The revised NHRA schedule for the 2020 season won’t include Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, track owner and operator Bill Bader Jr. confirmed on Tuesday.
After Bader made news with his passioned plea to open the track and return to racing in the midst of the coronavirus public health crisis, one of drag racing’s key figures unveiled the disappointing news surrounding hosting a NHRA national event this year. It also serves as a shocking blow to the first-class facility that has hosted the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals for the past 13 years.
The full statement is below:
“Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, the 14th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals scheduled for June 25-28, 2020, has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, and share in your disappointment.
“We have incredibly loyal and passionate fans, the absolute best in all of motorsports” said Bill Bader, Jr. “We’re committed to overcoming this obstacle and delivering an even better experience in 2021.”
The track has been a fan and racer-favorite since it first opened, praising the unique experience as well as the first-class treatment from Bader and his talented team. Bader has talked about the struggles the facility has endured in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has included layoffs, postponements and now the race cancellation of one of the biggest events on the track’s annual calendar.
The NHRA announced on Monday that all races in June and July were postponed, hinting that racing would return in August. An official updated scheduled is expected to be released later this week, but we now know Norwalk will not have a new date on that schedule.
NHRA has held two events this year in Pomona and Phoenix before the coronavirus put a halt on racing action. Five races – including stops in Virginia, Epping, Atlanta, Charlotte and Las Vegas – have already been cancelled in 2020, with Norwalk becoming the sixth.
