Summit Racing Equipment
Encyclopedia
Summit Racing Equipment is the world’s largest mail order automotive performance equipment company, with thousands of performance parts, aftermarket accessories, tools and garage equipment, collectibles, and stock replacement parts to choose from. The company stocks parts for cars (race, street, daily driver) and trucks/SUVs (street, performance, off-road).
1969-1987
In 1969, Summit Racing Equipment opened it first store in Akron, Ohio
. The company's early product line included performance parts from Accel, Holley, Mallory, Hurst, Mickey Thompson, and other "big names". Throughout the 70s and 80s, Summit Racing Equipment continued to grow, and the company’s Summit Racing Catalog grew from an annual buyers guide to a bi-monthly publication.
1992-1999
In 1992, the company moved its headquarters to a larger facility in Tallmadge, Ohio. With a larger Retail Store and Distribution Center, the company expanded its product offering to include truck, SUV, and Jeep-specific parts.
In 1998, Summit Racing Equipment opened a second Retail Store and Distribution Center in Sparks, Nevada. That location enabled customers in the western United States to receive parts in one to two days via ground shipping.
To keep up with the high demand for performance and styling parts, the company doubled the size of its facility in 1999. With the new space, Summit Racing Equipment could stock millions of parts from hundreds of manufacturers.
2002-2007
In 2002, the doors of Summit Racing Equipment's new 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) Retail Super Store opened in Tallmadge, Ohio. The store is a destination for enthusiasts, with thousands of parts on display, legendary vehicles like Don Garlits' Swamp Rat 32, plus customer-built vehicles on display. A third location, in McDonough, Georgia, opened in 2006. That location solidified the company’s ability to ship throughout most of the United States within 1–2 days via ground shipping.
In 2007, Summit Racing Equipment acquired Genuine Hotrod Hardware, a direct mail company specializing in apparel, decor, gifts and other hot rod lifestyle products.
All three stores are open from 9 am-9 pm, 7 days a week, and closed on holidays.
Summit Racing Equipment sponsors NHRA Pro Stock racers Greg Anderson
and Jason Line
, and BIGFOOT Monster Truck driver Dan Runte.
Team Summit All Star members (associate sponsored racers) include Tim Wilkerson, Doug Kailitta, Kurt Johnson
, Rickie Jones, Mark Thomas, Brandon Bernstein, Warren Johnson
, Larry Morgan.
Team Summit Legends (former Team Summit racers and friends of the company) include the following friends of Summit Racing Equipment: Don Garlits
, Frank Hawley
, Jim Oddy, Connie Kalitta
, Kenny Bernstein
, Bob Chandler, John Lingenfelter
and the late Scott Kalitta
.
Summit Racing Series and Summit-Sponsored Races
Summit Racing Equipment supports and sponsors a wide variety of motorsports events and organizations, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the IHRA Summit Racing Pro Am Tour, and the IHRA Summit Super Series. Summit Racing also sponsors three NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series national events (the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, and the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals).
National Hot Rodding Association (NHRA), International Hot Rodding Association (IHRA), Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), American Drag Racing League (ADRL), Racers For Christ (RFC), the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), the Direct Marketing Association (DMA)
History
Summit Racing Equipment began in 1968, as a part-time, one-person business. As word of the low prices got out, the business grew.1969-1987
In 1969, Summit Racing Equipment opened it first store in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. The company's early product line included performance parts from Accel, Holley, Mallory, Hurst, Mickey Thompson, and other "big names". Throughout the 70s and 80s, Summit Racing Equipment continued to grow, and the company’s Summit Racing Catalog grew from an annual buyers guide to a bi-monthly publication.
1992-1999
In 1992, the company moved its headquarters to a larger facility in Tallmadge, Ohio. With a larger Retail Store and Distribution Center, the company expanded its product offering to include truck, SUV, and Jeep-specific parts.
In 1998, Summit Racing Equipment opened a second Retail Store and Distribution Center in Sparks, Nevada. That location enabled customers in the western United States to receive parts in one to two days via ground shipping.
To keep up with the high demand for performance and styling parts, the company doubled the size of its facility in 1999. With the new space, Summit Racing Equipment could stock millions of parts from hundreds of manufacturers.
2002-2007
In 2002, the doors of Summit Racing Equipment's new 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) Retail Super Store opened in Tallmadge, Ohio. The store is a destination for enthusiasts, with thousands of parts on display, legendary vehicles like Don Garlits' Swamp Rat 32, plus customer-built vehicles on display. A third location, in McDonough, Georgia, opened in 2006. That location solidified the company’s ability to ship throughout most of the United States within 1–2 days via ground shipping.
