b'AT THESTARTING LINEPublication A new year brings new opportunityIgnite2XManaging EditorRyan Perezluha I have always loved the enthusiasm people have for a new year. A new year Photography brings a clean slate and the resetting of both personal and professional BME Photography goals and objectives. Im not much for resolutions because they are mostly gone by the end of January, but I do subscribe to the theory that a new Advertising Sales year brings new opportunity. Dana LandryArt/Creative I am personally glad to see 2018 in the rearview Ignite2X mirror. In addition to not contesting a class racing program for the first time in almost forever, I have never seen so many rained on, rained out or postponed events both in the IHRA programs and for our member tracks in my 15 seasons. It was certainly a bad year to launch a new Summit Sportsman Spectacular series and have 60% of scheduled events have a horrible forecast, rain during an event or multiple reschedules. On the flip side, by sheer determination of the IHRA staff, a commitment of the faithful sportsman bracket racers and our solid roster of sanctioned tracks, IHRA had the best financial year in 2018 of the last decade and is on solid ground now to continue our sportsman efforts. It wasnt an easy Skooter Peaco or painless process, but a refocus of where our Vice President resources needed to be spent was certainly in order for 2018 and a good first step was made.IRGSE President & CEO The primary mission for a sanctioning body should be that the organization Lou Partenzaexists to create opportunity, benefits and value for its members (both Vice President racing and sanctioned tracks). Anyone can put on big weekend events that Skooter Peaco get a lot of attention but what happens after those people leave town? Director of New Business & Industry Relations What does a facility or a bracket racer do the other 51 weeks a year? Dana Landry Creating and growing scalable and sustainable programs that benefit the Director of Public Relations masses doesnt always grab the headlines but are the foundation on which a Ryan Perezluha track and the majority of bracket racers rely on. Corporate Marketing ManagerMason Sheen Since 2002 the Summit SuperSeries has been the league leader for weekly Director of Creative Marketing bracket racers and 2019 will see the addition of the Sportsman class Stacey Killmaier competing for a World Championship. Over $200,000 will be awarded Membership Coordinator in cash at the Summit World Finals and the racers that qualify for that Tamie Defranzo prestigious field pay a $0 entry fee. Opportunity, benefits, value.check.New options present itself for an up and coming generation of racers in the Senior Director of Competition new Sportsman class as well as for the tracks who create and foster this and Racing Operations class within their weekly points programs. While it isnt a new class, it is Mike Bakerthe creation of more opportunity that is getting some new racers excited.Divisional DirectorsJosh Peake, Jon ONeal & Frank Kohutek Then we add in the Summit Sportsman Spectacular events. They all have a value focused entry fee and payout structure, IHRA IronMan awards, big championship checks and thousands of dollars in round prizes. These The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) is owned andevents are traveling to premiere facilities like Darlington Dragway, US 131, operated by IRG Sports + Entertainment, a TPG Specialty Lending company. The IHRA promotes professional and sportsman racingDragway 42, Keystone, Farmington, Xtreme Raceway, State Capitol and for drivers of all levels. The IHRA sanctions nearly 100 motorsportMaryland. Opportunity, benefits, valuecheck.facilities in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Bahamas and welcomes 80,000 racers annually to their IHRA- For the IHRA faithful out there 2019 looks to be as much about new sanctioned facilities. The IHRA oversees multiple Sportsman racingopportunities for our member tracks and our sportsman racers as there has programs including the Summit Racing Equipment SuperSeries and the Sportsman Spectacular. been in quite some time.'