Words by Jon Hedges
Photos courtesy Summit Motorsports Park
Layout by Marissa Gaither

(Norwalk, Ohio) A capacity crowd was on hand to witness the 33rd annual NAPA Night Under Fire at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, held Saturday, July 31. The annual spectacle is known for many things including nitro Funny Cars, jet cars, flames and more flames, and of course the $100,000 fireworks show that caps off the evening.

One of the annual highlights of the race is John Force unveiling a specially painted car that is raced only at the NAPA Night Under Fire, then retired forever. Limited edition 1:24-scale diecast reproductions of Force’s car are available for fans as an unforgettable souvenir.

This year’s car, the “American Warbird” was painted to emulate a WWII P-51 Mustang fighter plane to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the celebrated aircraft. The car was painted to replicate riveted aircraft body panels and had an authentic D-Day invasion paint scheme. This year’s diecast is the ninth collectible in the series.

The P-51 Mustang and Force are a fitting pair, not just because Force drives a Ford Mustang on the track: Force battled the odds to become the champion he is and the P-51 battled the odds to win the greatest war in the history of the world. Both are examples of what can be accomplished when we decide to be the best we can be.