In 2007, Summit Racing Equipment acquired Genuine Hotrod Hardware, a direct mail company specializing in apparel, decor, gifts and other hot rod lifestyle products.
Retail Stores
There are three Summit Racing Equipment retail locations:- Tallmadge, OhioTallmadge, OhioAs of the census of 2000, there were 16,390 people, 6,273 households, and 4,711 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.9 people per square mile . There were 6,494 housing units at an average density of 465.1 per square mile...
- Sparks, NevadaSparks, NevadaSparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States, located east of Reno, Nevada. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count was 90,264. Sparks is often referred to as half of a twin city .-Geography and Climate:...
- McDonough, GeorgiaMcDonough, GeorgiaMcDonough is a city in Henry County, Georgia, United States. The population was 22084 at the 2010 census. Inclusion of the unincorporated neighborhoods surrounding McDonough, which are not part of a town/city, raises the population to approximately 30,000 from an estimate in 2008. The city is the...
All three stores are open from 9 am-9 pm, 7 days a week, and closed on holidays.
Motorsports
Team SummitSummit Racing Equipment sponsors NHRA Pro Stock racers Greg Anderson
Greg Anderson
Greg Anderson may refer to:*Cadillac Anderson , Gregory Wayne "Cadillac" Anderson, basketball player*Greg Anderson , Canadian actor*Greg Anderson , NHRA pro stock drag racer...
and Jason Line
Jason Line
Jason Line drives a Pro Stock car for Summit Racing in the NHRA. Line resides in Terrell, North Carolina with his wife, Cindy, and son, Jack.-Awards:*21 career Pro Stock wins.*2004 NHRA Rookie of The Year....
, and BIGFOOT Monster Truck driver Dan Runte.
Team Summit All Star members (associate sponsored racers) include Tim Wilkerson, Doug Kailitta, Kurt Johnson
Kurt Johnson
Kurt Johnson is a professional American drag racing driver. He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. He competes in the NHRA’s POWERade Drag Racing series, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in the Pro Stock category...
, Rickie Jones, Mark Thomas, Brandon Bernstein, Warren Johnson
Warren Johnson
Warren Johnson is an NHRA drag racing driver. He is the driver with the most wins in pro stock with 97 career wins, earning himself the nickname The Professor of Pro Stock.-Career:...
, Larry Morgan.
Team Summit Legends (former Team Summit racers and friends of the company) include the following friends of Summit Racing Equipment: Don Garlits
Don Garlits
Donald Glenn "Don" Garlits is considered the father of drag racing. He is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. Always a pioneer in the field of drag-racing, he, with the help of T.C...
, Frank Hawley
Frank Hawley
Frank Hawley is a two-time World champion drag racing driver. He won seven National Hot Rod Association Funny Car and two Top Fuel Dragster national events during his 10-year Top fuel racing career that included the 1982 and 1983 National Hot Rod Association Funny Car World Championship...
, Jim Oddy, Connie Kalitta
Connie Kalitta
Conrad "Connie" Kalitta is the CEO of Kalitta Air and a retired American drag racing driver, once known as "The Bounty Hunter".He grew up in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and was a 1957 graduate of Mount Clemens High School....
, Kenny Bernstein
Kenny Bernstein
Kenny Bernstein is an American drag racer and former NASCAR and IndyCar team owner. He is nicknamed the "Bud King" for his success in the Budweiser King dragster, he has also been nicknamed "The King of Speed," because he was the first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start...
, Bob Chandler, John Lingenfelter
John Lingenfelter
John Lingenfelter was an NHRA driver, engineer and legendary tuner....
and the late Scott Kalitta
Scott Kalitta
Scott Kalitta was an American drag racer who competed in the Funny Car and Top Fuel classes in the National Hot Rod Association Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. He was killed at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, after an accident during qualifying...
.
Summit Racing Series and Summit-Sponsored Races
Summit Racing Equipment supports and sponsors a wide variety of motorsports events and organizations, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the IHRA Summit Racing Pro Am Tour, and the IHRA Summit Super Series. Summit Racing also sponsors three NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series national events (the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, and the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals).
Memberships
Summit Racing Equipment is a member of the following organizations:National Hot Rodding Association (NHRA), International Hot Rodding Association (IHRA), Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), American Drag Racing League (ADRL), Racers For Christ (RFC), the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), the Direct Marketing Association (DMA)