Team MIR Comes from Behind to Win the IHRA Division 1 Summit Team Finals

It came down to the final run of the event to decide the team champions at this years IHRA Division 1 Summit Team Finals. Team MIR made a remarkable come back from ranking as low as 6th place; surpassing a tough Richmond Dragway team that got off to a great start and led by many as 11 points.

But in the final run, it was down to MIR and Mooresville Dragway (who needed one point to tie MIR). The pressure was on, because Mooresville had one car in the Mod ET final. If that car was to win, Mooresville Dragway would be declared the team champions even though the points would have been tied since the first tie breaker is to the team that goes the furthest in eliminations. But in the end, it was Team MIR that stood victorious!

Maryland Int’l Raceway would like to give special recognition to individual efforts by class. In Junior Dragster, Julie Smith ran a strong event making it all the way to the semi-finals. In Modified E.T., Jeff Heilmeier made it to the quarter-finals in the tough foot brake war. And new star, Eric Kirby, in his first full season of driving went all the way to the finals and finished runner-up in a field of over 300 of the best Top E.T. racers in the country!

The Miller family, staff, racers and fans of Maryland Int’l Raceway would like to congratulate all team members for a great event and a triumphant return as #1 at the IHRA Division 1 Summit Team Finals!
 

FINAL TEAM POINTS STANDINGS

Bunny Burkett's Back in Business After an Astounding First Run Since Her Recent Surgery

On Sunday, October 22nd, Bunny Burkett made her debut run at Maryland Int'l Raceway for the Ford Fever Classic, and it was nothing short of spectacular!  Following a double mastectomy surgery in September for two types of breast cancer, this courageous woman piloted her brand new 2006 Dodge Avenger Top Alcohol Funny Car down the MIR quarter-mile on the cars very first pass - shocking everyone as she pitched a 5.99 ET on the scoreboards at 240 MPH!

It was definitely a touching moment for everyone there at the event, from the fans to the racers to the staff.  This courageous woman has been through it all; and after such a life-changing operation, she steps back up to the plate to play the game better than ever!

Plan now to see Bunny Burkett in person at the Mopar Eastern Classic coming up Saturday, October 28, 2006.  Be sure to stop by and see the new car in person and congratulate her on this spectacular first run!

Millican Clinches Championship with Top Fuel Win in Maryland

Diehl, Smith, Stott and Parker Also Claim Torco President’s Cup Nationals Wins

Press Release courtesy of IHRA

Two races after losing the Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel points lead, Clay Millican, Drummonds, Tenn., has clinched his sixth consecutive IHRA world championship by defeating Rick Cooper in the final round of the Torco Racing Fuels President’s Cup Nationals in Budds Creek, Md. Millican now leads Doug Foley by 117 points.

Other professional winners include Jeff Diehl (Nitro Funny Car), Ricky Smith (Pro Stock) Neal Parker (Alcohol Funny Car) and Quain Stott (Pro Modified).

Millican, who entered Top Fuel eliminations Sunday as the No. 3 qualified car, took out Kevin Jones in round one with a 4.685/314.97, then won against No. 1 qualifier TJ Zizzo to advance to the final with Cooper, who would have lane choice. Millican didn’t make a clean pass, but didn’t need one, as Cooper left the line early and lost with a red-light.

With this win, Millican has clinched the world championship, assuming he shows up at the final event, October 20 – 22, in Rockingham, N.C., where he’ll be granted the 31 bonus points IHRA awards for attending every national event. Foley, who missed this race due to injuries sustained during a race in Cayuga, Ontario, will not be able to make up the 148-point difference, even if he does show up to Rockingham.

“It’s been one of the hardest years, but obviously it has been one of the most rewarding,” Millican said. “Every guy on this team hung in there and did what they had to do. We never gave up…there is not a quitter on this team. It’s very, very satisfying to win this championship. I wish we could have finished it out by racing Doug at the end, but Doug will be back.”

Diehl won his first IHRA Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car Ironman when he defeated the heavily favored Paul Lee, who was making his fourth final round appearance of the year. Lee, who has yet to win, has proven he’s capable of making 4-second runs, but Diehl had the better car in the final. En route to his win, Diehl took out Dale Creasy Jr. in round one and Jack Wyatt in round two. Creasy and Wyatt are locked in the championship battle.

“We came in here with a new car and were going to treat it as a test session,” Diehl said. “Then we got to the first round and I just lose it. All the sudden I want to do something for this team, I know I have to do something for this team. I got braver and the car started reacting. Even though I didn’t make it all the way to the finish line I wasn’t going to quit until the car quit. There was no way I was going to stop.”

In his first Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock final of the year, Smith used a holeshot – 0.042 to 0.084 – to defeat a faster Tony Gillig. The pair also engaged in a 30-second staging battle prior to the run. Smith took out Pete Berner, Brian Gahm and Bert Jackson before taking on Gillg, who defeated John Nobile, John Montecalvo and Robert Patrick in previous rounds. Gillig entered this race with the points lead, and will leave with it, 31 points ahead of Berner.

“That brought back old memories. It brought back memories of me and Ronnie Sox and Warren Johnson because we had those kinds of burndowns,” said Smith, referring to the staging battle he had with Gillig in the final. “It really gets the fans into it. It came out in my favor this time, but could end up on the other side the next time. But I love the game and love being back over here in IHRA.”

In the Alcohol Funny Car class, the upsets came early as defending world champion Rob Atchison, the current points leader when this race began, failed to qualify, opening the door for Thomas to take the points lead. Thomas defeated Tom Carter and Larry Dobbs, gaining more-and-more points with each round. He eventually met Parker in the final round, who had a solid car all weekend, but slightly slower than Thomas. Despite that, Parker used a holeshot to win the race, a 0.006 light to Thomas’ 0.094, which was enough to put his 5.841 ET ahead of the five-time world champion’s 5.773.

“This feels great,” Parker said. “It’s been six years since we’ve won a national event and that was in Pro Outlaw. To have a small budget team and be able to pull it out for the team, and do it on a holeshot, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

In somewhat unusual fashion, Stott won his second Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified race of 2006 against teammate Tommy D’Aprile, who was in his second final or the year. The two left the starting line and coasted to the other end of the track, stopping just before the finish. Stott eventually crossed the line first, in 41-seconds at 25 mph and now leads the Pro Modified points by 10 over Glen Kerunsky, who Stott took out in the second round.

“For a lot of years I’ve watched these two-car teams, and sometimes not teammates, play the game of laying down and,” Stott said. “That was the first time I ever did that. There weren’t any team owners, it was Tommy’s decision. We decided if we were going to do it we were not going to lie to our fans and not going to lie to our sponsors. We were going to let everyone know what we were doing. I’ve been knocked out of a lot of championships on the other side, and I’m still a long way from winning this one. But now we’re back in the hunt.”

Bo Kenney won the JEG’S Top Stock world championship run-off by defeating Monty Bogan Jr. Kenney lost traction off the starting line but Bogan crossed the center after a big wheel-stand. Kenney was awarded with the $40,000 prize, the biggest single payout of the weekend.

Television coverage of the Torco Racing Fuels President’s Cup Nationals airs on SPEED:
Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Car and JEG’S Top Stock – Saturday, October 21st at 4:30 pm
Pro Modified, Alcohol Funny Car and Pro Stock – Saturday, November 25th at 6:00 pm


The next event on the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series is the
IHRA World Finals, October 20 – 22, at Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, N.C.

BUDDS CREEK, Md. -- Monday's final results from the Torco Racing Fuels President's Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway. The race is the tenth of 11 in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel
Clay Millican, 7.276 seconds, 84.43 mph def. Rick Cooper, foul.

Pro Modified
Quain Stott, Chevy Corvette, 41.828, 25.24 def. Tommy D'Aprile, Corvette, 44.480, 28.04.

Nitro Funny Car
Jeff Diehl, Toyota Celica, 5.399, 241.07 def. Paul Lee, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.733, 198.85.

Alcohol Funny Car
Neal Parker, Monte Carlo, 5.841, 240.04 def. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.773, 247.20.

Pro Stock
Rickie Smith, Chevy Cobalt, 6.374, 219.22 def. Tony Gillig, Ford Mustang, 6.352, 220.19.

Pro Stock Showdown
Robert Patrick, Shelby GT 500, 6.320, 221.20 def. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.374, 220.80.

Top Stock World Champion
Bo Kenney, Firebird, 19.184, 47.96 def. Monty Bogan Jr., Firebird, broke.

About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The eMax Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2006, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Championship consists of competition at national events and 35 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 90 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the PM-1 Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Kumho Street Warriorz presented by Hooters. More information can be found at www.ihra.com.

Live Nation is one of the world's largest diversified promoters and producers of, venue operators and sponsorship/advertising for, live entertainment events including music concerts, theatrical performances, and specialized motor sports events. Live Nation owns, operates or has booking rights for 150 venues worldwide including 107 domestic and 43 international venue sites. In 2005, promoted and/or produced over 28,500 events with attendance at venues exceeding 61 million persons.

 

Regional Boy Scout Council Partners with Maryland Int'l Raceway to Promote Cub Scouting

National Capital Area Council Launches
Recruitment Drive Throughout Region

WASHINGTON, DC (September 18, 2006) — Against a backdrop of thrills, food and hot rod dragsters, the spectacle of championship drag racing is partnering with the National Capital Area Council (NCAC), Boy Scouts of America to promote “Race to Scouting” at the Maryland International Raceway. Featured as an incentive for those young boys who sign up for Cub Scouting during Join Scouting Night (September 19 – October 1), these “Race to Scouting” events allow new Scouts to experience the speed and excitement of drag racing firsthand.

“Cub Scouting is about fun, adventure, and activities you do with your den and pack, but there's more to it than just fun. Being a Cub Scout means you are a member of a worldwide youth movement that stands for certain values and beliefs,” said Al Lambert, Scout Executive for NCAC. “We’re thrilled to partner with Maryland International Raceway and offer a unique experience in an action-packed environment. This is why we say that Cub Scouting is fun with a purpose.”

Every new Cub Scout who joins before December 1st will receive a special edition replica “Race to Scouting” car. New scouts will also receive two tickets and an adult discount coupon to the Torco Race Fuels President’s Cup Nationals on September 29th and again on October 1st, when the race will be televised nationally on SPEED TV.

