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Bill Bader, Jr., president of Summit Motorsports Park, made surprise announcement at a press conference today that the famed facility in Norwalk, Ohio will have a dome for the 2010 racing season. The construction of the dome will be covered with an $80 million grant in economic stimulus funds approved by United States president Barack Obama.

In a hastily prepared press conference at the track, Obama presented Bader with a check for $80 million before Obama departed on Air Force One for London to attend the G20 economic summit meeting. The funds for the dome construction are from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

"This dome will remove weather as a factor in drag racing," said Bader. "It will allow drag racing to continue during rain or even snow."

The new dome will cover both lanes at Summit Motorsports Park and will stretch over 4,000 feet to completely enclose the shut-down area. The facility will also have a name change in 2010, when it will become Summit Motorsports Dome.

The track hosts the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals each year in June.

"The Bader family is a testament to what hard work and determination can achieve," said Obama. "They have built this track over the years into one of America's finest motorsports facilities, and I am proud to see them take it, and the sport of drag racing, to the next level."
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Construction is expected to begin after the Halloween Classic, held each year in October. The dome will be completed in time for the 2010 Season Opener in April. It will have a steel framework supporting transparent acrylic panels, giving fans a view of the racing action.

"The winter of 2009-2010 may be the last winter in Ohio without drag racing," said Bader. "We expect to continue racing into December of 2010 and January of 2011."

Discussions were also said to be underway for Summit Motorsports Dome to be the site of the final race of the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2010, becoming the 26th race of the series and giving the track two NHRA events: the original June event, and the new race in December.