2012 New Alcohol Regions (1 Viewer)

[DG]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: NHRA Communications, (626) 914-4761
NHRA Media Center Online: NHRA Media

TOP ALCOHOL CLASSES WILL COMPETE IN NEW LUCAS OIL SERIES REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM IN 2012

GLENDORA, Calif. (Nov. 12, 2011) – The two premier classes in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series – Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car – will be showcased in four regions as part of a new Regional Championship program in 2012.

The four regions that will feature the Top Alcohol classes will be designated as East, North Central, Central and West.

“During the development of the Regional Program, we worked with several of our Lucas Oil event host tracks and others within the industry,” said Josh Peterson, vice president of racing administration, NHRA. “While everyone recognized the importance of the Top Alcohol categories to the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, emphasis was placed on reducing the number of events, maintaining successful events and establishing consistency into the program.”

As part of the new Regional Championship program, NHRA will pay the Top Five drivers in the series point standings for each class in each of the four regions. Regional Lucas Oil Champions will be based on five of seven events.

In addition to the change in points structure for the Regional Program, the Lucas Oil National Championship will change from the current points structure of the best five of eight both at the National and Divisional Event level to seven of 10 for National Events and three of five for Regional Events.

The two categories will continue to be featured at 16 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events and television coverage of those races will continue to air on ESPN2 HD in 16 one-hour shows. Competition Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street will continue to compete at all NHRA Lucas Oil events.

Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2011. As the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States, NHRA presents 22 national events featuring the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates five racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; National Trail Raceway in Ohio; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

2012 NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES REGIONAL SCHEDULE

EAST REGION
Feb. 17-19 Gainesville Raceway Gainesville, Fla.
April 20-21 Virginia Motorsports Park Dinwiddie, Va.
May 25-27 Maple Grove Raceway Mohnton, Pa.
June 22-24 Lebanon Valley Dragway West Lebanon, N.Y.
July 20-22 New England Dragway Epping, N.H.
Aug. 17-19 Cecil County Dragway Rising Sun, Md.

NORTH CENTRAL REGION
April 27-29 Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis Indianapolis
May 18-20 Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park Norwalk, Ohio
June 8-10 Route 66 Raceway Joliet, Ill.
July 20-22 National Trail Raceway Hebron, Ohio
Aug. 24-26 Beech Bend Raceway Park Bowling Green, Ky.

CENTRAL REGION
June 15-17 Bandimere Speedway Morrison, Colo.
June 22-24 Tulsa Raceway Park Tulsa, Okla.
Aug. 10-11 Cordova Raceway Park Cordova, Ill.
Aug. 24-25 Heartland Park Topeka Topeka, Kan.
Sept. 7-9 Tri-State Raceway Earlville, Iowa
Sept. 14-16 Thunder Valley Raceway Park Noble, Okla.

WEST REGION
March 23-25 The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas
May 25-27 Mission Raceway Mission, B.C.
July 13-15 Woodburn Dragstrip Woodburn, Ore.
July 20-22 Infineon Raceway Sonoma, Calif.
Sept. 7-9 Woodburn Dragstrip Woodburn, Ore.
Nov. 2-4 The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas

-30-

 

[kegs]

Isn't Tulsa shutting down?

 

[tb]

Isn't Tulsa shutting down?

Tulsa gets saved
::rag Racing Online::: Agent 1320 - 11/8/2011

 

[Jeff]

Wow no TAD or TAFC at any divisionals in Texas or Louisiana .... that is going to seem strange. Is this what the teams wanted to have happen (I guess the nationals give them all the racing they really want?). I'd love to have a better understanding of this, I always enjoyed the fact that Divisionals had a couple of great heads up classes.

And while I won't miss the clutch dust, they do help TD and TS have a much better track to race on with the rubber they put down.

 

[daveo]

Will it be 16 car fields? or still an 8 car field for Div. races? Top Dragster and Top Sportsman field size the same?

 

[Tumbleweed]

Wow no TAD or TAFC at any divisionals in Texas or Louisiana .... that is going to seem strange. Is this what the teams wanted to have happen (I guess the nationals give them all the racing they really want?). I'd love to have a better understanding of this, I always enjoyed the fact that Divisionals had a couple of great heads up classes.

