IDRC
NHRA
ID Drag Wars
NIRA
One Off Events

IDRC(www.importdrag.com)
The Import Drag Racing Circuit is arguably the best organized racing series in import racing. Their motto of "By the racers, for the racers," is more than just words. Rules and class divisions are paramount in this series. They have an excellent rule book and hold well to their structure. Also of note, this series is one of the most "Rotary Friendly" series. At every event people can see heavy hitting rotaries in Pro, Outlaw and Street classes (i.e. Abel Ibera, Adam Sawartari, Ari Yallon, etc). Event venues are at some of the best tracks in America. Publishing house Primedia are the backers of this racing organization, hence the primary coverage in magazines like Turbo, Import Tuner, etc. Television coverage of the headsup classes is very good. Speedvision has been the typical outlet and is expected to cover all events in 2001.
<back to the top>

NHRA(www.nhraimport.com)
The NHRA is without a doubt the biggest, strongest presence in the drag racing world. After several years of watching the monumental growth of the import racing world, they've stepped up to the plate. 2001 will be the inaugural year of their exclusively import series. The series is to be six events spread across America. All are on NHRA competition tracks to enhance the prestige. Rules are patterned after the IDRC with few changes. One significant one is the quick 16 class. IDRC allows rear-wheel/all-wheel entries, NHRA does not. The NHRA looks to be a "rotary friendly" series with reasonable handicaps and weight breaks. Event coverage is expected to be strong with all events being televised. The sheer power of the NHRA guarantees them to be taken seriously and will undoubtedly grow quickly. We'll all have to see how this inaugural year goes. <Back to the top>

ID Drag Wars(www.dragwars.com)
The ID Drag Wars series is one of the most popular and prolific in the Texas and Illinois areas. They lack a true championship series but hold an excellent season ending import challenge (typically a two day event at Houston Raceway Park). Unique to this series is the addition of domestic cars in their own class. Often you'll see turbocharged Mustangs and Buick's racing against Corvette's and Viper's. Company which rarely are welcomed in the typical drag racing circles. Drag Wars runs a typical bracket structure and has plenty of opportunity for the novice and intermediate racer. Headsup classes are divided into three quick classes, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel/all-wheel drive, and all motor. They are known to be a favorite of rotaries due to the lack of any notable handicaps. The pace of Drag Wars is fast paced with something for everyone. Their car show is usually one of the best, and organized clubs are welcomed. There is typically a stereo contest, breakdance events, DJ battles and exhibitions galore. Definitely something for everyone. Event coverage is sometimes sporadic. Planned for this year is coverage on ESPN2. <back to the top>

NIRA(www.nira.com)
The National Import Racing Association is one of the largest sanctioning bodies. NIRA has a backing by the Peterson Publishing Co.(SuperStreet Magazine, etc). From a racer's perspective, this sanctioning body is one of the richest around. Payouts for headsup classes is second to none and championship winners enjoy a sizable contingency. Television was among the best in year 2000 and is expected to be excellent in 2001. Of note, this is only in the Pro Classes. Unfortunately, this sanctioning body is known to be unfriendly to rotaries. They tend to favor sweetheart favorites like FWD Hondas, etc. <back to the top>

One off events:
Pan American (www.atcorace.com) Atco Raceway in New Jersey hosts one of the fiercest competitions in import racing. Puerto Rico squares off against mainland America's best in a massive grudge match. Event coverage has been initially sparse for something of this size (easily 15,000+ spectators). Don't expect to race here unless you're serious as a heart attack. Racers compete in open eliminations and are rarely slower than the low 10-second range. Watch for this event to steadily become more known in the mainstream.

Mobil 1 World Import Challenge (www.worldimportchallenge.com) Texas is known for all things being bigger and better. This event is purported to be the biggest of them all. This inaugural event is a one time a year gathering designed to attract the biggest, baddest and fastest in the land. Trumpeted at this event is the largest single cash payout for headsup winners ($10,000 plus). Houston Raceway Park (actually Baytown, Texas) is known for setting records for speed in the NHRA and will undoubtedly make for some great racing action. Watch out for this one to quickly become a Texas legend.
<Back to the top>