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When you call Bill Bader Jr., odds are he’ll pick up.

Not because he has time. But because he makes time — especially if your call has anything to do with the sport he has been a part of since the age of 10. Bader, the owner of Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, doesn’t just run one of the most respected dragstrips in the country. He’s also a fierce champion of drag racing, a SEMA board member, and a one-man hotline for racetrack operators and promoters looking for help, perspective, or a little bit of belief that their efforts matter.

“I’ve always said that before I die, I want to see drag racing take its rightful place in the American entertainment landscape,” Bader said. “It’s an incredible live audience sport. Born in the U.S., bred in Southern California, built by an extraordinary, multigenerational community.”

But for Bader, potential isn’t enough. That’s why he has spent his career working to elevate every aspect of the sport — not just at his home track but across the entire drag racing ecosystem.

Bader grew up in this world. He started working at Summit Motorsports Park at age 10 and took over operations from his father, Bill Bader Sr., after graduating college. Sitting across from his father on his first day in the big chair, he was handed a blue mechanical pencil and a bit of wisdom: “You can’t always run one of these [tracks] with this.”

What his father meant was clear — there’s more to running a racetrack than crunching numbers. You need heart, instinct, and a willingness to do what’s right for the racers, even when it’s not the easiest or most profitable choice.

“That moment stuck with me,” Bader said. “When bean counters take over, the sport suffers. This isn’t just a business — it’s a passion, a mission. And my mission has always been for us to be better.”

As a promoter, Bader doesn’t just produce races — he engineers experiences. His focus isn’t only on filling grandstands but on making sure everyone who steps through the gates feels something unforgettable. And he applies that same philosophy to every initiative he touches.

When he created Energize, his consulting business, the goal wasn’t just to add another title to his résumé. It was to give racetracks — especially small-market ones — a lifeline, a place to get advice, strategy, and solutions.

“I talk to a lot of track operators and racers,” Bader explained. “And whether it’s pro bono or paid, I want to help. If there’s a way to make their program better or keep their doors open, I’m in.”

Last year, Bader was instrumental in rolling out a new, more affordable traction compound, knowing full well that the rising cost of glue could push smaller facilities and teams to the brink.

“Paying $1,500 to $1,800 for a drum of glue just isn’t sustainable for a lot of tracks,” he said. “And we can’t let drag racing become a sport of the haves and the have-nots. The haves will always have. But if the have-nots can’t participate, we all lose.”

That philosophy is also what drives Bader in his role as a SEMA board member. He doesn’t view it as a title or a chore — it’s an extension of the same mission he has been on since he took over his family’s track.

“I take that role with tremendous responsibility,” he said. “SEMA gives motorsports a platform to reach a broader audience. It’s another way to cast a brighter light on what we do — and to bring attention to the fact that drag racing has every right to be mentioned in the same breath as the NFL or NASCAR.”

In Bader’s view, drag racing’s biggest competitor isn’t the track 30 miles away. It’s Disney. It’s professional sports. It’s every form of entertainment fighting for families’ limited attention and discretionary dollars.

“If we want to be part of the mainstream entertainment conversation, we have to look at how we stack up against AT&T Stadium or Levi’s Stadium,” Bader said. “We need to create an experience that competes with that. And every track that closes is a step backward.”

Bader is passionate about preserving and growing the number of functioning racetracks. He has watched too many close, and he knows that when a track shuts down, the racing community tied to it doesn’t always migrate to the next one — they often disband altogether.

“Thirty years ago, racers raced to the exclusion of all else. Today, people have more choices,” he said. “Family time matters, graduations matter, vacations matter. We’re dealing with a more sophisticated customer now. If we don’t evolve and offer an experience that resonates, we’re going to lose them.”

For Bader, the answer is simple: communication. “We don’t talk to each other enough,” he said. “At our division, we’ve made it a point to build relationships. I want every track to feel like they can call me if they hit a wall — or if they’ve got a brilliant idea to share. Some of the smartest stuff I’ve learned has come from the smallest tracks.”

That willingness to connect and contribute is what sets Bader apart. Ask anyone who has ever been on a call with him, and they’ll tell you the same thing: He listens. He learns. And he cares as much about your racetrack as he does his own.

It’s why his phone keeps ringing.

It’s why his work through Summit, Energize, and SEMA carries real weight.

And it’s why drag racing continues to count him among its most valuable champions.

“Look, I just want us to be better,” Bader said. “That’s what drives me. Whether I’m talking to a major national facility or a grassroots eighth-mile strip, the mission is the same. Because we’re all in this together. And if I can help — if I can make a call or take one — then I’m doing my part.”
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