First, I would like to start by thanking all of those racers & fans that came out to the 2014 IDRC West Coast Nationals at Fontana this past weekend. We were very happy to be back in action in Southern California supporting our local racers.

There's been a great deal of talk regarding cheating, "rats" and the right and wrong way to act as a racer. Let me break down the three topics.

Cheating (NHRA Rules/Safety): Apparently, a number of So Cal racers in the IDRC PRO FWD class have not felt the need to get their vehicles/driver licensing up to the proper NHRA safety specs for the speed and elapsed times they are running. Many have been able to get away at other tracks by lying about the times that they run when their vehicle is inspected at tech. The Fontana NHRA techs were on fire when these supposed 10.0-second/135mph cars ran deep into the 9s at speeds in excess of 150mph. As a result, a number of warnings and DQs were made to cars that were not NHRA legal. Any and all safety issues are handled by the NHRA techs at Fontana (not the IDRC staff). These are issues that require compliance for the track, NHRA and the insurance company.

Being racers ourselves, we understand that it's next to impossible to complete the NHRA licensing requirements with the limited number of drag events in SoCal. We are currently working with Fontana to set up licensing opportunities at some upcoming events. We are also planning to work with some of the companies that manufacture safety equipment to offer special pricing to IDRC racers to get you safe and legal.

Cheating (IDRC Class Specifications): There also seemed to be an issue with racers lying about the turbo sizing on the vehicle. We are working with Energy Suspension to produce turbo gauges that we'll be able to use in tech to now verify turbo sizing in a quick and non-destructive manner.

Rats?: There is now a large controversy regarding Chad Barber's actions at the event. For those that are not familiar with the situation, Chad went to the Fontana officials to protest that the Asylum Integra vehicle was not NHRA legal to run 9.99 or quicker. As a result, Chad is being called a "rat," for fingering a fellow racer. For every action, there is a reaction. Chad should have understood that his decision to finger fellow racers for NHRA violations is obviously not going to win him a popularity contest. While few believe that Chad decided to alert the NHRA officials out of concern for the fellow racers safety, the reality is that his action may have saved the other racer's life in the event of a crash. There are two lessons to be learned from this:
1. If you "rat" on a fellow racer, you will not win a popularity contest.
2. If you car doesn't meet safety tech for its ET/MPH, don't complain if you get DQ'd.

Racers: For those that were honest, showed great sportsmanship and that helped make this IDRC event a success, we look forward to your support to continue to build our series. A strong IDRC series provides a foundation for you to secure more sponsors and support to go racing. We really need to get the word out to the bracket and fun run racers too as we could have easily supported twice the number of racers. We look forward to seeing everyone make the trek to Vegas for our September 12th-13th (Fri/Sat) event.

The IDRC is the organization that is By the Racer and For the Racers, so we always welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Thank you,

Michael Ferrara
IDRC National Director

 

Good for Chad. If your not up to safety rules with your car and know it and get called out, that's the risk you chose. Don't cry for getting caught cutting corners

 

we had a problem with chad snitching on another racer at Bakersfield...me personally, i like to worry about self before others...

 

I'm not busting no ones *****, but rules are rules! They exist for your and others saftey! They also exist to distinguish race classes.

To be honest, I would've called IDRC officials out about the Pro-Am Turbo class if I had brought my car and raced. I was only pitcrew this event but that's besides the point. 80% of those guys in Pro-Am Turbo, if not more, were running uppipes or open downpipes and should've been bumped to FWD. Pro-Am Turbo Class rule clearly stated: exh must exit behind rear tires. But since I didn't race, I didn't say squat. This same thing happened to me back in April 2011 at your event, me and like 2 others were the only cars with exh that exited behind the rear tires. That time I made a note of it to an official, and he totally blew me off saying check the website. I later checked the website that evening and saw that the rule was deleted when it was there a few nights before. Matter of a fact, it was there a few months earlier, I specifically built the car to run that class. No love lost for IDRC though, I and every racer I know appreciate you guys hosting events for us here on the West since we have a shortage of them. But I have one question: How can you expect racers to follow rules when you, the sanctioned body, aren't following them yourselves? Not starting a debate, just making a point. "Lead by Example!"

