Bill Sr. would have been proud of his boy. 

The  46th Annual Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire captivated audiences with a spectacular production on August 5, 2023, at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. 

Bill Bader Jr., president of Summit Motorsports Park, wished his father could have seen the way his team put together what many describe as drag racing presentation to the next level.

“Unfortunately, he didn’t make it, but my family and I have no doubt that he was watching over this year’s event and probably critiquing it from above,” Bill Bader Jr. said. “Our team worked tremendously hard all year long to make this a magical and memorable evening full of surprises, and our performers gave it everything they had.”

In drag racing, all too often, performance and win lights take center stage. The Bader show delivers a show with everything else secondary. 

“We hope our guests feel that we hit a home run,” Bader added.

In proper Bader promotional form, the event was a celebration of motorsports and a tribute to several influential personalities. Bob Motz, known for his incredible performances in his jet truck over 45 years, bid farewell to the event as he retired. The event also honored Al Zukauskas, a jet dragster driver who recently lost his life. Amidst emotional tributes, audiences were treated to non-stop entertainment throughout the night.

The opening ceremonies commenced with a breathtaking flyover by the Hooligans Flight Team, accompanied by the thunderous roar of engines marking their presence at America’s Racetrack. The introduction of the talented entertainers set the stage for an evening filled with adrenaline-pumping performances.

And yes, there was a drag race.

Robert Hight drove his Cornwell Tools-themed Funny Car to an impressive fifth victory beating Ron Capps in the championship final. In the opening session, Hight ran a 3.92-second pass at 322 mph to beat Cruz Pedregon, who clocked in at 3.94 seconds at 320 mph in the first round. Then in the money run, Hight turned in a 3.92-second pass at 325 mph, surpassing Capps’ 3.96-second run. 

 

 

 

“This event is always incredibly exhilarating, both for the fans and the competitors,” Hight said. “It’s an opportunity to earn some bragging rights and a confidence boost when you perform well,” Hight said. “We’re thrilled about the win. The Cornwell Tools team put in a great deal of effort throughout the day, and it paid off. The Bader Family always organizes an exceptional event, and being part of such an amazing night feels even better when you come out on top.”

Drag racing legend John Force ran an impressive 3.88 and 3.89 seconds during the two test sessions. However, an on-track timing error during the qualifying round invalidated Force’s run and landed him in the secondary bracket. Despite this setback, Force prevailed over Dale Creasy Jr., completing the race in 3.894 seconds at 326 mph, outpacing Creasy’s 4.11-second run at 297 mph. Also competing was Dan Wilkerson. 

The Top Fuel Harley-Davidson category injected intense acceleration into the event, culminating in an electrifying final round. Ryan Peery emerged victorious with a brilliant reaction time, crossing the finish line in 6.45 seconds, slightly ahead of Randal Andras’ quick 6.43.

The jet dragster drivers, including Ernie Bogue, Russ Glover, Jeff Hoekstra, Josh Graham, Dawn Perdue, David Gates, and Scotty Heat Holdridge, all showcased a major fire show. Ultimately, Ernie Bogue claimed the North American Jet Car Championship with an impressive time of 5.28 seconds in his Beast From the East jet dragster, triumphing over Scotty Heat Holdridge, who encountered technical difficulties and had to abort his run despite performing well throughout the day.

In a unique spectacle concocted by Bill Jr., a Jet Dragster versus Monster Truck pairing, Jeff Hoekstra, driving his jet dragster, faced off against Joe Sylvester’s Jeep-bodied Monster Truck. Hoekstra emerged victorious, demonstrating good sportsmanship and securing a win with a time of 4.02.

The matchup between Gutierrez Brothers Racing and Michalek Brothers Racing in Top Alcohol Dragster witnessed JP Gutierrez’s triumph over Corey Michalek. Representing the Great Lakes State, Gutierrez raced to a victory with a time of 5.25 seconds, while Michalek, hailing from the Buckeye State, encountered traction issues at the starting line.

 

 

 

A new addition to the event was the R&R Auto Body Top Sportsman Shootout, featuring eight top-level racers specially invited from the Midwest. Jerry Albert emerged as the champion, delivering an impressive performance with a time of 4.25 seconds against Dave Paone, who displayed remarkable skill but had to ease off the throttle, clocking in at 5.69.

In the KB Trailer Sales Outlaw Dragster category, Bryan Keller triumphed over Paul Molnar with a time of 3.69 seconds, forcing Molnar to relinquish the lead.

Summit Motorsports Park’s Edelbrock Super Pro, Edelbrock Pro, Edelbrock Sportsman Delivered on Time by TFC Transportation, and Wiseco/Cycle Tech Super Bike categories brought together the top racers in thrilling contests for a substantial guaranteed purse of $75,200. Austin Lenz secured the victory in Edelbrock Super Pro due to Jeff Fenn turning on the red light. Meanwhile, Jeff Hura achieved a perfect .000 reaction time, and defeated Bobby Gill with a 6.78 to Gill’s 6.25. The Wiseco/CycleTech Super Bike final saw Craig Adams collect the win with a 7.60 over Ryann Miller, who recorded an 8.88, and the Edelbrock Sportsman Delivered on Time by TFC Transportation final saw Larry Strohscher secure the win over Scott Chitty with an 11.70 to Chitty’s 11.85. 

The Summit Racing Equipment Junior Dragster Shootout was an outstanding opportunity for the top eight Bear Motorsports presented by Wiseco Junior Dragster Advanced, Intermediate, and Novice racers as of July 31 to be part of the Cornwell Tools Night under Fire. In Advanced, Leah Verner landed the win with a .006 reaction time and a 7.92 over Cruz Schafer, who clocked a 7.90, while in Intermediate, Brayden Baehr defeated Kace Shupp, 8.97 to 9.03, respectively, and in Novice, Abigail Baehr had a close race against Kendall Moreland and came out on top with a 12.104 to Moreland’s 12.102. 

Also putting on a show were the Scottrods AA/Gassers, with their high-stepping hot rods. 

The exclamation mark on a magnificent evening was a $125,000 Bader Family Signature Fireworks Finale presented by R&R Auto Body, followed by a concert in the staging lanes by Trainwreck Country Band. “We already have some surprises up our sleeves for next year’s event, so stay tuned,” said Bader Jr.