In 1968, a young engineer with a 1967 L71 427 Corvette roadster made some connections to get hop-up parts at a discount. It wasn’t long before his drag racing buddies found out and wanted the same deal. From such humble beginnings Summit Racing Equipment was born.

That one-man startup is now the World's Speed Shop^®—the go-to parts source for thousands of gearheads around the globe. We’ve grown from a little 1,500 square foot building to today’s four huge facilities with millions of parts in stock. We got here by saving you money on the parts you want, delivering those parts quickly, and backing them with the best customer service in the industry.

1968

Summit Racing Equipment is founded as a part-time parts business in Stow, Ohio. The little business begins to grow as word of the company's great prices spreads.

1969

Our first "store" opens in the basement of a donut shop in Stow, Ohio. We later open a real store in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

1970

We move again, this time to a larger store in Akron, Ohio to meet the tremendous demand from local drag racers and muscle car enthusiasts. Product lines offered include Holley, Mallory, Hurst, and Mickey Thompson.

1972

We expand into mail order by placing small ads for Mickey Thompson ET Wheels in Hot Rod and Car Craft magazines. We are soon taking orders from across the United States.

1974

We open a second store in Akron, Ohio. The first Summit Racing ‘Big Book’ catalog debuts as an annual publication. Over 200 editions of the catalog have been printed since then.

1976

Business is so strong, a full-time phone sales and customer service staff is added to handle the additional orders.

1978

We move to a four-building warehouse complex in Akron, Ohio. The move means we can stock more parts and reduce customer wait times for their orders.

1980-81

We build our first project cars, a Laser 917 kit car and a turbocharged Pontiac Trans Am.

1987

The Summit Racing catalog goes to a six-times-a-year publication with more products and up-to-date pricing.

1988

Bill Kuhlmann becomes the first Summit Racing-sponsored professional drag racer. Kuhlmann was the first to get a "doorslammer" car to run 200 miles per hour and was one of the founding fathers of Pro Modified.

1990

We add 24-hour/7-day order and customer service lines so customers can order parts anytime. We also add the famous "centerfold" car feature to our catalogs. Garage walls across the world rejoice.

1992

We move into our new headquarters in Tallmadge, Ohio. It features an Order Fulfillment Center, Retail Store, and Customer Support Center.

1993

Summit Racing celebrates its 25th anniversary with the first Super Summit car show. We also begin a 12-year sponsorship of NHRA Pro Stock racer Mark Pawuk.

1994

Summit Racing becomes a major contingency sponsor for NHRA sportsman racing. We support sportsman racing to this day.

1995

We debut the QuadraDeuce, the world's first all-wheel-drive 1932 roadster. Car & Driver magazine got it to do zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds, making it the quickest car the magazine tested up to that point. The QuadraDeuce is refreshed by legendary builder Troy Trepanier in 2000.

1996

We sponsor our first NHRA national event, the NHRA Pontiac Excitement Nationals presented by Summit Racing in Columbus, Ohio.

First TruckFest all-truck show is held at Summit Racing in Tallmadge. The show is held yearly through 2012.

1997

We add toll-free phone ordering, saving customers the cost of long-distance phone charges. We also join the internet age with the SummitRacing.com website.

1998

We open our second facility in Sparks, Nevada, allowing us to offer 2-day delivery to Los Angeles and other parts of California. We add a parts catalog to our website so customers can place orders online.

1999

The 1,000 horsepower QuikStang Mustang project car debuts and is featured in Muscle Mustangs magazine.

2000

We double the size of our Tallmadge headquarters and add millions of in-stock parts from several hundred manufacturers.

We become the Official Mail Order Company of NHRA and IHRA and sponsor the inaugural SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas.

2002

We open the doors to our new 25,000 square foot Retail SuperStore in Tallmadge. We also begin our sponsorship of the IHRA Summit SuperSeries.

2004

NHRA Pro Stock racer Greg Anderson joins Team Summit and wins his first championship under Summit Racing sponsorship. We join Tim Wilkerson’s NHRA Funny Car team as an associate sponsor.

2005

NHRA Pro Stock racer Jason Line joins Team Summit Racing. Greg Anderson wins third Pro Stock championship, his second flying Summit Racing colors.

The Summit Racing/BIGFOOT Monster Truck debuts with driver Dan Runte.

Our corporate logo is updated for the first time in 20 years.

2006

Summit Racing opens a new facility in McDonough, Georgia with a Retail SuperStore and large Order Fulfillment Center. The Summit Racing Tools and Garage Accessories catalog debuts.

Jason Line wins his first NHRA championship.

2007

Summit Racing acquires naming rights for Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The inaugural Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals is held there.

