Final Partner Secures Funding for 2026 Sportsman World Finals

• Anne Proffit


• 1 Sep 2026

When Bill Bader Jr sets his mind to something, you best believe he’ll get it done and properly. Just a few weeks ago, as the situation with straight-line racing sanction International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) became precipitously tenuous at best, it was Bill Bader who stood up for the sportsman racers that were victims of IHRA’s inability to stage their Sportsman World Finals; he named four partners to assist in promoting and staging the event at his Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH and said he was working on the last cog in that wheel.

Now, as he stated in a release, the Sportsman World Finals is set. With Cornwell Quality Tools completing the roster of powerhouse partners in support of this event October 22-24, 2026. that company joins Summit Racing Equipment, BluePrint Engines, PJH – TrackBite and Fuel Factory, allowing the posting of a $150,000 purse for this hugely anticipated weekend of racing. 

Bader admitted the event needed that fifth and final partner in order to make the Sportsman World Finals viable. With this six-figure purse dedicated, in its entirety, to qualifying drivers, the five partners have fully underwritten the $150,000 payout, thereby ensuring all qualifying competitors have a guaranteed purse to race for. That they’ll do this on one of the more legendary drag strips in the United States is another feature of these Sportsman World Finals. 

“Grassroots sportsman racers are the backbone of this sport,” Bader declared. “We made a commitment to deliver an elite stage and a guaranteed high-stakes purse for the competitors who pour their hearts into every race. Thanks to Summit Racing Equipment, BluePrint Engines, PJH – TrackBite, Fuel Factory and Cornwell Quality Tools, that promise is officially delivered.”