What’s Going On At The IHRA? Here’s The Latest

The International Hot Rod Association and its parent company, IRG Sports + Entertainment, have been the talk of the town this week, with rumors running rampant regarding the organization and the future of its staff after reports of President Scott Gardners’ departure within the last week.

On Tuesday, Gardners’ resignation — or possibly, removal — was formally announced, with longtime IHRA board member Skooter Peaco stepping in to replace him in the interim while the company begins its search for a permanent candidate to fill the role. According to sources that we’ve spoken with, IRGSE held meetings with both its staff and selected track operators on Tuesday, outlining its vision for the future. According to a Facebook post which has since been removed, Joe Gambino of Dragway 42 stated that the organization had shared that it would be closing down its long-held offices in Norwalk and relieving its staff of its duties. We can confirm, however, that, as of today, the offices remain business as usual and all staff, with the exception of Gardner and Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Steve Cole, remain in place.

Likewise, racing operations are moving forward as planned with the IHRA Drag Racing Series, Summit Pro-Am Tour, and its other entities for 2016. The national events scheduled to be held in  Cordova, Illinois and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have been removed from the calendar, as confirmed by IHRA officials. The future of the World Series of Drag Racing at Cordova, a 50-plus year staple in drag racing, has been a topic of internal discussion, with potential changes on the horizon, as has the involvement of TEN (the publishing company that IRGSE announced a new partnership with just last week).

There is and certainly will be much more to this developing story, and we’ll bring you the latest information as it becomes available and is confirmed.