And while I won't miss the clutch dust, they do help TD and TS have a much better track to race on with the rubber they put down.

Not at ALL what WE Wanted, but there are a few people in Texas, involved, that would deny any involvement, that helped get rid of us here. They know who they are and the sad thing is, many of us know who they are, but we're too nice to get into a pissing match..... It's a done deal now, so, just have to deal with it.......

 

[Tumbleweed]

This is what I've compiled so far (this is only for a quick reference chart, in no way shape or form are we complaining, hopefully it will be useful to some, and if I've missed something or you find a discrepancy, please feel free to correct, it's a lot of dates and numbers close together) I'm only listing where there appears to be an impact,

Also NOTE: Some of these races (division / National) are the same as it's been, difference being, some are now lumped to the same "REGION" making it different than it once was for most.

EAST:
Gainesville -- 1 week after Pomona (no change)
Dinwiddie -- 1 week after 4 Wide, 1 week Before Houston
Maple Grove -- 1 week before E-Town
Cecil County -- Same as Brainerd (effects certain racers)
NOTE: BIG CHANGES FOR D-2

NORTH CENTRAL:
Indy -- Same weekend as Houston National
Norwalk -- Same Weekend as Topeka Nationals
Beech Bend -- 1 week before Indy (No Change)

CENTRAL:
Denver to Tulsa 1st two races in June 1 week apart
(no National conflict, just travel)
Cordova -- 1 wk after Seattle, 1 wk before Brainerd (I think No Change)
Topeka -- 1 week before Indy (no change)
Earville -- 1 week after Indy (no change)
Noble -- 1 week before Dallas
NOTE: Many of these are NO CHANGE, but with all of Texas losing our races, this is a big change for D-4

WEST:
Vegas -- 1 week before Vegas 1 National (at least no travel)
Woodburn -- 1 week after Indy (I think this is a change)
Vegas -- 1 week after Vegas, 1 wk b4 Pomona (no change, less travel)

 

[Toejam]

Not at ALL what WE Wanted, but there are a few people in Texas, involved, that would deny any involvement, that helped get rid of us here. They know who they are and the sad thing is, many of us know who they are, but we're too nice to get into a pissing match..... It's a done deal now, so, just have to deal with it.......

Do track owners have any imput? That would give you an idea as to why.

 

[Tumbleweed]

Do track owners have any imput? That would give you an idea as to why.

Use your imagination Joe,

 

[mick]

bandimere & topeka (2) out of (5) central tracks.
ennis, houston & brainerd national event tracks shut out of this division in
lieu of noble, ok., cordova, il., & it's very close neighbor earville, ia.

(2) illinois tracks in (2) different divisions

missed the div. 5 race @ brainerd this last summer for first time in over 20 yrs.;
gone now

 

[BurkartFan]

No Bradenton, FL events anymore...

 

[The Little Lizard]

In Division 7, Bakersfield (May) and Chandler Arizona (February) are off the schedule. We have been talking allot out my way about this deal. As far as the Western Region is concerned it seems to be concensus do the amount of traveling it will weed some people out, especially the hall to B.C. It will favor those in SoCal as they have two vegas events, and its not to big a hall to Sonoma. However, as pointed out by Nancy nice that the vegas races and Sonoma fall either the weekend before or after the national event. This will help get 16 car counts for the national events on the stay over from the division.
This kind of arrangement will surely help the Payne's, Lombaro Jr.'s , McKernon/Derrian, etc. (more well funded and staffed groups). It will hurt the smaller funded or staffed outfits due to extensive travel, associated costs, crew time off work to participate and travel time, etc. These local low funded cars will show up once or twice a year at their local track to play the role of ladder fodder and filler for the high dollar deals. Intersesting to note and I wonder if some of the old timer insiders knew this was coming down per the exodus of perennial Division 7 players Taylor, Rupert and now Hudson to the ranks of Nostalgia funny car.

 

[NYNitro86]

No Bradenton, FL events anymore...

no E-town either, I guess I'll have to go back to LVD, I'll still go to E-Town Points race, I hope Top Dragster/Top Sportsman or even John Mazzorana's Northeast Outlaw Pro Mods or even Raceway Park's 8.50 Index program are thrown in.