given it the reputation as one of the best all Junior races in the country. This is a "must attend" event that's loaded with plenty of fun for Juniors of all ages; an event that's equally enjoyed by the families and friends that join them too. Again this year, all Junior racers will be able to run both the Index race and the ET race on Saturday at no additional charge.

"Pick me... PICK Me...PICK ME!" Just like the kids in the sandbox, it’s time for us to have some fun. On Saturday, June 23rd, we're going to have our 3rd annual Speed Unlimited ET Series Team Challenge to shake up the series. Teams will consist of eight members each and can be any combination of Top, Mod, Motorcycle or Junior Dragster racers. Once you have your team set, just pick a team name (one that can be said over the PA of course) and come up to the tower to register where you will be given decals to put on every car in your team.

Maryland Int’l Raceway is all geared up for another exciting season in sport compact racing for 2012 with two IREV events and the World Cup Finals. The IREV Summer Import Revolution will be held on Sunday, July 29th. The IREV Fall Import Revolution will be held on Sunday, September 16th. These events will host drag racing, bikini contests, lifestyle events, and car shows.

Maryland Int’l Raceway has one of the best weekly Junior Dragster programs in the country; with some of the greatest junior racers and families! With the addition of Ron Hubble and Hubble Motorsports the program is even better. Everyone has been very pleased with the weekly schedule, so we plan to run the same for the 2012 season.

The Saturday E.T. schedule will remain the same as last year. It has worked very well and helps reduce the amount of time a racer needs to be at the track to compete in his or her class. The day is divided into two groups; the first group will be Junior Dragster and Test & Tune, and the second group will be Top, Mod, Motorcycle ET and Test & Tune. Gates will open at 1:00 pm for weekly E.T. events that do not have a morning car club. This will give everyone a full hour to come in, park and go through tech before we start time runs at 2:00 pm. On Saturdays with a morning club, the gates will open at 9:00 am; and the E.T. racers are welcome to come in from that point on.

The IHRA Summit Pro-Am Tour is coming August 24-26 to Maryland Int’l Raceway with a double-header event full of Ironmans, cash and the Saturday night 5K ET Clash! It’s two full days of IHRA excitement for the sportsman racer – with a separate set of eliminations each day; plus a special Saturday night race for the high rollers. Also on Saturday night will be the 34th annual Jet Wars, featuring Bob Mot's Jet Kenworth, Jet Dragsters and Jet Funny Cars along with the Wild Bunch and Fireworks.

Be sure to check in regularly to the “ET Central” section on MIR's website to stay informed on everything ET at MIR. The Speed Unlimited ET Series at Maryland Int'l Raceway is one of the best in the country featuring great programs like the Rick Jewelers Ring for the Queen, Summit Super Series, AUTOFAB Raider ET Challenge, Pick Royce’s Pocket, Pit Bike Challenges, the Team Challenge, The Dash Speed Unlimited Championship Playoffs and much more.

Reserved pit parking spots are now available for the 2012 Speed Unlimited E.T. Series. All spot holders from the 2011 season will have until March 1, 2012 to renew. If you are interested in a pit parking spot or would like additional information about the program, please call the track office at 301-884-9833.

"The Dash" Speed Unlimited Championship Playoffs were an absolute hit last season with its new, well recieved format, so the excitment will continue unchanged in 2012! To qualify for the playoffs, a racer must finish in the top 10 in points in their respective class. Each of the top 10 qualifiers will then go into a 3-race Playoff for their class championship. “The Dash” will be run very similar to NHRA’s Countdown with points earned through the regular season of April to September to try to qualify for a Top 10 finish and a spot in "The Dash" Speed Unlimited Championship Playoffs.

