Fresh off a semifinal round finish at last week’s NHRA POWERade Series race in Englishtown, NJ that vaulted him back into championship contention, Snap-on Tools Suzuki rider Steve Johnson isn’t resting on his laurels. He’s already looking ahead to this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at the track bearing the same name in Norwalk, Ohio.
Formerly known as Norwalk Raceway Park before adopting the Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park moniker, the track that was once considered “a nice little track” has grown over the years into what’s now widely considered to be a “super track. ” Once the site of the IHRA World Nationals, this weekend’s race is the facility’s first major event under NHRA sanction, and as such all of motorsports will be closely awaiting the outcome.
“This will be our first appearance at SREMP, ” Johnson said as he hastily packed a bag before heading to the airport. “I’ve talked to a lot of the racers, and everyone’s in the same mode: Winning the first-ever NHRA national event at a track like this one is going to be huge, and darn it, I want us to be the first team to do it!
“This is also the first time that the NHRA POWERade Series will be making a direct impact on the Detroit market, which is not that far from Norwalk. We’re also going to be racing closer to Cleveland than ever before, so I’m hoping we get a lot of new fans out to see us compete for the first time.
“After the race, if I can possibly manage it, I’m not leaving Cleveland until I take the full tour of the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame. It’s something I’ve always wanted to see, and I won’t have a better opportunity before next year at this time. ”
Johnson’s team will be participating in the Thunder In The Streets promotion in downtown Norwalk on Wednesday, when his Snap-on Tools Suzuki will be on display with numerous other professional competitor’s cars for most of the day.
“I wish I could be there with the rig, but I have some other media obligations that I’d previously committed to, ” he said. “Having our Pro Stock Suzuki on the street is a real kick. It’s a chance to show this market what a two-wheeled missile looks like up close. It’s also an opportunity to make new friends for drag racing while we’re also supporting the track for their inaugural NHRA race.
“Everything about this coming weekend is going to be a ‘first’ for us. I’m just hoping that, when it’s over, we go into the record books as the first Pro Stock Motorcycle winners at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park! ”
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