Information provided by Summit Motorsports Park

With the 4th Annual B’laster Cavalcade of Stars Presented by Budweiser in the history books, final weekend attendance exceeded 45,000 fans, racers and crewmembers.

“We’re still counting but we had well over 45,000 people at Summit Motorsports Park for the three-day event,” said track president Bill Bader, Jr. “That’s an incredible turnout for an NHRA divisional race and we think that’s a great sign for the 2010 racing season.”  Unprecedented fan attendance late Saturday afternoon meant the facility could not hold any more people, forcing a decision to close the gates to additional spectators on Saturday at 5:00 pm. It was the first time in the track’s nearly 50-year history the gates had to be closed.

The race, the second of six events in the North Central Division of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, had 557 sportsman racers officially competing on Saturday. That not only set a participation record for the Cavalcade of Stars at Summit Motorsports Park, it was the largest single-day participant count at any Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event anywhere in the country.

Jay Hullinger, NHRA North Central Division Director, was happy with fan and racer turnout. He said, “The B’laster Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser is a great event for fans to get acquainted with sportsman racing. We had some of the best sportsman racers in the country here, and NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series is a fun and very competitive form of drag racing to watch.”

Even with Saturday’s huge attendance, there was a large crowd on hand for Sunday’s final eliminations. Sunday’s racing action was also broadcast live on radio on the BAS Racing Network throughout central, northwest and northern Ohio on Eagle 99.1 and Eagle 93.7, and in Indiana on WNUY 100.1 FM.

Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., won in Top Alcohol Funny Car. Fan favorite Manzo, the defending event and NHRA Lucas Oil National Champion, faced off against Ray Drew, Hales Corner, Wis., in the final round and posted a winning run of 5.5007 seconds, 262.49 mph in his 2010 Monte Carlo. “I think a track record is possible,” Manzo said on Friday, referring to excellent track conditions. He was almost true to his word but fell a fraction short of besting the track record of 5.491 seconds for Top Alcohol Funny Car, set by Manzo at the 3rd Cavalcade of Stars on May 17, 2009. Sunday’s victory was Manzo’s second win in just two races in 2010.