IHRA cancels some 2026 events

[Under_Pressure]

For what it's worth, IHRA has officially cancelled the Sheboygan, WI offshore powerboat races scheduled for August 8th and 9th. That was the one remaining event for them after the big cuts a couple weeks ago- the "national championship" they were calling it now. Surprisingly there is still an F1 powerboat race scheduled for this weekend in IL, though I'll believe it when it actually happens. Other than that the only things in the events section on their website (for now) are the two remaining High Stakes tractor pulls.

 

[Ponyhntr]

The IHRA said that they are continuing the bracket championship races for the year. What proof is there that the money is there to pay the champions?

The money the teams bring for entry fees and the cash made from gamblers races usually more than covers the pot.

 

[65 Goatboy]

Why would IHRA have done that if they had all the funding in place for 10 years of operations?

I have read here on Nitromater several times that IHRA was fully funded for 10 years. Was that statement made by a credible source other then Darryl Cuttell himself?

 

[65 Goatboy]

https://daranahybrid.com/about/ Just wondering. Is this a hoax too?

 

[z28]

Slightly off topic, but I remember Ron and Maddie were going to run the triple crown or whatever it was. I noticed they were not at the first event. I know the first event was rescheduled presumably due to weather, but did Ron or Maddie ever address this?

the were going to the Maple Grove race that got postponed. The idea of doing all three was speculation by others

 

[ironpony]

https://daranahybrid.com/about/ Just wondering. Is this a hoax too?

I do not think so I have seen it before a couple ?? years ago. The guy is not stupid, he is very successful in business. I am not sure what happened with IHRA, I would have to say he had a plan vision, who knows what happened. As long as he has been in business I believe it is not a financial problem. Not returning enough money?? or returning zero and he is severing his losses. I would think he knew it wasn't going to turn anything for years if ever.

 

[Ponyhntr]

I do not think so I have seen it before a couple ?? years ago. The guy is not stupid, he is very successful in business. I am not sure what happened with IHRA, I would have to say he had a plan vision, who knows what happened. As long as he has been in business I believe it is not a financial problem. Not returning enough money?? or returning zero and he is severing his losses. I would think he knew it wasn't going to turn anything for years if ever.

The incoming cash flow was suddenly turned off. All I will say on that.

 

[ironpony]

I have read here on Nitromater several times that IHRA was fully funded for 10 years. Was that statement made by a credible source other then Darryl Cuttell himself?

I know when this second year started I read an article that said that. Credible or not who knows. Seems to me like it was puffing on his part.

 

[Mike]

Here is another reason be cautious with IHRA. I was intrigued when they announced their stock car series. Most of the races were in the southeast, but there was one at the historic Salem Speedway in Indiana scheduled for August. I hadn't noticed this was taken off the schedule earlier this spring. This is copied/pasted from the Salem Speedway Facebook page in relation to IHRA cancelling the stock car series. While this is not drag racing, I have to ask drag racers: Does this give you pause?

"For Immediate Release:
Truly sad to see this post for the stock car industry.
The IHRA Stock Car Series called just after closing on the track and asked if we'd like to be a part of history and schedule a race for the 2026 race season with their new and upcoming stock car series they were starting, and boy, were we excited! We agreed on August 22, 2026.
A few weeks later, when IHRA was buying everything up across the country, they gave us a call about purchasing this beautiful 80-year-old track. When we wouldn't sell, they called back and then asked to lease her from us for three years, which we entertained until they told us we would have to cancel ALL events we had already scheduled for the 2026 season, as they only wanted to run 3-4 events a year! We could have taken the easy road out and walked away for those three years!
HOWEVER, as the new owners, we both immediately said NO! When we wouldn't agree to sell or lease, they pulled the race from our schedule, as they stated they wanted control, to own or lease the facilities they had their races at.
We had already invested so much into the Speedway and into this community we now call home, and vice versa, the community had started investing back into us with their sponsorship, leadership, and guidance!
We have been sitting on this for quite a while and thought we would release exactly why the race was pulled and show you our commitment to this community.
So with that, we both say, THANK YOU Washington County, Indiana. To all of our sponsors, drivers & fans, our amazing Race Director Glenn Luckett, and especially our amazing teammates & newly formed safety team for sticking with us as we are approaching the mid-season of our first year of owning this historical Speedway. We truly appreciate each and every single one of you!
Thank you again!
We do, however, wish the IHRA Stock Car Series the best of luck in their rebuilding of their series for the 2027 season and would invite them back to run a future race at the Historical High Banks of Salem, Indiana."

