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NORWALK, Ohio – The IHRA World Nationals, set to debut at the brand new Mansfield Motorsports Park, has been rescheduled for September 21-23, 2007. While the track is still planning to open in June, IHRA and Mansfield Motorsports Park officials made the decision to move the event to the fall to ensure that every detail of the project met the standards that the racers and fans expect.
Governmental issues prevented construction from taking place in the unseasonably warm fall and early winter months Ohio experienced. The project was still well ahead of schedule until the February snow and cold halted progress.
“The plan was to get a jump on construction and stay ahead of the timeline,” Mansfield Motorsports Park owner Mike Dzurilla said. “Delays have put us in a situation where everything would have to go perfectly from now on for us to be ready for the race. Quite honestly I don’t want to welcome anyone to our first IHRA national event without having everything perfect. I know a lot of racers and fans are counting on me to build a facility every one can be proud of and I don’t plan on disappointing them.”
IHRA President Aaron Polburn echoed Dzurilla’s feelings.
“Mike has already proved he can build a fan and racer-friendly operation with Mansfield Speedway and proved he knows how to deliver a first class event to competitors, sponsors and fans with his Craftsman Truck race,” Polburn said. “I agree with Mike that we only get one chance to make a first impression, so every blade of grass must be in place, every building painted, every road paved before we welcome World Nationals fans to Mansfield Motorsports Park.”
In the past, IHRA has put on events in facilities that were not quite ready for prime time and could not deliver the customer experience that had been expected.
“There is nothing more disappointing for a racer, sponsor or fan than to be excited about a new facility only to park in the mud or to find an amenity not fully functional when they arrive,” Polburn said. “We have learned from the past and promised racers that attended those events that we would not put them in that position again. What everyone needs to understand is that this is a long term partnership with Mike and his team at Mansfield and we are prepared to wait the extra three months to ensure our customers have an experience that exceeds their expectations.”
The Nitro Jam event will return to its June date in 2008.
The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by Mr. Gasket event originally scheduled for the September 21-23 weekend at Mansfield will be postponed until 2008.
“Fortunately, the way the schedule worked out this year, Division 3 racers have the luxury of having seven other ‘in division’ events this season on the schedule so hopefully this move will have minimal impact,” IHRA vice president of racing operations Skooter Peaco said. “We apologize for the schedule shuffle, but with seven months notice, our Summit Pro-Am competitors can adjust their schedule to maximize their season and take advantage of the double event weekends at some of the other host facilities until we can get Mansfield on the schedule for 2008.”
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 $19.5 million Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is a 12-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of nine events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 70 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the 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 IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation.
About Live Nation
Live Nation is the world’s leading live music company, annually connecting more than 67 million fans with their favorite performers at over 33,000 events. We are the largest producer of live concerts in the world, the second-largest venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. Live Nation creates superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate and/or have booking rights for more than 170 venues, including House of Blues-branded music venues and prestigious locations such as San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Hammersmith Apollo and Wembley Arena. Live Nation’s websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.” For more information regarding concerts near you, Live Nation and its businesses, please visit our website at Live Nation | Find Concert Tickets, Tour Dates, Seating Charts & Venue Schedules with the World's Largest Concert Search Engine.
IHRA WORLD NATIONALS RESCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER
NORWALK, Ohio – The IHRA World Nationals, set to debut at the brand new Mansfield Motorsports Park, has been rescheduled for September 21-23, 2007. While the track is still planning to open in June, IHRA and Mansfield Motorsports Park officials made the decision to move the event to the fall to ensure that every detail of the project met the standards that the racers and fans expect.
Governmental issues prevented construction from taking place in the unseasonably warm fall and early winter months Ohio experienced. The project was still well ahead of schedule until the February snow and cold halted progress.
“The plan was to get a jump on construction and stay ahead of the timeline,” Mansfield Motorsports Park owner Mike Dzurilla said. “Delays have put us in a situation where everything would have to go perfectly from now on for us to be ready for the race. Quite honestly I don’t want to welcome anyone to our first IHRA national event without having everything perfect. I know a lot of racers and fans are counting on me to build a facility every one can be proud of and I don’t plan on disappointing them.”
IHRA President Aaron Polburn echoed Dzurilla’s feelings.
“Mike has already proved he can build a fan and racer-friendly operation with Mansfield Speedway and proved he knows how to deliver a first class event to competitors, sponsors and fans with his Craftsman Truck race,” Polburn said. “I agree with Mike that we only get one chance to make a first impression, so every blade of grass must be in place, every building painted, every road paved before we welcome World Nationals fans to Mansfield Motorsports Park.”
In the past, IHRA has put on events in facilities that were not quite ready for prime time and could not deliver the customer experience that had been expected.
“There is nothing more disappointing for a racer, sponsor or fan than to be excited about a new facility only to park in the mud or to find an amenity not fully functional when they arrive,” Polburn said. “We have learned from the past and promised racers that attended those events that we would not put them in that position again. What everyone needs to understand is that this is a long term partnership with Mike and his team at Mansfield and we are prepared to wait the extra three months to ensure our customers have an experience that exceeds their expectations.”
The Nitro Jam event will return to its June date in 2008.
The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour presented by Mr. Gasket event originally scheduled for the September 21-23 weekend at Mansfield will be postponed until 2008.
“Fortunately, the way the schedule worked out this year, Division 3 racers have the luxury of having seven other ‘in division’ events this season on the schedule so hopefully this move will have minimal impact,” IHRA vice president of racing operations Skooter Peaco said. “We apologize for the schedule shuffle, but with seven months notice, our Summit Pro-Am competitors can adjust their schedule to maximize their season and take advantage of the double event weekends at some of the other host facilities until we can get Mansfield on the schedule for 2008.”
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 $19.5 million Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is a 12-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of nine events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA’s Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 70 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the 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 IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation.
About Live Nation
Live Nation is the world’s leading live music company, annually connecting more than 67 million fans with their favorite performers at over 33,000 events. We are the largest producer of live concerts in the world, the second-largest venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. Live Nation creates superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate and/or have booking rights for more than 170 venues, including House of Blues-branded music venues and prestigious locations such as San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Hammersmith Apollo and Wembley Arena. Live Nation’s websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.” For more information regarding concerts near you, Live Nation and its businesses, please visit our website at Live Nation | Find Concert Tickets, Tour Dates, Seating Charts & Venue Schedules with the World's Largest Concert Search Engine.