Summit Racing acquires Genuine Hotrod Hardware, a supplier of hot rod lifestyle gear. It was later renamed Summit Racing Gifts, Clothing and Memorabilia.

2008

Summit Racing celebrates its 40th anniversary. Cake is served.

The 1967 Corvette that kickstarted Summit Racing is restored. The L71 427 big block was punched to 496 cubic inches and makes about 590 horsepower.

2009

The new and improved SummitRacing.com website launches with enhanced search tools, product installation instructions, and more.

We begin supporting "Operation Appreciation," an annual trip by Summit Racing-sponsored racers to visit American troops deployed overseas. We also assume title sponsorship of the ISCA Summit Racing Equipment Show Car Series.

2010

The Summit Racing-branded product line expands to include paint, carburetors, intake manifolds, ignition systems, and Pro Packs with matched parts combinations.

Hundreds of new product lines are added for circle track, Jeep and off-road, restoration and restomod, tools, and late model performance.

2011

OEM replacement parts are added from top-quality manufacturers. We begin offering Landed Cost Delivery service for international customers.

2012

We add aftermarket and replacement parts for sport and utility ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes, and street bikes. We launch the OnAllCylinders automotive blog and partner with Factory Five Racing to build a FFR Mk4 Roadster.

2013

Summit Racing becomes the official title sponsor of the I-X Center Piston Powered Auto-Rama (formerly the Cleveland Auto-Rama).

We begin sponsorship of the American Modified Series and team up with automotive celebrity Rutledge Wood to build a 1949 Chevy Kurbmaster step van. It’s the first of five projects we build with him.

2014

We add the Summit Racing Mobile App to give customers easy access to shopping, social media channels, and more from their smartphones.

We become an associate sponsor of 12-time European FIA World Pro Stock Champion Jimmy Alund. The inaugural Summit Racing Equipment Atlanta Motorama is held at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

2015

Summit Racing becomes the major series sponsor of ANDRA, the Australian National Drag Racing Association racing series.

2016

Construction of our fourth facility begins in Arlington, Texas. Jason Line wins his third NHRA Pro Stock Championship.

2017

Summit Racing's Arlington, Texas facility opens for business. It has a 32,000 square-foot Retail SuperStore and a 750,000 square foot Distribution Center, Summit Racing’s largest.

We expand our product line to over 1,600 manufacturers—the most ever.

2018

We celebrate our 50th Anniversary. An even bigger cake is served.

We expand our motorsports sponsorship program to include Formula Drift, the Mid-West Pro Mod Series, and the Midwest Junior Super Series for Junior Dragster racers.

2019

Summit Racing has its first official display at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV. We also begin sponsorship of the American Endurance Racing Series for amateur and professional endurance racers.

We introduce our Pro LS product line for GM LS engines. It includes camshafts, rotating assemblies, pistons, engine swap radiators and oil pans, and assembly tools.

We build a 2019 F-150 Crew Cab 4x4 to demonstrate how easy it is to personalize a truck with bolt-on parts.

2020

Summit Racing has its first official display at the Barrett Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, AZ.

We launch a redesigned Summit Racing website and mobile app to make it even easier for customers to find the parts they need, learn about special offers and sales, and much more. We also launch the Summit Racing Truck catalog featuring products for late model trucks.

We build our second project truck, 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab with suspension and performance upgrades, off-road lights, bumpers and steps, and a winch.

2021

The Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio becomes the Summit Racing Nationals presented by PPG.

Our OnAllCylinders blog launches its Podcast Series featuring interviews with motorsports personalities, celebrities, and industry insiders like Jay Leno, ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits, and Cleetus McFarland.

We build two project vehicles—a 2021 JL Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon with the ETorque hybrid drivetrain and a 2021 Chevy Silverado Z71 done up as an off-road and overlanding rig.

2022

We debut the Summit Racing Autocross Series. Autocrossers compete at three different tracks over four days, driving their race cars on public roads to each track.

We become the Official Parts Supplier for the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association and an associate sponsor of NHRA Top Fuel racers Clay Millican and Antron Brown.

We build a 1,200 horsepower 408 CID LS engine with off-the-shelf parts including Summit Racing Pro LS components and twin Summit Racing turbochargers. We also build a 2021 Ford Bronco as a tribute to the 1968 Bronco Rod Hall drove to victory in the Mexican 1000 (now the Baja 1000) in 1969.

2023

The World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series begins. The best racers at each WDRA member track will race in head-to-head competition at the Summit Bracket Finals.

Summit Racing gets into hillclimbing as the presenting sponsor of the SCCA Appalachian HillClimb Series.