NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Ron Capps, Justin Ashley, and Erica Enders lit up the winner’s circle at the Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk.

The Funny Car field featured Capps, Daniel Wilkerson, Cruz Pedregon, and Dave Richards. In a close final round of eliminations, Capps captured the win with a 3.85 to Pedregon’s 3.88.

Top Fuel racers Ashley, Antron Brown, Clay Millican, and Josh Hart went all out, and Ashley amazed with a 3.71 and the win over Millican, who was forced to pedal on that pass.

Pro Stock drivers Enders, Greg Anderson, Dallas Glenn, and Jeg Coughlin Jr. added even more adrenaline to the event, and Enders walked away as the winner with a 6.52 after Coughlin Jr. red-lighted by .005-second.

Pageantry, powerful cars, popular entertainers, pyrotechnics, and passion all contributed to a completely compelling 48th annual running of the event. The opening ceremony presented for the packed house was out of this world with a flyover featuring historic military planes, skydivers, entertainer introductions, massive American flag unfurling, national anthem performed by Chris Biggin’, and much more.

Chris Foster captured the win with a 5.51 over Cody Krohn’s 5.71 in Top Alcohol Funny Car. McKenna Bold and Angelle Sampey made it to the final round of eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster, and Bold blasted to a 5.28 and the win when Sampey suffered uncharacteristic breakage.

Pro Mod drivers Mike Janis and Billy Banaka battled for the win, and Janis took it with a 5.76 to Banaka’s 6.57. Brian Yanchik blasted to a 4.26 and the win over Jerry Albert and his 4.28 in R&R Auto Body Top Sportsman.

The spotlight was on Mark Pawuk and Raymond Nash in the Factory Stock Showdown final, and Pawuk, who was .007 at the hit, powered to a 7.76 and the win against Nash and his 7.74.

In Pro Outlaw Drag Sleds, Louie Wirbel wrangled the win with a 4.79 over Courtney Moeller’s 4.93. ScottRods Gassers were also in action, and Ed Kasicki edged out Scott Leber, who had a perfect .000 reaction time.

Ernie Bogue, Scott Holdridge, Dawn Perdue, and Neil Esposito gunned for a North American Jet Car Championship in their 300-mph vehicles, and when the wicks went out on the top end of the track, Bogue won in his Beast from the East with a 5.17 and 305 mph over Holdridge and his 50 Cal.

The Edelbrock Super Series Elite presented by Red Line Oil and Rocko Machine featured the top 16 racers in Summit Motorsports Park’s Edelbrock Super Pro, Edelbrock Pro, Wiseco/CycleTech Super Bike, and Edelbrock Sportsman Delivered on Time by TFC Transportation programs as of Aug. 1, and they raced for a share of $64,400. In Edelbrock Super Pro, Carter Sherman defeated Jeff Fenn, and in Edelbrock Pro, John Bailey won over Brian Hurst. In Wiseco/CycleTech Super Bike, Jeremy Hicks defeated Austin Poole, and in Edelbrock Sportsman Delivered on Time, Jim Ring won over Dave Widmar.

Additionally, the Summit Racing Equipment Jr. Dragster Shootout put the spotlight on the top eight racers in Summit Motorsports Park’s Bear Motorsports Advanced, Intermediate and Novice Jr. Dragster presented by Wiseco programs as of June 1, and they raced for cash, trophies, and gift cards. In Advanced, Brandon DuPont went to the winner’s circle after racing Abigail Baker, while in Intermediate, Tyler Jacobs advanced over Kendall Moreland, and in Novice, Derek Peters claimed the victory over Bentlee Baehr.

Bader Family Signature $150,000 Fireworks Show presented by R&R Auto Body were shot from multiple locations over the park to end the exciting evening.

“The annual Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire has always been, and always will be, immensely important to my family and our team,” said Bill Bader, Summit Motorsports Park president. “It is in our hearts and in our souls, and it means so much to see the enthusiasm and the emotion from everyone from the entertainers to our guests. It certainly fuels our fire for next year. We sincerely thank everyone who joined us and made this event as special as it was. The attendance numbers were in the top three of all-time Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire events, and it appears we had the largest food and merchandise sales day in the event's 48-year history."