Bill Bader Sr. had a vision. Just three years earlier, he had stepped out of his comfort zone in Speedway promotion and purchased a seldom used drag strip located outside. of Cleveland, Ohio, in the small town of Norwalk. Bader knew his drag strip was less about being a racing venue and more about an entertainment complex. Thus was born the Night Under Fire in 1977, an event showcasing the thrills and excitement of the novelty acts running up and down the strip.

The 2022 Cornwell Night of Fire represented the 45th year of the event, which has since expanded to include nitro, both on four wheels and two, jet cars, a jet truck, and competitive drag racing in Pro Modified and Top Dragster.

But this season is more about the show, and more about the heart of those who serve as the ringmasters. In June, Bader passed away and this marks the first one since his passing. This video shows not only the action on the track, but those who are keeping Bader's vision alive.

This is not a perfect production. Sometimes the camera is shaky. Sometimes the lighting isn't optimal. Sometimes the content gets political. We could have had a full television production crew and still, the presentation would pale in comparison to the in-person experience. It's a lengthy view but one we believe you will enjoy watching as much as we did producing it..

This year has been one of amazing achievements for Ron Capps.

In his second reign over the Funny Car class, he debuted as a team owner, advanced to the finals in the season-opener, won two races, forged an alliance with Toyota to drive one of its brand-new Supra entries, as the so-called regular season rushes to a close, the defending series champion sits third in points.

And this weekend, the 57-year-old from Carlsbad, Calif., will reach another notable milestone. He’ll compete in his 600th race.

It’s been a while for Tony Schumacher.

And that’s just fine for the eight-time NHRA Top Fuel champion; he’s experienced a few been a while moments lately. 

Schumacher will compete in this weekend’s Menard’s NHRA Nationals at Heartland Park - Topeka for the first time since 2018. For the first time since 2020, he enters the event as the Top Fuel division’s most-recent winner. 

Schumacher believes he’s exactly where he needs to be. 

There's nothing finer than promoting the home team.

However, for Kalitta Motorsports, Topeka, Kansas, is a substantial haul to the team's base camp in Ypsilanti, Michigan. However, with ten wins credited to the team, the best option for promoting their in-house business is at Heartland Park - Topeka, a home away from home.

As the tour rolls into the Menard's NHRA Nationals, flagship driver Doug Kalitta plans to do so behind the wheel of a dragster adorned in KalittaAir.com/careers livery.

Highlighting the need for qualified aviation mechanics and technicians, the KalittaAir.com/careers Top Fuel dragster will hit the track in search of qualified applicants.

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster driver Jasmine Salinas at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmors at Heartland Motorsports Park this week with primary sponsorship from Weld, a leading wheel manufacturer.

“We are thrilled to have WELD on the side of our Scrappers Racing Top Alcohol Dragster,” said Salinas. “They share our values of continuous improvement and dedication to the sport of drag racing at every level. Not to mention, their long-standing reputation for providing quality, high-performing products is pretty remarkable.

Buddy Hull stuck to his plan no matter how badly he wanted to do otherwise.

Hull, after running two events in the first part of the season, parked his Top Fuel dragster until this weekend, when he will return to competition at the Menards Nationals presented by Pet Armor at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas.

"It has been an awesome summer, but I am tired of looking at my race car in the shop," said Hull during an interview on the CompetitionPlus.com Power Hour podcast. "I want to see the race car sitting next to the trailer in the pits. I want to see my race car being towed to the staging lanes."

Past Pro Stock driver and current Factory Stock Showdown frontrunner Mark Pawuk admits he never pushed his kids into drag racing. However, if they wanted to try the sport from behind the wheel, he knew he wanted it to be at a top-notch drag racing school. 

Dating back to his days as a General Motors-sponsored driver, Pawuk knew from experience The Frank Hawley Drag Racing School was the place for them to learn the trade he’s plied on the largest stage of the sport.

Kyle and Kassandra Pawuk grew up at the race track watching their father navigate the quarter-mile and recently gave driving a spin with Frank Hawley at the school. 

Please be advised: The Hudson family’s enthusiasm for sportsman racing is highly contagious. Prolonged exposure could lead to increased levels of energy, fierce competition, and high levels of engaged interest in all of the complexities associated with sportsman drag racing. Read and proceed with caution.

Those lucky enough to have met this impressive family will almost certainly agree with the statement above. The Hudsons, Ashton, and Mignon, who have been married for 31 years, met when they were teenagers and one of their first dates was to a points meet in Baton Rouge. The couple are beyond passionate about the sport, and they raised their daughters, Bliss and Ella, with the same enthusiasm and desire to improve the experience for everyone.

It was a show that would have made the late Bill Bader Sr. smile.

In front of a packed house for the 45th annual Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire, Summit Motorsports Park delivered a show worthy of being drag racing’s largest single-day independent drag race.

Alexis DeJoria headlined the winners by winning the Chicago-Style eliminations format over John Force, and Larry “Spiderman” McBride won the two-wheeled nitro division.

Can anybody stop Kirk Williams?

Kirk Williams, the winner of the last three points-paying Funny Car Chaos events in 'A' Field, continued his onslaught of the competition this past weekend in Eddyville, Iowa capturing his fourth win of the season and fourth in a row. Williams's domination on the field has allowed him to build a nearly insurmountable point lead on the rest of the competition with just three races left to go in the season.

Tim Cullinan joined Williams in the winner's circle in Eddyville by taking home the honors in 'B' Field along with Wayne Hofmann, son of Nitro Funny Car legend Al Hofmann, capturing the win in 'C' Field competition.