In every city and in every state all across the country there are ordinary people who live some very not so ordinary lives on the weekends.

These “weekend warriors” are hard working, everyday people who work all week just to be able to push the limits of man and machine on the weekends at their local race track or at the dozens of national and regional events staged throughout the year.

Welcome to the life of a sportsman drag racer.

Sandy Wilkins

“It’s just a passion for me. Every day at work, every night at home and even when I am trying to relax on vacation I am thinking of ways to go faster, be better and make win lights come on in my lane,” said IHRA Top Sportsman competitor Sandy Wilkins. “It’s not just what I do, it’s who I am.”

From the small town fame garnered at some of America’s regional drag racing facilities, to the bright lights and big crowds found on some of the nation’s biggest stages, sportsman racers continue to thrive in an environment where most sports are struggling thanks, in large part, to the continued support of partners such as Summit Racing Equipment.

Based in Tallmadge, Ohio, Summit Racing Equipment, the nation’s leading provider of high performance, accessory and racing parts, has always been a leader in providing a stage for sportsman competitors to race and has provided thousands of opportunities for drivers who otherwise would have never been able to compete at a national level.

 “Sportsman racing is the backbone of motorsports. These racers compete on their own dime, proving their commitment to the sport and to speed,” said Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports and Events Manager Jim Greenleaf.

Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports and Events Manager Jim Greenleaf

Summit Racing Equipment sponsors numerous series and special programs for both of drag racing’s largest sanctioning bodies and it is that dedication that has lead to some very successful sportsman racing programs.

In IHRA competition alone, Summit provides a home for regional racers with the Summit Pro-Am Tour, local racers with the Summit SuperSeries and even a once-a-year showdown between the best drivers in each of the seven IHRA sportsman classes with the Summit Allstars event.

“As long as I have been doing this, the first thing that has always been put on the table by Summit is how we can elevate sportsman racing in the IHRA,” said IHRA President Aaron Polburn. “They are always willing to promote the right programs to keep raising the bar – that is Summit Racing.

“Just look at what they do at IHRA, NHRA, independent tracks – they have always followed the old cliché about putting your money where your mouth is. They have done just that in every facet of sportsman racing no matter what letters are on the other end of the HRA. I couldn’t imagine life without them being involved.”

And just the same, Summit couldn’t imagine life without drag racing.

“Our first sponsorship was a sportsman drag racer. We have always known the importance of supporting the guys who are out there racing on their own budget. Even though we sponsor some high profile racers now, the sportsman racer remains the foundation of our program,” Greenleaf said. “Drag racers, particularly sportsman racers, make up a big part of our customer base, so it’s very important to support the people who support us.”

And behind all of the special programs, big money shootouts and championship battles are the racers themselves.

IHRA veteran Steve Furr, a three-time IHRA World Champion and six-time runner-up in Super Rod, is a prime example of just what Summit can mean to a driver.

Steve Furr

Furr began racing with the IHRA in 1994, starting in Hot Rod and moving his way to Super Rod a year later. Over the years he has racked up multiple divisional and world championships culminating with being named IHRA Sportsman Driver of the Year twice in his illustrious career.

Furr, who has since become a household name in the Patriots Division, racing both Super Rod and Top Dragster, admits that without the support of companies like Summit, none of the success he has found would have been possible.

“Summit has supported sportsman racing for years and continues to be key in giving the sportsman a series to race both nationally and locally with their Summit SuperSeries,” Furr said. “Their support of IHRA divisional racing has made it possible for me and many others to chase points and try to win championships, which is the reason I drive all over the country to race with IHRA. The series enables us to race in front of huge crowds and potential customers for our sponsors which in turn supports my racing efforts.

“We cannot come out here and race at this level without a good purse and good contingency and Summit has provided all of the above for years.”

Another driver who has felt the impact of Summit’s contributions is second-generation competitor Danny Waters Jr.

Danny Waters

A two-time IHRA World Champion, once in Hot Rod and another in Quick Rod, Waters grew up watching his father compete at the local level and never dreamed he would have the opportunity to take his driving career to the national stage.

“In all of my years of racing and flying the IHRA colors, Summit has been there to support us. Whether it be via the Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour, the Summit Allstars or them paying racers contingency just for having a Summit catalog, Summit has always been right there with us,” Waters said. “I feel sure I can speak for most of the sportsman racers when we say we can’t thank Summit enough.”

One of the many thrills of being a part of an IHRA event is that, in many cases, the sportsman competitors feel like they are as much a part of the show as the Saturday night feature.

“To me, it is very important to have such a presence in the motorsports and entertainment field. We may not be running Top Fuel, but our teams and drivers work very hard to be competitive and to put on a good show for the fans,” Waters added.

