norwalk div 3 WOW

ANYONE SEEN A DIV RACE W/40000 FANS on a saturday night??? thats the numbers i was told by a norwalk employee. I was also told they were shutting down some of the gates due to lack of parking. HATS OFF AGAIN TO BADER'S AND ALL OF THEIR STAFF at SUMMIT MOTORSPORTS PARK. Another fine showing of how to run a drag race and treat us racers and fans w/the utmost respect. It was a site to see.

 

I know they did give a lot of tickets away but they got the people in the gate and they spent their money while they were there . I was not there on sunday but heard the stands were at least 3/4 full for the first round .

 

ALL track operators could learn a thing or 2 from the Baders.....First Class all the way And they know how to PROMOTE a race!

 

After picking up a body in Michigan, we went to Norwalk to pick up a nose to another body. The traffic was CRAZY and it really blew me away when we found the traffic was caused from a divisional. Good for Norwalk and good for the Baders! Great job!

 

Yes great great show of fans....autograph session probably had a few hundred fans pass through, concession lines were likely 30 min. wait....Ice cream line probably over an hour. Great facility, great people, great great weekend.

Brandon Booher
NHRA TAD #35

 

Norwalk

According to 2 different track employees, after the seats were all full, and the spectators were 3 deep at the fences, they started turning people awway at the gates.
The main pit isle looked like a national event with spectators everywhere.
Crazy to find out you can promote a divisional race.
Great job Norwalk,
Marty Thacker & crew

 

This is from Norwalks website. Remember this is a large facility with lots of spectator room.

"What an incredible weekend! The 4th annual B’laster Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser was the biggest Division NHRA 3 event in history. In fact, on Saturday, we had to close the gates at 5:00 to incoming traffic because there was no more room! That’s the first time in the history of this track that that has ever happened! Even then, the steady stream of traffic on all roads leading to Summit Motorsports Park was bumper-to-bumper for another 3 hours. Every seat in the stands was taken and spectators were 3-4 deep at the fence."

 

If you brought up "independent track owners who go above and beyond in the name of bettering their product," the Baders (Norwalk) and the Bandimeres (Denver) would be the first two names that come to mind. Great job, Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park!

 

It is nice to see Nhra learning how to bring in the crowds for a div race, all they had to do is look at ADRL, and the crowds they bring in, Seems to me until ADRL started it cost to come and watch racing, Good for Nhra to learn so fast ... Doc

 

Norwalk is amazing

I agree...Norwalk is just amazing! I have never raced down the track with that many people in the stands! It was an amazing race.

To add to the story I had a fellow racer run into my lift gate door on Thursday afternoon as we were about to get the car out! Bobbie Bader was there at my trailer within minutes of the accident! My rear door was destroyed! 5 minutes later Bobbie had a front end loader, a lift truck, a tow truck and a ton of Norwalk employees there to help me with everything! I was blown away!

By 10 at night my car was out and my new 1/2" OSB back door was on the trailer, license plate, Vintage sticker etc. (Scott, an employee of Summit Motorsports park drove to his home to get a skill saw etc to cut the wood for the door and even stayed and helped us frame up the rear door and put it together. Tell me that isn't a statement about taking care of a racer!) I had a horrible situation to deal with and the Baders made it easy for me. By Friday morning it was like nothing major had even happened on Thursday. Bobbie must have stopped by my trailer 10 times asking if I was ok and if there was anything she could do for me! Amazing people!

We ended up getting the door off, getting everything cleaned up and then Ricky Adkins comes over and offers to use his liftgate door on his trailer to get my car out of my trailer so I could race. Between the Baders, Adkins, Glenn, Chris etc we actually got my long green pig out of the trailer and on the ground. I am still amazed at how all the racers offered me their help and I was able to get my car out and go racing! It just goes to show that Drag Racers are the greatest people in the world! A true testament to our sport and the people who race.

