31st Annual ACDelco Night Under Fire Presented by Amalie Motor Oil Returns to Summit Motorsports Park
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(Norwalk, Ohio) -- The 31st Annual ACDelco Night Under Fire presented by Amalie Motor Oil returns Saturday, August 2 to “America’s Race Track,” Summit Motorsports Park, in Norwalk Ohio. The race is known as the “world’s largest single-day drag race,” and more than 35,000 fans are expected this year. It is one of Ohio’s largest sporting events.
Professional racing classes at the Night Under Fire are Funny Car and Jet Dragster, with exhibition runs by the “Shockwave” jet-powered semi truck and two wheel-standing vehicles: ‘Coolbus and a full-size fire truck. A $100,000 fireworks display lasting 20 minutes caps the evening.
Legendary drag racer Shirley Muldowney, the first woman to win in Top Fuel drag racing, and fifth on NHRA’s top 50 all-time list of drivers, will preside over the Night Under Fire as Grand Marshall. Muldowney has been inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the American Motorsports Hall of Fame, and was the subject of the 1983 movie “Heart Like a Wheel.”
“It’s an honor to have Shirley preside over this year’s ACDelco Night Under Fire presented by Amalie Motor Oil,” said Bill Bader, Jr., president of the motorsports stadium. “She was breaking the gender barrier in motorsports decades ago, and her legacy in motorsports is amazing to this day. She was NHRA World Champion in 1977, 1980 and 1982 and is one of the pioneers of drag racing. She was the second person to break the 250-mph barrier, after Don Garlits.”
The stars of NHRA POWERade Funny Car racing will be competing at this year’s race, including current NHRA POWERade points leader Tim Wilkerson; Robert Hight, second in POWERade points; reigning Night Under Fire Funny Car Champ Tony Pedregon, third in points and winner of the 2008 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at the track in June; Ashley Force, fourth; Cruz Pedregon, fifth; John Force, eighth in points and winningest driver in NHRA history; local favorite and 2007 Night Under Fire runner up Jim Head from Columbus, Ohio, and Dan Wilkerson, son of Tim and fifth in Top Alcohol Funny Car in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in NHRA Division 3.
The annual race has special meaning to Ashley Force, driver of the Castrol GTX/Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car. "I'm excited to be returning to the Night Under Fire in Norwalk as the Baders always put on a great show not only for the fans, but for the drivers and teams as well! I have many great memories and love the fireworks finale and the track officials in tuxedos, and can't wait for the event!" Fans that came to the 2007 Night Under Fire saw history when Ashley faced off against her dad, 14-time NHRA World Champ John Force, for the first father-daughter pairing in Funny Car history.
"I feel very comfortable racing there because I raced at the Night Under Fire during my years in Super Comp dragster, A/Fuel dragster, and of course, Funny Car," she recalled.
“When learning to drive a Funny Car I actually tested at this event in 2006 during the day runs and made my first lap against another Funny Car. It was against Eric Medlen and I was so nervous, I two-stepped the throttle! He beat me of course, but the fans thought it was great!”
The odds of Tony Pedregon’s Q Horsepower Chevy Impala Funny Car appearing in the winner’s circle are good this year, having won the 2006 and 2007 Night Under Fire races and the most recent Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. At this Saturday’s race he’ll be going for his fourth straight Funny Car victory at the track.
“Any car enthusiast who hasn’t seen nitro Funny Car racing should come to the ACDelco Night Under Fire,” said Bader. “When these 300-mph cars launch from the starting line, their 8,000-horsepower engines shake the ground so much they register 3.9 on the Richter scale. The sights and sounds are overwhelming.”
Jill Canuso, the "Queen of Diamonds," returns to Summit Motorsports Park in her 300-mph BIC Lighters Jet Dragster. She'll face off against racers Lou Periera, Danny Sullivan and Ernie Bogue for the right to be named Night Under Fire Jet Dragster Champion. The Hanna Motorsports Queen of Diamonds dragster is unbeaten at Summit Motorsports Park.
