From The NHRA Blog

May 2, 2008

The devil is in the details. For Bill Bader, the devil was a newly paved area of asphalt from the 660-foot cone to approximately 725 feet. His newly resurfaced race track, Summit Motorsports Park, in Norwalk, Ohio, looked amazing to the naked eye, but there was a “soft spot” of about 125 feet that just wasn’t right. There were a couple of recommendations from the engineering team, but ultimately, Bill and his son, Bill Jr., decided it was time to finally fix a problem that had plagued their race track since the first race cars blasted down its hallowed lanes in 1963. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years ago, a slithering creek wound through northern Ohio directly beneath where half-track is currently. In the past, when they were trying to make their track smoother, the Baders had dug down a few inches below the top soil to reinforce the racing layer, but not this time. The time had come to fix the problem for good. The order was given and for over 36 hours the team, which was proudly remaking the classic drag strip, removed and reformed that 125-foot area to a depth of 50 inches. Overkill…maybe, but not for the Baders.

Wednesday, Jim “O” and Jon “O” (known henceforth for this entry as the O Bros.), and I took the two-hour trip down to Kalitta Motorsports’ “home track” to take a first-hand look at what the Baders were re-building in the Buckeye State. We loaded up in the team’s 2008 Toyota Tundra and headed south. When we got there, we parked the Tundra at the starting line and began walking the track. The new surface of pavement extended from half-track mark to the finish line. Bill Jr. joined us after a few minutes to discuss what had been done to refine Summit Motorsports Park (Please see the earlier Team Kalitta blog entry by Jim “O” about this very subject). Soon thereafter, Bill Sr. came strolling out to continue the drag strip dialogue. We made our way back to the starting line, and the three Kalitta boys and the elder Bill decided to put the Tundra on the track and make a few passes down each lane to see what we felt. There was a bit of a “bump” in the right lane at the point where the concrete launch pad meets the new asphalt. Without hesitation, Bill said, “We’ll fix it. No problem.” From the lap-running novice PR guy’s view and ride, the new section of race track is incredible. I even got to take the wheel of the Toyota for a couple of laps. It was exhilarating to be part of what was happening … I can’t deny that.

Later, Jim “O” told Bill that he needed to get a nitro car on the track and get even more data and input into making the track as good as it can be. Bill’s response was, “That would be phenomenal, Jim. When can you come?” “As soon as we can,” Jim “O” replied. So, plans are in the works now to get at least one Kalitta Motorsports car on the new Summit Motorsports Park surface in the next couple of weeks.

After a couple of hours of surveying, discussing, and putting the Tundra through its paces, Bill, the O Bros. and I all went to lunch at Berry’s Restaurant in downtown Norwalk around 1:30. Over the next 70 minutes or so, my faith in the sport I love was rejuvenated, and I needed it. For the first time in a long time, I sat and listened to a man that so genuinely cares about drag racing, his track, and the best show he can possibly give the fans that walk through his gates and I remembered why I work for a drag racing team. There have been too many times in recent history that I have seen race teams, NHRA officials, and even this writer and his teammates going through the motions and not making the extra effort that our occupations demand and deserve. A lunch with Bill Bader will set you straight – Trust me. There is absolutely no detail that he misses when it comes to fulfilling the philosophy that every fan deserves the best show he can give them. Every NHRA track owner, official, executive, driver, crew member, etc., should take the few seconds it takes to say it out loud – “Every fan deserves the best show I can give them.” If that proclamation doesn’t inspire you to go above and beyond your job description, you should look for another job.

Summit Motorsports Park will never be perfect. Bill and Bill, Jr. know that, but they will not stop until they have done everything they can do to make it as perfect as it can be...not for them, but for their customers – race teams…and their customers – race fans. Thanks Bill for opening my eyes again as to why I love drag racing.