Todd Tutterow
Todd Tutterow had been there before.
This time, he might have been even more impressive. A 2009 Battle For The Belts winner, Tutterow repeated the effort in 2011, putting together an incredibly consistent performance to win the one-day Battle For The Belts shootout in Pro Extreme at Texas Motorplex.
In all three races, Tutterow ran a 3.63, capping it off with a 3.634 on a solo run after Alex Hossler broke during his burnout. It might not have mattered, as Tutterow was nearly unstoppable on that Saturday in Ennis, running nearly 211 miles per hour in his new Larry Jeffers Pro Cars ’67 Mustang GT 500.
“I felt like we had the momentum after running well all day. I just do the same thing every round no matter who is over in the other lane. I’m a believer in the race the track theory, and may the best team win,” Tutterow said.
“I am just tickled to have won this. We have struggled a bit this year, and to come out and make all 3 elimination runs of 3.637, 3.639, and 3.634 was just amazing.”
Tutterow continued to have Frankie Taylor’s number, as he beat him one final time to close out the 2011 ADRL season, this one coming in the first round of the BFTB when Tutterow ran a 3.637.
A round later, Tutterow knocked off PX World Champion Jason Hamstra 3.639 to move to the finals. The win was especially rewarding for Tutterow considering he had lost twice in event finals to Hamstra in 2011.
On the other side of the bracket, Hossler had plenty of good fortune, overcoming major engine damage to slip past Mick Snyder in the first round. In the semifinals, Jason Scruggs went a 3.59 – becoming only the third driver to reach the 3.50s in ADRL competition – but he went red, handing the win to Hossler.
But Hossler leaked oil on the burnout, meaning Tutterow got a solo pass in the finals. Still, Tutterow went for it and capped off his amazing day with one more run of 3.63.
“We figured some things out on the car and we felt like we could run consistently,†Tutterow said. “I knew this car could perform well and I think it’s going to turn into a proven winner.â€
(Photos by ADRL/Richards/Tocher)
