Alberta along with all of western Canada will be NHRA only.

What I considered my home track of Edmonton has switched from IHRA to NHRA starting in the 2017 race season. That means I can no longer race under IHRA rules. Advantage of me needing to get an NHRA license is that I'll now be able to race in Medicine Hat which has always been an NHRA track. Medicine Hat is a nice track to race at. I raced there when the car was 10 seconds and slower, many, many years ago. I may consider claiming that as my home track. Calgary hasn't had a track now for quite a few years and it's unlikely we'll ever get a new track anywhere close to the city.

Cost? Can't find my IHRA receipt but I believe the last time I purchased my IHRA licensing/membership was only $60/year USD. It expires in the spring of 2017. Current application form to get membership, license and IHRA car number is $75/year, $130 for 2 years and $190 for 3 years all in USD.

Did some rough calculation what it's going to cost under NHRA. From what I read on the NHRA competition license page, the license fee also includes the membership fee. 1 year membership and competition license is $110 USD. 2 year membership and licensing is $200. National Dragster magazine is available in digital format now so the extra fee to ship it across the border is gone unless you still want the print version. The medical requirement is also gone. Race down to 7.50 in the 1/4 mile for ET racers. There are 2 ET NHRA licenses. Both cost the same. Level 6 license is 7.50-9.99. Level 7 license is 10.00 and slower.

Living in Canada sucks when you need to buy things in US currency. The value of our dollar is really, really, bad right now. As of today, the exchange rate would mean I need to spend roughly $152 on my credit card for 1 year or $277 Canadian on the credit card for 2 years.

My chassis certification also needs to be renewed in the spring and that's a few hundred more dollars for 3 more years.

Because I haven't made a pass down the track for a few years, I would probably also need to do some licensing passes. It's the tracks decision if you need to or not. I never did any licensing passes for my 9.00-9.99 IHRA license. If I managed to break into the 8 second range, the race director said they would simply submit the pass to the IHRA and my license would be upgraded to a 8.00-8.99 license.

IHRA was so inexpensive and easy to race.

Maybe things will really change in the spring and the value of our dollar will spike making the cost to join the NHRA even more affordable.

 

I am right there with you. Just got the car certed this year and now that It took me until the end of the season to get the bugs ironed out I have to wait until spring to do my liscencing passes. I made a huge mistake when the car was apart.......... I did not renew my comp liscence after having it for over 6 years. Now I have to start all over again.


You might check because I know some divisions will allow you to cross over with your liscence or at least they used to.

 

That's what I'm expecting. They mentioned that they will be helping crossing over the licenses but so far I have not seen anything on the web sites about it.

 

That sure would make it a lot nicer if you can carry it over. I am not looking forward to walking around the pits trying to bother someone to watch runs when they are trying to get their own program done for the day.

 

If you read the instructions on the license application, you can get 2 drivers with equal or higher licenses to witness the pass. The track race director (who is generally in the tower) also has the authorization to certify your runs.

I'd still be a lot happier to just simply cross it over however since it's been a few years since my last pass down the track, I would only need to make a couple of full passes to qualify.

 

Tell me about it.
I'm assembling the parts fora new transmission. A U.S. built torque converter at about 900 USD will be closer to double that once the exchange and shipping is factored in. Then there's the rest of the transmission...
As for the CDN dollar spiking.....here's hoping.

With regards to Castrol Raceway (Edmonton) going NHRA...when you're a pipsqueak like me, about the only thing I'll have to deal with are metal valve stems. Got shut down at Joliet, Illinois (Route 66 Raceway) a few years back because of that. It'll be interesting to see happens with the local track here (Castrol).

 

Tech inspection doesn't bother me. Everyone in western Canada gets a NHRA chassis cert (if required). All the other tech requirements are basically the same for both sanctioning bodies. Just because one tech inspector doesn't see something like the valves stems doesn't mean another inspector won't. It's always up to you to know what requirements you are supposed to have.

As for transmission stuff, I bought my converter from these guys in Langley BC. http://www.tcsproducts.com/ Still cost me around $1200 for a race converter and shipping was a lot cheaper since it didn't have to cross the border.

