Fairfield, OH — November 26, 2025 — The complete acquisition of the World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), first announced as a collaboration earlier this year, has now been completed and officially confirmed by both organizations.

The WDRA, which has focused on supporting its member tracks and the bracket racing community through benefits and programming, will now fold into Darryl Cuttell’s newly reimagined IHRA. Cuttell, who has been the talk of the sport since PRI last year, continues to overhaul drag racing with major facility acquisitions, renovations, and the expansion of the IHRA Outlaw Nitro national event series.

With the acquisition of WDRA—formerly sanctioning 62 tracks across 25 states and five Canadian provinces—IHRA becomes the most significant global sanctioning body for drag racing facilities, now representing 117 member tracks across the United States, Canada, Aruba, Australia, and New Zealand.

IHRA’s current sportsman leadership looks forward to working alongside WDRA leadership to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for all member tracks. This transition will further strengthen the overall value IHRA delivers, providing a unified structure, consistent rules administration, and an elevated level of support for local facilities within the reimagined IHRA framework.

Track owners, operators, and managers are encouraged to attend IHRA’s dedicated PRI session, where leadership will outline transition timelines, member-track benefits, and the expanded opportunities available under IHRA’s new unified sanctioning model. This presentation will offer clarity, direction, and direct access to IHRA leadership as the organization continues its growth strategy.

IHRA remains committed to elevating grassroots drag racing, strengthening local tracks, and delivering a dependable and competitive environment for racers, promoters, and the industry at large. IHRA officials will share information at PRI and through IHRA’s official channels.

For more information, please email info@ihra.com.

 Kane Kern adds to his impressive racing resume during the 2025 WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance.

MONTGOMERY, AL: As a seasoned racer at only sixteen years old, Kane Kern has skillfully stacked numerous accolades throughout his ten years of driving experience. Equipped with an instinctual talent, eagerness to learn, and a work ethic for success, it was only a matter of time before the Louisiana native etched his name into the history books. During the 2025 WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance, the soft-spoken teenager would cross two items off his junior dragster career checklist: becoming a World Champion and winning a $10,000 purse.

Similar to many others in the sport, Kern was introduced to drag racing by his father, Coty, and the father-son duo won their first track championships the same year. Eventually, the focus of the racing program shifted to Kane, who now handles all the driving duties. The pair meticulously tracks their racing program, and the data reveal that Kern has earned final-round appearances in 74% of the events he has entered and has amassed 99 wins out of 246 events. Before the WDRA World Championship, his impressive racing resume includes eight track championships, five series championships, one Louisiana state championship, one NHRA Division 4 championship, one IHRA Division 4 championship, and one NHRA Western Conference championship.

Kern and his father have traveled to thirty-three tracks and have met a lot of people in a relatively short time. Kane sees this as an opportunity to grow and fills his spare time with bench racing. “I run into a lot of racers, and I’m pretty friendly, so I like to talk strategies with a bunch of different racers. Every single person has their own little strategy that I’ve never heard of before, and it’s always cool to hear.” He laughs while adding, “I’ve stolen some strategies before and used them.”

After a late start and a mind-numbing traffic jam, the Kerns rolled into Montgomery International Dragway Friday morning just in time for the time runs. The Diablo junior dragster had a new engine and continued to gain speed, regardless of the added weight. A third round exit allowed the pair to catch up on some much-needed sleep before enjoying the free steak at the racer appreciation dinner.

Newberry wheeled his reliable dragster into the winner’s circle during the 2025 WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance.

MONTGOMERY, AL: Unlike other drivers who are accustomed to the local points racing environment, Joseph Newberry is relatively rusty when it comes to the thrill of chasing a championship. The Georgia native grew up around drag racing courtesy of his father, Kenny, and had a couple of years of junior dragster experience before advancing into a full-sized racecar around the age of seventeen. Eventually, he purchased a new 2005 Mullis dragster, won the Quick 16 championship at Southeastern International Dragway, and followed the big-money bracket racing scene for a few years before deciding to prioritize his family and park the racecar while the kids were growing up.

Newberry explained, “2010 or 2012 is when we quit racing altogether. I always intended to get back in it, but with three kids and sporting events, that was a lot more important at the time. All I kept was the rolling chassis, and I got it put back together at the end of last year and only ran a couple of races with it.”

2025 was the first full season back out with that same dependable Mullis ride, and Newberry planned on catching a few races here and there to get back in the groove, so to speak. He was quickly reminded of how annoying the weather can be on race day, as it had rained for nearly three months after his first race of the year. “I got to go once in April, and then every weekend that we were going to race, it rained, literally, until the fourth of July weekend,” he continued. “I almost considered not going the rest of the year, since half the year was already gone, and it was summertime and hot.”

