From the beaches of Baton Rouge to the mountains of Utah, the deserts of Arizona and everywhere in between, the 2012 IHRA Nitro Jam season was certainly one of the ages.

After two straight years of growth Nitro Jam entered the 2012 season with one goal and one goal only in mind – continue providing the best motorsports entertainment package in the business to the hundreds of thousands of loyal fans across the United States and Canada.

All told Nitro Jam teams racked up nearly 20,000 miles on the road this season with stops in Tucson, Ariz., San Antonio, Texas, Baton Rouge, La., Pittsburgh, Pa., Salt Lake City, Utah, Edmonton, Alberta, Grand Bend, Ontario and Martin, Mich.

When all was said and done four drivers stood at the head of the class as Peter Gallen and Bill Evans became the first two-time champions under the new Nitro Jam format in AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car and Pro Fuel Dragster respectively, while Jay Turner picked up his first win in Nitro Harley and Kyle Hough won a thriller in Fuel Altered.

Add in Bruce Litton’s mini Top Fuel championship earned during the Canadian portion of the Nitro Jam Tour and it made for an incredible year that began in the desert of Arizona in the middle of winter and ended on a cool, rainy summer evening in western Michigan.

“This year was like a dream. We love racing with the IHRA and this year was just icing on the cake,” Hough said. “It was exciting, it was fun – it was everything racing is supposed to be. The fans were great, the racing was close and we had a blast. I guess that is really what Nitro Jam is all about.”

 In 2012 Nitro Jam saw some of its best competition yet in its four premier nitromethane-powered classes highlighted by the continued growth of the AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car class. Legendary names such as “War Eagle”, “Candies & Hughes” and “Chi-Town Hustler” joined Peter Gallen’s legend-in-the-making “Poverty Stricken”, Tim Boychuk’s fast-as-lighting “Troy Lee Designs” Pontiac and other newcomers on the most competitive nostalgia Funny Car circuit around.

Fuel Altered saw much of the same as third generation racer Kyle Hough continued the famed legacy of the “Nanook” machine by capturing his first championship by just two points on the final pass of the season.

Wrapping up the nitro classes was Jay Turner’s six-win ownership of the Nitro Harley class atop his state-of-the-art “big pig” motorcycle and Bill Evans went to every final round in 2012 except one in picking up his second championship in three years.

Coming off of three straight years of growth, the sky is the limit for the Nitro Jam series entering 2013. Thanks to all of the competitors for a great season and we will see all our nitro fans on track real soon!

2012 NITRO JAM EVENT SUMMARIES

ARIZONA NITRO JAM – Southwestern International Raceway / Tucson, AZ

Pro Fuel: Cherissa Smallwood defeated Bill Evans; Johnny Ahten defeated Bill Evans
Prostalgia NFC: Tim Boychuk defeated Mike Savage; Mike Savage defeated Peter Gallen
Fuel Altered: Ron Maroney defeated Randy Bradford; Ron Maroney defeated Kyle Hough
Nitro Harley: Devin Pelrine defeated Mike Scott; Devin Pelrine unopposed

SAN ANTONIO NITRO JAM – San Antonio Raceway / San Antonio, TX

Pro Fuel: Bill Evans defeated Kristen Dennis; Kristen Dennis defeats Bill Evans
Prostalgia NFC: John Hale defeated Peter Gallen; Mitch King defeated Mike Savage
Fuel Altered: Ron Maroney defeated Kyle Hough; Ron Maroney defeated Randy Bradford
Nitro Harley: Jay Turner defeated Jake Stordeur; Jay Turner defeated Jake Stordeur

MARDI GRAS NITRO JAM – State Capitol Raceway / Baton Rouge, LA

Pro Fuel: Bill Evans defeated Cherissa Smallwood; Bill Evans defeated Robin Samsel
Prostalgia NFC: James Day defeated Brad Thompson
Fuel Altered: Mike Hilsabeck defeated Ron Maroney; Mike Hilsabeck defeated Kyle Hough
Nitro Harley: Jay Turner defeated Mike Scott; Jay Turner defeated Mike Scott

PITTSBURGH NITRO JAM – Pittsburgh Raceway Park / Pittsburgh, PA

Pro Fuel: Bill Evans defeated Robin Samsel
Prostalgia NFC: Peter Gallen defeated Dale Pulde
Fuel Altered: Ron Maroney defeated Kyle Hough
Nitro Harley: Jay Turner defeated Jake Stordeur

SALT LAKE NITRO JAM – Rocky Mountain Raceways / Salt Lake City, UT

Pro Fuel: Casey Grisel defeated Kristen Dennis; Don St. Arnaud defeated Casey Grisel
Prostalgia NFC: Mike Savage defeated Bob Godfrey; Mike Savage defeated Jason Rupert
Fuel Altered: Tom Padilla defeated Kyle Hough; Tom Padilla defeated Ron Hope
Nitro Harley: Ron Gledhill defeated Tony Ruggiero; Ron Gledhill defeated Tony Ruggiero

MOPAR ROCKY MOUNTAIN NITRO JAM – Castrol Raceway / Edmonton, Alberta

Top Fuel: Bruce Litton defeated Bobby Lagana Jr.; Bruce Litton defeated Scott Palmer
Prostalgia NFC: Tim Boychuk defeated Jim Obalek
Fuel Altered: Randy Bradford defeated Kyle Hough; Tom Padilla defeated Kyle Hough
Nitro Harley: Randal Andras defeated Jay Turner

MOPAR NITRO JAM – Grand Bend Motorplex / Grand Bend, Ontario

Top Fuel: Kyle Wurtzel defeated Bruce Litton; Bobby Lagana Jr.; defeated Bruce Litton
Prostalgia NFC: Greg Jacobsmeyer defeated Peter Gallen; Peter Gallen defeated Mike Minick
Fuel Altered: Ron Hope defeated Tom Padilla; Ron Hope defeated Ron Maroney
Nitro Harley: Randal Andras defeated Steve Dorn; Steve Dorn defeated Jay Turner

CARSAFE NORTHERN NITRO JAM – U.S. 131 Motorsports Park / Martin, MI

Pro Fuel: Kristen Dennis defeated Robin Samsel
Prostalgia NFC: Greg Jacobsmeyer defeated Peter Gallen
Fuel Altered: Mike Hilsabeck defeated Ron Maroney
Nitro Harley: Jay Turner defeated Jake Stordeur