By Kayla Zadel Photographs by David Hilner

RESH OFF a successful 46th annual Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire , Bill Bader Jr . sits in an office chair at Summit Motorsports Park , reminiscing about the fan-favorite event . ¶ “ My father created a pure entertainment event – that ’ s really what Night Under Fire is . It is a pure entertainment event ,” says Bader Jr ., Summit Motorsports Park ’ s president and general manager , matter-of-factly . “ You don ’ t have to be a drag race fan . You don ’ t have to be a car enthusiast . You just want an evening of good family-centric entertainment .” ¶ Night Under Fire was conceptualized by Bader Jr .’ s late father , Bill Bader Sr . It began with a wheelstander and a pair of jet dragsters , one driven by the legendary showman Bob Motz . It was the Bader family ’ s attempt at doing something outside the traditional box of drag racing . Much to their hard work and luck , the event caught on , and people began circling the date for the occasion on their calendars every year .

126 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 184