Ron Colson learned some things during his time as a drag racer. 

One of the most important was the value of a name. 

Colson, a six-decade associate of Cordova Raceway Park in Cordova, Ill., and Bob Bartel, who built the track in 1956,  contend they own the World Series of Drag Racing name with a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office document dated Oct. 11, 2016, to prove it. The trademark is filed under Colson's company, Colson Communications. 

IRG Sports and Entertainment, owner of the International Hot Rod Association [IHRA] and Cordova Raceway Park, didn't officially get the memo from Colson concerning ownership of the event name until after they had already sent a press release confirming they were moving the event back to Cordova.

A February 3 press release stated, The World Series of Drag Racing is returning to Cordova International Raceway in Cordova, Ill., after a one-year stay in Memphis, Tenn., IRG Sports + Entertainment announced today.  The 2017 World Series of Drag Racing is set for Aug. 25-27, 2017; ticket information will be available in March. 

The move to trademark the name, Colson said in an article published on www.qconline.com, is not to benefit him monetarily as much as it was to protect the World Series name from being moved to a venue other than the Quad Cities.

The World Series of Drag Racing was moved last year to Memphis Motorsports Park and was an abject failure. 

Colson described the move of the World Series of Drag Racing to Memphis as blasphemy.

“We’re just protecting the name and the tradition," Colson told www.qconline.com. "Our goal is to make sure it remains a Quad Cities institution.

“They can have an event here. They own the facility. But if they want to call it the World Series of Drag Racing, they need to arrange a license with us.’’

The report confirmed a “cease and desist’’ letter was sent out earlier this month to IRG Sports and Entertainment and a few other entities which have sought to use the World Series of Drag Racing name.

Colson said he would be willing to work with IHRA President Mike Dunn or the Cordova GM Rod Wolter, but not IRGSE CEO Chris Lencheski. Ironically Colson and Dunn are former Hawaiian Funny Car drivers. 

The World Series of Drag Racing was a Cordova Raceway Park staple, remaining intact for six decades, and was a name not legally owned by anyone. The event was staged, Colson confirmed, as part of a gentleman's agreement.

“The thought of it being held somewhere else, we never even thought of that …," Colson said. “That trust was violated last year when it was moved to Memphis against the advice of everyone in the industry."