An annual feature during opening ceremonies of the Night Under Fire is when John Force unveils a new car prepared just for the race. This year Force will unveil the "Christmas Car,” with Christmas-themed graphics. The car will be retired permanently after the race. Limited edition diecast cars that are exact reproductions of Force’s real car are available in two 1:24 scale editions. A collector grade version is limited to only 1,500 pieces, and a Limited Edition Color Chrome version is limited to just 300 pieces which are hand-numbered and come with a Certificate of Authenticity. The Limited Edition Color Chrome car also comes with an autographed artist proof of the rendering, signed by Force and track president Bader.
Capping the evening is one of the largest fireworks displays in Ohio. It is choreographed to music, costs $100,000 to produce and lasts more than 20 minutes.
“We recommend arriving early because of the traffic,” said Bader. “Last year half the crowd was here by early afternoon. There's a lot to see during the afternoon in the pit area, and we have sportsman racing all day long including the R&R Auto Body Extreme 16. You can get a burger or pizza for lunch or dinner, or there's always our famous Toft’s dollar-a-pound ice cream.”
The 31st Annual ACDelco Night Under Fire presented by Amalie Motor Oil is at Summit Motorsports Park, 1300 State Route 18, Norwalk Ohio. The motorsports stadium is located just two miles east of Norwalk, Ohio, just minutes south of Exit 118 (U.S. 250) off Interstate 80, at the intersections of State Routes 18 and 601. Gates open at 8:00 am, sportsman time trials begin at 9:00 am, R&R Auto Body Extreme 16 first qualifying session at 2:00 pm, opening ceremonies begin at 6:00 pm with the first round of professional qualifying at 7:00 pm. All seats are reserved. Adult reserved seats are $40 and $45; child (11 and under) reserved seats are $15 and $20. Standing room only tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under. All tickets include free parking and free access to the racing pit area. Tickets are available online at News — or by calling the track at (419) 668-5555.
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/summitmsp.jpg" alt="summitmsp" align="right"borders="0"/>
(Norwalk, Ohio) -- The 31st Annual ACDelco Night Under Fire presented by Amalie Motor Oil returns Saturday, August 2 to “America’s Race Track,” Summit Motorsports Park, in Norwalk Ohio. The race is known as the “world’s largest single-day drag race,” and more than 35,000 fans are expected this year. It is one of Ohio’s largest sporting events.
Professional racing classes at the Night Under Fire are Funny Car and Jet Dragster, with exhibition runs by the “Shockwave” jet-powered semi truck and two wheel-standing vehicles: ‘Coolbus and a full-size fire truck. A $100,000 fireworks display lasting 20 minutes caps the evening.
Legendary drag racer Shirley Muldowney, the first woman to win in Top Fuel drag racing, and fifth on NHRA’s top 50 all-time list of drivers, will preside over the Night Under Fire as Grand Marshall. Muldowney has been inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the American Motorsports Hall of Fame, and was the subject of the 1983 movie “Heart Like a Wheel.”
“It’s an honor to have Shirley preside over this year’s ACDelco Night Under Fire presented by Amalie Motor Oil,” said Bill Bader, Jr., president of the motorsports stadium. “She was breaking the gender barrier in motorsports decades ago, and her legacy in motorsports is amazing to this day. She was NHRA World Champion in 1977, 1980 and 1982 and is one of the pioneers of drag racing. She was the second person to break the 250-mph barrier, after Don Garlits.”
The stars of NHRA POWERade Funny Car racing will be competing at this year’s race, including current NHRA POWERade points leader Tim Wilkerson; Robert Hight, second in POWERade points; reigning Night Under Fire Funny Car Champ Tony Pedregon, third in points and winner of the 2008 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at the track in June; Ashley Force, fourth; Cruz Pedregon, fifth; John Force, eighth in points and winningest driver in NHRA history; local favorite and 2007 Night Under Fire runner up Jim Head from Columbus, Ohio, and Dan Wilkerson, son of Tim and fifth in Top Alcohol Funny Car in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in NHRA Division 3.
