ADRL Expects Record Crowd at Norwalk
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<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/SMP_2007_crowd1.jpg" alt="SMP_2007_crowd1" />
<br><font color="Navy">Last year's crowd for the ADRL national event at Summit Motorsports Park was impressive, especially after three rain delays, but the 2nd annual ADRL Gatorz Ohio Drags this weekend (Aug. 22-23), is expected to draw a record-setting number of fans to the 45-year-old, drag-racing facility in Norwalk, Ohio.</font>
<P> (8/20/08) O’FALLON, MO — Last year, the inaugural visit of the Flowmaster American Drag Racing League (ADRL) presented by the National Guard to Summit Motorsports Park had “the makings of a magical event,” according to track president Bill Bader Jr., but seven inches of rain the week before and three rain delays on raceday put a slight damper on things.
“By rights that event should have got crushed,” Bader said. “But it didn’t. In fact, we still had more than 20,000 people in the stands at one point and to get that kind of turnout with that kind of forecast is really a testimony to what the ADRL does.”
What the ADRL intends to do with the 2nd annual ADRL Gatorz Ohio Drags this coming weekend is crush the single-day attendance record at the storied Norwalk , Ohio strip. Considering the 45-year-old facility is one of the largest in the world, with seating for more than 30,000 fans and playing host to several other high-profile racing events each year, it’s an admittedly bold claim, but one that ADRL Vice President Jeff Fortune is confident the all-eighth-mile drag racing series can back up.
“We confirmed 41,742 people came through the gate on Saturday at Houston Raceway Park earlier this year—which actually set a record for the largest one-day crowd in the history of the sport—and we absolutely think that record will fall this weekend,” Fortune stated. “The Norwalk experience is about to meet the ADRL experience.”
Weeks before each national event, the ADRL sends a team to the region to distribute tens of thousands of complimentary tickets, paid for by series and event sponsors. Those tickets are collected upon entry to determine accurate attendance records and so far in 2008, the series has produced new single-day attendance records for each track on the schedule.
“If the weather is good—and right now it looks like it will be excellent—I think everyone will be amazed at what happens in Norwalk this weekend,” Fortune said. “This is going to be an absolutely huge event for the track, the racers, the fans, local businesses and, of course, for the ADRL.”
The 2nd annual ADRL Gatorz Ohio Drags, the sixth of eight ADRL national events this year, will be held Aug. 22-23, at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk , Ohio . The ADRL’s next event will be its Hushpower Dragstock V, Sept 12-13, at Rockingham (NC) Dragway, with the season ender set for Oct. 24-25, at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas .
<p style="width:300px;float:right;font-weight:bold;padding-right:0px;">
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/SMP_2007_crowd1.jpg" alt="SMP_2007_crowd1" />
<br><font color="Navy">Last year's crowd for the ADRL national event at Summit Motorsports Park was impressive, especially after three rain delays, but the 2nd annual ADRL Gatorz Ohio Drags this weekend (Aug. 22-23), is expected to draw a record-setting number of fans to the 45-year-old, drag-racing facility in Norwalk, Ohio.</font>
<P> (8/20/08) O’FALLON, MO — Last year, the inaugural visit of the Flowmaster American Drag Racing League (ADRL) presented by the National Guard to Summit Motorsports Park had “the makings of a magical event,” according to track president Bill Bader Jr., but seven inches of rain the week before and three rain delays on raceday put a slight damper on things.
“By rights that event should have got crushed,” Bader said. “But it didn’t. In fact, we still had more than 20,000 people in the stands at one point and to get that kind of turnout with that kind of forecast is really a testimony to what the ADRL does.”
What the ADRL intends to do with the 2nd annual ADRL Gatorz Ohio Drags this coming weekend is crush the single-day attendance record at the storied Norwalk , Ohio strip. Considering the 45-year-old facility is one of the largest in the world, with seating for more than 30,000 fans and playing host to several other high-profile racing events each year, it’s an admittedly bold claim, but one that ADRL Vice President Jeff Fortune is confident the all-eighth-mile drag racing series can back up.
“We confirmed 41,742 people came through the gate on Saturday at Houston Raceway Park earlier this year—which actually set a record for the largest one-day crowd in the history of the sport—and we absolutely think that record will fall this weekend,” Fortune stated. “The Norwalk experience is about to meet the ADRL experience.”
Weeks before each national event, the ADRL sends a team to the region to distribute tens of thousands of complimentary tickets, paid for by series and event sponsors. Those tickets are collected upon entry to determine accurate attendance records and so far in 2008, the series has produced new single-day attendance records for each track on the schedule.
“If the weather is good—and right now it looks like it will be excellent—I think everyone will be amazed at what happens in Norwalk this weekend,” Fortune said. “This is going to be an absolutely huge event for the track, the racers, the fans, local businesses and, of course, for the ADRL.”
The 2nd annual ADRL Gatorz Ohio Drags, the sixth of eight ADRL national events this year, will be held Aug. 22-23, at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk , Ohio . The ADRL’s next event will be its Hushpower Dragstock V, Sept 12-13, at Rockingham (NC) Dragway, with the season ender set for Oct. 24-25, at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas .
