About the Venue
The Bader Family has established a system of entertainment combining the sights of drag racing, the sound of heart-thumping music, and the smells of delectable food, nitro methane, and green grass to provide an ultimate day at the racetrack that has been characterized appropriately as the Norwalk Experience. It is an intangible, unseen, unheard force that abides at Norwalk and is on the face of each smiling employee, every safe race down the track, and every word from the announcer. The Norwalk Experience is known to all who have been here; and is the hardest thing to capture for those who have not. So here is our best invitation- Come join us! Discover the Norwalk Experience!
Night Under Fire is the signature event of Norwalk Raceway Park. It is the largest, single day drag race in the world and the longest! Our guests not only come from all over Ohio, but the remainder of the United States and Canada; and sometimes we hear about guests from across the ocean! Night Under Fire is a sight, sound, and feel extravaganza. People are blown away by the flames and fireworks, the ear crushing sound of the jet powered cars and the nitro belching Funny Cars, and are literally moved off their seat by the pulse of the cars going down the track! Night Under Fire has a look and feel all its own. Night Under Fire is the exclamation point on the Norwalk Experience! Night Under Fire is July 1, 2006!
Venue Pictures
City Guide
Norwalk, OH
With a population of 16,000 people, a location midway between Cleveland and Toledo, and a 20 minute drive to Lake Erie, Norwalk has the comfort and safety of small town life with easy access to the jobs and entertainment of major metropolitan areas. The tree-lined streets are a tribute to the City’s founder Platt Benedict who planted maple trees along Main Street in 1830.
Norwalk is a “front porch” community, where neighbors know each other by name and stop to visit on a warm spring day. Established in 1817, Norwalk boasts the “most architecturally-diverse historic district in the State of Ohio.” From the beautifully renovated homes on West Main Street to the historic uptown area, the City is steeped in tradition. The revitalized uptown area is a vibrant and growing business district with a commitment to preserving the unique physical, historic, and cultural characteristics of the community.
Getting to Norwalk
Norwalk is serviced by only municipal airports with little or no access by the major or regional carriers. Flying into Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (http://www.clevelandairport.com/site/375/site/506/default.aspx) (CLE) will be your best bet. It is only about 45 miles from Norwalk and is serviced by all major airlines and car rental agencies.
Driving to Norwalk
Norwalk is within driving distance from several major cities; below are just a few:
Buffalo, NY, 250 miles
Columbus, OH, 105 miles
Dayton, OH, 175 miles
Denver, CO, 1,290 miles
Detroit, MI, 125 miles
Fort Wayne, IN, 160 miles
Pittsburgh, PA, 175 miles
What to Do
Seneca Caverns (www.senecacavernsohio.com)
Seneca Caverns was discovered in June 1872 by two boys, Peter Rutan and Henry Homer of Flat Rock, Ohio. The one hour guided walking tour takes you 110 feet underground through seven rooms or levels. The largest room is 250 feet in length. At the lowest level, which is 110 feet below the surface, visitors will view "Ole' Mist'ry River," the crystal clear flowing stream which is part of the vast groundwater system which underlies the surrounding region. Adults, $13; seniors, $10 (age 62 and older); kids, $10 (ages 13 to 17); children, $6.50 (ages 5 to 12); kids under 5; free. Open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day, 9-7pm. Located at 15248 East Thompson, TR178, Bellevue, OH 44811; (419) 483-6711.
Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum (www.tomedison.org)
The Edison Birthplace Museum features a collection of rare Edisonia, including examples of many of Edison's early inventions, documents, and family mementos. The Edison Birthplace Museum opened on the centennial of the inventor's birth in 1947. The house has been restored as nearly as possible to its 19th Century appearance. Because much of the Edisons' original furniture was lost in moves and to a disastrous fire at their Port Huron Home, it was impossible to assemble much of the original furniture. Therefore, gifts and loans from members of the family have been supplemented by gifts and loans from friends and, in some cases, purchases of household articles of the period. Adults, $6; seniors, $5; kids (ages 6-12), $3. Check website for hours. Located at 9 Edison Drive in Milan, OH (near Exit 118 of the Ohio Turnpike); (419) 499-2135.
Marblehead Lighthouse (www.lighthousefriends.com)
Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest, continuously operational lighthouse on the Great Lakes. It has been featured on a U.S. postage stamp, has appeared on the license plates of Ohio's drivers, and was recently added to the Ohio State Parks system. Found on the northernmost tip of the Marblehead Peninsula, this popular lighthouse's history began in 1819 when the fifteenth U.S. Congress decided that the area was too dangerous to be navigated without some sort of beacon. The sum of $5,000 was allocated for the construction of a light tower at the entrance to Sandusky Bay at Bay Point, Ohio, hoping that the lighthouse would help vessels travel safely through Lake Erie’s nor’easters and the clusters of small islands on the southernmost coast of the lake. Located at the northern side of the entrance to Sandusky Bay in Marblehead Lighthouse State Park.
Firelands Museum of Military History (www.huey.org)
The museum was started in the 1990's by Richard Rench, a former Ohio State Trooper and Ohio State Representative, a long-time collector of military equipment. The museum has grown from its start of a single Korean War jeep to its present size of over 60 pieces of military history. Military equipment from WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War is on display and is used for parades. Almost all of the equipment is in working condition and is available for rides.
The museum has 3 "Huey" UH-1H helicopters and one AH-1A "Cobra" attack helicopter. Two of the Hueys are kept in flying condition and are available for rides. Both "Hueys" are veterans of the Vietnam War. Most pilots used are also Vietnam veterans, and most also were in the Gulf war. Call for hours and admission. Located at 202 Citizens Bank Bldg., Norwalk, OH 44854; (419) 668-8161.
