<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/SOONERNats07.jpg" alt="SOONERNats07" align="left"borders="0"/>
NORWALK, Ohio (May 7, 2007) – The Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series will host it’s inaugural event in Tulsa, Okla., May 25 – 27. The event, the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports + Outdoors, marks the first national event drag race to be hosted at Tulsa Raceway Park in the modern era. (Buy Tickets: http://www.ihra.com/results/2007/nitrojam.html).
“This is an opportunity for Oklahoma fans to see the fastest and quickest drag racing vehicles on the planet, including 330 mph Top Fuel dragsters and Nitro Funny Cars,” said IHRA vice president of marketing Jim Marchyshyn. “The event brings a great package of entertainment for hardcore motor sport fans and the casual fan. Parents will discover the Sooner Nationals is a great place to bring the kids and enjoy an affordable day of family fun.
“Tulsa has a great drag racing heritage and we are looking forward to a great event,” added Marchyshyn.
Tulsa Raceway Park offers fans free parking. A pit pass is included with every ticket, giving fans the opportunity to go “backstage” and meet the drivers.
Five professional categories will compete during the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals:
320 mph Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel Dragsters, the kings of the sport, the pinnacle of drag racing performance
Defending world champion: Clay Millican
320 mph Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Cars, the quickest and fastest full-bodied race cars, a fan-favorite
Defending world champion: Dale Creasy Jr.
240 mph Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified, a diverse-group of wild, full-bodied cars embodying the true spirit of hot-rodding
Defending world champion: Quain Stott
220 mph Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock, the world’s quickest “stock” category, the cars maintain street identity while pushing performance limits
Defending world champion: Pete Berner
250 mph Alcohol Funny Car, known for long, smoky burnouts, powered by supercharged, fuel-injected engines
Defending world champion: Mark Thomas
All professional categories will qualify Friday (May 25) at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday (May 26) at 12 noon and 6:30 p.m. Eliminations are scheduled for Sunday (May 27) at 10:30 a.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m. and final round at 4 p.m.
“An IHRA event offers more than just the racing on-track. Families matter. A child’s ticket is just $5. Our pits are open to every fan that comes to the race, giving people the opportunity to walk around amongst the race rigs, talk to the drivers, get autographs, visit the midway,” said Marchyshyn. “We present a wide-variety of race cars as well, from the highest performing professional cars to entry-level classes. And every Nitro Jam event features a jet-powered vehicle that delivers the ultimate experience. When these cars launch, you can literally feel the heat and raw power they emit.”
The Warren CAT “Night of Fire” show, part of Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. session, features the final round of professional qualifying under the lights, including two flame-burning Nitro-fueled classes. The ground-pounding Super Shockwave jet-powered truck will cap-off the night with a blast down the track.
For more information on the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports + Outdoors, please visit IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation or Welcome Race Fans!. Media requests can be sent to Travis Reynolds at (419) 706-8631 or [email protected].
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 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of eight 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 largest live music company. Our mission is to inspire passion for live music around the world. We are the largest promoter of live concerts in the world, the second-largest entertainment venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. We strive to create 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, have booking rights for and/or have an equity interest in more than 160 venues, including House of Blues® music venues and prestigious locations such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Wembley Arena. Our websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment/event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In addition, we also produce, promote or host theatrical, specialized motor sports and other live entertainment events. In 2006, we connected nearly 60 million fans with their favorite performers at approximately 26,000 events in 18 countries around the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.”
TULSA RACEWAY PARK TO HOST INAUGURAL KNOLL-GAS NITRO JAM EVENT MAY 25-27
NORWALK, Ohio (May 7, 2007) – The Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series will host it’s inaugural event in Tulsa, Okla., May 25 – 27. The event, the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports + Outdoors, marks the first national event drag race to be hosted at Tulsa Raceway Park in the modern era. (Buy Tickets: http://www.ihra.com/results/2007/nitrojam.html).
“This is an opportunity for Oklahoma fans to see the fastest and quickest drag racing vehicles on the planet, including 330 mph Top Fuel dragsters and Nitro Funny Cars,” said IHRA vice president of marketing Jim Marchyshyn. “The event brings a great package of entertainment for hardcore motor sport fans and the casual fan. Parents will discover the Sooner Nationals is a great place to bring the kids and enjoy an affordable day of family fun.
“Tulsa has a great drag racing heritage and we are looking forward to a great event,” added Marchyshyn.
Tulsa Raceway Park offers fans free parking. A pit pass is included with every ticket, giving fans the opportunity to go “backstage” and meet the drivers.
Five professional categories will compete during the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals:
320 mph Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel Dragsters, the kings of the sport, the pinnacle of drag racing performance
Defending world champion: Clay Millican
320 mph Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Cars, the quickest and fastest full-bodied race cars, a fan-favorite
Defending world champion: Dale Creasy Jr.
240 mph Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified, a diverse-group of wild, full-bodied cars embodying the true spirit of hot-rodding
Defending world champion: Quain Stott
220 mph Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock, the world’s quickest “stock” category, the cars maintain street identity while pushing performance limits
Defending world champion: Pete Berner
250 mph Alcohol Funny Car, known for long, smoky burnouts, powered by supercharged, fuel-injected engines
Defending world champion: Mark Thomas
All professional categories will qualify Friday (May 25) at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday (May 26) at 12 noon and 6:30 p.m. Eliminations are scheduled for Sunday (May 27) at 10:30 a.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m. and final round at 4 p.m.
“An IHRA event offers more than just the racing on-track. Families matter. A child’s ticket is just $5. Our pits are open to every fan that comes to the race, giving people the opportunity to walk around amongst the race rigs, talk to the drivers, get autographs, visit the midway,” said Marchyshyn. “We present a wide-variety of race cars as well, from the highest performing professional cars to entry-level classes. And every Nitro Jam event features a jet-powered vehicle that delivers the ultimate experience. When these cars launch, you can literally feel the heat and raw power they emit.”
The Warren CAT “Night of Fire” show, part of Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. session, features the final round of professional qualifying under the lights, including two flame-burning Nitro-fueled classes. The ground-pounding Super Shockwave jet-powered truck will cap-off the night with a blast down the track.
For more information on the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals presented by Wolverine and Academy Sports + Outdoors, please visit IHRA.com - Homepage Of IHRA Motorsports - A Division Of Live Nation or Welcome Race Fans!. Media requests can be sent to Travis Reynolds at (419) 706-8631 or [email protected].
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 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of eight 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 largest live music company. Our mission is to inspire passion for live music around the world. We are the largest promoter of live concerts in the world, the second-largest entertainment venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. We strive to create 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, have booking rights for and/or have an equity interest in more than 160 venues, including House of Blues® music venues and prestigious locations such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London’s Wembley Arena. Our websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment/event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In addition, we also produce, promote or host theatrical, specialized motor sports and other live entertainment events. In 2006, we connected nearly 60 million fans with their favorite performers at approximately 26,000 events in 18 countries around the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.”