“We’re very pleased to be featuring the National Capital Area Council as part of the President’s Cup Nationals to help promote Cub Scouting,” said Royce Miller, President of Maryland International Raceway. “Racing, like the Cub Scouts, is about having a great time and doing exciting new things with your friends while developing leadership skills.”

A list of Join Scouting Night events in each of the Council’s 28 Districts is available at www.boyscouts-ncac.org

About NCAC
Organized in 1911, the National Capital Area Council (NCAC) is the third largest council in America. Representing inner city and rural communities, its territory includes the District of Columbia and 16 counties in Maryland and Northern Virginia. The area is divided into 28 districts and one Learning for Life Division. Registered membership for year-end 2005 was 48,550 in traditional programs and 33,992 in Learning for Life; plus 22,555 adult volunteers and 1,851 Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, and Venturing Crews and Ships.

About Maryland Int'l Raceway and the Torco Race Fuels Presidents Cup (see following)
Maryland International Raceway in Budds Creek, Maryland has been home to the IHRA Presidents Cup Nationals professional drag races since 1988. Under the ownership of the Miller family the track has undergone extensive renovations and improvements, including expanded paved pits and parking, a newly resurfaced and lengthened track surface and concrete walls. A state of the art control tower including corporate hospitalilty suites was built in 2002. Following these improvements, 300 mile per hour Top Fuel dragsters were added to the Presidents Cup in 2003. This year, The Presidents Cup features the first appearance of the popular Nitro Funny Car class. For the past two years, MIR has been selected as the host track for the highly-rated “Pinks” television program on SPEED Channel.

About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The eMax Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2006, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Championship consists of competition at national events and 35 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 90 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the PM-1 Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Kumho Street Warriorz presented by Hooters. More information can be found at www.ihra.com.

Live Nation is one of the world's largest diversified promoters and producers of, venue operators and sponsorship/advertising for, live entertainment events including music concerts, theatrical performances, and specialized motor sports events. Live Nation owns, operates or has booking rights for 150 venues worldwide including 107 domestic and 43 international venue sites. In 2005, promoted and/or produced over 28,500 events with attendance at venues exceeding 61 million persons.

Bunny Burkett is Back on Track Following Breast Cancer Surgery

After a successful operation for two types of breast cancer, it has been officially announced that the “Queen of MIR”, Bunny Burkett, will be present at the 15th annual Torco Racing Fuels President’s Cup Nationals on Friday-Sunday, September 29 – October 1, 2006. Although not released by her surgeons to be in actual competition behind the wheel of her brand new Avenger Funny Car, the cheerful crowd favorite will be armed with autograph pens ready to meet and greet the MIR fans as they flood into the raceway for this historic event.

“Their countless prayers and support are the reason for my rapid return to the track”, Bunny stated as she prepares for her first appearance at MIR after the double mastectomy surgery that took place just three weeks ago. With the recovery now being ahead of schedule, we’re reminded of her inspiration as she again preserves through life’s most difficult challenges. Her outstanding career of 41 years holds many titles (winning the first IHRA Alky Funny Car World Championship is close to the top of the list); but it also embraces a history of challenges including one high-speed accident in particular that left her in a coma, nearly paralyzed and fighting for her life.

Her incredible faith, courage, and unwavering determination have led her through these amazing battles, and her positive attitude continues to win the hearts of fans from coast to coast. The unstoppable spirit of the “Bunny and the Boys” Racing Team is evident by the legions of inspired fans that line up at every event to meet her.

Bunny has been hailed as “true grit”, living by the motto, “tough times don’t last, tough people do!” If high-performance could be bottled into a single person, the label would read “Bunny Burkett”. Be sure to stop by her pit space and see for yourself at Maryland Int’l Raceway on September 29th – October 1st, for the IHRA Torco Racing Fuels President’s Cup Nationals.

MIROCK Superbike Series to Drop Turbos in Outlaw Pro Street in 2007

After exhaustive research and consideration, promoters of the Mickey Thompson MIRock Superbike Series announced Friday that turbo equipped bikes in the Schnitz Racing Outlaw Pro Street class will be banned beginning in 2007. There will be no rule changes for the remaining two 2006 MIRock events, the MIRock Fast by Gast Finals at Maryland International Raceway, October 7 and 8, and the MIRock Lee's Performance Fall Bike Nationals at Rockingham Dragway, November 11 and 12.

Track owners Royce Miller, Maryland, and Steve Earwood, Rockingham, have taken this action because of the difficulty in keeping parity between turbo and nitrous entries in the MIRock's top category.

PINKS Announces Tentative Air Dates for the Four Episodes Filmed at Maryland Int'l Raceway

PINKS has announced the tentative air dates for all four episodes that were filmed at Maryland Int'l Raceway on Sunday and Monday, July 23-24, 2006.  The air dates are as follows:

These episodes will close out season three of the increasingly popular reality show PINKS - check it out Wednesdays at 9:00 pm (EST), only on SPEED Channel.  For more information, log on to speedtv.com or pinks.tv.

2005 IHRA National Track of the Year Continues to Raise the Bar

The red carpet is about to roll out as Maryland Int’l Raceway gears up for the 15th Annual Torco Racing Fuels President’s Cup Nationals, featuring more Nitro than ever before! This IHRA eMax Drag Racing Series event is coming to Budds Creek on Friday, Saturday & Sunday, September 29th – October 1st; and it’s bringing a heavy dose of shock therapy with the fury of Nitro Funny Car and the insanity of Top Fuel!

As this historic event nears, the Miller family and staff of MIR are proud to announce the completion of many exciting facility improvements including a new grandstand section on the pit-side next to the control tower. This all-aluminum, elevated structure now offers the most amazing seats in the house; and it’s location on the pit-side next to the pro cars and stars makes it that much better for the MIR fans! On Saturday of the IHRA Torco Racing Fuels President’s Cup Nationals, part of this new grandstand section is host to the reserved seat ticket holders. Reserved seats are still available for just $10 on top of your admission; and it guarantees your seat up close and personal all day Saturday – that’s a premium you can’t afford to pass up!

In addition to this new section, all pit-side bleachers were relocated over the winter to allow for a complete repaving project that eliminates the previous gravel walkways in and around the stands on the pit-side. New fencing has also been installed for a fresh look and feel.

We’re also very pleased to announce the addition of new pit space, enough to accommodate approximately 80 participants – with even more pit space under construction! Racers will also find new asphalt and roads that make getting around the pit area much easier! Speaking of ease, you’ll be happy to test out our brand new, state-of-the-art digital scale system with a platform long enough to weigh Top Fuel cars!

On top of the facility improvements, MIR has also purchased additional equipment including a track scrubber that allows for more efficient track clean-up. For clean-ups off the track, we now have in our equipment lineup a new trash truck and large-scale debris vacuum. Together, these units work quickly for facility cleanup and they reduce our costs on trash removal; which help keep ticket prices down.

“We are dedicated in our goal of improving MIR with the continued support of great racers, fans and sponsors,” said Maryland Int’l Raceway President and Promoter, Royce Miller, when asked about these improvements and the upcoming IHRA national event. “The Torco Racing Fuels President’s Cup Nationals is now the longest consecutively running eMax IHRA National Event on the IHRA schedule,” stated Miller, “we are IHRA and DAMN PROUD OF IT!”

MIR Wraps up the 2006 IHRA PM-1 Junior Racing Event Series - Two Age Groups won by MIR Racers

Two MIR Racers Hold the Prestigious IHRA Iron Man     Adriana Estevez Andrew Grant White Plains, MD Mechanicsville, MD 8-9 Age Group Winner 10-11 Age Group Winner

The last event in the Phil McGee Technology IHRA Junior Dragster Racing Series was held at Maryland Int’l Raceway on Saturday and Sunday, August 12-13th. With beautiful weather, great cars and tough competition, the event was a perfect finale for the three-race national event schedule for 2006.

The Saturday portion of the event featured the “Frantic 15” dial-in, full tree 330-foot Shootout, the Index Class Shootouts (7.90, 8.90, 9.90 & 12.90), the all-run E.T Bracket Race, the Mom’s in Juniors Race and the Dad’s Pit Bike Challenge. The winner of the Frantic 15 was Robbie Crenshaw of Midlothian, VA, and the winner of the Saturday E.T. all-run Bracket Race was Nick Chiles of Reedville, VA. The Index Class winners are as follows: Steve McMillan of West Grove, PA (7.90), Ashley Deuschle of McDonald, PA (8.90), J.T. Shrader of Elliston, VA (9.90) and Anthony Cable of Waldorf, MD (12.90).

On Saturday evening during the Wacky Eliminations, Mrs. Markwat (mother of Kenneth Markwat) from Higganum, CT, won the Mom’s In Juniors Race. Then for the Dad’s Pit Bike Challenge, the winner was Mr. Smith (father of Anthony Smith) of Waldorf, MD.

For Sunday’s age-group eliminations in 8-9 year old class, the winner was Adriana Estevez from White Plains, MD, and the runner-up was Christopher Mattera of Waldorf, MD. The 10-11 year old class winner was Andrew Grant of Mechanicsville, MD, and the runner-up was Casey Semiklose of Waldorf, MD. The 12-14 year old class winner was Travis Maine of Gates, NC, and the runner-up was Richard Dueschle of McDonald, PA. And in the 15-17 year old class, the winner was Cole Williams of Pilot, NC, and the runner-up was Darren Rick of Elyria, OH.

In addition to the action on the track, special awards were also presented. The “CSR Long Distance Award” went to Nathan Gray, coming to the event all the way from Wellington, FL. Chris Cable of Mechanicsville, MD, was the winner of the “Halfscale Dragster Best Appearing Award” in his 2004 Quick Kids. The “Digatron Best Engineered Car” went to Carlton Thornton of Richmond, VA, for his 2006 Halfscale dragster. The “J&J Performance Best Appearing Team” was won by Heather Bell and her matching crew. And last but certainly not least, the “JrDrags.com Sportsman Award” was earned by Taylor Cooper of Fredericksburg, VA.

