Jason Rittenberry’s imprint on the International Hot Rod Association as President and CEO of parent company IRG Sports + Entertainment includes a return to traditional professional drag racing. And a handful of Nitro Funny Car racers with colorful, identifiable car names – such as Jason Rupert and his “Black Plague” entry — have signed on to lead the lineup as the Scott Gardner Era begins.

While the latest series of announcements has stirred nostalgic sentiments among fans and racers alike, the changes don’t exactly point to industry-record purses, John-Force-tier competitors, or a blockbuster TV package to rival their more established NHRA cousins’ ESPN contract. But the IHRA is sticking to its affordable-racing business plan and transitioning at its desired pace, and it has attracted some of the favorite drivers of the hard-core Funny Car fans.

Photos courtesy of IHRA

John Hale (“Nitro Boss”), Mark Sanders (“Mr. Explosive”), Tim Boychuk (“Troy Lee Designs”), Mike McIntire (“McAttack”), and Mike Halstead in Jim Broom’s “Candies and Hughes” car will be the Nitro Funny Car headliners who will go up against regional racers in the 11-event 2014 Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.

Also vying in a championship points format will be the Nitro Harley, Nitro Altered, and Jet Dragster classes.

According to Skooter Peaco, IHRA Motorsports vice-president, the Nitro Funny Car class will field a limited number of racers but will present one fully open-field race, at the July 18-19 Summer Nationals at Cordova Dragway Park. (That is the track that new IHRA President Gardner owns. He took over the presidency after Aaron Polburn stepped down in mid-November after a decade at the helm.)

Peaco said the quota system will ensure that the teams going for a series championship will be committed to the entire tour and that local / regional drivers will have a chance to compete with the best cars in the country when Nitro Jam comes to their area. The quota will take shape on a market-by-market basis, factored to suit the demands and needs of each venue.

While the vast majority of races on the schedule will feature this new format, the Summer Nationals at Cordova Dragway Park, slated for the weekend of July 18-19, will feature the season’s only unlimited Funny Car field as the Nitro Jam Series partners with the DRO series for this unique and historic race.

“We would love to be able to accommodate everyone [who] has reached out to us and has interest in this program, but we want to present the best show we can in the time frame that we have been working in,” Peaco said. “Using a quota system will allow us to continue to work with the teams that have been supporting IHRA since the program started, as well as those who make the commitment to run the entire tour.

“We also felt that it was very important for our program to have room to showcase teams that can only make a few events a year,” he said. “The next group of touring teams will be made up of teams that are limited right now to racing within their region. So getting exposure for those teams now is critical.”

Said Peaco, “We want to make sure we have a system in place to work with all teams and build for the future. It all comes down to presenting quality in any field of cars we showcase during the Nitro Jam portion of the event.”