Drag Illustrated Issue 178, September / October 2022 | Page 120

IT ’ S HARD TO FIND TWO BIGGER FUNNY CAR STARS THAN 16-TIME NHRA WORLD CHAMPION JOHN FORCE AND TWO-TIME AND REIGNING WORLD CHAMP RON CAPPS , WHO BOTH SIGNED AUTOGRAPHS FOR FANS BEFORE THE EVENING ’ S ON-TRACK FESTIVITIES .
MULTI-TIME NHRA FUNNY CAR WINNER ALEXIS DEJORIA ADDED A NIGHT UNDER FIRE TROPHY TO HER COLLECTION AFTER DEFEATING JOHN FORCE IN A SIDE-BY-SIDE , 3.92-TO- 3.93-SECOND FINAL ROUND .
THE AUTOGRAPH SESSION ISN ’ T JUST FOR THE BIG-NAME NITRO DRIVERS . RUMBLE WARS EXTREME 8 PRO MOD DRIVERS GLENN BUTCHER ( LEFT ) AND CRAIG SULLIVAN WERE AMONG THE DRIVERS GREETING FANS .
THIS YEAR ’ S NIGHT UNDER FIRE WAS THE FIRST SINCE THE PASSING OF THE TRACK ’ S LONGTIME FORMER OWNER AND PROMOTER , BILL BADER SR ., ON JUNE 26 . NUMEROUS DRIVERS PAID TRIBUTE TO BADER THROUGH DECALS ON THEIR CARS , INCLUDING DALE CREASY JR .’ S FUNNY CAR AND ERNIE BOGUE ’ S JET DRAGSTER .
PDRA PRO BOOST HEAVY HITTER JOHNNY CAMP , WHO HAILS FROM THE PITTSBURGH AREA , BROUGHT HIS PROCHARGED “ HELLS BELLS ” ‘ 69 CAMARO TO COMPETE IN THE R & R AUTO BODY AND DECERBO CONSTRUCTION RUMBLE WARS EXTREME 8 PRO MOD SHOOTOUT . HE ENDED UP QUALIFYING NO . 1 AND WINNING THE EVENT , DEFEATING JAMES BEADLING IN THE FINAL ROUND .
TRACK PRESIDENT AND OWNER BILL BADER JR . INHERITED HIS PENCHANT FOR SHOWMANSHIP FROM HIS FATHER . AMONG HIS NUMEROUS DUTIES , HE TAKES ON THE ROLE OF HOST AND PRIMARY ANNOUNCER AT NIGHT UNDER FIRE , INTRODUCING THE STARS OF THE SHOW AND CALLING THE ACTION WITH AN ENTHUSIASM THAT KEEPS FANS ENGAGED .
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