Maryland Int’l Raceway, IHRA, & Phil McGee Technology would like to congratulate the winners for their achievement, along with special recognition and appreciation to all of the sponsors, drivers, crew, family and friends who make the IHRA PM-1 Junior Dragster National Event Series a reality!

Rick’s Jewelers "Racers Clock Lotto"

With the highly successful Rick’s Jewelers Ring for the Queen program already won for the 2006 season by Tony Mattera at the June Top & Mod E.T. $5K Double-Double Header, Rick Norris at Rick’s Jewelers has come up with yet another spectacular racer program to finish up the year - the “Rick’s Jewelers Racers Clock Lotto”.

The winner of this exclusive 2006 program will receive a stunning “Howard Miller” Grandfather Clock that is valued at over $3,000! This sophisticated floor clock features a highly polished, hand-rubbed swan neck pediment with book matched rare olive ash veneer, decorative rosettes, and a delicately turned finial atop a carved keystone.
The polished brass dial is set off by elaborate corner spandrels, a center disk, and a moon arch with an astrological blue moon phase. A silver chapter ring with applied brass Arabic numerals adds the finishing touch. And the polished brass pendulum offers an ornamental center disk that matches the dial, as well as complementing polished brass-finished weight shells. The winner will also receive a certificate for a free heirloom plate from Howard Miller that is engraved with the drivers name and the date.

The “Rick’s Jewelers Racers Clock Lotto” is a unique drawing that will take place after 3rd round of eliminations at the Computech Raider ET Challenge on Sunday, October 15, 2006. To acquire tickets for the drawing, racers must bring an eligible timeslip to the tower that has a perfect light (.000) and/or dead on their dial with a zero, exactly the same as diamond points have been earned in the past. For every eligible bogey and/or elimination timeslip brought to the tower, the racer will receive one ticket for the Rick’s Jewelers Racers Clock Lotto. Racers that have both a perfect light and run dead-on with a zero in the same run will receive two lotto tickets.

The more perfect reaction times and dead-on the dial passes you have, the more tickets you get in the box for the official drawing on Sunday, October 15th. Please be sure to thank Rick Norris at Rick’s Jewelers for his continued support and effort in making the Speed Unlimited E.T. Series one of the most dynamic and rewarding programs for the MIR racers, friends and family!
 

Junior National Season Wraps Up in Maryland

Press Release courtesy of IHRA

The Phil McGee Technology IHRA Junior Dragster Racing Series will conclude its three-race national event schedule Aug. 12-13 at Maryland International Raceway. The Junior Dragster Series has already had events at San Antonio Raceway (March 3-5) and Cordova Dragway (July 8-9) this season.

Saturday will feature time runs and index racing, with the winner of each class receiving a $100 savings bond and the runner-up a $50 savings bond. Both will also receive trophies. Saturday will also feature a “Frantic 15” dial-in, full tree 330-foot shootout (with $200 savings bond going to the winner and $100 bond to the runner-up) and a bonus all-run bracket race. There will also be Wacky Eliminations featuring all kinds of unique and fun racing challenges for kids and parents alike.

Sunday the last time run will be at 9 a.m. with final eliminations being held at noon. For more information on the complete race program and schedule, check out the event’s race ad on ihra.com.

A Huge Success for PINKS at MIR with Highest Attendance in the Show's History

Click here to view pictures from the July 23-24 Filmings

Maryland Int'l Raceway hosted two highly successful nights of PINKS episodes on Sunday and Monday, July 23-24, 2006.  Thousands of spectators came out to Budds Creek to witness the four races which are scheduled to air sometime in October 2006.  Even though hundreds of racers applied, only ten were chosen  (eight racers are chosen for the episodes and two racers are used as alternates).  With intense and dramatic negotiations, the two nights of filming proved to be exciting and unpredictable.

When asked about filming another set of episodes, PINKS Executive Producer and Director, Steve Pullin, couldn’t say enough great things about MIR. “We came here once before and it was a wonderful experience,” Pullin said. “We think that Royce Miller and his team are absolutely first class promoters, first class operators of these kinds of facilities. It’s one of the best facilities of its size we’ve ever been involved with. We love coming here.”

According to Pullin, Sunday and Monday were record-setting with the largest attendance over the two nights since PINKS filming began. The host of PINKS, Rich Christensen, signed autographs before and after episodes for hundreds of anxious fans. These episodes will close out season three of the increasingly popular reality show PINKS - check it out Wednesdays at 9:00 pm (EST), only on SPEED Channel. 

Click here to view pictures from the July 23-24 Filmings
 

Bunny Burkett's Battle With Breast Cancer

Press Release courtesy of Robert Helms

It has been confirmed by the office of BUNNY AND THE BOYS RACING TEAM that Bunny has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The double Mastectomy surgery will take place at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC the end of August. Thanks to a red flag on her annual mammogram in March that showed major changes when compared to the previous 6 years, a certified letter arrived advising her that follow up treatment was urgent. The following months were filled with doctor visits and numerous tests to get a second opinion along with a quick education on the treatments available for breast cancer. All options were reviewed and Lumpectomy surgery on July 12 revealed the cancer. Early detection is the most valuable tool in fighting breast cancer. The surgeons feel confident that Bunny’s cancer has been detected in time. Bunny is making a personal plea to all women to get their annual mammograms and join in her mission to save lives.

Bunny is no stranger to life’s obstacles in the middle of her road. Anyone that knows her will agree that more than her fair share has been dumped there. She is known for her determination, persistent nature, positive attitude and has the tenacity of a bulldog, never giving up, even when the odds are against her. An example was the near fatal car crash in 1995 caused by a competitor, leaving a paralyzed body with casts on all limbs, a long list of “she will never be able to do again things” and little hope for the lady as we knew her. Bunny had to dig deep in her bag of allocated lifetime miracles in order to recover from most of the horrific injuries. Even the noticeable permanent disabilities did not stand in her way as she limped back to the sport she loved in just 18 months driving a new Funny Car. She was quick to give all the credit to her faith in God and the prayers from her legions of fans. Bunny is hopeful that this is the case again as she suits up for the biggest battle that she has ever encountered. She is optimistic and prepared to fight for her life and to be back behind the wheel of a brand new Funny Car that will be finished, waiting for her.

Although a 30-day notice was given, Bunny wants to apologize to her fans, the track promoters and Earthshaking Entertainment/Jagger Naves for not being able to drive, due to the unexpected first surgery to remove the lump for pathology testing. As a result, the surgery for the Bilateral Mastectomy was delayed. She will be able to attend the balance of match races prior to the final surgery the end of August (including the August 19th SuperCharged Jet Wars at MIR). The team will return to the 2006 season as soon as Bunny is fully recovered and in the meantime, she will do personal appearances, car shows and displays with both cars.

Please visit www.bunnyburkett.com  and say hello on the guestbook. All prayers are welcome.  Updates on the surgery and recovery will also be posted on the site.
 

Minor Schedule Change for this Weekend's Computech Raider E.T. Challenge

Due to the filming of PINKS this Sunday, July 23rd, we must complete all of the Computech Raider E.T. Challenge by 6:00 pm.  The gates will open at 9:00 am (as regularly scheduled).  However, time runs will begin promptly at 9:30 am (instead of the regular 10:00 am schedule), and eliminations will begin by 12:00 noon.  As per the normal schedule, all racers get one time followed immediately by first round of eliminations.

For more information regarding the PINKS filming, please click here!

Your Last Chance to Get on Pinks is HERE!

Bring your car and come meet Nate Pritchett (Casting Director for PINKS) for your chance to get on the July 23rd and July 24th taping of PINKS Season 3 at Maryland International Raceway!

Nate will be at the track offices just outside the gate from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm. If you have what it takes to race for PINKS, come prove it to Nate!

For more information, feel free to email nate directly at
nate@shockermotorsports.com

or go to www.pinks.tv

The IDRC East Coast Nationals is Searching for a Reschedule Date

The IDRC East Coast Nationals scheduled for Sunday, June 25, 2006, was cancelled due to weather.  Maryland Int'l Raceway and the Import Drag Racing Circuit (IDRC) are currently looking for an available date to reschedule this event.  This process is not always immediate, as both the sanction and the track have crowded existing schedules, consideration must be taken for other import national events, and availability of the pros must be determined.

Once the rescheduled date has been confirmed, it will be posted on both mirdrag.com and importdrag.com (IDRC's website).

Congratulations to Tony Mattera for his 2006 Rick's Jewelers Ring for the Queen Challenge Win

Maryland Int'l Raceway and Rick Norris of Rick’s Jewelers (located in California, MD) would like to congratulate Tony Mattera for his victory in the 2006 Rick's Jewelers Ring for the Queen Challenge.  This triumph was achieved at the Top & Mod E.T. $5K Double-Double Header (of which Tony's brother Danny won both Top E.T. Races). 

The Mattera's were on a roll!  Starting the event with just three Diamond Points in the program and knowing there were others starting with four of the required five qualifying runs, the pressure was on.  It didn't take long though for Tony to acquire his fourth Diamond Point, then came his fifth.  With his wife Lora in sheer exhilaration, he made his way to the tower to make his fifth point become official!

The race was then momentarily paused as promoter Royce Miller made the official announcement over the PA system congratulating Tony Mattera for his 2006 Rick's Jewelers Ring for the Queen Challenge Win!

Please be sure to thank Rick Norris at Rick’s Jewelers for his involvement in the Speed Unlimited E.T. Series.

Snap-On Racing SuperChargers Showdown presented by Pennysaver Has Been Rescheduled Due to Weather

The Snap-On Racing SuperChargers Showdown presented by Pennysaver has been postponed due to the weather. It has been rescheduled and combined with the August 19th Jet Wars, to create one of the most spectacular Saturday night shows EVER at MIR.

All racing for Saturday has been cancelled, including the Speed Unlimited E.T. Series. This decision was made due to the significant chance of severe thunderstorms and even flash flooding. With all of the Pro Teams traveling from long distances and the concern for the safety of our spectators and racers, we felt this was the best decision at this time.

