Tice spices up SRP for new extravaganza

A new name, prices from 20 years ago and an advertising blitz that has been nearly non-stop for nearly a month.

The only thing that’s missing from Spokane Raceway Park’s “Nitro Extravaganza” that opens today and runs through Sunday is John Force.

The former American Hot Rod Association World Finals are history, but in reality they had been for years. For nearly the last 20 years of the race, SRP was AHRA’s only race track, making it more of a match race, which is how new track general manager J.R. Tice is billing this weekend’s action.

Despite having just a few weeks to scavenge up race cars, Tice has done well in his estimation.

“We have 100 pro racers,” said the son of the founder of AHRA, Jim Tice.

That field includes 14 fuel Funny Cars and eight Top Fuel dragsters, Tice said on Thursday. He also has more than 20 alcohol Funny Cars and another 20 plus alcohol Dragsters, In addition, 16 Pro Modifieds, “door-slammer” cars that are capable of runs in the low 7-second range, have registered.

The Top Fuel dragsters and Fuel Funny cars will compete for a winner’s purse of $12,000 while the runner-up gets $10,000. Tice has had three fuel Funny Car teams come in just to run for the purse with no guarantee.

“That’s really rolling the dice,” he said.

Among the drivers in the Top Fuel field are Chris “The Greek” Karamesines and Odessa’s Craig Smith, who won three straight titles here. Mitch King, the 2005 champ, is also back.

In Funny Car, while defending champ Dave Benjamine does not return, Don Sosneka will do double duty also driving a Top Fuel car. Randy Jensen in Alcohol Dragster, Alcohol Funny Car driver Ken Kraus and Pro Mod’s Ross Hogenson are all back to defend titles.

The seemingly constant advertising seems to have paid off with an increase in ticket sales.

“Ticket sales are up, but I’m not sure how far,” Tice said.

That’s in part because of a drastic slashing of admission prices that he hopes will build the event at least partially back to where it was in the 1970s and 1980s.

“We’re doing a three-day spectator ticket for $60,” Tice said. “I think it was $90 last year. Heck, you can almost buy two tickets for what it cost last year.”

Tice remembers the good old days that he’s been doing his best to recreate on what has been relatively short notice. He just took over the general manager’s position at the track the first week of June when a court ruling removed the track’s founder, Orville Moe, from the position.

“In the ‘80s we had some major hitters, but we had more races,” Tice said, thinking back to the days when Spokane was the last stop on a tour that included such markets as Kansas City, Mo., Tulsa, Okla., Cleveland and Los Angeles.

“That’s the key to getting big names. You need 10 to 12 races,” Tice said. “Even if you pay somebody $50,000 to show up, they can blow up more parts than that.”

Hence, no Force and other notable names that once made Spokane one of their summer stops.

It was at tracks such as SRP where 13-time NHRA World Champion Force got his real start toward the huge success he enjoys today.

“When my dad had cancer, I hired Force,” Tice recalled. “He used to just do match races at Orange County and drove a semi for a real job.”

Tice booked Force into AHRA’s Grand American Series, but it took a while for him to adjust to running different tracks.

“He had just one tuneup and that was for a track that was located at sea level,” Tice said. “I think it took him a few years before he ever got past the first round. One time in Salt Lake (former Top Fuel champ Frank) Bradley wanted to tune Force’s car. He made it past the first round for the first time and the rest is some incredible history.

“Force used some of the money we paid him to go run some NHRA races, and then the next thing you know he goes out and hires Austin Coil,” Tice said.

Coil was, and is to this day, one of the top mechanical minds in drag racing.

Along with trying to book cars and sell tickets, Tice has directed a major cleanup effort at the facility.

“I think it’s now cleaner than it’s ever been,” Tice said.

As for the facility’s future, Tice hasn’t heard much. He has been assured it will remain open and not be put up for sale until after the season is over.