State-of-the-art facility to be constructed adjacent to NASCAR CraftsmanTruck Series track

(8-28-2006) – The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) announced today a multi-year agreement with Mansfield Motorsports Speedway to host the World Nationals, the drag racing event formerly held in Norwalk, Ohio. One of the finest half-mile asphalt oval race tracks in the country, Mansfield Motorsports Speedway is home to a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, and will begin construction of a world class drag racing venue to be built on the grounds.

“Moving the World Nationals to the state-of-the-art facility Mansfield Motorsports Speedway is constructing takes the event and IHRA to the next level,” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. “We’ve had major success in Ohio throughout the years, and without a doubt, Mansfield will continue IHRA’s dominance in the state.

“This is a beautiful track, a true showcase of what a respected motorsports facility should look like,” said Polburn. “The attention to detail the track owner put into this facility is comparable to the finest racetracks in America. If you like US 131 Motorsports Park, with its impeccable design and construction, you’re going to love Mansfield Motorsports Speedway.”

The track, located in Mansfield, Ohio, in the north-central part of the state, between its NASCAR event, Hooters Pro Cup event and other significant races, will have nearly 350,000 spectators through the gates by the end of 2006. Mansfield is located within an hour from Cleveland, Columbus, Akron and Canton, all major Ohio markets.

“Of all the aspects that make this facility great, it’s our location,” said Mansfield Motorsports Speedway owner Mike Dzurilla. “We’re midway between Cleveland and Columbus, located 10 minutes from downtown Mansfield and close to a major highway. We’ll have no curfew and plenty of parking and camping.”

Topography surveys have been done on the grounds of Mansfield Motorsports Speedway and architects and engineers are in the midst of mapping out the details for the facility. While it will be a new drag strip, the infrastructure necessary for the operational functioning of running a race are already in place with the circle track.

“We have a staff of people here that are customer-service oriented towards racers, sponsors, sanctioning bodies and fans. In addition, the city of Mansfield is a major supporter of this facility,” said Dzurilla. “This part of the U.S. is IHRA country. We’ll make the racers feel welcome and give them a facility they can call home.

“With the addition of the drag strip, we’ll now have a true motorsports park in Ohio,” added Dzurilla.

The architects designing the drag strip at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway have built several various motorsports facilities, including US 131 Motorsports Park in Grand Rapids, Mich., home to IHRA’s Torco Northern Nationals. IHRA and Mansfield Motorsports Speedway officials will announce the date of the event upon confirming construction details.

“We’ll be getting a construction timeline within the next ten days and that will determine whether we can add this to the 2007 or 2008 schedule, although everyone’s goal is 2007,” added Polburn.

The track is located at 100 Crall Road, across from Lahm Municipal Airport, which boasts one of the largest runways in Ohio. For more information on Mansfield Motorsports Speedway, log onto http://www.mansfield-speedway.com/ or call (419) 525-RACE