All tickets, discount coupons and promotions for the Snap-On Racing SuperChargers Showdown presented by Pennysaver will be honored at the Snap-On SuperCharged Jet Wars presented by Pennysaver on August 19, 2006. The IDRC East Coast Import Nationals on Sunday, June 25th is still on schedule.

Danny Mattera Scorches the Competition at the MIR Top & Mod E.T. $5K Double-Double Header

On Saturday, June 17, 2006, Maryland Int'l Raceway held one of its largest Big Buck Bracket Races of all time.  This event combined the rescheduled Top E.T. $5K Double Header from April 22nd along with the Mod E.T. $5K Double Header; the total payout exceeded $20,000!

In his first points season ever, Danny Mattera of Waldorf, Maryland, did the impossible by winning not just one $5,000 Top E.T. race - but BOTH!  Piloting his 362 cubic inch 1968 Chevy Camaro through nine rounds of intense competition was an amazing feat, considering this was his first win ever!  The final round came down to Danny Mattera and Jerron Settles of Hughesville, Maryland.  Dialed a 7.07 and running a 7.077 with a .008 light, Mattera's package was .015 against Settles .033, creating a margin of victory of .018.

In the midst of such enthusiasm from his family and friends during his first win ever, he prepared to embark on the second race of this monster Big Buck $20,000 event.  With a -.005 red light in first round and a re-entry loss, Mattera decided to buy into the new Mulligan program being offered of which numerous drivers participated.  The proceeds of this program benefit the Speed Unlimited E.T. Series Racers Fund.  A winner is drawn on the starting line prior to 5th round that automatically advances that driver to the 5th round, even if they had been eliminated.  As amazing luck would have it, Danny Mattera's name was drawn - and he was back in competition!

In that 5th round, Mattera's car was having brake problems, but nevertheless he took the stage and the other car went red.   When he got back to the pits, his family and a multitude of other fellow racers jumped to his aid and got the car back on track.  "When I got back from that run, everyone immediately jumped in and got to work" Mattera said.  "I can't thank them enough for seeing me into the next round!"

After two additional round wins, Mattera was back in the final of Top E.T. for the second time of this historic event.  Amazingly, the final was down to two door cars, Danny Mattera in his Chevy Camaro and Joseph Peer in his Chevy Nova.  As both cars staged, Peer seemed to be having problems as his car rolled through the stage beam prematurely giving the win to Mattera.

Congratulations to Danny Mattera on his remarkable achievement during the Top & Mod E.T. $5K Double-Double Header!

F&F Auto Service Inc., Perfect Run $1,000 Bounty

Frank Pumphrey (of F&F Auto Service, Inc. in Clinton, MD) has posted a $1,000 Bounty for the first perfect run! This $1,000 CA$H BOUNTY will be awarded to the first driver to make a perfect run (.000 reaction time and dead-on the dial to the thousandth)!

All Top E.T., Mod E.T., Motorcycle, Junior Dragster and ATV Points Members are eligible to win the bounty. Only Bogie session runs or Elimination runs during the Speed Unlimited E.T. Series qualify for the F&F Auto Service Inc. Perfect Run $1,000 Bounty.

A special thanks to Frank for his support of the E.T. series at Maryland Int’l Raceway. F&F Auto Service Inc. is located at 7595 Commerce Lane, Clinton, MD 20735. Their phone is (301) 297-9409, and they can be found on the web at www.fandfautoserviceinc.com.

PINKS Reality TV Show Returns to MIR in 2006 to Film Four All New Episodes

The hit reality TV show PINKS, featuring host Rich Christensen, will be returning to Maryland Int’l Raceway to film 4 all-new episodes for the 2006 Season! Pinks is now the top rated show on Speed Channel, with Season One coming soon to DVD. Be sure to go to http://speedtv.com/pinks to check out the PINKS video clips.

PINKS is a reality show where two drivers go head to head for pink slips. Using the setting of a classic 1950s drag race, PINKS pits contestants in a best three-out-of-five format, with the loser handing over the title (pink slip) to his or her vehicle. The rules are simple: two vehicles show up and drivers negotiate any head-start distance (car lengths); cars line up, Christensen drops his arms and the first one down the quarter mile wins. After each round, the drivers have the opportunity to re-negotiate lengths.

Plan to be here at Maryland Int'l Raceway at 6:00 pm on both Sunday and Monday, July 23 & 24, 2006. Filming for each of the new episodes will begin at 7:00 pm and there will be two episodes filmed for each day. The filming will be open to the public with gates opening at 6:00 pm both days. Admission will be $10 per person, and that includes free pit parking.

On Sunday, July 23, 2006, filming for PINKS will start after the finals of the Computech Raider ET Challenge.  Admission during the Computech Raider ET Challenge is $15, and those tickets include the PINKS filming for those that wish to stay.  At 6:00 pm, admission will change to $10 per person for those that wish to come in for the PINKS filming only.

Please log on to www.mirdrag.com or www.pinks.tv for more information.

Dancers -  Performers Wanted for Lugnut's Pitcrew

Lugnut’s Pitcrew (an entertainment group) is holding auditions for their 2006 season on April 19th at the La Plata Library.

April 19, 2006

La Plata Library
2 Garrett Avenue
La Plata, Maryland 20646
 

“Lugnut: The Fastest Squirrel in the World” and his Pitcrew are featured at Maryland International Raceway (MIR). We also perform at local community events such as the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, March of Dimes and County Fairs.

Our performances incorporate jazz, hip hop, modern dance and skits. If interested, you must be 18 years old by April 2006. All performers are compensated.

To contact us please call (301) 980-3333 or email your inquiry to lugnutpitcrew@yahoo.com.

New "10 Ben Dash for Cash" Program for Juniors for 2006

Maryland Int’l Raceway is pleased to announce an exciting new program called the “10 Ben Dash for Cash” sponsored by JF Brown & Associates. This program awards ten crisp Ben Franklin’s to the first Junior Dragster who collects three diamond points during the 2006 season. The scoring system will be the same used for the Rick’s Jewelers “Ring for the Queen”, so each diamond point earned will count for both programs. If there are no drivers who earn three diamond points by Sunday, October 15, 2006, there will be a runoff for all drivers who have collected two diamond points (if there is only one driver at that time with two points, they will be declared the winner). The same applies if there are no drivers with two points (a runoff for all drivers with one point or the only driver with one point at that time will be declared the winner). Please be sure to thank Joe Brown and John Semiklose of JF Brown & Associates for the support in creating this program that pays $1,000 (ten Benjamin’s) to the winner!

Free Pro Car Testing during the IHRA Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour at MIR on April 7-9, 2006

Yes, it’s just as good as it sounds! We’re offering free testing for any IHRA Pro Driver and Car during the Division One Opener of the IHRA Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Tour April 7 – 9, 2006.

To be eligible for free pro driver entry and 3 free crew passes:

• Driver must be pre-entered by March 28, 2006

• Must make at least two runs on Saturday during our evening show beginning at 7:00 pm

With the break between Texas and the week before Rockingham, this is the perfect opportunity to work any bugs out of your car or test new set-ups. Track will be fully prepped, cleaned, scraped and sprayed.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
___________________________

To pre-enter, simply call the track office (301) 884-9833!
Remember, March 28, 2006 is the cut-off date for pre-entry!


 

VIP Tower Suite Available for Annual Rental

If your group is looking for excitement, color, pageantry and just plain fun - we're the venue for you! Maryland Int'l Raceway has a Tower Suite available for annual rental.  The rental fee is $6,000 for one year plus a refundable $500.00 security deposit. Your suite will seat approximately 21 people with standing room for an additional 5 more people.

There are tables for catered affairs along with counter tops, sink, a small refrigerator, adjustable PA speakers and a dimmer system for the lights to enhance nighttime viewing.

In addition, suite holders will have programmable key cards like the ones you find at most hotels. These cards will allow you and your guests exclusive access to not only your suite but will allow you access to the reserved restrooms on the second floor. The card will also allow you entrance to the reserved parking area, across from the tower at all events except the IHRA President's Cup Nationals.

The suite holder will be given two season passes.  In addition, they will be given an allotment of buy back tickets that will only be charged to the tenant upon redemption at the gate, at the discounted price of $15.00 (cannot be used for racer entry). These buy back tickets can be given to your guests or VIPS. The buy back ticket is good at all MIR events except the President's Cup Nationals.

Be sure to call 301-884-9833 today if you have any questions, would like to see the suite or would like to reserve this suite for the 2006 season.  All of MIR's other VIP Suites have already been sold, so this one surely won't last long!

2005 MIR Racer's Party & Awards Ceremony in Review

Story & Photos courtesy of Stephen Jones

The 2005 MIR Racer's Party & Awards Ceremony was held at the Waldorf Jaycee's Community Center on Saturday, February 25th, 2006. This was the largest awards banquet ever attended with over 400 racers and family members in attendance (the first banquet was held at the Waldorf Moose Lodge in 1990 with about 150 guests).

The Miller family of Royce, Linda, Chris, and Jason along with Bryan Starner (undergoing shoulder surgery at this writing) and other MIR staff members were at the community center early in the morning and spent the entire day setting up the hall for the banquet... and it showed!  Everything was perfect, including the table setups, awards stage, and decorations; and the buffet prepared by the Waldorf Jaycees staff was excellent.

Before the awards were presented, MIR announcer John Roberts MC'ed the entertainment segment of the banquet; and entertaining it was! The "TP Snowman" and "Feed Me" Shows were very original, imaginative, and hilarious to watch - especially considering some of the characters who participated!

Jason Miller MC'ed the Sponsor Door Prize Giveaways and gave out some really cool stuff to the numerous winners.  In addition, the ever popular 50/50 Drawing that supports the MIR Racer's Fund was collected by Liz Murphy and totalled $750 to the winner!  Special thanks goes out to Liz for her continued efforts in building up this important fund that benefits the MIR Racers.

I'm positive that everyone had a great time and I'm sure they are eagerly awating opening day, which is just around the corner.

While the rest of the Miller family was off on vacation, Chris spent most of the "off season" working to restructure and revamp the MIR web site which, truthfully, was starting to show some age. Chris's hard work is on display as the NEW MIR site is, most likely, the premier drag strip site in the country - www.mirdrag.com.

