Hollywood, California-based RIO VISTA UNIVERSAL, whose recent success with season 1 of the new weekly tv series, “Gear Heads,” recently prompted an immediate season 2 order which will go into production later this year, announces an exclusive deal with the International Hot Rod Association to produce the IHRA’s Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series for broadcast exclusively beginning October on MAVTV. The deal was cemented this week between Jason Rittenberry, CEO, IRG Sports + Entertainment, Raymond Iddings, Show Creator, and James Ganiere, CEO of Rio Vista Universal.
“We are excited to partner with Rio Vista Universal and Ray Iddings to produce our new IHRA Nitro Jam show,” stated Jason Rittenberry, CEO of IRG Sports + Entertainment. “Having worked with Ray on several shows in the past and with the success of Gear Heads, we feel confident in their ability to provide us with an entertaining show that will drive new fans to the IHRA Nitro Jam.”
Featured in the series are top IHRA drivers Bruce Litton with his “U.S. Male” team and Mark Sanders with his “Mr. Explosive” Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car, Mountain Motor Pro Stock drivers Pete Berner and Cary Goforth and Larsen Motorsports’ all-female Jet Dragster Team of Elaine Larsen, Marisha Falk, Dawn Perdue and Kat Moller and many more of the top IHRA personalities. The series began shooting at the season opener in Tucson, Arizona at the IRG owned Southwestern International Raceway and will head to two billboard events in May. IHRA Nitro Jam will shoot on location at the Palm Beach Nationals at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Florida (May 2-3) and the Spring Nationals at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, North Carolina on May 17-18.
In June, the show heads to the Maryland Int’l Raceway for the President’s Cup Nationals (June 13-14) and the Grand Bend Motorplex in Ontario, Canada on June 20-21. July finds the Rio Vista Universal and IHRA still in Canada at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta (July 4-6) before heading back to the States and Cordova Dragway Park in Cordova, Illinois on July 18-19. Pittsburgh will be home base on August 1-2 as IHRA’s Nitro Jam spotlights the intense competition at Pittsburgh’s Raceway Park. They head to the Northern Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan August 8-9 before wrapping the season at the Summit World Finals at the Memphis International Raceway October 10-11.