For the wrong reasons, Summit in the spotlight

[toutembed=c4l73k]NORWALK — In auto racing, all drivers desire the pole position, situated first and ahead of all their competitors.But, due to the positioning of three poles, Summit Motorsports Park could see a permanent red flag, with its final pass happening as soon as later this year.A recent judgment entry — in which Summit ultimately lost to the Ohio Department of Transportation's aviation division, which filed this case — indicated a trio of 60-foot-tall lights, illuminating the track during nighttime events, create a danger for pilots landing at the nearby Huron County Airport.Unfortunately for track owner Bill Bader Jr. — who runs the second-generation, family-owned business, debuting 54 years ago in Norwalk — no simple solution exists to address the problem because:• Upgrading the poles, by either wrapping reflective tape around or installing a red flashing light atop them, doesn't satisfy the court's decision.• Taking the poles down, and relocating them elsewhere in time for the upcoming racing season, is neither logistically nor financially possible.• Substituting the bulbs with a different source, such as a telescopic pole or portable lights, won't be strong enough to comply with national racing standards."I don't have any options," Bader said. "If I had an unlimited checkbook and wanted to throw millions of dollars at the problem I could, but nothing is designed, nothing is engineered and nothing has been constructed. There is no ready-made solution."The state's transportation department hasn't yet determined what must happen with these poles. It's not known when a ruling could happen.Spectators fill the grandstands during a Top Fuel dragster race at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 25, 2016, in Norwalk.When a decision does inevitably occur, Bader fears the worst: His track — considered the region's finest establishment for professional auto racing, which hosts dozens of events each year, including a premier NHRA series — could close for good."If these poles have to come down, there will be a series of events that will see us losing our insurance, lose our sanction with the National Hot Rod Association, lose our national event, lose our division race, lose our naming rights with Summit — and then we'd be out of business."It also means his family, 30 full-time workers and 400-plus seasonal employees must find a new job.Bader, however, won't stand idly in pit row and do nothing for a business generating $100 million annually in economic impact for Erie and Huron counties."I'll be damned if I'm not going down without a fight," Bader said. "There was a former president that said, 'When a man has no options, his path becomes very clear.' Well, my path is very clear: Those damn poles need to stay up."Later this month, the Register will publish an in-depth news article further spotlighting this issue.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.Spectators watch as two funny cars race down the drag strip during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk on June 25, 2016.Bill Bader Jr., owner of Summit Motorsports Park, talks with Register sports editor Mark Hazelwood on Wednesday, March 29, 2017, in Norwalk.