Stephen Jones
 

2-Day Speed Unlimited E.T. Series Season Kick-Off

MIR will open the 2006 season with a very special 2-day Speed Unlimited E.T. Series Kick-Off. On both Saturday and Sunday, April 1st and 2nd, the full Speed Unlimited E.T. Series will be run with points and full guaranteed purses each day in Top and Mod regardless of car count. In addition to that, everyone that purchases a 2-day tech card in any class on Saturday and also signs up for points on Saturday will receive their points membership FREE!

MIR will also guarantee the $2,000 to win in Top E.T. and the $1,000 to win in Mod E.T. regardless of car count for April and May (except for events with rain or inclement weather). With 20 points races for 2006 (one more than in 2005) the MIR Speed Unlimited E.T. series will be exciting from the 2-day season Kick-Off to the Bracket Finals in Rockingham.

2006 MIR Import Events

In 2006, MIR will host the best season ever for import racers! All of the major import sanctions will host their events at MIR in 2006, and NOPI has added a second national event at MIR this year as well. The NOPI events are nationally televised and yield a mountain of magazine coverage! There are classes for all types of cars from daily drivers to high-revin’ turbocharged 6-second, 200 mph imports; they’ll just blow you away in amazement! In addition to the racing, these events also feature wild custom car shows, bikini contests, bass-off’s, foam-pit parties, burnout contests, and huge manufacturer midways! The first event of the season is the NOPI XBOX Cup Racing Series Spring Nationals on Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21, followed by the IDRC East Coast Nationals on Sunday, June 25th. After that, the Battle of the Imports come to the creek on Sunday, July 16th; followed by the NOPI XBOX Cup Racing Series Summer Nationals on Saturday and Sunday, August 26-27. For the grand season finale, the 11th annual World Cup Finals (Import vs. Domestic) phenomenon slams Budds Creek on November 5th with the largest participant and spectator crowds of any event during the entire year. Everyone has their side - racing or not, and the battle for supremacy between the imports and the domestics is brutal and merciless as they put their egos and pride on the line. Plan now for the World Cup Finals on Sunday, November 5th.

Mickey Thompson Tires MIROCK Fast By Gast Superbike Series

Fast By Gast has renewed their contract for the 6th straight year as the “Series” sponsor for the MIR portion of the MIROCK Superbike Series. Fast By Gast is the largest distributor for FBG lectron carbs, FBG Pro Batteries, Dynatek electronics, and M/T tires; they are also a transmission supplier. The MIROCK Superbike series has become the largest independent bike series in the country! The 2006 season will bring a lot of new excitement to the track with new rules, new bikes, and new riders! Bracket classes include Pro ET, Quick 32 and Streetbike. Heads-up classes include the wild 7-second, 200mph Schnitz Racing Outlaw Pro Street no bar bikes and the Orient Express Pro Sport Bike street bike class. Full class rules, rider profiles, records, and event info can be found on www.mirockracing.com. Dragbike.com will also be covering the entire series. A huge manufacturers midway will be on hand, plus the $1,000 bikini contests and wheelie contests will dazzle you. Full details will be in the MIROCK Superbike Series Brochure.

Spring – June 3-4, 2006
Summer – July 29-30, 2006
Finals - October 7-8, 2006

eMax Productions to Sponsor IHRA Drag Racing Series

Press Release courtesy of IHRA

NORWALK, Ohio (February 22, 2006) – The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) today announced EntertainMax Worldwide, Inc., a company partly owned by EMAX Holdings, Corp., has entered into a multi-year agreement to be title sponsor of the 11-event IHRA Drag Racing Series. Effective immediately, the series will be known as the eMax Drag Racing Series.

This deal follows last week’s announcement by Hoosier Thunder Motorsports that eMax is sponsoring the team’s Top Fuel dragster driven by Terry McMillen.

As Nick Kontonicolas of C. Trade Group and McMillen finalized the agreement with eMax for the Top Fuel car, the idea of increased involvement in the sport was being discussed. “After a few introductions were made, IHRA and eMax began discussing the possibilities," said McMillen. "Through those conversations the eMax Drag Racing Series was born.”

EntertainMax will deliver a multi-tiered activation program through IHRA. EntertainMax, a multimedia, entertainment and broadcasting company, will partner with the sanctioning body, which enters its 36th year in 2006. As part of the announcement, EntertainMax will deliver cross-promotional entertainment packages, including a live concert series to be held during select national events for the 2006 season. The company will also provide marketing and promotional support, including advertising during IHRA’s exclusive television broadcast on SPEED Channel.

“EntertainMax offers a unique opportunity for IHRA to further increase the entertainment value of our national events while tapping into segments of the American public un-touched by the drag racing world,” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. “We’re excited to welcome eMAX on-board. The depth of the company and its various divisions will make for a strong partnership with limitless possibilities.”

"The eMax family of companies has an expansive reach and we intend on using all our resources to promote this sponsorship of the IHRA Drag Racing Series,” said Nick Kontonicolas, CEO/President, C. Trade Group, the company responsible for this experiential partnership. “Coupling this partnership by sponsoring Terry McMillen’s Top Fuel dragster, the most coveted class in the sport, we will increase their visibility and add to the enthusiasm already surrounding IHRA drag racing.”

The EntertainMax Top Fuel dragster will be debuted by McMillen during spring testing events and at the 5th annual Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by Ancira Cars, Trucks and RVs and the San Antonio Express-News at San Antonio Raceway, March 24-26. McMillen will compete in Top Fuel after several successful seasons driving the Amalie-sponsored “InstiGator” Alcohol Funny Car, which will receive associate-sponsorship from eMax as well.

eMax replaces Hooters Restaurants as title sponsor of the IHRA Drag Racing Series. Hooters is now the presenting sponsor of the street legal racing and lifestyle event series, Kumho Street Warriorz presented by Hooters.

About EntertainMax
EntertainMax is a multimedia, entertainment and broadcasting company that offers high-quality products and services focused in the areas of pre-recorded music, feature films, TV production, concerts, sporting events and merchandising. EntertainMax Worldwide also owns independent record labels, studios and is in the process of launching a 24-hour broadcast network.

About eMax Holdings Corporation
eMax Holdings Corporation http://www.emaxcorp.com, is a diversified holding company investing in multimedia, entertainment, communication, broadcasting, high-end technologies, and real estate and finance industries through five corporations. eMax Holdings Corporation holds stock interest in EMAX Ventures, Inc.; Artists Innovations, Inc.; Spider Technologies, Inc.; EntertainMax Worldwide, Inc.; and Gold Rush Investments Corp.

About C Trade USA
C. TradeUSA, Inc.(C. Trade Group), http://www.ctradegroup.com, a privately held company with extensive National and International business relationships, is part of the C. Trade Group of Companies. The C. Trade Group of Companies has extensive holdings in the United States as well as in China, Latin America, Greece, and Bangladesh. C. Trade's portfolio of companies specializes in biotechnology, environmental remediation, water purification and remediation, and automotive consultation services. C. Trade Group, Inc.'s President, Nick Kontonicolas, is an experienced, well-seasoned professional investor and corporate venture capitalist. He constantly seeks out new and revolutionary technologies which can be seamlessly integrated within his network.

About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, professional, semi-professional and local level racing provides competitive opportunities for drivers at all levels. The eMax Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2006, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Mr. Gasket Pro-Am Championship consists of competition at national events and 35 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 90 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the PM-1 Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation’s entertainment-filled “Thunder Jam” shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Kumho Street Warriorz presented by Hooters. More information can be found at www.ihra.com.

Motorsports Job Opportunities!

Become a Part of the fast-paced Motorsports MIR Team. Maryland International Raceway is now taking applications for part time weekend help. We need a limited number of track officials, tower personnel, security guards, ticket sellers and concession staff. If you would like a fun part-time job and see what goes on behind the scenes, please contact the MIR office for details at 301-884-9833.

Junior Dragsters Rule at MIR!

Maryland Int’l Raceway has one of the best Junior Dragster weekly programs in the country with some of the greatest junior racers and families! Again this year, the Junior Dragsters have plenty to be excited about. Everyone was very positive about the weekly schedule we ran last year so we will keep it the same for 2006. Junior Dragster, ATV and any early Test & Tune cars will start off the day with time trials at 2:00 pm. Junior Dragster and ATV eliminations will then start at 3:30 pm. We will run two or three rounds of Junior Dragster before starting time runs for the rest of the classes at 4:30 pm. Then we will finish Junior Dragster and ATV in between classes and should have the finals done by around 6:00 pm.

Team MIR for the Bracket Finals will again include eight Junior Dragsters. The team will consist of the top seven in the points and the Jr. Dragster Wildcard winner. We will also run one Junior Dragster Open this season featuring a $1,000 savings bond to the winner. At the Junior Dragster Open, we will run our normal weekly program to give the Juniors their own Double-Header Day! The Computech Raider E.T. Challenge between MIR and VMP is another eight-race series including Junior Dragster with a $1,000 savings bond to win at each race and a chance to win a major sponsorship for your car and a championship gold ring! MIR will again host the 10th annual IHRA Eastern Junior Dragster Nationals.

Junior Dragsters will again have first round re-entry, just like the rest of the Speed Unlimited E.T. Series classes. Re-entry will be $15 and points will not count for re-entry cars, except if you re-enter and win the class you will be awarded an additional 11 points for a total of 31. MIR’s weekly program will award a $200 savings bond and trophy to the winner, a $100 savings bond and trophy to the runner-up and a car and driver pass to each semi-finalist. As always, second round winners get a trophy. The top ten in points will receive plaques and savings bonds at the annual Racers Party & Awards Banquet. Dale and Joy Smith’s Jiffy Lube locations will again sponsor the $100 savings bond for each 5th through 10th place finishers - their commitment is through 2007. This is a much appreciated addition to the Junior Dragster program!