The annual race has special meaning to Ashley Force, driver of the Castrol GTX/Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car. "I'm excited to be returning to the Night Under Fire in Norwalk as the Baders always put on a great show not only for the fans, but for the drivers and teams as well! I have many great memories and love the fireworks finale and the track officials in tuxedos, and can't wait for the event!" Fans that came to the 2007 Night Under Fire saw history when Ashley faced off against her dad, 14-time NHRA World Champ John Force, for the first father-daughter pairing in Funny Car history.
"I feel very comfortable racing there because I raced at the Night Under Fire during my years in Super Comp dragster, A/Fuel dragster, and of course, Funny Car," she recalled.
“When learning to drive a Funny Car I actually tested at this event in 2006 during the day runs and made my first lap against another Funny Car. It was against Eric Medlen and I was so nervous, I two-stepped the throttle! He beat me of course, but the fans thought it was great!”
The odds of Tony Pedregon’s Q Horsepower Chevy Impala Funny Car appearing in the winner’s circle are good this year, having won the 2006 and 2007 Night Under Fire races and the most recent Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. At this Saturday’s race he’ll be going for his fourth straight Funny Car victory at the track.
“Any car enthusiast who hasn’t seen nitro Funny Car racing should come to the ACDelco Night Under Fire,” said Bader. “When these 300-mph cars launch from the starting line, their 8,000-horsepower engines shake the ground so much they register 3.9 on the Richter scale. The sights and sounds are overwhelming.”
Jill Canuso, the "Queen of Diamonds," returns to Summit Motorsports Park in her 300-mph BIC Lighters Jet Dragster. She'll face off against racers Lou Periera, Danny Sullivan and Ernie Bogue for the right to be named Night Under Fire Jet Dragster Champion. The Hanna Motorsports Queen of Diamonds dragster is unbeaten at Summit Motorsports Park.
An annual feature during opening ceremonies of the Night Under Fire is when John Force unveils a new car prepared just for the race. This year Force will unveil the "Christmas Car,” with Christmas-themed graphics. The car will be retired permanently after the race. Limited edition diecast cars that are exact reproductions of Force’s real car are available in two 1:24 scale editions. A collector grade version is limited to only 1,500 pieces, and a Limited Edition Color Chrome version is limited to just 300 pieces which are hand-numbered and come with a Certificate of Authenticity. The Limited Edition Color Chrome car also comes with an autographed artist proof of the rendering, signed by Force and track president Bader.
Capping the evening is one of the largest fireworks displays in Ohio. It is choreographed to music, costs $100,000 to produce and lasts more than 20 minutes.
“We recommend arriving early because of the traffic,” said Bader. “Last year half the crowd was here by early afternoon. There's a lot to see during the afternoon in the pit area, and we have sportsman racing all day long including the R&R Auto Body Extreme 16. You can get a burger or pizza for lunch or dinner, or there's always our famous Toft’s dollar-a-pound ice cream.”
The 31st Annual ACDelco Night Under Fire presented by Amalie Motor Oil is at Summit Motorsports Park, 1300 State Route 18, Norwalk Ohio. The motorsports stadium is located just two miles east of Norwalk, Ohio, just minutes south of Exit 118 (U.S. 250) off Interstate 80, at the intersections of State Routes 18 and 601. Gates open at 8:00 am, sportsman time trials begin at 9:00 am, R&R Auto Body Extreme 16 first qualifying session at 2:00 pm, opening ceremonies begin at 6:00 pm with the first round of professional qualifying at 7:00 pm. All seats are reserved. Adult reserved seats are $40 and $45; child (11 and under) reserved seats are $15 and $20. Standing room only tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for children 11 and under. All tickets include free parking and free access to the racing pit area. Tickets are available online at News — or by calling the track at (419) 668-5555.