 

[65 Goatboy]

I do not think so I have seen it before a couple ?? years ago. The guy is not stupid, he is very successful in business. I am not sure what happened with IHRA, I would have to say he had a plan vision, who knows what happened. As long as he has been in business I believe it is not a financial problem. Not returning enough money?? or returning zero and he is severing his losses. I would think he knew it wasn't going to turn anything for years if ever.

No I don't think he is stupid either. Darana Hybrid looks very impressive on the site, a worldwide corporation in business for just over 40 years. Doesn't say how long Darryl has been involved. Maybe doing the IHRA was on a whim, I'm a fan wouldn't this be fun? Maybe no realistic business plan and when it started hemorrhaging $$$$$ oops this isn't any fun at all. P.R. promises for next year and maybe a realistic 10 yr business plan??!! I just might attend my first IHRA race in Memphis, Tn.

 

[Under_Pressure]

See, I don't think Darana's site is particularly impressive. A lot of fluff, not a lot of substance. It smacks of a small business trying to make itself seem bigger and more important than it is. Which is fine, that's a standard business tactic. But it has been clear all along that it has historically not been a big operation that can generate the kind of cash needed for what he was doing. It should be obvious to anyone that it is nowhere near the level of business that, say, Kalitta Air is, and I don't think even Connie could write the kind of checks Cuttell was supposedly going to for very long.

Now based on the recent chatter there may have been some magical XAI contracts for something to do with data centers that were apparently going to be enough to bankroll the whole thing but then disappeared. Even if that's the case, doing what Cuttell did based on possible future profit from another business before you've really seen any of it is absurdly poor business. And it couldn't have been much of a "contract" if X just up and walked away from it. Honestly, based on how things have gone with IHRA and the apparent abrupt change in his business fortunes, I can't help but feel that Cuttell might be kind of a sucker.

 

[Chili]

The incoming cash flow was suddenly turned off. All I will say on that.

I had seen several posts that he lost business contracts recently. Obviously i have no idea what is facts and what is not. I’m guessing those are true at this point.

 

[Jim]

I have read here on Nitromater several times that IHRA was fully funded for 10 years. Was that statement made by a credible source other then Darryl Cuttell himself?

I never believed it when I read the statement. It seemed like the kind of thing a con man would say.

 

[Jim]

Now based on the recent chatter there may have been some magical XAI contracts for something to do with data centers that were apparently going to be enough to bankroll the whole thing but then disappeared.

What kind of business plan is it to depend on the revenue from one business to fund the operations of a second business without a solid plan for when the second business would be profitable on its own?

 

[Steve Wayne]

Good read…

 

[Under_Pressure]

What kind of business plan is it to depend on the revenue from one business to fund the operations of a second business without a solid plan for when the second business would be profitable on its own?

Exactly. The best case scenario seems to be that this guy makes some terrible business decisions (the worst case being that he's a con man).

 

[Tybamf]

What kind of business plan is it to depend on the revenue from one business to fund the operations of a second business without a solid plan for when the second business would be profitable on its own?

Not only to depend on future revenue from the main biz to fund the other, but to apparently count on the main biz generating enough profit to fund the second. We don't know the facts, but seems pretty dumb to me!

 

[Joe]

Good read…

We will be there when they get rolling again.Had great times and friends at 3 races

 

[yoda]

Not only to depend on future revenue from the main biz to fund the other, but to apparently count on the main biz generating enough profit to fund the second. We don't know the facts, but seems pretty dumb to me!

Watch what is happening in the markets with chips, AI and tech. Its literally ALL of which you speak. There's money that doesn't even exist being used to leverage entire corporations.

House of cards, I tell ya...

 

[Steve Wayne]

I’ve not weighed in on this yet because I wanted to see what other info came out. But in response to some of the things stated about DC, I think what you are seeing with his demeanor isn’t a drunk, but a very smart man on the spectrum. I’m a chemist, so I have been around countless people who act just like him, very intelligent, just extremely socially awkward. I believe, and this is just my thoughts for what they are worth, that he had the best of intentions, just went about them the wrong way. People like him tend to hyper-focus on whatever it is that interests them, and they go full bore. It sucks for the racers and all the staff involved how it turned out. But not one racer I have talked to in the nitro classes or pro mod have said they wouldn’t come back if it’s an option in 27. And they all have nothing but great things to say about DC and how he treated them. I hope the racers get paid, and all the staff like Josh move on to even better opportunities. We can all sit here and speculate on this and that, why and how, but truthfully we don’t know until it comes out of the horses mouth or things start being publicly revealed with facts. I enjoyed every IHRA race I was at, and I think if they could find a way to get people in they would come back. It wasn’t NHRA and to me that was the best part, it was laid back and felt like the drag racing I grew up around, fun and not like a business.