MBR Primed for Under the Lights Showdown at 2018 Night Under Fire
Corey Michalek squares off against J.P. Gutierrez in Norwalk, Ohio
Brothers vs. brothers. Injected nitro vs. blown alcohol. Ohio vs. Michigan.
On Saturday, August 11, the storylines will be plentiful. For one night only, Michalek Brothers Racing and Gutierrez Brothers Racing will line up their 270MPH Top Alcohol Dragsters head-to-head under the lights in front of a capacity crowd at the famed Summit Motorsports Park.
“This is the event that really sealed the deal for me back in 2004 to get me hooked on drag racing. It’s nearly 15 years later, and since that time I’ve been to countless races as a fan, as a crew member, and as a driver, and there truly is nothing else that I’ve been to that’s a bigger spectacle than the Night Under Fire,” said Corey Michalek, who will be a first time participant in the event. “The pageantry is unmatched, the grandstands are overflowing, the fans are lined up 5 deep at the fence, and every run is met with an unmatched sense of anticipation. Bill Bader and his staff have made this a “can’t miss” date on the calendar year after year, and it’s an honor to have a chance to be a part of the program.”
“One of the most exciting things about participating in this race is the fact that we’re going to have the opportunity to compete against Gutierrez Brothers Racing,” said Corey. “We’ve become good friends with Phil, J.P., and the rest of their team over the past couple years because they have a very similar situation to us and there’s a lot of respect between both teams. This will be the first opportunity we have had to line our cars up against one another and it will be fun to see who loads up on Saturday night with bragging rights.”
Michalek Brothers Racing returns to Summit Motorsports Park just 6 weeks after a frustrating outing at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals that was plagued by persistent rain and mechanical gremlins. The team plans to take full advantage of the time at the track using the morning and afternoon leading up to the show to make 2-3 test runs to ensure the car is ready to perform during the night sessions, as well as to prepare for their final NHRA national event of the year in Reading, Pennsylvania, just one month following the Night Under Fire.
“We’ve never had the opportunity to test since we purchased our car”, said Kyle Michalek. “Our focus to date has been on qualifying and round wins. This is a great opportunity to experiment and get some data during the day that will pay dividends for our program going forward. However, come Saturday night, we are switching gears and look forward to getting after it on the track while having a great time putting on a show in front of a packed house!”
The 2018 edition of the Night Under Fire will have all that race fans can ask for in a night of entertainment on the quarter-mile, including 6 Nitro Funny Cars, 10 jet dragsters, and a $100,000 firework show to cap the evening. Gates open 8:00AM, pre-race ceremonies kick off at 5:30, and the show begins at 7:00PM.
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