Dan Davis was selected for the Bader family Founder’s Award at the 2024 NAPA Halloween Classic.

Originating thirty-one years ago, the New Crew has annually selected one person or a group of people who have helped carry the torch for what the late Bill Bader Sr., originally created in Norwalk, Ohio, over five decades ago.

The Bader family philosophy is the same today as it was in the very early years. Their motto is to deliver an event that is both entertaining and enjoyed by families and friends to help close out the season at their dragstrip recognized as Summit Motorsports Park.

We’ve followed a similar theme to the Bader’s vision with our own version of the famed Classic event.

Dan Davis is someone who has contributed and supported the Firebird facility for a number of years. He is one of the kindest and most generous individuals we have ever crossed paths with. Never does a day go by that he isn’t helping promote the Firebird brand, but he is also very proud to fly the patriotic colors and American flag on his race car, further underscoring why our country is the greatest place on earth.

We are honored to call Dan our friend, and the friend of so many in our racing community and beyond.

Shortly after the event, he shared a message he wanted to sum up his thoughts after receiving this special award –

To the New family,

“I just wanted to take a second to say thank you to the entire New family for the recognition and award. It was quite overwhelming to me. It’s something I will look back on often, certainly for the rest of my life. It all started for me on my first trip to your establishment, many years ago, and it was an unbelievable experience. You obviously have a tremendous group of people that work for you.

This award was so special that I couldn’t even sleep (heading home last night). All I did was think about what Scott said about me over the p.a. system. It was very thoughtful and appreciated. Thank you again – we’ll see you soon!”

Dan Davis