One year later, NHRA stars reflect on Bader Sr.

NORWALK — The moment the vehicle pulled through the gated entrance, Ron Capps learned almost immediately. The first time the three-time NHRA Funny Car champion went to Summit Motorsports Park, he saw a familiar face in a unique spot. "I look over, and Bill Bader Sr. — in those boots he used to wear — is leaning over and picking up trash in the pit area where nobody saw him," Capps said. "He wasn't doing it because people were around or in front of him. "Right away, that gave me a kind of indication of who he was." On Sunday, Capps was among the stars of NHRA who again competed in the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk. The nationally-televised event first arrived to Summit Motorsports Park in 2007, part of a vision that went back to the 1970s. Bill Bader Sr. purchased an inoperable dragstrip named Norwalk Dragway in April of 1974 at the age of 31. He slowly transformed the track — later named Norwalk Raceway — into a facility eventually worthy of an NHRA national event. He was the creator of the wildly popular "Night Under Fire" exhibition event, held yearly in August. A longtime International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) track, Bader Sr. stepped out of his role and handed the reigns off to his son, Bill Jr., in January of 1998. Bill Sr. moved on to the ownership and management of the IHRA in 1999. He later retired to Idaho in 2005, but often came to visit the dragstrip for big-time events. That typically included the NHRA Summit Nationals. Standing on the starting line at the inaugural event in 2007 is often cited as a seminal moment for Bader Sr. and the entire family. Which is why last year hit incredibly hard when Bill Sr. died at the age of 79 after an accident on his property in Riggins, Idaho on June 26, 2022. Around the time word began to reach family, the final round of last year's Summit Nationals was wrapping up. On Sunday, Bader Jr. spoke about his father during the pre-race ceremonies for the final eliminations. And one year later, Capps and several other stars of the Funny Car class spoke about their memories of Bader Sr. and his ties to the Summit Nationals and Night Under Fire as they arrived to Norwalk. Double punch The night before John Force was set to reach the Norwalk area for the 2022 Summit Nationals, he learned of the death of Bruton Smith. The famed track operator and promotor was 95. Smith is in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and owned seven different NHRA tracks across the country. To honor his personal friend, all of the John Force Racing teams had special sticker decals placed on the side of their cars in Norwalk. In the Funny Car finals, longtime JFR driver Robert Hight — a well-accomplished Night Under Fire winner — finally won his first NHRA Wally trophy at Summit Motorsports Park. But as Force was basking in the moment with his son-in-law, he saw Bill Bader Jr. approach — and knew something was off. "I was standing by the podium because Robert had won the race, and we had just gotten done with that deal to honor Bruton Smith," Force said. "I kicked that off the morning at the beginning of the race to honor Bruton. "Then Bobby (Bill Jr.) walked over to tell me about his dad, and he couldn't talk. But he just said I wanted you to know … I knew Bruton pretty good, but not like I knew Bill Bader Sr." What does Force miss the most about Bader Sr.? "Just being a friend," he said. "He was really a guy that would sit you down and tell you where he was going, and where he thought the sport was going. He'd tell me where he thought the outlook of me was going — we became friends. Just a good guy, who he and his wife (Debbie) finally got to that point in his life where he had some time and he could do what he wanted to do up there in Idaho. "And his death really made me think," Force added. "All the times I crashed the race cars, maybe this is what I ought to keep doing to keep me going, you know what I'm saying? But it was hard. Real hard." Force returned to Norwalk days later for funeral and memorial services for Bader Sr. "We'd been to a lot of dinners, and I had a few drinks with him over the years," Force said. "But to him it was all about his family, and with me it was the same way. I know that, because we'd talk about it. "He was just a good guy. I see it in Bobby, except he has all the pressure now. His dad learned how to live with that pressure. What I loved the most is I saw his love for this." Handling business Capps grew up around drag racing in California. He never ventured to the Midwest or East much until he became a professional driver. "But I knew about the Night Under Fire," Capps said. "That's how big it was. Even before television, streaming and social media, you heard about it." Capps said the main memory besides seeing Bader Sr. picking up trash when he didn't need to, was watching him in driver meetings before the famous exhibition that usually is held the first Saturday in August. "There was no BS with him," Capps said. "He knew what he wanted and he knew how he wanted it done — and you strapped in and went along for the ride. I've sat in his driver meetings for Night Under Fire, and that's when you learn who the Bader family is." Capps recalled the first time he sat in on a meeting that Bader Sr. led. "It was, 'OK, at 7:12 p.m. we're doing this, and at 7:16 p.m. we're going to do this,'" he said. "And I just thought … there's no way this will possibly happen. And sure enough, it was scripted like nothing else. This was a template for race events and certainly the NHRA." Force has been an owner in the sport for many years now, with all three of his daughters and a son-in-law (Hight) driving for his teams at various points. His blueprint on how to do things revolved around calls to Norwalk, Ohio. "Bill Sr. was a really good man who taught me a lot about how he did business," Force said. "It made it easier to deal with all our sponsors, racetracks, and how to deal with the NHRA." Capps recalls getting a few minutes each time to talk to Bader Sr. But it was never for long. "He had a mission, and you could tell every time you talked to him," Capps said. "He'd take a minute with you, but he had an agenda, and it was all about making the fans a priority. Especially at the Night Under Fire. "You're there for the show, and if you're not — you don't need to be there. I learned a pretty good lesson at my first one, and now when we're invited back, it's a huge honor." Late night visits Hight said the 2022 Night Under Fire was a different feeling. When the sold out event ended as the clock pushed midnight, that familiar face wasn't there. "Bill Sr. always came back for Night Under Fire," Hight said. "He was always here, even though he was living in Idaho. We always looked forward to visiting with him, and we were usually visiting with him at 1 a.m. when the event was over." In later years, Hight said Bader Sr. was more proud than ever. "You could tell he had a sense of pride in what he had passed on to his son, and how well he had been doing with everything," he said. "Bill Jr. is a chip off the old block. I'm sure we'll see another generation down the road following in his footsteps as well." Force recalls how Night Under Fire morphed into such a big event, notably the fireworks show at the end of the night. After making his final pass of the event in his Funny Car, Force said more than once he'd see Bader Sr. at the end of the track. "We'd look out and watch the fireworks," he said. "I'd be out at the end of the track, and he'd just show up. He only had a minute, he had to get back to the starting line, but he'd say, 'Look at this, I want you to see the fireworks … we really did it big this time.' "And Bill Sr. loved the jet trucks, especially Bob (Motz) when he came here for years," Force added. "He really had a passion for what we did." Force closed his thoughts on Bader Sr. following Sunday's race by noting he was simply one of a kind. "It was hard to find promoters who had that kind of passion and ran their tracks year round," he said. "You'd call after the Night Under Fire, and he's out there the whole next day running cars. And if there is a race that needs finished, he's out here the next day running cars. "And his boy has done it the same, the same fire — but the pressure is on him now," Force added. "But he'll be fine. I know how hard he works to put all this together. He learned from the best. They've put on quite a show here for the fans. Bader Sr. would be proud."