Drag Illustrated Issue 178, September / October 2022 | Page 122

PDRA PRO NITROUS DRIVER DAVE ROEMER HAS BEEN RACING AT NORWALK FOR DECADES , AND HIS FAMILY ’ S CLEVELAND-BASED R & R AUTO BODY SPONSORS AND ORGANIZES THE RUMBLE WARS EXTREME 8 SERIES , WHICH IS CONTESTED AT NORWALK THREE OTHER TIMES A YEAR BEYOND NIGHT UNDER FIRE .
JOEY SYLVESTER SET A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD WHEN HE MADE A 101.84 MPH TRIP DOWN THE NORWALK QUARTER-MILE STRIP IN HIS “ BAD HABIT ” MONSTER TRUCK .
LONG BEFORE THE NHRA NATIONAL EVENT TOUR BROUGHT JOHN FORCE AND HIS NITRO TEAMS TO SUMMIT MOTORSPORTS PARK , THE FAN-FAVORITE FUNNY CAR DRIVER WAS BOOKED IN FOR MATCH RACES AT NIGHT UNDER FIRE . HE STARTED RACING THERE IN THE MID-1990S AND HIS PRESENCE HAS BEEN A NIGHT UNDER FIRE TRADITION EVER SINCE .
LOCAL RACER MIKE KNOTT WAS VICTORIOUS IN KB TRAILER SALES / MOTORSPORTS UNLIMITED OUTLAW DRAGSTER , STEERING HIS SUPERCHARGED BORN IMPLEMENT DRAGSTER TO A 3.73 OVER PAUL MOLNAR , WHO HAD TO LIFT . KNOTT SERVES IN THE MILITARY FLYING BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS AND TRAINING ASPIRING PILOTS .
THE LEGENDARY LARRY MCBRIDE DEMONSTRATES WHY HE EARNED THE NICKNAME “ SPIDERMAN ” AS HE MUSCLES HIS PINGEL TOP FUEL MOTORCYCLE DOWN THE TRACK . HE WENT ON TO WIN THE TOP FUEL MOTORCYCLE SHOOTOUT , KNOCKING OUT DAVE VANTINE IN THE FINAL ROUND .
OHIO NATIVE COREY MICHALEK HAS BECOME A RECENT FIXTURE AT NIGHT UNDER FIRE WITH THE NITRO-INJECTED FUND THAT FLIP A / FUEL DRAGSTER HE OWNS AND RUNS WITH HIS BROTHER , KYLE . IN A MATCH RACE SERIES WITH MIKE HEPP ’ S BLOWN ALCOHOL DRAGSTER , MICHALEK WON HIS THIRD NIGHT UNDER FIRE TROPHY .
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