1st place $500 bond
2nd place $200 bond
3rd – 10th place $100 bond

The Jr. Dragster track champion for 2006 will receive the following:

• $500 savings bond

• Free car & driver entry for 2007

• Reserved parking spot

• Championship trophy and recognition at Racer’s Party

Saturday Speed Unlimited ET Series Schedule

The weekly Saturday E.T. schedule will remain the same as last year, with a minor fine-tune. The current schedule reduces the amount of time a racer needs to be at the track to compete in his or her class. The feedback that we received from the racers on this change last year was extremely positive. So once again, the day will be divided into two groups; the first group will be our 1/8 mile classes of Junior Dragster and ATV. Any Test & Tune cars can also make early runs during the first group. The second group will be the 1/4 mile classes of Top, Mod, and Motorcycle. We will no longer run a Saturday morning test session due to the size and frequency of the Saturday morning clubs. As a result, the gates will not open until 1:00 pm on weekly E.T. series events without 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 weekly Saturday schedule will have J/D, ATV, and test & tune time runs starting at 2:00 pm; eliminations will start at 3:30 pm. We will run two to three rounds of J/D & ATV eliminations before starting time runs for the rest of the classes at 4:30 pm. We will finish J/D and ATV eliminations in between the second group of classes and should have their finals done by around 6:00 pm.

The second group of Top, Mod, and Motorcycle will start time runs at 4:30 pm. There will be two sessions with the second session being a bogey run. Eliminations will start at approximately 7:00 pm. This will allow racers in both groups to stay in rhythem with their time runs and eliminations without long delays between runs. It will also better accommodate a Junior Dragster parent who also races in another class to concentrate on one race at a time. Other benefits to this schedule include: a crew member / racer can have some fun with their ATV pit bike in the ATV class and not take away from their program that evening; racers in Top, Mod, and Motorcycle can now choose to have much of their Saturday to do whatever they want and then head to the track or come to the track early, get parked, tinker with the car or bike, visit with friends and be relaxed, and/or be ready and focused for their race. Another consideration to this schedule is racers in Top, Mod, and Motorcycle that race at nearby tracks on Saturday who lose early can still make first round or re-entry at MIR.

On the SuperChargers Showdown and Jet Wars (the only two shows with the full Speed Unlimited ET series) all times will be two hours earlier.

On special ET programs like the Computech Raider ET Challenge, $5K Double Headers and others, check the event flyer for schedule.

Dancers - Performers Wanted for Lugnut's Pitcrew

Lugnut’s Pitcrew (an entertainment group) is holding auditions for their 2006 season on March 22nd at the La Plata Library.

Charles County Public Library
La Plata Branch
2 Garrett Avenue
La Plata, Maryland 20646
 

“Lugnut: The Fastest Squirrel in the World” and his Pitcrew are featured at Maryland International Raceway (MIR). We also perform at local community events such as the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, March of Dimes and County Fairs.

Our performances incorporate jazz, hip hop, modern dance and skits. If interested, you must be 18 years old by April 2006. All performers are compensated.

To contact us please call (301) 980-3333 or email your inquiry to lugnutpitcrew@yahoo.com.

2006 MIR Steering Committee

• Help with rules & procedures
• Help arbitrate any racer disputes
• To answer question of any new racers to MIR
• Oversee racer’s fund including staffing 50/50 sellers

Steering Committee Members

2006 Speed Unlimited Midnight Madness Admission & Entry Fees

New Format for "No Time" Racers at the 2006 Test & Tunes

PINKS Season Two Premiers this February on SPEED Channel with Episodes Filmed at MIR

SPEED Channel’s hit TV reality show “PINKS” is kicking off its second season of high-stakes drag racing hosted by Rich Christensen with three new episodes filmed at Maryland Int’l Raceway so far.

The second season of PINKS kicks off on SPEED Channel on Wednesday, February 22nd at 9:00 pm with Brian Leaf vs. Justin Burcham in a classic “PINKS” Shootout with sparks flying. The second MIR episode will be aired on Wednesday, March 8th at 9:30 pm with MIR’s own Jason Miller taking on Mike Slowe - two of the fastest street bikes on the east coast. The third episode at MIR will be aired on Wednesday, March 15th at 9:30 pm in an import vs. domestic battle with Jonathan Adkins vs. Jeff Gilbert.

Using the setting of a classic 1950s drag race, PINKS will pit contestants in a best three-out-of-five format, with the loser handing over the title (pink slip) to his or her vehicle. The rules are simple: two vehicles show up and drivers negotiate any head-start distance (vehicle lengths); vehicles line up, the flagman drops the flag and the first one down the quarter mile wins. After each round, the drivers have the opportunity to re-negotiate lengths. In the end only one thing matters...

SPEED Channel is the exclusive US cable home for many of the top motorsports series in the world. In addition, SPEED's weekly programming schedule brings car enthusiast television to prime time Monday through Thursday. Now available in more than 67 million homes in North American, the channel is among the fastest growing sports cable networks in the country! Be sure to tune in to SPEED Channel February 22nd for the PINKS Season Two debut!
 

Speed Unlimited's 39th Annual President's Day Sale - February 18-20, 2006

www.speedunlimited.com
301/420-2727  or  1-800-SPEED-LT

Speed Unlimited’s 39th Annual President’s Day Sale is coming this weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, February 18th, 19th & 20th. This legendary sale is the one that people talk about all year long. Everything in Speed Unlimited’s huge inventory will be on sale including special orders. So you will have the availability of Speed Unlimited’s huge inventory but at below mail order and internet prices. This is definitely the sale you don’t want to miss. A sample of the super deals: MSD 6AL ignition boxes at $198.99, Holley Double Pump Carburetors from $299.99 and Auto Meter Shift-Lite Tachs from $101.99. If need parts for you project, don’t order them through the mail, check out the Speed Unlimited 39th Annual President’s Day Sale this weekend and save some cash.

Press Release courtesy of AMDRAGS

www.amdrags.com

AMDRAGS, the American Drag Racing All Gas Series, has begun to announce the dates and locations for the 2006 season. The first location to be announced is Maryland International Raceway (MIR) in Budds Creek, Maryland for September 9-10.

“We are delighted to be working with the owners of MIR. This track has all the ingredients we were looking for,” said AMDRAGS President Buzz Kanter. “It is a first-class facility for the racers and the spectators. And MIR is convenient to a large base of Harley racers and enthusiasts.”

MIR is located just south of both Washington D.C. and Baltimore, giving it a broad customer base. It hosts an annual IHRA National event and co-hosts the MIROCK motorcycle drag racing series for metric bikes.

“I have worked with Royce Miller and the staff at MIR for many years,” said Matt Polito AMDRAGS Director of Racing. “Royce is a hard-working and forward-thinking individual. He has made tremendous capital improvements to the facility over the past few years and has always impressed me as a smart and progressive race promoter. It is a real privilege to be able to partner with him and the MIR staff as we launch the AMDRAGS series.”

AMDRAGS events will feature drag racing, the AIMSA (American Iron Magazine Showbike Association), the Thunder Alley Race School, and other V-Twin motorcycle-oriented activities.

Miller, an enthusiast who recently bought his first Harley, is personally excited about the AMDRAGS event.

“As a Harley owner and rider with an ‘04 Fatboy in the garage and an ’06 Screamin’ Eagle Ultra Classic on the way, I am very excited about AMDRAGS coming to MIR,” said Miller. “The concept of providing an interactive race and showbike experience to Harley enthusiasts is unique to AMDRAGS. We invite everyone with an interest in Harley-Davidsons. It’ll be an event unlike any they’ve ever seen before.”

AMDRAGS plans to host a series of 4 to 6 Harley-Davidson lifestyle events in 2006. Announcements of more AMDRAGS event dates will follow shortly and be posted on www.AMDRAGS.com.

The Hitch Man, Inc. Now the Official Trailer Distributor of MIR

www.thehitchmaninc.com

Maryland Int’l Raceway is proud to announce that The Hitchman, Inc. is now the official trailer distributor of MIR. We are pleased to be associated with a company of this stature and professionalism and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship. The highly trained staff at the Hitch Man, Inc. is prepared to meet any and all of the towing needs of the racers and fans!

The Hitch Man, Inc. was incorporated in January 1994 as a family owned and operated business; offering only mobile delivery and installation at that time. Their first retail store was opened in 1996 to better serve customers; and it offered more products and services, including trailer sales. The second store opened in September 2002 and is located in Taneytown, Maryland.

The Hitch Man, Inc. has continued to grow while staying focused on quality products that fit customer’s needs and “Good ‘Ole Fashioned” quality service! Both locations are also certified Maryland trailer inspection stations. They offer trailer repairs, many brands of open and enclosed trailers, towing packages, numerous truck and SUV accessories with installation, and the newly established Speed and Performance shop.

The Speed & Performance Division will offer cold air intake systems, performance exhaust systems, computer tuners, suspension and body lift kits/drop kits, wheels and tires, and even superchargers; all with professional installation available too! All work is done in a modern facility with state of the art equipment and highly trained mechanics.

The Hitch Man, Inc. is continually growing to meet all of your needs and expectations. Whether it’s a custom or standard trailer, towing package, or an upgrade for your truck or SUV, you can be rest assured that it will be completed with extraordinary professionalism. Very simply, they love what they do and it shows!

Click here to visit The Hitch Man, Inc.

New Format Announced for 2006 Summit SuperSeries World Championship

Press Release courtesy of IHRA

Click here to visit www.ihra.com to sign up today!

The 2006 version of the Summit SuperSeries is taking on a new format, one that is sure to catch the attention of all IHRA member track competitors. In 2006, each of the track’s Performance Rating (P.R.) champions will race each other to determine the “Elite 8” field of Box and No Box finalists for the World Championship race.

The groundbreaking program will continue to use the 30 round P.R. ranking system, but instead of having to have one of the top 6 scores in the nation as was the case in 2005; a racer will simply have to be the P.R. champion at their home track in order to race for the championship this year.

Each track P.R. Champion will race each other at the Summit Team Finals in their respective division. The champion of the race will have earned their way into the 8 car field of finalists that will again race for the Summit World Championship during the IHRA World Finals in Rockingham, North Carolina on October 20-22, 2006. The World Championship race will be held during Sunday’s final eliminations during the professional session. The race will also be filmed by Speed Channel and seen when the IHRA World Finals airs on Speed in the fall.

There have also been provisions made for divisions that run the Summit Team Finals after the World Finals is over, and for tracks that are geographically unable to attend a team final to ensure that no one is excluded from the program.