The popular War on Wheels Wednesday night events now have an exciting new race format. First, the always popular eye-popping Fox Hunt (with all ladies admitted free) and the 1/4 mile Test & Tune will remain the same (no Gambler's Race). However, the feature heads-up racing will change to a Last Man Standing Grudge "Winner Take All" format for Pro Mods and True 10.5 (which includes all 28" tire 10.5, ODR and x275 racers). The Last Man Standing in Pro Mod Grudge will get $5,000 and the Last Man Standing in the True 10.5 Tire Grudge will get $2,500.

Over the past 10 years the fastest growing and most lucrative grassroots drag racing program in the sport has been the International Hot Rod Association’s Summit Racing SuperSeries. Designed as a championship program for bracket racers around the world, the Summit SuperSeries has crowned nearly two dozen champions and awarded over $1 million in cash and prizes since 2002 and now, through the continued partnership of Summit Racing Equipment, the IHRA is pleased to announce a brand new Summit SuperSeries program for Junior Dragster racers beginning with the 2012 racing season.

Not only has Rick's Jewelers committed for this season, but he has just renewed for a total of three years (2012, 2013 & 2014). The Rick's Jewelers "Ring for the Queen" is one of the most innovative and popular racer programs at MIR. We want to thank Rick for his commitment to MIR and the racers, and we ask that if you have any jewelry needs, think of Ricks Jewelers first.

www.rickjewelers.com

Maryland Int’l Raceway is available around the year for weekday testing (weather permitting of course). This is a very easy and affordable program available to racers looking for that extra edge they’re sure to get with private track time. Private test sessions are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm… 8 full hours of daylight fun! Your rental includes traction compound sprayed to the 60’ mark (additional spray can be purchased as far down the track as you need) as well as a certified Maryland EMT/Firefighter and ambulance.

Mickey Thompson Tires has renewed their contract once again as the “Title” sponsor of the MIROCK Superbike Series. Also, Fast by Gast remains the event sponsor for each MIROCK event held at MIR. The MIROCK Superbike series is still the largest all-motorcycle drag racing series in the country! For 2012, MIROCK is pleased to announce the following class lineup: Mickey Thompson Pro Mod, Orient Express Pro Street, DME Real Street, FBR Shop Top Sportsman, House of Speed Crazy 8’s, Fast by Gast Pro E.T., Cycle Connection Street E.T., and the Psychobike.com Grudge class.

In the event that rain should cancel racing on any Test & Tune at or near its halfway point, all spectator & driver tickets will be honored for half their value at any future MIR event. In the event that rain should cancel racing on any Test & Tune after first round of the Gamblers race, the purse will be split and it will be considered a completed event.

The Speed Unlimited Midnight Madness Series kicks off Friday night, April 6th for another great season of weekly competition (open exclusively to all street car enthusiasts). In addition to the regular Pro Street, Super Street and Street Bike classes, every Midnight Madness will also feature one of three exciting special classes: X275, Outlaw Drag Radial or Pro Street Quick 8. Outlaw Drag Radial and X275 will be competing for a track championship. The Pro Street Quick 8 class will be run on a dial-in format and will receive trophies and purse (the same as Pro Street and Super Street).

Ron Hubble of Hubble Motorsports (located in Lanham, MD) has stepped up to sponsor the MIR Junior Dragster program. Ron does everything Junior Dragster from building engines and cars to training and tuning. His sponsorship at MIR will increase the year end points payout and he will be at all major Junior Dragster events and many weekly events with his support trailer for parts and service.

The IHRA Summit Super Series remains one of the most prestigious and financially rewarding programs available to the ET racer. This is your ticket to qualify for the Summit World Championship with over $200,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs! Registration is FREE if you're an IHRA member, and non-members can purchase a special SSS membership for just $50. When you register, you will be issued your SSS "X" number. Again for 2012, you must use your assigned "X" number on your car. Summit SuperSeries points do not start until you receive your number from IHRA. It's quick and simple to sign up, just give IHRA a call at 419-663-6666 or go to ihra.com.

The 9th annual Autofab Race Cars Raider ET Challenge returns in 2012 as the most successful and prestigious ET series in the region. Plenty of cash, prizes and awards await the points champion in Top ET, Mod ET and Junior Dragster in this 8-race, all 1/8 mile series between Maryland Int’l Raceway, Virginia Motorsports Park and Richmond Dragway.

