Two great pieces of news for drag racers in the Buffalo, New York area today as the reinvigorated Lancaster National Speedway and Dragway has announced that they have renewed their longstanding sanctioning agreement with the IHRA and in addition the track has announced that they are bringing back their legendary Friday night Quick 16 program that launched the careers of legendary Buffalo racers like Fred Hahn, Mike Stawicki Mike Janis, and a bunch of others just to name a few. Contested 7 times in 2015, the Quick 16 races will pay $2,000 to win and should draw out some really gnarly cars.
Even better, the track will operate the Quick 16 program as a point series with season ending payouts for the racers that place high in the finishing order. This should help promote repeat participation and keep the program vibrant through the season. If there is one thing that the racers we know from this area have been clamoring for it is the resumption of some of the types of programs that kept this track busy and vibrant for many years. The place has been there since the late 1950s and for a while it looked as though the end was neigh but such is no longer the case with lots of people working hard to turn that ship around.
We’re looking forward to hearing and seeing great stories and stuff from Lancaster National Dragway this year and hopefully a next generation of big time drag racers will be born and bred at this great track. Cheers to a great future Lancaster!
Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway renews IHRA sanction
IRG Sports + Entertainment™ and the International Hot Rod Association™ (IHRA) is proud to announce Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway, an eighth-mile drag strip near Buffalo, N.Y., has renewed its sanction with IHRA.
The multi-purpose facility, constructed in 1959, hosts IHRA-sanctioned events each week on Friday nights.
“We are looking forward to remaining under the IHRA banner,” said Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway General Manager Melissa McGowan. “Their weekly racing program is a great fit for our teams and drivers.”
Lancaster has been an IHRA member for 15 years. The drag strip is located in IHRA’s North Stars Division (Division 3) and once will send a team to the Summit Team Finals at Pittsburgh Raceway Park in early October.
“The Team Finals is one of the best parts of being an IHRA member track,” explained Dragway Race Director Sharon Hughes. “Lancaster racers do a fantastic job representing the track and show great team spirit.”
For 2015, Lancaster will operate under a new management team. McGowan was named General Manager in December and quickly set forth plans to rebuild the track’s image. Hughes, a longtime Dragway official and former racer, recently was named Race Director for the drag racing program. Both women will lead the charge in reinvigorating and restoring support for Lancaster’s historic 1/8-mile drag strip.
Lancaster’s 2015 season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 18, with a Box/No Box Shootout. Weekly IHRA points meets will start on Saturday, May 9, with regular Friday-night racing beginning on May 15. Regular divisions will include Top ET, Mod ET, Bikes & Sleds and Street ET. The Quick 16 class will be contested several times over the season as well.
The Tuesday night Test ‘n’ Tune schedule begins on May 19 with the Junior Dragster program joining the show on a weekly basis on June 9.
Lancaster has several special shows on tap for the 2015 season. Al Hanna’s Jet Cars will blaze the track on May 29, followed by the Queen of Diamonds Jet Car on June 19. Lancaster’s most popular show is the annual Nitro Night of Fire, scheduled for July 17. The “Sunday Niagara” Nostalgia Drags, car show and reunion will take place over the weekend of July 31-Aug. 2. Bob Motz’s Jet Semi-Truck makes it return to Lancaster on Sept. 11. The season concludes with the Grand Champion Shootout on Oct. 10.
The full schedule of events and rule book for all divisions now is available on Lancaster’s all-new website (www.lancasternationalspeedway.com). Follow Lancaster on Facebook and Twitter: www.facebook.com/LancasterSpeedway, @LancasterSpdwy.
For more information, please contact the IHRA at (419) 663-6666 or visit www.IHRA.com. Follow IHRA and Nitro Jam on Twitter and Facebook.
It’s great to see new energy and life coming into this place! I can’t wait to see what 2015 brings!!!
I am so glad to see this track gets to live another day!!! In a time when local tracks are actually becoming more revered and important to it’s area racers and patrons,this is great news. I have run my “nosedown” Willys gasser there before. It was always a blast!! The on track racing puts the drivers and spectators in close proximity to each other,which helps to give Lancaster it’s “character” and “charm”…that often times get’s lost at some of the bigger venues. I haul over 7 hours to get there. It is always worth the trip. I will be back to race that track . Absolutely love that facility that shows the racer where drag racing roots came from and where they are currently headed….. It is a time machine for not only the racer,but the spectators as-well…… not too many tracks where the spectator can be standing and sitting so close to the racing action. (I probably should have said in my first paragraph that I am not affiliated with this track in any other way other than an Old Racer who use to enjoy racing there forty years ago and can still enjoy being there today) Thanks for keeping it ALIVE !!!
what racing was and not care for what it became…