Bill Bader Jr. is inarguably one of the best promoters and track owners in all of motorsports, and in 2020 he had to make a difficult decision that he had never before been faced with: to forego an entire season of racing at Summit Motorsports Park. The track was dormant for over a year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Bader and his team were determined to reopen in 2021 better than ever.

On April 10, 2021, the gates swung open at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio and the racing season began with the Spring Warm-Up event. Bader and his family were more than ready to start sending cars down the track and bring some normalcy back to the facility.

“We are happiest when we have racecars going down our race track, so after 18 months of idling, we experienced extreme euphoria when cars powered up and pulled into the lanes at the 40th Annual Spring Warm-Up at Summit Motorsports Park,” Bader says.

Summit Motorsports Park is a gigantic facility, and even though it wasn’t open in 2020, the Bader’s still had to maintain the track. The surface needed to be reinvigorated for the Spring Warm-Up and new team members had to be trained to prepare for the season. There was more than just racing at the event, too, as a swap meet was also hosted on the grounds.

“We are fortunate that our racers, race fans, and sponsors have stood by us and supported us for so many years, and the fact that they continued to do so last year makes us even more determined to deliver exciting experiences for them this year. We think the 40th Annual Spring Warm-Up was a fine start,” Bader states.

The warm temperatures were a welcome change for this Spring Warm-Up — it was almost as if Mother Nature knew the track needed a positive start. Racers and fans were both more than happy to return to Summit Motorsports Park, and the feedback they provided was positive.

“It was great to see everyone at the 40th Annual Spring Warm-Up. It was like a big, beautiful reunion, and it served as adrenaline as we head into a highly anticipated season at Summit Motorsports Park,” Bader says.

To see the entire Summit Motorsports Park schedule check out the track’s website right here.