PS: Please stop deleting rules from your site to accomodate those who don't follow them. It makes you look shady to those who are following rules.

 

Yea, I think one problem was that the tech guys would ask what class you wanted to be in rather than pick a class for you based on your car. I got my classes mixed up and asked to be put in the ProAm Turbo and I got put in easily (car has uppipe out the hood and no interior). I went back to the pit and looked up the classes on my phone. Found out that I should be in ProFWD instead, so I went back to tech and asked to be switched so that I wouldn't get dq'd. Overall it was a great event. I liked that it was 2 days. I wish there was a little price cut for spectators attending both race days but yea, I had fun and I look forward to future events.

 

Yea I noticed that, props to you! It was a very fun weekend. Congrats on taking home runner up. I also liked that it was a 2day event, you don't feel rushed. Saturday finished by 4-430ish and Sunday by 530ish. 1day events sometimes don't end til 8-9, you sometimes don't get home til early am hours. Most of us have work early next morning so it sucks at times.

 

Hey Johnny,

We understand and appreciate the point that you're bringing up here. This phenomenon is something that we (as a sanctioning body) faced every day following our launch of the revised rulebook and classes. Since our last event (in 2011), the current cars participating in so-called "Pro-Am" classes no longer abide by rules that define their vehicles as "street cars". Look at the Pro-Am All-Motor class, the majority of them run front mount fuel cells. We wanted to keep fuel cells only allowed to the rear of the car, but because other organizations allow this type of setup, we have little choice here.

The reason why we wanted to keep "rear-exit" exhausts is to maintain that "street" element of the vehicles. For the very same reason as the front-mount fuel cell debate above. We will most deifnitely look into why cars were allowed into the the Pro-Am Turbo class with exhausts that weren't exiting behind the rear wheel.

I'm not sure what rules you're referring to us as "deleting", but through revisions from people petitioning changes via e-mail, we're
constantly updating the rulebook to help racers find the best class for their vehicle. Please always refer to the website as it will have the latest version.

In any case, you should have never been "blown off" by an IDRC official, at a past event or current. I (Jun) personally made sure that every racer who tech'd and had questions about their class was provided a hard-copy print out of the rulebook(s) they wanted. I even made about ten different phone calls to local shops to help one of the bracket racers get a helmet (as he ran faster than a 13.99). As always, suggestions and comments are always welcome because we're always looking to improve our event.

 

Thanks man!

Yea 2 day event also gives us time to do some passes, fix problems the first night, then come back with one more chance to qualify the next day.

 

Aight, Lets see here...... I say if you gonna cheat or not be in regulations when you get ratted on it is what it is... BUT i understand where the guy who gets ratted on is comming from too. Cuz nobody likes a rat, Its one of those i cant trust you now type of things... We all were i guess just happy to even be at Fontana for a 2day event and to get ratted on on the 1st Fontana Event, miss me wit that ****.... Come on bruh fareal, and then to rat after you lost pshhhhhhhh. Like you really told the officials cuz you were concerned for his well being, NOPE...... Sure there are cars in the FWD class wit turbos bigger than 72mm. Ohhhhhhh fuccin well, **** you gotta do sumthan when the 67mm cars only have to weigh 2070lbs for IDRC what kinda **** is that. Really last time i looked a 67mm turbo car won at ATCO this past wkend which is the CCC car weighing 2450lbs and running 8.7 @170+, SO any1 wit a 6785 precision, 67mm borg, or Custom GTX 67mm yall got this.... Less rattin and more racing
#WillRaceForMouthHugs #WillRaceForLewinsky FAME Racing

 

Rules are rules. If you chose not to follow then you roll the dice on getting called out. It's that simple. The rules are there for a reason.

for Chad.

 

No probs, I don't hold grudges nor do I hold anything against that official or IDRC. Nothing but love for all sanctioned bodies who can host for the West! It is what it is and it's in the past. Let's get ready for the next event.

Exactly!

It's true, no one likes a rat. But it wouldn't be fair to you if you were eliminated by someone without the correct setup and/or the correct safety equipment especially when you spent the extra dollar to do so. Class rules are made so that the racers in that particular class have equal fairness, and no one has the advantage over others. It wasn't run what you brung. But like you said, it is what it is. If you get called out, you get called out. If not, fucc it and keep racing.

