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T.M.P. Reacts to IHRA Plug Pulling
Bruce Biegler - June 14, 2008
Emotions have been running high within Canada’s drag racing community since the IHRA’s controversial announcement last Wednesday that they will be pulling the plug on this season’s 6th Annual Canadian Nationals scheduled for Sep. 19-21st at Toronto Motorsports Park.
Citing non-completion of some mandatory work required for the facility, IHRA management based in Norwalk Ohio effectively gave the race a firm non-confidence vote.
Following a self-imposed 48 hour “cool down” period, Toronto Motorsports Park management, including owner/operator Uli Bieri, wished to issue the following statements concerning the IHRA decision and future possibilities.
“IHRA officials were at our race track a short while ago for an inspection,” confirmed Uli Bieri. “They wanted some drainage problems addressed – which we had fixed. They also wanted additional lights installed for both the race track and in the pits. Paving in the pits was also an issue. I had committed to doing all of that by the end of May but I sent them an earlier letter stating that because of poor weather we had this winter and spring, things were delayed and would not been done until the end of July, still two months before their event. Due to frost, the paving companies involved could not start on schedule. The total investment on my part was about $120,000.”
“The inspection went off and I was told they would be reporting back.” Uli continued. “My feeling was that we had explained things and gone through our plan correctly. My impression was they were satisfied about that. So we were very surprised and caught off guard by the IHRA decision. It was very, very disappointing.”
In fairness to the IHRA, according to our sources there, previous ultimatums issued to TMP over the last couple of seasons with regard to required improvements were not necessarily met.
“Officially the 2008 race is gone,” Bieri affirmed. “Right now I don’t want to jump ship. I want a week or so to think about this some more and then have a talk or meeting with Aaron (Polburn). I would like to think there is a possibility that we could come to an agreement about the future. Moving the event to a more favorable weekend would be a goal for me. The late-September date for our race is a real concern and it was not my choice. The original July event dates were given up when they moved the Grand Bend dates back and that has not worked well for us weather wise.”
For the Canadian Nationals, which kicked off with such solid promise back in 2002, it is to many fans amazement that the relationship has over time deteriorated to this point. The lack of primary presenting sponsorship for the event, following the ACDelco pullout, has over the last three years percolated to become a particularly sensitive point. Uli Bieri wanted clarification of that aspect.
“The responsibility to negotiate and secure a title right sponsor for IHRA national event races lays 100% with the IHRA,” he stated. “That inability for our race is a very big part of the problem.”
As for the current relationship with IHRA, Uli added the following thoughts.
“It’s fair to say that Bill Bader (former President) is very much missed,” he concluded. “He was a unique and visionary person for the IHRA. Personally I am optimistic that a resolution can be found. Any more controversy cannot help either one of us.”
Are the recent developments at TMP just part of a much bigger problem for the IHRA organization? Have they become a scapegoat of sorts which IHRA can use as an exit strategy for cost savings? There is no doubt that the various problems with primary series backer Torco, the skyrocketing price of gasoline and the poor U.S. economy can’t help but to fuel that notion.
DragRaceCanada will however leave that speculation and innuendo to the various on-line message boards out there. It is however important for us to say this.
What IHRA had done in raising the conscious for the sport of drag racing in Canada since about the year 2000 is truly commendable, thus making what happened recently between the two parties very unfortunate. It goes without saying that it sends the wrong message on pretty well every level or direction you look to including for the credibility of the IHRA itself. Both IHRA and TMP now need to shelve their differences and pull together for a resolution. Having that in motion soon and in time for the 2009 racing season should be a primary objective. Anything short of that will make the now even more essential task of securing title sponsorship for the TMP event that much more difficult of a sale.
In respect to the vast market potential around Greater Toronto and area, the absolute dedication of area racing fans, and the quality of IHRA’s racers themselves, much better treatment is deserved. If that is not a realization with the present parties, fans can only pray that the high level rumors of Bruton Smith & Company circling from above and preparing their own strategy for drag racing’s future in North America, does become our salvation.
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