The program highlights are as follows:

• Program will begin February 1st, 2006
• Each track will determine a P.R. winner by September 11th based on the 30 round format as currently in place. Any points discrepancies should be handled with your home track first. All points and positions will be declared official and final on September 14th regardless of any unresolved discrepancies so as not to affect the ability to hold the Team Finals run-off.
• P.R. Champions from each track in Division 2,3,4,5 will run each other at their respective Summit Team Finals. This will take the place of the Race of Champions event. Each winner will advance to the Elite 8 in their class and race for the Summit World Championship at the IHRA World Finals.
• P.R. Champions in Division 1 will run off at the Torco Race Fuels President’s cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway on September 30th, 2006. The winner in each class will advance to the Elite 8 and race for the Summit World Championship at the IHRA World Finals.
• An “At-Large” position in the Rockingham World Finals Run-Off will be filled by selecting the racer with the highest P.R. score from the participating tracks that at are geographically unable to attend a Team Finals (Aruba, Alaska, Edmonton, etc.) If the person with the highest P.R. from among these At-Large tracks can not attend the World Finals, the 2nd highest score will be offered the spot. We will go down the list until a participant that can attend the Rockingham World Finals is found. This will make sure the At-Large spot is represented with a participant from one of these tracks.
• The 7th and 8th spots in the Summit SuperSeries Elite 8 at the IHRA World Finals will be filled via a “Wild Card” drawing for all participants with a P.R. of .501 or better. All tracks, regardless of division or At-Large status are eligible for the Wild Cad drawing. If someone is pulled for the wild card position that is already one of the 6 entered in the run-off, another name will be pulled.
• Each winner of the respective P.R. Track Champion run-off, the At-Large winner and the two wild card selections will go to the Rockingham World Finals to compete for the World Championship on October 20-22, 2006. Each participant will receive $1,000 in tow money from Summit Racing Equipment when they tech in at Rockingham!

“Racers really liked competing against each other in Rockingham, during the pro rounds and on TV. It was a once in a lifetime shot for them” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. “We spent this past season working on a way to give all racers much better odds of making the Elite 8 in Rockingham. There was concern that the level of competition at all tracks was not the same. Some racers didn’t think they had a shot because no one could have a 29-2 record at their track. Basically you had an 8 in 3,000 chance at being the Summit world champion in 2005. With the program now being raced for at the track level, a racer simply cares about the competition at his home track and being crowned the P.R. champion at his track. Now the odds are extremely favorable to all IHRA racers regardless of track. The Summit World Championship is in the competitor’s control from the first round at his home track through the final round at Rockingham. This does not reward the racer who has a great day at the Summit Team Finals. One or two good races do not make a champion. A world champion should have consistently good performance on a weekly basis and that is what we have been able to accomplish. This program was revolutionary when it first debuted in 2002. It has undergone some changes to improve the process along the way. No one has ever had a program like this before, so we needed to fine tune it. With the help of our track operators that run the program and Summit Racing Equipment, we have been able to come up with the best version to date” said Polburn.

The 2006 Summit Super Series begins February 1st. Competitors must sign up for their IHRA home track points and renew their IHRA membership and competition number before Summit SuperSeries points will be counted. For more information contact the IHRA participating track near you or Donna Harper at IHRA headquarters at dharper@ihra.com.

Click here to visit www.ihra.com to sign up today!

Drag News All-Star Tour Returns to MIR in 2006

www.dragnews.com

Drag News Magazine will hold one of its Drag News All-Star Tour events in conjunction with the Mountain Motor Nationals at Maryland International Raceway on May 10, 2006.

The Drag News All-Star Tour brings lots of extras to the event, including goody bags for everyone, door prizes, awards for Best Engineered, Best Appearing Car; a $50 bounty on the head of the racers with the best reaction times during time runs; prizes for racers with perfect reaction times or dead-on dial during eliminations; class champions jackets and much, much more.

The Mountain Motor Nationals on Wednesday, May 10, 2006, will host a $5,000 to win Top ET class (1/4 mile). This will be the only 1/4 mile $5,000 to win Top E.T. race of the year. The purse also features $100 per round - round money starting with second round winners. No other E.T. classes will be run at this event. Purse entry and schedule listed below.

Schedule:
Gates Open - 3:00 pm
Top ET Eliminations - 6:30 pm
Pro Show - 7:30 pm

Top E.T Purse
Winner $5,000
Runner-Up $ 2,000
Semi $ 750
Round money $100 per round
starting with second round winners.

Entry fee $125 Re-entry $80
 

Go to www.dragnews.com/bracket for more information, and we look forward to seeing you on May 10th at Maryland International Raceway!

Maryland Int’l Raceway is proud to announce that Steen Racing has signed on to sponsor the Real Street class for the 2006 season. The Steen Racing Real Street class is a heads-up, stock suspension, no wheelie bar, 10.5” tire class, and has the spectators on their feet on Friday nights at MIR during the Speed Unlimited Midnight Madness program!

With Steen Racing’s support, the Real Street purse has gone up to pay $1,000 to win on Friday nights! Also new for 2006, all Real Street racers can drop their lowest points race of the season. (i.e., if you miss an event or didn’t do well during an event, you can drop your lowest points earned event / all Real Street racers will be required to drop one race). This is new for 2006, as some racers will be broke or miss an event, and we want everyone to still have a shot at the TOP 10 and the championship.

Steen Racing is located in Norfolk, VA and is only 2 1/2 hours south of MIR. Steen Racing can handle your competition engine and cylinder heads needs, plus roll cages and ground up builds on 10.5” tires cars. Steen Racing also has a complete dyno facility so you can tune your car to perfection before heading to the track! Steen Racing can also handle all your street performance needs. Give Steen Racing a call at 757-480-RACE or visit them online at www.steenracing.com.

Top 19   ◊   Modified 19   ◊   Junior Dragster 7
Top Wildcard 1   ◊   Modified Wildcard 1   ◊   JR. Dragster Wildcard 1

2 Alternates (one Top & one Mod)

Just look at all the programs in place for the MIR racer:

MIR, Fast, Safe, Fun, and still the most financially
rewarding track around!

We will also continue running a special class every Friday night. Every first Friday night of the month, we will run Biker Boys, a dial-in Quick 8 Street Bike Shootout. Real Street will again be run on both the 2nd and 4th Friday nights of the month. The purse has been increased for Real Street and the Real Street Shootout for the 9th-16th non-qualifiers (see Real Street rules for details). Every third Friday night of the year will be Street Stick Quick 16 which is open to all Midnight Madness legal manual transmission entries. This class will also be run on a dial-in format.  All special classes (except Real Street) will receive trophies and purse the same as Pro Street and Super Street.  As in the past, every Pro Street and Super Street winner this year will qualify for the Speed Unlimited Midnight Madness Grand Champion Run-Off to be held on Friday night, October 27th. The Midnight Madness Grand Champion will receive a $2,000 shopping spree at Speed Unlimited, a championship trophy, winners jacket and recognition at the annual MIR Racers Party and Awards Ceremony.

For the full Midnight Madness program with detailed rules on special classes, check out the class rules and information on the main menu.

MIR’s 24-hour Dragline with race info, weather updates and event status has a new home at the track office. In years past, the physical equipment and the 11 phone lines have been kept at private residences in the Clinton, Maryland area. For the last 8 years, it has been at the home of Mary Pumphrey (mother of Top ET racer Frank Pumphrey). Mary and Frank have been wonderful with getting traffic numbers from the machine to us, and handling the manual resets during power outages.  We would like to thank them greatly for their service. However, Mary has sold her home and will be moving to another area, so we have decided to move the equipment to the office to be able to handle the traffic numbers and resets there. The new number will be 301-884-RACE and will be in operation by mid January.

Be sure to attend the MIR Racer’s Party on Saturday, February 25, 2005. Doors open at 7:00 pm at the Waldorf Jaycees Hall. Tickets will be available in the beginning of January, contact the track office for details.

December 19, 2005

December 13, 2005

Maryland Int’l Raceway Receives Both the National Event “Track of the Year” and “Track Operator of the Year” Awards

Royce & Linda Miller
"2005 National IHRA Track of the Year"
"2005 Track Operators of the Year"
 

December 6, 2005

Computech Raider E.T. Challenge to Return for its 3rd Annual Series

The most successful and enjoyable E.T. series in the region, the Computech Raider E.T. Challenge, returns in 2006. Again this year, a Gold Ring awaits at the end of the rainbow for each overall class points champion. Terryberry (a custom awards ring jeweler) has designed a beautiful championship ring for the series. Each gold ring will have a blue sapphire gemstone surrounded by the Raider E.T. Challenge name. The sides of the rings will have MIR and VMP along with the year and the Champions last name cast in gold. These rings will truly be a treasured keepsake! Maryland International Raceway (MIR) and Virginia Motorsports Park (VMP) are very proud of this exciting series. Again this year, it will be an eight-race series (two Sat-Sun weekends at each track) run on the 1/8 mile. The only significant change in the program for 2006 is double entry will NOT be permitted. Instead, we will have first and second round re-entry on all classes!

This unique series includes a points program that rewards the overall champion in Top, Mod, and Junior Dragster with major sponsorships for their bracket car for the next season. These sponsorships will include tires, fuel, oil, converters, gear sets, weather stations and the list goes on and on. The three class champions will also receive from the tracks a free car and driver entry to this series for the following year, a reserved parking spot at this series and a corporate suite for a weekend at each track. MIR and VMP have again committed an additional $5,000 to the points fund to pay back under the champions.

This series is open to all bracket racers and no pre-registration is required. The schedule is set so these classes are not run at MIR when the series is at VMP, and vice versa. Class and purse information for each day of the eight races at the Raider E.T. Challenge is as follows: Top E.T. (electronics) $5,000 to win, Mod E.T. (footbrake) $2,000 to win and Junior Dragster $1,000 to win (paid in U.S. Savings Bond). There is a very attractive two-day entry fee offered at each race and a joint aggressive promotion of the series by both tracks.

2006 Raider E.T. Challenge Schedule
June 3-4 - VMP
August 26-27 - VMP
July 22-23 - MIR
October 14-15 - MIR

If you run a Top E.T., Mod E.T. or a Junior Dragster, mark these dates on your calendar for one of the best bracket programs ever! A full detailed brochure will be out soon, so pass the word.
 

