TMP REACTS TO IHRA DISMISSAL
Tue, 2008-06-17 12:29
Emotions have run 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 “cool down” period, Toronto Motorsports Park management, including owner/operator Uli Bieri, issued the following statements and clarifications concerning the IHRA decision. Emotions have run 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. 19-21, 2008 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 “cool down” period, Toronto Motorsports Park management, including owner/operator Uli Bieri, issued the following statements and clarifications concerning the IHRA decision.
“IHRA officials were at our race track a short while ago for an inspection,” confirmed 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.” Bieri 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.”
The IHRA, according to reliable sources, previous ultimatums issued to TMP over the last couple of seasons with regard to required improvements were not necessarily met. Those cited gaps however have been tempered at TMP with some other significant enhancements, not the least of which is a state-of-the-art control tower complex.
“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.”
The Canadian Nationals kicked off with much fanfare but has waned in recent years from what sources say was directly related to lack of event sponsorship. 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. 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, Bieri 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.”
Some speculation now after those serious discussions which took place with IHRA Pro Racers at Budds Creek Maryland last weekend, fuels a notion that TMP's dismissal could be using as a cost savings measure.
"TMP was given a list of specific conditions that had to be addressed prior to the May 31 deadline, after an inspection those conditions were not met and the Canadian Nationals at Toronto Motorsports Park was cancelled," the IHRA said in a prepared statement. "This event had nothing to do with a cost savings measure, it had everything to do with TMP complying with those conditions by the deadline."
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 “cool down” period, Toronto Motorsports Park management, including owner/operator Uli Bieri, issued the following statements and clarifications concerning the IHRA decision. Emotions have run 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. 19-21, 2008 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 “cool down” period, Toronto Motorsports Park management, including owner/operator Uli Bieri, issued the following statements and clarifications concerning the IHRA decision.
“IHRA officials were at our race track a short while ago for an inspection,” confirmed 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.” Bieri 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.”
The IHRA, according to reliable sources, previous ultimatums issued to TMP over the last couple of seasons with regard to required improvements were not necessarily met. Those cited gaps however have been tempered at TMP with some other significant enhancements, not the least of which is a state-of-the-art control tower complex.
“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.”
The Canadian Nationals kicked off with much fanfare but has waned in recent years from what sources say was directly related to lack of event sponsorship. 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. 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, Bieri 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.”
Some speculation now after those serious discussions which took place with IHRA Pro Racers at Budds Creek Maryland last weekend, fuels a notion that TMP's dismissal could be using as a cost savings measure.
"TMP was given a list of specific conditions that had to be addressed prior to the May 31 deadline, after an inspection those conditions were not met and the Canadian Nationals at Toronto Motorsports Park was cancelled," the IHRA said in a prepared statement. "This event had nothing to do with a cost savings measure, it had everything to do with TMP complying with those conditions by the deadline."
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