The Hamilton area has lost a major drag racing event.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) announced recently it was cancelling its Canadian Nationals at Toronto Motorsports Park scheduled for Sept. 19 to 21.

The Norwalk, Ohio-based sanctioning body claims the improvements and upgrades to the Kohler Road facility outside of Cayuga had not been performed to its satisfaction.

"Our contract with TMP concluded following the 2007 event and we had some facility issues we needed addressed," IHRA president Aaron Polburn said in a release. "After the visual inspection, the IHRA is not satisfied these stipulations have been met and improvements made, so we've chosen to cancel the 2008 event."

The three-day race featured 400 to 500 race cars in all classes, including the Top Fuel and Funny Car divisions, cars that drag fans rarely see locally.

The Canadian Nationals came to TMP as the AC Delco Nationals amid great fanfare in 2002. Ten years previous, the IHRA had flirted with the track, holding its 1992 IHRA Summernationals there until moving that event. Since 2002, TMP underwent a host of improvements, including track upgrades, new washroom facilities and a state-of-the-art three-storey tower. Fans attended the three-day event in droves, and it was standing-room only for the Saturday night racing and show.

Reaction to the IHRA news met with surprise from TMP.

"It's unfortunate this happened the way it did," said Neale Armstrong, TMP director of operations. "To blame us when we were trying to complete the upgrades, I don't understand. We are still planning to complete them," adding that some pit paving and track drainage issues are being addressed.

Perhaps the cancellation of the IHRA event is not all that bad for TMP, a track that has been in operation since 1954. The event has not had the title sponsorship of AC Delco, or any other contributor, since 2005. While the IHRA event at Grand Bend, started in 2000, appears to be solid with its Chrysler (Mopar) title sponsor, the Edmonton event could be in jeopardy. With soaring fuel costs, competitors are thinking twice about travelling across the continent for the Rocky Mountain Nationals at Castrol Raceway, the only major IHRA race outside of the Eastern time zone.

There are other circumstances at play also. Michigan-based Torco Fuels has put tens of millions of dollars into drag racing over the past several years, not only for sponsoring both NHRA and IHRA top race teams, but into sponsoring the IHRA's premier classes, which has been known as the Knoll Gas Motorsports Nitro Jam. Last year, Torco curtailed its involvement with most of its teams, and it could be ready to drop funding for its IHRA program.

And even though the Canadian federal government has given a one-year extension to its leaded fuel ban until 2010 for racing purposes, the IHRA may be thinking the same as the NHRA did when it pulled out of Canada with the cancellation of the Grandnationals at Sanair after 1992, citing the same fuel ban.

"People's concerns that the track will disappear are unfounded," Armstrong said. "We are looking forward and at other options."

One thing appears certain for the Kohler Road strip. There is a contest on its new website asking for submissions for a new track name, and there's a good chance any mention of Toronto will disappear.

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The Cayuga dragstrip will be a busy place this weekend with the fourth annual KC Auto Family Day show presented by Wolf Electric. A record number of PMRA Pro Mods with their 240-mph speeds will be on hand, along with the wild OSCA Super Street Outlaw cars, jet cars, and regular racing. Go to www.torontomotorsportspark.com for more information ... Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., won the inaugural World of Outlaws "Six Nations 50" and $10,000 at Ohsweken Speedway last Friday. Quebec's Steve Poirer won the 25-lap Sprint Car feature with the visiting Empire Super Sprints ... the ARCA RE/MAX 250 will be held at Cayuga Motor Speedway (formerly Cayuga Speedway) this coming Sunday, the stock car series' first trip to the track. For more information, go to www.cayugamotorspeedway.com.

Tim Miller is a longtime motorsports writer and author of several books on the sport.