NHRA drivers looking to fuel interest of fans this weekend in Norwalk

Summit NHRA Nationals comes to Norwalk, Ohio this weekend

From 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. or later, Detroit to Columbus, Toledo to Cleveland and numerous stops in between, NHRA drivers have been doing the hidden part of their work.

Racing Funny Cars and Top Fuelers is an acquired taste. So the drivers make all the radio, television and newspaper stops they can in an attempt to build interest for the sport.

“This is our bread and butter,” said John Force, iconic driver and team owner, plus father to female dragsters, Ashley, Brittany and Courtney.

This week is one of the easier promotion stops on the calendar because the fourth annual Summit NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, has been a yearly 30,000-seat sellout. But the challenge remains to build it up.

While James Beckman, Norwalk’s defending Funny Car champion, was at TV stations at 6 a.m., Force was getting into Cleveland at 6:30 a.m. from California to begin his rounds.

As the day slipped past noon, Beckman had registered just 90 minutes of sleep over the past 24 hours. Across the table from him, Force looked up from the two cups of coffee in front of him when the steakhouse waitress asked his meal preference. Force wanted bacon and eggs. She laughed.

“Just bring more coffee,” Force said.

This is being played out with numerous drivers and race teams within a 200-mile radius of Norwalk — and repeats itself at every stop — as NHRA looks to pump up a sport that is fast moving from a niche event into one that has weekly ESPN coverage and a pre-event lead-in show.

“Our goal is putting fannies in the stands,” Beckman said. “Baseball and those other pro sports already have a captive audience. If we can get people out for that first time, I think we will never lose them. Just getting them to come — to feel the rumble and watch us work, that hooks people.”

While John Force currently leads in the Funny Car standings, Ashley Force is fifth, just 10 points behind Beckman in fourth place.

Whom to watch

Cory McClenathan probably has the quickest and most consistent Top Fuel dragster. He’s already qualified No. 1 four times, won two races in four final rounds, and he joins Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon as the only drivers to win races this season.

McClenathan also has posted the fastest elapsed time of 3.752 seconds in NHRA history racing to 1,000 feet. He’s aiming for his first championship after four years as a runner-up.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253