Plenty Of Excitement Surrounding Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman “Clash Of The Titans”

It’s not a stretch to call this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman “Clash of the Titans” as part of the ADRL’s U.S. Drags V at Virginia Motorsports Park one of the biggest events in Top Sportsman history.

The 32-car qualifying field will hand out nearly $30,000 in prize money, with the winner getting an unprecedented $10,000.

They will have earned it, grinding through four rounds of qualifying and five rounds of eliminations, but the special event has drawn rave reviews on the heels of the highly-anticipated event.

“This is going to be big for Top Sportsman racers,” Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman points leader Marco Abruzzi said. “This is going to be a big payday for somebody.

Abruzzi certainly isn’t the only one anticipating the “Clash of the Titans.”

A total of 35 drivers were entered heading into qualifying, with all of them echoing Abruzzi’s excited tone.

“I’m really looking forward to this event. It’s so awesome that the ADRL is giving such a big spotlight on the Top Sportsman drivers and that is really exciting,” Lizzy Musi said.

Said Chuck Mohn, who has been the No. 1 qualifier at the first four Summit Racing TS events in 2012: “This date has been circled on my calendar since I first heard about the event and I’m sure a lot of other racers have done the same.

“This race is going to bring out a lot of great race cars that might not normally make the trip, so I expect the field to be big.  For the past two weeks I have done all I can to get ready for this race. I want this one, big time!”

Every driver will certainly be doing everything they can to end up on top, but ADRL sponsor Summit Racing Equipment is also to be lauded for the “Clash of the Titans” event.

They became the official sponsor of the ADRL’s Top Sportsman class last year and that has continued in 2012, along with an even greater show of support.

“They love the class and are very strong supporters of the ADRL,” ADRL Executive Vice President Jeff Fortune said of Summit Racing Equipment. “They were on board for the ‘Clash Of The Titans’ and they wanted to make it the richest Top Sportsman event ever.

“It’s going to be such a crowd-pleaser and having it in Richmond, it couldn’t be a better to have this.”

Virginia Motorsports Park has always been a hotbed of excitement when it has come to ADRL races, and the “Clash of the Titans” will help bring a fervor pitch to the fifth stop on the 2012 ADRL Tour.

Top Sportsman drivers have latched onto racing in the ADRL from the outset, with all of them holding high praise for how things have gone in the world’s premier eighth-mile drag racing league.

“The place to race Top Sportsman is the ADRL. They’re getting all the top racers, the tracks are incredible and it’s the best racing I’ve ever been a part of,” Abruzzi said. “It’s the best thing going right now for Top Sportsman.”

As far as winning the Summit Racing Equipment “Clash of the Titans,” nothing will come easy in a talented field.

Abruzzi, along with several others, is trying to become the first to win two races in the ADRL, but the Ohio-based racer knows it won’t be easy.

“There wouldn’t be a better weekend than this one to get my second win, but it’s tough racing,” Abruzzi said. “It’s fast qualifying and everybody out here has high-quality cars. The track preparation is perfect and it’s just good racing.”

Mohn agreed and, with five rounds of eliminations, consistency will be vital to have an opportunity for the $10,000 prize and a celebration to remember in the winner’s circle.

“The key to this race will be being consistent, knowing your car and getting really good reaction times on the tree,” Mohn said.