Chad didn't call people out after he lost, he did it before elims. And out of fairness to him, it wasn't only him who was calling people out. Everyone was calling everyone out at one point. At staging lanes, you can see people pointing at different cars and talking to officials. There were even a few arguments that happened as a result. But at least the event ended in a friendly manner, and it looked like everyone had a good time. That's what it's all about, "Fun & Love, not Hate & Fight!"

 

lol

 

If Chad would of won that race, Do you think he would of still gone to a official about the Asylum integra?
I don't think so!!!

 

First of all, Chad was in Pro-Am FWD and Josue was in Pro-Am Turbo. They never raced each other cuz they were in seperate classes. So what do you mean if Chad would've won? In all seriousness, what's done has been done. It's over! Let's move on! Bickering is why we're losing hosts for events here on the West.

 

correction chads bff other car was racing against the asylum integra.... they never bitch b4 the race.. until that street car walk around it.. Chad got bhurt and went and cried.. we understand about the rules.. but if your not going to enforce them while we tech.. then dont bitch when you lose.. we all know chad didnt give a rats *** about asylums safety... and he cared about was that his lil buddy got smoke by some street racers... so he jump in his wambulance and cried a river... thats it... and everything that happen afterwards was comedy.....

 

Here we go, let me first start by saying after all is said and done I regret my actions be cause I let my emotions get the best of me, for the matter I was upset because I had spent the 2 weeks caging up the black integra and making it legal as well as last minute physical so Justin can have his license. I was up till 4 am for 2 weeks didn't see my kids or my lady. In no way were my actions to be directly at the asylum guys In any way shape or form, my actions are directed at the tech officials who should have done there job in the first place.
So here is my version of what happened! we went to tech on Saturday and after a hour in the lanes being over tech'd by the Fontana officials, were were told not to go over 9.99 or faster due to our seat belts not being attached to the frame of the vehicle. this was in the black integra and I ended up having the same problem with my car but I was able to bolt the seat belts to the frame because I had eyelets on my belts which I was able to fix, As for justins car we even spent satuday Night on the dyno at ericks racing chasing a distributor problem that a stock dizzy borrowed from Erick was the answer to the problem.
Here's where the problem comes to fruition, the car we raced against had a 4 pt. bolt in cage, 6 pt cages are legal to 10.0 and slower 4 pt cages are not legal for anything in nhra. there were 3 passes on Saturday and 1 on Sunday and we raced in the first round, so please explain why I needed to say anything when anything faster the 11.49 was a illegal pass. after there car ran the 9.9 second pass one of our guys told me the car had no cage, I had no idea it even had a bolt in cage, I let my emotions get the best of me cause I had spent so much time making our car legal. as I said I have nothing against the asylum and gpr camp my issue was with the track and now idrc for the way they have handled the situation.
crazy thing was our driver had said something to the other driver about his cage in the staging lanes before the race and on another occasion shook hands and talked about each others cars, again I let my emotions get the best of me. I hope that this will be the end of this and it will no longer make any of of us look like anything but the men we are.
I have kept my mouth shut all week after many of the posts on instagram and facebook waiting to talk to idrc to see if they would diffuse the situation and I finally was able to reach them on the phone on Thursday, left a message for mike to call me an the thread is what he decided to post instead of calling me and talking to me, he decided to make it worse referring to me as a rat and not making popular decisions.

First of all If I was a rat I would have called the cops for dude pushing me, second security was there when he came up to me and put his hands on me, last saying I got punked is like saying I was afraid to stand up for myself, It was over before it started, and im glad because we are not there to fight like kids we are there to race like gentlemen and enjoy time with our family's and represent our sponsors who we have been blessed to receive help from. as I said I regret my decision to approach the track and I meant no malice, it shouldn't have taken me to even mention it.

As far as mike ferrara For you to be the national event director to post some thing like this on a public forum to diffuse a situation your failed miserably and thanks for calling me a rat instead of calling it what it was was a protest.