Speed Unlimited Performance Center (located in Morningside, MD) continues their incredible support again in 2012 by funding the $10,400 E.T. Series points fund! Speed Unlimited has gone above and beyond the call of duty by continuing to support the MIR racers in these tough economic times. Please be sure to support those that support you and your love for racing. Check them out at speedunlimited.com or call 301-420-2727; you'll be amazed on how competitive their online sale prices are. “The Dash” Speed Unlimited ET Series Championship Playoffs program will remain the same as last year with the points fund being paid based on points finish in the “Dash”. All points money will be awarded at the annual MIR Racer's Party. “The Dash” regular season points will end on Sunday, September 15, 2012 for the 1/8 mile Top and Mod ET racers. For Junior Dragster, Motorcycle and the 1/4 mile Top and Mod ET, points will end on Saturday, September 22, 2012. The three race "Dash Playoffs" to the championships will be held on Saturday, October 6th, and then on Saturday & Sunday, October 13th & 14th.

Qualifying for the IHRA Summit Division 1 Team Finals in 2012 will be the same as last year. The IHRA Summit Division 1 Team Finals will be held at Richmond Dragway on Thursday – Sunday, September 27-30, 2012. Thursday, September 27th will be parking and a test session only. Full details for this event will be posted on the website as the Team Finals draws closer.

No other business has supported the regions ET and street car racers like Speed Unlimited Performance Center in Morningside, MD. Even in these tough economic times, they have continued the very best possible to support the programs at MIR. Their sponsorship provides "The Dash" Speed Unlimited ET Series Championship Playoffs as well as support for the Speed Unlimited Midnight Madness Street Car Series.

MIR is pleased to announce that it will continue the Jr. discount ticket program to add value to families that race and attend events at MIR. Again this year all 12 to 15 year olds that present a valid Student ID or equivalent photo ID may purchase a discounted Junior ticket for just $10. Previously all 12 to 15 year olds were required to purchase full adult admission tickets. This promotion is so “No One Gets Left Behind” - allowing everyone in the family to enjoy a great day at the races at MIR. The Junior ticket will be available at all MIR produced events while the promotion lasts. Don't miss out on the discount of $5, $10 and even $15, so be sure to bring the ID and take advantage of the savings. Families rule at MIR!

The 2012 Speed Unlimited ET Series starts with a double-header day featuring a special event called the “Pick Royce’s Pocket Challenge.” This is your chance to pick Royce’s pocket and win a free car and driver pass valid until mid-season! Here’s how it works! Simply enter and run both races on Saturday, April 7th (points will be in effect for both races in all classes).

Maryland Int’l Raceway will continue to offer a discount of $ .50 per gallon on all 55-gallon drum purchases for the 2012 racing season (racer is required to supply their own drum). This discount will be valid for all grades of racing fuel (MS 103 Unleaded, 110, C12, C16) as well as racing alcohol. Drum sales are available during normal operating hours at all events and from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.

Rick Norris of Rick’s Jewelers has again renewed the “Ring for the Queen” Challenge (one of MIR’s most unique and innovative programs) for another year! A certified full one-carat ladies diamond solitaire ring (with a retail value of $8,500) is once again up for grabs in the Speed Unlimited ET Series – which is open for any racer to win in Top, Mod, Junior or Motorcycle! Here’s how the program works! Every time a racer is perfect on either end of the track (.000 reaction time or dead on the dial with a zero) he/she will earn a Diamond Point.

MIR racers that qualify for the 2012 IHRA Summit Team Finals will now be heading to Richmond Dragway. “This will be a significant savings of time and expense to our racers” stated Royce Miller, promoter at Maryland International Raceway. “I know Johnny and his staff will do a great job hosting this event just as they do with the AutoFab Race Cars Raider E.T. Challenge."