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IHRA: Throwback Thursday - Hayden Proffitt's historic truck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFi90C29RI8
July 2016 7 Steven Cole Smith
Since the second IHRA Drag Racing Series event of the 2016 season at San Antonio Raceway, Hayden Proffitt II has been touring with the IHRA, all the way from his home in Texas up to Canada.
Proffitt campaigns the Hot Streak II, a twin-jet 1957 Chevrolet pickup truck that closes out the IHRA shows with a 25,000-horsepower bang. Literally. Proffitt is the son of Hayden Proffitt, International Drag Racing Hall of Fame member who campaigned super stocks, funny cars, jet cars and a variety of other machines during a career that started in 1952 and ended with his retirement in 1982.
When the younger Hayden got out of the military, he acquired the Super Shockwave truck that his mentor, Les Shockley, was running, and he has been touring with it since.
This clip is a sample of Shockley's amazing truck on a run at Bristol years ago. Proffitt's exhibition runs are essentially the same, shaking the tower at Grand bend Motorplex like a major earthquake, and at San Antonio, vibrating the calk out of the big windows in the media center. He is keeping this bit of history alive, and IHRA fans love it. The photo above is from San Antonio earlier this year.

Mark Sanders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_L06lh9vUM
[h=2]IHRA: Mark Sanders' tribute song[/h] Thursday, 14 July 2016

Steven Cole Smith

A few days ago we profiled IHRA AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car driver Mark Sanders, noting more than once that he has, well, the gift of gab.
As the most recent winner in his class, we thought that this four-minute video from several years ago might give you a better idea of what kind of a character he is.
The people at Bakersfield, California's BTUFF Magazine must have agreed, as they took clips from some Sanders interviews and set them to music – specifically "Westbound" by Hollywood Rich.
They called it the "MR. EXPLOSIVE (Mark Sanders) Tribute Song," saying "We can't get enough of Mark at BTUFF. We compiled his interviews at the 2013 March Meet in one song. "Going to the top baby!!!"
If nothing else, Sanders is one of the best examples of the simple joy of motorsports.
A final note: In March of 2012, Sanders crashed his Chevrolet Nova hard at the track in Bakersfield, and he was briefly knocked out. But by all accounts he was like this before, so that doesn't explain anything.
Enjoy! Or at least be entertained...

http://www.racer.com/components/com_.../explosive.JPG

[h=2]IHRA: Mark Sanders' car name rings true[/h] Tuesday, 12 July 2016

Steven Cole Smith (words and image)
Make no mistake, every competitor on the IHRA circuit – from the rookie weekend racer to the seasoned pro – loves to win. But if there's one driver who maybe loves to win just a tiny bit more than the other racers, we nominate Mark Sanders.
He's the driver and owner of the Mr. Explosive AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car. The Maple Valley, Wash. racer describes himself on the IHRA biographical information sheet as "100 percent pure energy."
On why he loves racing: "It brings all of our family and friends together. The competition on race day is like going to church and everybody is going to have to listen to 'The John Force of the North" – that's me! Best of all I love to see all the fans before, during and after the race for pics, questions and autographs. Make sure you come on by and say hi!!!'"
And he means it. After his win at the last IHRA Pro Drag Racing event, the Mopar Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex in Ontario, Canada, Sanders, who won the race last year, took photos with every fan who came up to him, shook hands, hugged the women and a few of the men, and talked racing as long as the fans wanted.
"BaBoomski!" as Sanders has been known to say. That, and a lot more.
And like the aforementioned John Force, Sanders never met a microphone, or an exclamation mark, he didn't like.
"Great crowd, great place, great win!" he said.
"The car was right down the boardwalk here at the IHRA Canadian Nationals. We made five runs in the 5.70s and never hurt anything. It was a great crowd at a great place and a great win. Our car went down the left lane, but I know everybody was picking the right lane. If they say, 'What lane do you want?' I look at the crowd, and I pick the lane in front of the most people! That Ford Mustang's gonna go right down Broadway, and it did this weekend!"
But Sanders isn't just like that after a win – he recognizes how lucky he is to be doing something he loves on the weekends, and that shows through regardless of his finish. But winning, though ... icing on the cake.
Apparently his sense of humor extends to his family. After red-lighting at the President's Cup Nationals at Maryland International Speedway, he said, "I got a big red poster the next day for Father's Day – 'Dad, don't do that again!'" Indeed, family is one of the things Sanders loves about IHRA racing, and it is indeed a family affair. Wife Jody is co-owner of the car and keeps everyone on schedule at the track, and son Jake, or "Jake the Snake," is Sanders' crew chief.
Sanders says he's ready for this weekend at the Mopar Rocky Mountain Nationals at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta – as far as Edmonton may seem for many of the competitors, it's the closest track to Sanders' home in Washington. "I love that place," Sanders said. "Great fans!"

2015 IHRA World Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FioqXWnMvU

Coming into the season finally for the International Hot Rod Association, champions would be crowned in nearly every class at this event. Watch as the faith chase the dream of being crowned 'World Champion"

It'll be here before we know it: The IHRA Summit World Finals, scheduled for October 20-23 2016

At the center of this huge weekend are IHRA's two premier championship tournaments – the Summit Racing Equipment Tournament of Champions and the Summit Super Series. A total of 10 championships will be decided during these two unique competitions, and over six figures in cash and prizes will be handed out.
Of course, if you can't wait that long, there's the 63rd Annual World Series of Drag Racing, scheduled for August 26-27. It's where the Summit Super Series will be decided, as well as the Tournament of Champions.

By DiamondPVideo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Irix1dC_o
Drag Racing's Glory Days part 1

This documentary, hosted by Dave Despain, features incredible footage from the 1971 NHRA SuperNationals in Ontario, Ca. There are neat interviews with Dick Landy and classic footage of Top Fuelers and Funny Cars. This two-parter is 30 minutes in length.

Mopar Hemis...Don Garlits and others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBc6ib9krdc

2013 Nitro Jam Nationals US 131 Motorsports Park
http://www.racer.com/ihra/item/13300...hern-nationals