The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) made headlines recently by acquiring historic racing venues like Rockingham Speedway with an aim to “restore the true essence of grassroots stock car racing.” The bold move was widely seen as a direct challenge to the France family’s long-standing grip over the sport. But just days after making that statement, the IHRA now finds itself dealing with internal chaos after two top executives were abruptly fired.

IHRA leadership shake-up

The IHRA is suddenly dealing with turbulence behind closed doors after two of its top executives were abruptly shown the door. Chief Operating Officer Scott “Woody” Woodruff and Vice President of Advertising Brett Underwood have both been relieved of their duties, according to reports that surfaced alongside circulating screenshots suggesting the dismissals happened through a phone call and even a text message.

The sudden nature of the exits has raised eyebrows across the racing world, especially at a time when the organization has been attempting to position itself as a serious challenger in American motorsports. In the same breath, the IHRA moved quickly to reshuffle its leadership structure.

Doug Foley Jr., a second-generation racer familiar with the organization’s drag racing ecosystem, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. The new role places Foley Jr. in charge of overseeing the day-to-day operational execution of the IHRA’s racing programs as the sanctioning body tries to stabilize its expanding ambitions.

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For Woodruff, however, the departure came as a shock. Speaking to Competition Plus after the news broke, the former COO didn’t hold back when describing how the situation unfolded.

“I am no longer with the IHRA, and unfortunately for me and many others in the sport, I was very truthful about where we were as a sanctioning body,” Woodruff said.

The development adds another layer of uncertainty for the organization as it attempts to rebuild its national racing presence. Leadership instability has become a recurring storyline within the IHRA in recent years, particularly as the group works to reconnect with racers, tracks, and partners while launching new initiatives designed to expand its footprint in the motorsports landscape.

With such abrupt changes at the top, questions are already swirling about what direction the IHRA will take next.

Is the IHRA’s new Stock Car Series a real threat to NASCAR?

When the IHRA announced its brand-new stock car series, the messaging sounded bold. It was almost like a challenge to the establishment. In the official press release, IHRA leader Darryl Cuttell made the mission clear.

“We’re bringing stock car racing back to its roots. This is racing that rewards driver skill, smart setups, and teamwork—not massive budgets. It’s exactly the kind of competition fans love, and competitors deserve.”

On paper, that kind of language inevitably draws comparisons to NASCAR, the long-standing powerhouse of American stock car racing. But once you look closer at the details, the new IHRA championship appears far less like a direct rival and more like a grassroots complement to the broader racing ecosystem.

The planned series is built around Late Models and Pro Late Models, the backbone of short-track racing across the United States. The schedule is expected to feature just eight races with a total $2 million purse, a respectable figure but nowhere near the scale of NASCAR’s national touring divisions.

Even the cars themselves tell the story. The platform closely resembles the machines used in grassroots championships like the CARS Tour and other Late Model Stock competitions. These vehicles are designed specifically for short-track racing, emphasizing driver control, mechanical grip, and tight, door-to-door battles rather than the high-speed, high-budget spectacle seen in NASCAR’s Cup Series.

Meanwhile, NASCAR, as you know, operates on an entirely different level. It runs nationwide schedules, massive television deals, and multi-million-dollar team operations across the NASCAR Cup Series and its development ladder. In other words, IHRA’s stock car push isn’t necessarily trying to topple NASCAR. It’s attempting to strengthen the grassroots foundation that the sport was built on in the first place.