Drag-and-drive events give people a chance to truly enjoy their vehicles. Each event brings something a little different to the table and puts participants in control of the experience they have. You don’t need to be the quickest or fastest racer to enjoy drag-and-drive competition, and that’s exactly what makes these events so appealing.

The Mickey Thompson Turn & Burn, presented by Summit Racing Equipment and powered by Sick the Magazine, injected some fresh flavor into the classic drag-and-drive formula and delivered a memorable weekend of racing fun. Participants cruised to unique checkpoints while enjoying premium track time at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, one of the best facilities in the country.

More Than Your Standard Drag-and-Drive

What made Turn & Burn so enjoyable was the way the teams at Mickey Thompson, Sick the Magazine, and Summit Motorsports Park structured the event. Making bold changes to a proven event format can be risky, but Turn & Burn navigated those waters successfully.

Instead of racing at multiple tracks over the course of a week like a traditional drag-and-drive event, participants either started or ended each day racing at Summit Motorsports Park. The checkpoint drives were manageable and gave racers an opportunity to actually enjoy the windshield time. After all, who doesn’t love a good cruise in their ride?

The checkpoints themselves elevated the experience compared to many other drag-and-drive events. Rather than simply snapping a quick photo and moving on, participants were able to visit genuinely interesting destinations.

After Thursday morning racing action, racers headed to the Mansfield Reformatory, where The Shawshank Redemption was filmed. Participants toured the historic facility, took photos, and spent time exploring the landmark before heading to Summit Racing Equipment’s headquarters, where the red carpet was rolled out for competitors.

Friday began with a visit to Derby Downs, home of the All-American Soap Box Derby. Participants not only toured the facility, but also got the chance to make runs in actual Soap Box Derby cars, another unique twist that helped Turn & Burn stand apart from other drag-and-drive events.

There’s one thing you need to understand about events at Summit Motorsports Park: Bill Bader Jr. and his team don’t simply host races, they create experiences for racers and fans alike.

Turn & Burn was originally scheduled to feature live music and fireworks Friday night, but Mother Nature had other plans. Even so, the event still delivered plenty for fans to enjoy. Mickey Thompson and Summit Motorsports Park filled the grounds with show vehicles, racing simulators, RC car action, and even rock crawlers crushing cars. Fans also got the chance to watch Mike Finnegan swap an engine into “Stubby Bob” and meet several drag-and-drive stars during autograph sessions throughout the event.

The Racers Put On a Show

There’s really only one word to describe the on-track competition at the inaugural Turn & Burn: fierce. Looking at the final results, it becomes clear that none of the classes had a runaway winner, and several class championships came down to the final passes Saturday afternoon.

The Dial Your Own (DYO) and Pro DYO classes featured some of the tightest competition of the weekend. Think of DYO as drag-and-drive bracket racing. Racers are aiming for the smallest spread possible between their submitted time slips. Consistency is everything.

In DYO, Todd Taylor’s razor-thin .001 spread was enough to edge out Michael Turner’s .008 and Mark Frazier’s .010. The quicker Pro DYO category was just as competitive, with Morgan Evans’ .009 spread holding off Corey Pant’s .028 and Mike Rymarz’s .052.

The 275 Radial class also produced a close battle for the top spot. Eric Foght’s 8.6273 average narrowly held off Rick Russell’s 8.6353. Russell pulled out all the stops to chase Foght down, including removing as much weight as possible from his truck, but ultimately came up just short.

Sam Berresford definitely got his money’s worth out of his Mickey Thompson slicks thanks to a series of massive, crowd-pleasing burnouts. The smoke show was only part of the entertainment, as Berresford also secured the B/Gas class victory with a 10.8197 average over Michael Heston’s 11.6060.

The battle for A/Gas became interesting in a hurry. Jeremy Bonnett and Jay Brabiak were both focused on winning the class at Turn & Burn. Bonnett jumped out to an early lead but damaged a piston during the first day of competition. Despite the setback, he managed to keep the small-block alive and laid down several strong passes on the final day to secure the win with a 9.1937 average.

Valerie Morris picked up her second drag-and-drive victory by dominating the Pro Modified Radial class. Morris posted a 6.9343 average, easily holding off Tom Bailey’s 9.1393 average.

Alex Taylor may have been the lone competitor in Unlimited Iron, but that didn’t stop her from pushing her 1955 Chevy hard throughout the event. Taylor recorded multiple personal-best passes at Summit Motorsports Park during Turn & Burn, ultimately finishing with an impressive 6.6040 average.

The Unlimited class featured a close battle between Steve Morris, Shaun Skipper, and Nick Taylor. Morris was kept honest throughout the event by both competitors, but his 6.8350 average proved too much to overcome and secured the Unlimited class victory.

Turn & Burn Kept the Fires Lit

Photos By Brian Wagner And Leanne Robinson

If you’ve ever considered trying drag-and-drive racing, Turn & Burn deserves a spot on your calendar. The event delivers a true taste of drag-and-drive competition without requiring racers to spend an entire week on the road.

When you combine premium track time, fun checkpoints, additional attractions, and the Summit Motorsports Park experience, the result is an outstanding event that offers something for racers and fans alike.