Funny thing was I won my first national event at e town at summer slam the last year IDRC had a e town event. Funny thing was the payout for all motor was 2500$, hmm got 1500$ and only received half of the contingency money for the stickers and parts I had on my car. come to find out e town had taken over the event be cause IDRC could not be trusted to handle the event due to financial issue's. or sponsorship dealings.

Sad thing is I had buried this and decided to support these guys again, bummer they have some real cool people working with them and my self and my team will never support IDRC events ever again. And I pray they are not stupid enough to put any of this crap in print in the magazine. Whats right is right Rules are Rules they are there to be followed, by everyone.

 

And this has reached its finally. All parties have spoken and their opinions on why things were done.

 

Just wanted to allow some response back from IDRC. This WILL NOT be opened again to have a back and forth. Its just to allow both sides to place there information out there.

Here is IDRC portion of the story.


Setting the Record Straight: Chad Barber vs. IDRC

Chad Barber has made some false statements regarding the IDRC and we just wanted to set the record straight.

Chad said: “I won my first national event at e town at summer slam the last year IDRC had a e town event. Funny thing was the payout for all motor was 2500$, hmm got 1500$ and only received half of the contingency money for the stickers and parts I had on my car. come to find out e town had taken over the event be cause IDRC could not be trusted to handle the event due to financial issue's. or sponsorship dealings.”

FACT #1: Chad Barber did win in the DRAG Sport All-Motor class at the 2003 BFGoodrich IDRC Summer Slam Nationals Presented by Advanced Clutch Technology.

FACT #2: The correct payout was awarded to Chad. Payout for winning the All-Motor class in from 2002 through 2003 was $1,500 for the winner for field sizes up to 16 cars. The field size at that event was 13 cars, with 12 making the call for the first round. The IDRC still awarded a full payout to Chad of $1,500 despite not having 16 cars in the field. The PRO, OUTLAW and QUICK classes featured higher payouts with the winner taking home up to $3,500 in cash.

FACT #3: We have no idea why Chad Barber wasn’t awarded contingency prizes if he was eligible. Unfortunately, it’s hard to help Chad Barber with this issue since this is the first that we’ve heard of this from 11 years ago.

Fact #4: There was never such a decision made by E-town because the IDRC was not trustworthy. Not sure who you spoke to at Englishtown Raceway, but the Napp family would be the ones to speak with. The Napp family are among the premiere event producers in the United States and they do a killer job running the track. Summer Slam was always an event owned by E-town. The IDRC would sell the main sponsor to the event and use these funds to cover the payouts. It was a financial loss for the IDRC, but something great for our sponsors. By 2004, there simply wasn’t enough sponsorship to cover the costs of being involved with the event.

As far as helping to diffuse the situation created by Chad Barber, our phone system went down over the weekend and our offices were without phones for almost three days. We finally restored phone service late Wednesday only to lose our internet connection for most of Thursday. There was no specific intent to avoid Chad Barber, there were simply more pressing issues at hand. I made the decision to post our response on Honda-Tech, rather than call Chad Barber. The reason was simple. We had already been accused of playing favorites to Chad Barber for not requiring a protest fee (none is required for NHRA tech violations that have nothing to do with IDRC class specs). The issue had become public within the Honda drag community, so I chose to address it in the public forum. Using the term “rat?” was simply a restatement of a term being using by a number of racers after the incident. Their term was even followed by a question mark to let people judge for themselves.

According to Chad Barber, he regrets his actions at the track. As we have already said, his actions didn’t win him any popularity contests, but it may have saved a fellow racer’s life. He also believes that the IDRC handled this situation incorrectly. Being that this situation has to deal with NHRA tech, it simply isn’t our situation to deal with. As long as the IDRC runs at an NHRA member track under NHRA safety rules, it’s up to the NHRA certified techs and track manager to make the calls on safety and tech.

Chad Barber believed that he was wronged by the IDRC in the past, but it simply didn’t happen. Now, Chad Barber believes that he’s been wronged by us again. We believe that Chad Barber is mistaken again. We are sorry if Chad is offended that we reported that other racers were calling him a rat.

Sincerely,

Michael Ferrara
National Director, Import Drag Racing Circuit