And a place to race isn’t the only thing Summit provides to drag racing competitors.

For Top Sportsman competitor Wilkins, who runs Wilkins Motorsports Racing Engines and Components when not traveling around in IHRA’s Raiders Division, Summit provides him with everything he needs to make his car competitive.

“Summit means a lot to the sportsman racer. It is a tremendous resource for hardcore engine components as well as almost ever race car part ever invented,” Wilkins said. “I respect the commitment Summit has made to the sportsman racer with both product availability and customer service, not to mention giving back to their core supporter through contingency sponsorship.”

Wilkins is a six-time IHRA national event winner and has 21 final round appearances in his career. He also has two runner-up finishes in IHRA national point competition.

And Wilkins, Waters and Furr are just three of the thousands of sportsman drivers who have been directly impacted by Summit's presence in the sport.

Many of the sportsman drivers who compete with IHRA have found their home in one of the six divisions of the Summit Pro-Am Tour presented by Mr. Gasket.

Designed to offer semi-professional drag racers the opportunity to chase a championship without extended travel, the Pro-Am Tour consists of races held in various regions throughout the country. Drivers earn points towards Pro-Am championships and a spot in the year-end championship tournament at the World Finals in Rockingham.

The Summit Pro-Am Tour is and always has been the backbone of IHRA sportsman competition.

“It’s a tremendous honor whenever anyone puts up the money and puts forth the effort to give a racer a venue to race, especially when it involves a large sum of money and the prestige that goes along with some of the Summit series,” Wilkins said.

IHRA’s other Summit-backed racing program is the Summit SuperSeries – a series designed in 2002 to reward the local facilities with a true world champion.

The Summit SuperSeries is a season-long IHRA E.T. Bracket World Championship tournament contested at IHRA sanctioned racetracks. The champion of each divisional runoff will earn their way into the eight-car field of finalists who will again race for the Summit World Championship during the season ending IHRA World Finals.

“Summit Racing’s Pro-Am Tour and SuperSeries give these enthusiasts a chance to compete nationally from their home tracks,” Greenleaf said. “Our goal is to give them the attention they deserve.”

One of IHRA and Summit’s most popular events, the Summit Allstar race, will take center stage next week when many of the world’s best drivers descend on Rockingham Dragway for the running of the annual best-of-the-best showdown at the Spring Nationals.

“Personally, the Allstars race has always been one of my favorite programs because there is so much emotion involved, plus the racing is fabulous,” Polburn said. “The screams are louder, the tears are bigger – everything is magnified at that race.”

For years, the Summit Racing Equipment Allstars program presented by Mr. Gasket has offered the ultimate shootout experience for racers in the IHRA’s seven sportsman categories.

Traditionally, the top eight point earners in Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Super Stock, Stock, Quick Rod, Super Rod and Hot Rod meet at the Spring Nationals at Rockingham Dragway to compete for cash and trophies.

In 2009 there will be a format change for the Allstars competition, which makes this the last spring running of the event. Starting this October, the big race will take place at the World Finals at Rockingham. In the meantime, however, there are prizes to win, scores to settle and bragging rights to earn.

“I look forward to the Summit Allstars race every year and do everything I can to be sure I am a part of it,” Furr said. “Just qualifying for it pays big so you cannot loose in the deal.”

Steve Furr

Furr is a two-time winner of the annual Allstars race and says that it is programs like this that makes racing so much fun.

“They always bring the winners back out in front of the Saturday ‘Night of Fire’ pro session crowd and interview you. I remember standing there with two trophies and cheesing it up with Linda Vaughn while getting my picture taken,” Furr said. “That was pretty cool. The Allstars race is about as good as it gets.”

But it isn’t all fun and games for some drivers, especially those who haven’t had the opportunity to take home an Allstars victory.

“I have been blessed to win many races in my 12 years chasing the IHRA tour and have reached over 30 final rounds in all, but I have yet to win one of these Allstar races,” Waters said. “I would love to win this race. It is a big deal and nothing would make me happier than to bring home that big cardboard check.”

From the bright lights and big crowds of the Allstars race to the weekly grind of the SuperSeries, it is safe to say that Summit enjoys being a part of all facets of drag racing.

And through it all, Summit just keeps growing both on and off the track.

In professional drag racing alone Summit sponsors the four-time NHRA Pro Stock Champion team of Greg Anderson and Jason Line and was recently named the Official High Performance Source of the NHRA and IHRA. Summit is also the title sponsor of three NHRA national events and also owns the naming rights to Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

From the first day they opened their doors in 1968 to today, Summit continues to be a major player in the world of drag racing and beyond and will continue to be a big part of the drag racing world well into the future.