December 6, 2005

Attention MIR E.T. Racers! New Changes for the 2006 Speed Unlimited E.T. Series

MIR's 2006 Speed Unlimited E.T. Series will be the best ever! With a facility being continually improved and programs to match, Maryland Int'l Raceway is the place to race. To prove that point, MIR will open the 2006 season with a very special 2-day Speed Unlimited E.T. Series Kick-Off. On both Saturday and Sunday, April 1st and 2nd, the full Speed Unlimited E.T. Series will be run with points and full guaranteed purses each day in Top and Mod regardless of car count. In addition to that, everyone that purchases a 2-day tech card in any class on Saturday and also signs up for points on Saturday will receive their points membership FREE!

MIR will also guarantee the $2,000 to win in Top E.T. and the $1,000 to win in Mod E.T. regardless of car count for April and May (except for events with rain or inclement weather). With 20 points races for 2006 (one more than in 2005) the MIR Speed Unlimited E.T. series will be exciting from the 2-day season Kick-Off to the Bracket Finals in Rockingham.

Listed below are other changes for 2006:

• Rick’s Jewelers Ring for the Queen returns

• On all 1/4 mile races Mod ET will be now be 9.00 to 19.99 and all run on 1/8 mile races

• Double entry will be NOT permitted on any E.T. events. Instead we will have first and second round re-entry on all races that pay $5,000 and up to win.

• Any re-entry driver that ultimately wins their class will receive an additional 11 points

• Purses and entry fees will remain the same as 2005, general admission will go to $15

December 2, 2005

Get ready for the most awesome Frantic 7 program ever at MIR! For 2006, the Frantic 7 will be for full body cars only. Highlights of the 2006 changes are covered in this release, and we encourage you to read the full program rules and outline for more information!

For starters, the class now has more purse with first round losers paid $500! That’s right, it now pays $500 just to qualify and run first round. In addition, it is now $1,500 to win at all events, plus any help from sponsors.

Also new for 2006 will be the addition of the “Frantic Shootout” for the next 8 quickest cars (4 car minimum) after the Frantic 7. The “Shootout" will allow (what would otherwise be) DNQ cars a chance to race. The Shootout will be a heads-up 3 round race for a $500 winner take all purse. It will be run just behind the Frantic 7 and the winner will also receive 10 additional points toward the Frantic 7 Championship. The Frantic Shootout will only be run if we have minimum of 4 cars to run in the first round. The Frantic Shootout winner will basically earn the same points and purse as the first round losers of the Frantic 7. This is now a total purse of $5,500 per event for just the full body cars. We wanted to pay as much as possible for first round losers, so we could pay the same to the Frantic Shootout winner. We didn’t want the shootout to pay any more than the first round loser of the Frantic 7. In addition the Frantic 7 full body points fund went from $2,000 to $3,400.

Other changes for 2006 include the minimum ET to pre-enter moved from 7.49 to 7.45, blower overdrive limits lowered to 40% on standard roots type blowers and 20% overdrive on Hi Helix with a minimum weight of 2,650 lbs. The blower overdrive limits and weight were changed to adhere more with current IHRA Pro Mod limits to keep proper parity with both combinations.

There are five races for the 2006 season (see schedule in rules program), and also the Northeast Pro Shootout Association will be here on the SuperChargers Showdown. So for those Frantic 7 Full body drivers that also run the Northeast, you now have another race here at MIR!

The class remains one of the most exciting heads up crowd-pleasing programs anywhere! The first race of the year for the Frantic 7’s will be the IHRA Pro Am Tour on Saturday, April 8, 2006. If you are interested in running this class, check out the website or call the office for full details.

Click here to view
the 2006 Frantic 7 Rules!
 

December 2, 2005

December 2, 2005

www.speedunlimited.com

Speed Unlimited Performance Center has once again stepped up to the plate as the top sponsor of the MIR E.T. and Midnight Madness programs. With a new three year contract that will spans through 2008, they will have supported the local Bracket and Midnight Madness racer for 15 years straight! They are responsible for the $13,025 Speed Unlimited Points Fund that is unmatched by any track in the region.

The 2006 Midnight Madness Grand Champion will receive a $2,000 shopping spree at Speed Unlimited during the Midnight Madness Season Finale on Friday Night, October 27th. Speed Unlimited will also continue the E.T. Challenge, where any Midnight Madness racer who makes a perfect run (.000 light and dead on the dial to the thousandth) during eliminations receives a Speed Unlimited $1,000 shopping spree! Remember to support those that support your sport. Speed Unlimited also remains committed to supporting the MIR E.T. Series racers. So on behalf of the racers, fans and MIR management, Thank You Speed Unlimited!!

Plan now to stop by Speed Unlimited Performance Center on their Annual President’s Day Sale on February 18th – 20th and take advantage of this tremendous sale. Speed Unlimited is located in Morningside, Maryland, the in-stock speed shop and the “Official Speed Shop of MIR” (301-420-2727).

Listed below is what you can win as a MIR points member in the Speed Unlimited E.T. Series. Each class champion in Top ET, Modified ET, Motorcycle, Jr. Dragster, & ATV will receive:

• Championship trophy
• Season Car & Driver Entry
• Reserved parking spot
   

Rick Norris from Rick’s Jewelers (located in California, MD) has renewed for another year the “Ring for the Queen” one of the most unique and innovative programs ever at MIR. Rick’s Jewelers has once again put up a certified full one-carat ladies diamond solitaire ring with a retail value of $8,500 to the winner of the “Ring for the Queen” at the Speed Unlimited ET Series.

Here is how the program will work - it is real simple!  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. The first racer to earn 5 Diamond Points gets the ring! It’s that simple, so wives and girlfriends get those guys to MIR and tell them you want that ring. Or better yet get behind the wheel and win it yourself. The diamond is already selected, in a vault for safe keeping and just waiting on YOU!! The Rick’s Jewelers “Ring for the Queen” is just another gem in the Speed Unlimited ET series and another reason why MIR is the place to race! Please be sure to thank Rick Norris at Rick’s Jewelers for his involvement in the Speed Unlimited E.T. Series.

Program requirements:

• Racer must be an MIR points member. Diamond Points are only eligible to the primary driver racing under his/her points number. No secondary drivers or double-entered cars with second number will count.
• Program open to Top ET, Mod ET, Motorcycle, Jr. Dragster and ATV only.
• For a run to be eligible, it must be a bogey or elimination run at a race that earns points toward the Speed Unlimited ET Series track championships.
• It will be the drivers responsibility to bring his/her time slip to the tower for confirmation of the perfect reaction or dial-in to receive a Diamond Point. This must be done the day of the race before the tower closes. No time slips will be accepted on a later date. No exceptions will be made to this deadline.
• Once a Diamond Point has been confirmed, a Diamond shaped icon will be placed by the drivers name on the points sheet, so all racers can keep track everyone’s totals.
• The contest will run until there is a winner, regardless of time.
• A perfect reaction time or dead-on the dial does not have to happen on the same run to earn a Diamond Point. However if a driver has a perfect run with a .000 reaction time and dead-on the dial to the thousands, that racer would earn two Diamond Points.
• Rick’s Jewelers has also stated that they would customize the ring with any type of setting, band or additional stones if you wished at a discounted price.
• There is only one ring going to the first driver in any class to earn five (5) Diamond Points. Not a ring for each class.
   

Click here to view the Tentative 2006 Schedule
 

Press Release courtesy of IHRA

Race fans coming to 2006 Hooters IHRA Racing Tour national events will get a bigger dose of nitromethane than in seasons past. Torco Racing Fuels owner Evan Knoll and the International Hot Rod Association have reached an agreement that will create the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car class, a professional class that will be part of IHRA’s schedule at all 11 national events during the next three years.

“This is a big, big deal,” IHRA President Aaron Polburn said. “We knew, as we look to continue IHRA’s growth, this was a necessary step because Nitro Funny Car is one of the most popular classes in drag racing. Evan Knoll was interested in helping us do this because, quite frankly, Evan is a drag racing fan and knows what people want to see at the strip. I’m really excited and already counting down the days until the ’06 season starts.”

Knoll is excited about the opportunity to bring the nitro Funny Cars back to IHRA competition. He's also excited about the future as well.

"You couldn't help but see the fan reaction to Mike Ashley and Del Worsham in Rockingham," Knoll said. "The place went crazy. We need to capitalize on that. A lot of things have transpired in this sport lately that makes this decision an easy one and a smart one as well. I think you are going to see the face of drag racing changing in the near future and we want to be a part of it at Torco Racing Fuels, Torco Pro Nitro and Knoll Gas Energy.

"I can't wait for 2006."

Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car will have a purse and payout structure that mirrors the revamped IHRA Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel’s. Also, each entry in the class will receive a free car and driver entry as well as eight crew passes. A revised 2006 IHRA schedule will be released next week and nine of the 11 ’06 events will be scheduled on “non-competing” weekends, this meaning IHRA will revise as to not hold races on the same weekend as Powerade NHRA national events.

The new class will also have no effect on IHRA’s popular Alcohol Funny Car class, which will remain a professional class with the same payouts and purses.

“People love nitro, and we’re going to give it to them in large doses starting next season,” Polburn said. "With such a great sponsor teaming up with us to bring IHRA fans such a great class I expect great things.”

The Torco Racing Fuels Nitro Funny Car Ironman winner at Hooters IHRA national events will take home $23,000. The runner up wins a cool $16,000 while semifinalists will receive $13,000 each. Qualifiers in the eight-car field are guaranteed $10,000 while the #9 and #10 qualifier will win $3,000.

The 2006 World Champion will win $150,000 while the runner up will take home $50,000. The third place finisher will net $25,000 while the fourth place finisher will win $15,000 and the fifth place finisher $14,000.

The total dollar amount up for grabs next season will be $1,475,000 in Torco Racing Fuels Nitro Funny Car.

Torco Race Fuels will have all grades of its popular fuel on site at all IHRA Hooters national events. Torco Race Fuels is the official race fuel of the IHRA.