Thu, 06 Feb 2025, 13:22 PM WDRA and IHRA Unite to Shape the Future of Sportsman Racing

Courtesy of Jessica Spears

NORWALK, Ohio -- In a groundbreaking move for the world of drag racing, the World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) and the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) have announced their first-ever collaboration, setting the stage for an exciting future on race tracks across the nation. This partnership marks a new era where both sanctioning bodies join forces to elevate the experience for racers and racing venues alike.

The IHRA and WDRA are now united in their mission to manage sanctioned facilities, ensuring insurance compliance, licensing, and organizing dynamic bracket racing programs and events. "We have a unique opportunity to combine the strengths of both IHRA and WDRA to help our collective facilities and provide opportunities and stability for our bracket racing members," said WDRA's Don Scott. "WDRA's expertise is on the member track, licensing, and bracket racing side of the sport. As IHRA launches new pro racing programs and events, there is a need for making sure the IHRA tracks and bracket racers get taken care of. The WDRA team is going to make sure that we are there to support the IHRA facilities and bracket programs because this arrangement is simply good for our sport."

IHRA's Darryl Cuttell shares this enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "Both groups have the best interests of the tracks and racers at heart. We all agree that we will make our sport better by working together, and each group complements each other perfectly. Anyone that has been around me or our group knows that we are going to make it happen."

Together, these organizations oversee 110 sanctioned facilities (not including upcoming agreements) and host fifteen bracket racing events, laying the groundwork for a vibrant, supportive racing community. This collaboration is not just an agreement but a promise to racers that their passion and dedication will be met with enhanced opportunities and a robust racing environment. Immediate implementation of this partnership will see further announcements as both groups work tirelessly to forge a new pathway for member tracks and bracket racers, propelling drag racing into a bright, inclusive future.

About WDRA
The mission of the WDRA is to provide value as a sanctioning body to racers and facilities through process modernization, unparalleled service, and value-driven partnerships.

About IHRA
Recently acquired by Darryl Cuttell and headquartered in Fairfield, Ohio, IHRA has a long history of professional and sportsman drag racing. New president Rich Schaefer and the IHRA team are on a mission to bring that storied history back to the center stage of drag racing with a reimagined national event program for 2025.