He didn’t give up, and after a decent showing at a three-day race at Alabama International Dragway, Newberry decided to go to the third points race at Brainerd Motorsports Park, knowing the racers were allowed to drop two points races if the track was able to contest enough races. It was the correct decision, as he ended up winning that race and eventually found himself leading the points at both Alabama and Brainerd, with the remaining points race dates overlapping at both facilities. In August, Newberry won the Sportsman Spectacular event contested in Steele, AL, which earned him a spot at the upcoming IHRA World Finals. He shifted his points racing focus to Brainerd in hopes of gaining an invitation to the WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance. By the end of the season, he did just that with his Box track championship.

Mattera swept the season with victories at the 2025 WDRA Summit Bracket Finals and World Championships.

MONTGOMERY, AL: A common theme throughout drag racing is how often fellow competitors become like family through their shared passion for the sport. For the newly named 2025 WDRA Summit No Box World Champion, Bobby Mattera, his biological family is also ingrained throughout the staging lanes. Mattera became casually involved in drag racing shortly after graduating high school, thanks to the introduction from his oldest brother, Joey.

After a few years of racing, including a Super Pro Track Championship in 1991, Mattera hung up his helmet in 2001 when his twin daughters, Allyson and Megan, were born prematurely. He admits he never planned on getting back behind the wheel, but in 2013, he was offered an opportunity to drive a Buick Opel, which eventually found its way into the most prestigious winner’s circle a dozen years later.

He explained, “My youngest brother, Danny, was driving the Opel for a friend of his named Joe Brown. They were going to buy a 1968 Camaro, so they asked if I would have any interest in driving the Opel, and I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ They were going to pay for everything, and we would split whatever I won. I drove it for two years for them, and in 2015, I ended up buying the car.”

That first year back on track, Mattera led the points chase all season but lost the track championship by one point on the last race. Those winning ways would continue, eventually earning four track championships and six invitations to the world championship-crowning events between the WDRA and IHRA. Due to issues with the motorhome, he was unable to make the trip last year; therefore, this was his first experience at the WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance.

However, Mattera is no stranger to impressive final-round appearances, having earned three bracket finals main event victories within the last four seasons (IHRA in 2022, WDRA in 2024, and 2025). Last year, he cemented his Maryland International Raceway (MIR) track championship by claiming both the Race of Champions and main event wins at the WDRA Summit Eastern Bracket Finals. When asked how it felt to continue claiming such extraordinary victories, Mattera quipped, “It feels just as good. It never gets boring to win!”

Brewer honors an unforgettable friendship by winning the 2025 WDRA Summit Sportsman World Championship in his late friend’s racecar.

MONTGOMERY, AL: Sometimes the road to the world championship turns out to be a country back road with a couple of potholes and switchbacks that force you to slow down. For the 2025 WDRA Summit Sportsman World Champion, Chad Brewer, that means you get to soak in the scenery and enjoy the ride because once you reach the destination, you’ll have a story worth listening to.

A military brat raised in a family of gearheads, Brewer grew up in various places but has always been involved in the car scene, no matter the location. Once his family planted their roots in Southwest Virginia, he made his first pass down Elk Creek Dragway at the age of fifteen and has eagerly buckled into a racecar ever since. Over thirty years of competition, he’s had his fair share of success, racking up approximately ten championships, NMCA victories, a runner-up at the World Footbrake Challenge, and winning the NHRA Div. 2 Bracket Finals, where his world championship aspirations were shattered due to a broken planetary in the first round at Pomona.

After a second-round exit in the No Box class at last year’s WDRA Summit World Championships, Brewer had his heart set on returning to the big stage and skillfully earned two Brainerd Motorsports Park track championships this season: No Box and Sportsman. Brewer and his parents hit the highway with two racecars, where the first of the aforementioned potholes in his success story began while on the way to Montgomery International Dragway.

Brewer said, “It felt like luck was on our side, but everything kept trying to battle us. During the Friday $5K, Dad was at a shop getting the alternator fixed in his tow truck because he hauled the Camaro down for me. Then the Nova had issues, so I had to swap carburetors, but luckily it was during the time run, so I had plenty of time to get it fixed.”

Mike Peters rose to the top of the Motorcycle and Sled field during the 2025 WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance.

MONTGOMERY, AL: Tenacity flourishes through consistent effort, optimism, and dedication to your goals, regardless of the setbacks, difficulty, or current outcome. A quote from Julie Andrews reads, “Perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth.” However, for the newly crowned WDRA Summit Motorcycle World Champion, Mike Peters, his perseverance would eventually pay off during his fifth attempt at claiming that coveted title.

