Bill Bader cares about every racer who comes to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
As the president of the track, he hires team members who care as deeply as he does, and for the past year, all hands have been on deck to prepare for the NHRA North Central Division 3 Summit Racing Series Team Finals, which is set for Sept. 12-15, 2024 at the fabled facility.
This will be the first time the track has hosted the event as it moves from its previous longtime home of Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indiana, and racers who qualified to represent their track will be part of history. In addition to competing as part of a team to take home a title, individual winners will advance to the NHRA Nevada Nationals, scheduled from Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, to race toward a World Championship.
Along with Summit Motorsports Park, NHRA North Central Division 3 tracks taking part include Byron Dragway, Coles County Dragway, World Wide Technology Raceway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Wabash Valley Dragway, Wagler Motorsports Park, Beech Bend Raceway Park, Ohio Valley Raceway, Milan Dragway, Edgewater Sports Park and National Trail Raceway.
Read on for a short interview with Bill Bader, whose commitment to sportsman racing is commendable.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING ABOUT HOSTING THE NHRA NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION 3 SUMMIT RACING TEAM FINALS AT SUMMIT MOTORSPORTS PARK?
I started thinking about this in 2018, and that is when I really started committing a lot of energy to it. The conversation ramped up with NHRA and member tracks in 2019, and the decision was made in 2019 that the event would move to Norwalk in 2020, but then the pandemic started and Summit Motorsports Park could not open in 2020 and we took a few steps back. A few years passed, and the conversation ramped back up and it was decided in 2023 that Summit Motorsports Park would become the host venue in 2024. I am just one track in the North Central Division, so we needed people to accept the idea, especially since Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, where the event was previously held, is a more central location.
DO YOU THINK THIS EVENT WILL BE WELL-RECEIVED BY RACERS COMING FROM VARIOUS STATES?
We are working to make sure of that. My dad built this company on the idea of providing an outstanding experience for racers. We focused on sportsman racing first and then we reached further, but we remained committed to sportsman racing. My team and I take pride in being a national event facility, and in the fact that bracket and sportsman racing are the cornerstone of who we are. There is a lot of excitement around the idea of Summit Motorsports Park being the new host facility for the team finals. Some people are excited, while others are apprehensive because of the travel involved, so we will have to make sure that there is something in it for them. We will have to show them rather than tell them. We will have to knock their socks off with the experience and make sure that they feel great when they leave and look forward to coming back next year.
DO YOU FEEL PRESSURE TO PROVE THAT SUMMIT MOTORSPORTS PARK IS A GOOD LOCATION FOR THIS EVENT?
It is okay for us to have to prove ourselves. It fuels my drive to make sure that a good time is had by all. We have set the bar high for this event, and we will deliver the Norwalk Experience for everyone who attends. We look forward to showing who we are, what we do and how we treat our guests.
WHAT WILL SUMMIT MOTORSPORTS PARK DO TO PUT THE NORWALK STAMP ON THE EVENT?
For starters, the hospitality will be second to none. Also, the facility will be spotless, and we have a paved pit area, free electricity, beautiful restrooms and a great food court. We are going to enhance the event with lots of fun, fellowship and pageantry, and we will have team dinners and music. It will be a prestigious team finals event. We are not just going to open the gates, have a race, call it a day and send people home. This will be a production, and it will not disappoint.
Summit Motorsports Park is at 1300 State Route 18, Norwalk, Ohio. For more information about the NHRA North Central Division 3 Summit Racing Series Team Finals, call 419-668-5555 or visit summitmotorsportspark.com.
This story was originally published on September 9, 2024. 