If anyone has some pictures of Ricky and Chris helping me get the car out of the trailer with their lift gates could you please let me know. I would love to put some pictures on my website. I was too busy trying to get the car out to actually stop and take some pictures. I know there were plenty of people watching our engineering project.

Thanks to everyone who offered everything under the sun to me this weekend. I appreciate it. I also have to say that I do not know of any better people then the Baders and their employees. Words can not describe my gratitude!

Troy Stone
T/D 314B
TAD 314B
Vintage Trailers Ltd.

P.S. Chris, damn man can you drive a big long rig! I was amazed at your skills!

I have pictures of the door right after the accident on my face book page if you want to see them! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036469&id=1487355784&l=2c723000dd

I will try to get them up on my normal website today at http://vintagetrailers.com/pages.php?page_id=35

 

re: norwalk attendence are u kidding?

this was just sent to me from norwalk. read below and weep. holy moly

Over 45,000 Attend B’laster Cavalcade of Stars Presented by Budweiser

At Summit Motorsports Park



May 18, Norwalk, Ohio – With the 4th Annual B’laster Cavalcade of Stars Presented by Budweiser in the history books, final weekend attendance exceeded 45,000 fans, racers and crew members. “We’re still counting but we had well over 45,000 people at Summit Motorsports Park for the three-day event,” said track president Bill Bader, Jr. “That’s an incredible turnout for an NHRA divisional race and we think that’s a great sign for the 2010 racing season.” Unprecedented fan attendance late Saturday afternoon meant the facility could not hold any more people, forcing a decision to close the gates to additional spectators on Saturday at 5:00 pm. It was the first time in the track’s nearly 50-year history the gates had to be closed.

The race, the second of six events in the North Central Division of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, had 557 sportsman racers officially competing on Saturday. That set a participation record for the Cavalcade of Stars at Summit Motorsports Park.

Jay Hullinger, NHRA North Central Division Director, was happy with fan and racer turnout. He said, “The B’laster Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser is a great event for fans to get acquainted with sportsman racing. We had some of the best sportsman racers in the country here, and NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series is a fun and very competitive form of drag racing to watch.”

Even with Saturday’s huge attendance, there was a large crowd on hand for Sunday’s final eliminations. Sunday’s racing action was also broadcast live on radio on the BAS Racing Network throughout central, northwest and northern Ohio on Eagle 99.1 and Eagle 93.7, and in Indiana on WNUY 100.1 FM.

Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., won in Top Alcohol Funny Car. Fan favorite Manzo, the defending event and NHRA Lucas Oil National Champion, faced off against Ray Drew, Hales Corner, Wis., in the final round and posted a winning run of 5.5007 seconds, 262.49 mph in his 2010 Monte Carlo. “I think a track record is possible,” Manzo said on Friday, referring to excellent track conditions. He was almost true to his word but fell a fraction short of besting the track record of 5.491 seconds for Top Alcohol Funny Car, set by Manzo at the 3rd Cavalcade of Stars on May 17, 2009. Sunday’s victory was Manzo’s second win in just two races in 2010.

Manzo continued, “We always enjoy coming to Summit Motorsports Park. It’s a great facility, the track surface is good, and the fans here are very knowledgeable about racing.”

Rich McPhillips, Phoenixville, Pa., took home the win in Top Alcohol Dragster. McPhillips had a final round match up with former NHRA North Central division champion Marty Thacker, Robinson, Ill. McPhillips saved his best run of the weekend for Thacker as he posted a 5.519 second lap at 248.80 mph to Thacker’s 5.680, 185.38 mph.

In addition to NHRA sportsman competition, the Tempo Travel Caribbean Cruise Vacation race was held Saturday. Wiseco/Cycle Tech Super Bike riders have been acquiring points since May 23, 2009 to compete and the top 16 points earners qualified for Saturday's race. Matt Short, Cleveland, Ohio won the race, earning an all-expense paid vacation cruise courtesy of Tempo Travel.

Here are the final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series NHRA B'LASTER Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser race at Summit Motorsports Park: