The International Hot Rod Association’s Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series is coming to Cordova International Raceway this weekend (May 29-30) for the annual Summer Nationals.
Pre-race ceremonies will begin at 6:45 p.m. on Friday, followed by two rounds of qualifying for the AMSOIL Nitro Funny Cars, U.S. Bounty Hunters Pro Stocks, Nitro Harleys, Crower Pro Mods and Jet Dragsters.
Final qualifying will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, with pre-race ceremonies at 4:45 p.m. Final-elimination rounds will take place at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
The AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car Presented By Aeromotive class boasts a season-high entry list of 14 cars, including points leader and three-time winner Mike McIntire, defending champion Jason Rupert, Baton Rouge winner Tim Boychuk from Canada, Texan John Hale and local racer Marc White.
Likewise, the U.S. Bounty Hunters Pro Stock class has a season-high 14 entries, including defending champion Cary Goforth, Palm Beach winner John Montecalvo and Baton Rouge victor Roger Bealko.
The top racers in the recently-reinstated Crower Pro Mod class are locked in a tight points battle. With one win each, Isaias Rojas and Jimmy Keen are separated by just two points.
Jay Turner, Tracy Kile and Randal Andras are waging a fierce points battle in the Nitro Harley class.
American Idol XIV contestant Alex Fischbach, from Morrison, Illinois, will sing the national anthem during pre-race ceremonies on both days.
The IHRA Nitro Jam Summer Nationals also will mark the inaugural Battle of the Jet Fire Trucks, featuring Mark Smith’s 1940 Ford U.S. Fire Force fire truck versus volunteer firefighter Dave Modder’s 1940 Dragon’s Fyre. Smith’s jet-powered fire truck uses not one, but two jet engines and Modder’s truck is partnered with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (www.firehero.org). Dragon’s Fyre and U.S. Fire Force will wage a fiery battle on CIR’s freshly-paved quarter-mile drag strip. If veteran sportscaster Howard Cosell were alive today, he might dub this smoky showdown “The Inferno in Cordova.”
Nitro Jam fans may save money by purchasing tickets in advance at www.NitroJam.com. Children’s tickets (ages 6-12) are only $10. Each ticket includes a pit pass.
The IHRA pit experience allows fans to tour the pit area, meet the drivers and take part in a number of fun family activities. A special attraction this year is the renowned Hollywood Cars of the Stars collection from the Miami Auto Museum at the Dezer Collection. The exhibit will include famous television and motion picture cars including the TV Batmobile from 1966, the General Lee Dodge Charger from the Dukes of Hazzard TV series and the DeLorean time machine from the 1985 cinema hit, Back to the Future.
IHRA NITRO JAM SUMMER NATIONALS SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, MAY 29
Pre-race ceremonies – 6:45 p.m.
First round of Nitro Jam qualifying – 7 p.m.
Second round of Nitro Jam qualifying – 9 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 30
Third round of Nitro Jam qualifying – 2 p.m.
Pre-race ceremonies — 4:45 p.m.
First round of Nitro Jam eliminations – 5 p.m.
Second round of Nitro Jam eliminations – 7 p.m.
Final round of Nitro Jam eliminations – 8:30 p.m.
Schedule subject to change.
TICKETS: AFFORDABLE FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT – KIDS TICKETS ARE ONLY $10.
ADVANCE TICKET PRICES
Friday Adult — $20.
Friday Child (ages 6-12) — $10.
Saturday Adult — $25.
Saturday Child (ages 6-12) — $10.
All tickets include a free pit pass.
Cordova International Raceway is located at 19425 IL Rt. 84 N, Cordova, Illinois. For more information, please call (309) 654-2110 or visit www.racecir.com.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
- NHRA announces eight-race schedule for 2024 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series - January 17, 2024
- Forgeline and Pratt Miller Motorsports Announce New Multi-Year Partnership - January 17, 2024
- TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein converts narrow pole to commanding win in the Season 10 opener of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the 2024 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix - January 16, 2024