The talented New York native has qualified and participated in five world championship events since 2017, including back-to-back invitations for the WDRA Summit World Championships presented by SunCoast Performance, since the introductory Motorcycle and Sled class last season. Peters, representing Lancaster Motorplex, admitted that seemingly minor on-track mistakes left him lacking in the win light department during prior races. Yet, he maintained an admirable outlook on those experiences.

He explained, “Every time I felt like it was just a little screw up, and it just wasn’t my day. I kept telling myself, ‘I know that I’m a good racer, and if I stick with it, then my day will come.’ When you love doing something that’s a win-or-lose situation, I always tell my mom and dad, ‘We might have lost, but so what?’ I’m going home safe, we’re smiling and having fun at the end of the day, and that’s really what it’s all about.”

Peters has proven himself to be a fierce competitor, racking up eight track championships on his now-backup Kawasaki before upgrading to a 2011 Suzuki Hayabusa last winter. He claimed six wins this season to wrap up his ninth track championship and made the 1,000-mile and seventeen-and-a-half-hour trek to Montgomery International Dragway during what would be a life-changing event.

If you are not the highest finishing WDRA Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Drag Racing Series presented by SunCoast Performance registered racer in your class at your home track there is another way to qualify for the Summit World Championships.

You can also qualify for the Summit World Championships by winning a WDRA Summit Bracket Finals presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance IF you have a current SSDRS registration on file by July 1st.

If you are not already registered for the Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series but are planning on attending a WDRA Summit Bracket Finals event you can register here before July 1st to maintain your eligibility: https://www.racewdra.com/license/

NORWALK, OH: The World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) and world champion drag racer Luke Bogacki and his team at Thisisbracketracing.com announce the launch of a free instructional video series aimed at educating new Junior Dragster competitors.  The series, entitled “Day 1”, is a free guide for new Junior Dragster parents and drivers to help make their first day at the drag strip safe, smooth and fun.

The five-part series feature high quality video content for both new drivers and their parents.  The videos are broken down into sections that cover multiple topics including the time before getting on the track, the safety features and procedures of the car and driver personal protection devices as well as the mechanics of operating the vehicle and exiting the track safely.

“WDRA loves to collaborate with people like Luke, Justin Lamb, Kris Whitfield and the team at Thisisbracketracing.com that give back to the sport and are thrilled to help launch this new program”, said WDRA’s Skooter Peaco.  “Luke and his team deliver this content in a very understandable and relatable format that first time racers and parents can easily understand.  Luke and WDRA’s Don Scott who are both parents of Junior racers, have a real passion for Juniors.  Don sent this to me to preview and I knew immediately that this is something the junior licensing program has been missing.  We have many tracks that do hands on lessons for first time Juniors and just about every experienced Junior parent will jump in and help a new racer but this new resource is a huge advancement in the education process.  Every step in this process emphasizes and educates safety.  This is not about how to win races or driver strategy; this series is devoted to educating new drivers and new parents on how to safely run the car before they ever show up to the track.”   

NORWALK, OH:  In a groundbreaking move for the world of drag racing, the World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) and the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) have announced their first-ever collaboration, setting the stage for an exciting future on race tracks across the nation. This partnership marks a new era where both sanctioning bodies join forces to elevate the experience for racers and racing venues alike.

The IHRA and WDRA are now united in their mission to manage sanctioned facilities, ensuring insurance compliance, licensing, and organizing dynamic bracket racing programs and events. “We have a unique opportunity to combine the strengths of both IHRA and WDRA to help our collective facilities and provide opportunities and stability for our bracket racing members,” said WDRA’s Don Scott. “WDRA’s expertise is on the member track, licensing, and bracket racing side of the sport. As IHRA launches new pro racing programs and events, there is a need for making sure the IHRA tracks and bracket racers get taken care of. The WDRA team is going to make sure that we are there to support the IHRA facilities and bracket programs because this arrangement is simply good for our sport.”

IHRA’s Darryl Cuttell shares this enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “Both groups have the best interests of the tracks and racers at heart. We all agree that we will make our sport better by working together, and each group complements each other perfectly. Anyone that has been around me or our group knows that we are going to make it happen.”

Together, these organizations oversee 110 sanctioned facilities (not including upcoming agreements) and host fifteen bracket racing events, laying the groundwork for a vibrant, supportive racing community. This collaboration is not just an agreement but a promise to racers that their passion and dedication will be met with enhanced opportunities and a robust racing environment. Immediate implementation of this partnership will see further announcements as both groups work tirelessly to forge a new pathway for member tracks and bracket racers, propelling drag racing into a bright, inclusive future.