I could easily spend $5000 for a complete race ready, I'll never break it, transmission.

 

Hmmmm well maybe they changed it from when I had my lic before because I had to have the two signatures AS WELL as the track director sign off on it, maybe they have leaned up on it like with the no physical thing now.

 

Before you make any passes I would check with the track manager and make sure you are on the same page.
My first time getting my license was no big deal , two 1/4 mile passes and having two license holders sign off.


Two years ago a different manger. three 1/8 mile passes, three 1/4 passes, blindfold test in the car. and two signatures . lol

 

Sounds about right..... This is what has always annoyed me about it. No two of the same.

 

A minor point here but my understanding was that NHRA asks for metal valve stems whereas IHRA does not.
But as you point out, it could very well be an individual inspector thing.
I found it interesting that Castrol would inspect at the beginning of the season and then sticker you so that a full inspection wasn't required multiple times during the season. Keep in mind, I'm talking about the street legal test and tune events.

 

Metal valve stems have always been a requirement at the nhra tracks I am at.

If you decided to do the ETI it is cool but they can always inspect.... Some tracks don't care if you have the sticker they still want to poke around.

 

That's what I've learned. My local track, which is the subject of the OP's original post, is making the switch (IHRA to NHRA). It'll be interesting to see if there any changes in as far as my modest ride is concerned.

 

I suppose if I claimed Edmonton as my home track for NHRA, the switch may be easier than if I claim Medicine Hat as my home track since I ran under IHRA with Edmonton as my home track.

Travel distance is roughly the same from Calgary. Edmonton is a slightly shorter drive but there's more hills, especially that long 7+ km pull south of Red Deer.

 

Well, if you ever make it up this way to race at Castrol, let me know. I'm 25 minutes from the track. All paved roads too. Plenty of parking for a truck and trailer.
Remember, it's downhill from Calgary to Edmonton!

 

It's downhill to Medicine Hat as well. Just a lot flatter drive with a lot less to see.

 

How far are you when you pull to the track?

for me its about 200mi round trip for the closest

 

According to Google maps.

From my house to Castrol Raceway in Leduc (Edmonton's track), it's 283 km (176 miles) and roughly 2-1/2 hour drive which is just about right. Double that for a round trip.

From my house to Medicine Hat's track is 283 km but is a 2-3/4 hour drive, however, it usually takes closer to 3 hours by the time you get through the gates. Double that for a round trip.

Never did the google map thing. I'm surprised the distance is exactly the same. I guess I can say I officially live halfway between the 2 tracks but one is straight north and the other is to the south east.

Either way, it means having the car loaded in the trailer and pulling away from the house no later than 6am to get to the track in time for tech and time trials. If I go rounds and make it to the finals, racing would normally be over around 5pm-ish. Pack everything up then a 3 hour drive home. By the time I'm ready to call it a day, it's usually close to 10pm and after racing/driving all day on a Sunday, get ready for work Monday morning.

Having a local track was fantastic. I was a 10 minute drive from the track. After a day of racing, the car was back in the garage well before 6pm. It was also super easy to do a Saturday night T&T, leave the car and trailer at the track and go home for the night and be back at the track Sunday morning before the gates opened. I've even taken the car home on a Saturday night to do repairs to be back out on a Sunday morning.

At my house, altitude is roughly 3350 feet. Edmonton's track is 2200 feet, Medicine Hat is 2300. Lowest altitude I ever raced at was at Renegade Raceways in Yakima which is at 980 feet. I think the density altitude was around 1700 feet. I'm used to racing in DA closer to 5000 feet. It's pretty bad when I consider 3000' air a good race day.

 

I hear you on that one. I had never considered the DA to be a factor where I used to race in Ontario. Track elevation was 600' and I've made passes on days where the DA was below sea level. Made quite a difference when I came here and was a half second off my best. And that's with a 12 second car. I miss those days.

 

That is close to where I grew up!

 

I don't have any racing logs from back then but I'm guessing it was in 2001 or 2002 when I was there for an NHRA Divisional race.