(Updated After Semifinals)
Highlights from eliminations from the ADRL Memphis Drags III at Memphis International Raceway.
SEMIFINALS
Pro Nitrous points leader Bob Rahaim and Doug Riesterer, who is second in points, will meet in the finals. Rahaim advanced after Stoken threw away a 3.81 with a red light, while Burton Auxier's car caught fire after the burnout, sending Riesterer to the finals.
Eric McKinney set a new track record and turned in the quickest pass of 2012 in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, going 4.028 at 176.05 mph to beat Terry Schweigert in the semifinals. He will face Paul Gast in the finals.
Pete Berner and John Montecalvo find themelves in their first ADRL final in Extreme Pro Stock in 2012. Montecalvo went a new track record of 4.056 to beat points leader Cary Goforth, while Berner went 4.077 to hold off David Schorr.
Dennis Sugrue is another first-time finalist, doing so in Mickey Thompson Extreme 10.5 after Alan Pittman broke on the starting line. He will meet Lamar Swindoll Jr. in an all-underdog matchup after Swindoll went 4.07 against Billy Glidden.
Adam Flamholc is in his first ADRL final, running 3.94 to beat Pat Musi and advance to the final two in Aeromotive Fuel Systems Pro Modified. Flamholc will meet Todd Tutterow, who knocked off Mike Janis in the other semifinal.
Rick Corn advanced to his first final in Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman, running a 4.353 to beat Earl Folse. He will be looking for his first ADRL win when he races Marco Abruzzi, who went 4.257 to nip teammate and close friend Glenn Butcher. Abruzzi will try to become the first driver in class history to win twice.
Jason Scruggs set a new track record in Pro Extreme, running a 3.616 in a second-round win. In fact, both Brandon Pesz (3.618) and Frankie Taylor (3.619) went in the 3.61s as well, and they will meet in the semis. Scruggs will meet Von Smith after Smith beat points leader Mick Snyder.
Pat Stoken continued to have a solid Saturday, running a remarkable 3.823 at 196 mph in a second-round win against Jason Harris. Stoken will face Bob Rahaim in a must-see semifinal. Burton Auxier shoot, but recovered in time to beat Blake Housley, and he'll now meet Doug Riesterer, who went an incredible 3.78 to shatter the track record.
Paul Gast ran a strong 4.11 in the second round of Pro Extreme Motorcycle, but needed a .027 reaction time to pull off a holeshot win against Ron Procopio. Eric McKinney destroyed the track record, running an amazing 4.048 to advance to the semifinals. He will face Terry Schweigert, who went 4.10 in his second-round win.
A .001 reaction time and a run of 4.089 sent John Montecalvo to the semifinals. Montecalvo beat Todd Hoerner in the second round and will now meet Cary Goforth in the semis. Pete Berner turned in the best performance of the round, running a 4.075 for the best run of the weekend. He will face David Schorr in the semis.
Earl Folse had an outstanding .003 reaction time to slip past Chuck Mohn in a quarterfinal victory in Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman. Folse will face Rick Corn in the semifinals after Corn edged out No. 1 qualifier Ronnie Davis. The other semifinal features a matchup between teammates and close friends Marco Abruzzi and Glenn Butcher.
FIRST ROUND
Bubba Stanton picked up a round victory at his home track, running a 3.689 to edge out Terry Leggett in the first round of Pro Extreme. The task will get tough in the quarterfinals, as Stanton will meet Frankie Taylor, who reset the track record in his first-round win by going 3.62 at 210 mph. Jason Scruggs also had a brilliant 3.639 in his victory.
Blake Housley pulled off a big upset in the first round of Pro Nitrous, running a 3.97 to slip past Stan Allen. Robert Mathis went 3.87 to beat Rickie Jones, while Burton Auxier and Pat Stoken both went 3.83s in first-round victories.
Lamar Swindoll Jr. ended up racing his teammate in the first round of Mickey Thompson Extreme 10.5, and he wound up beating Todd Moyer in a great side-by-side race. Swindoll went 4.06, winning on a holeshot after Moyer went 4.05. Swindoll will race Billy Glidden in the semifinals, while the other pairing features Dan Myers and Alan Pittman.
Charlie Prophit put together a solid 4.17 for a first-round win in Pro Extreme Motorcycle. Dave Vantine also had a strong pass, going 4.11 to set up a quarterfinal match-up with Terry Schweigert.
Richard Otwell picked up his first career round win in the ADRL, pulling off a massive upset of Richie Stevens Jr. in the first round of Extreme Pro Stock. Otwell had an awful .445 reaction time, but Stevens shook immediately and Otwell drove around him with a 4.238. Points leader Cary Goforth also took advantage, running a round-best 4.08.
Pat Musi put together the quickest pass of the weekend, running a 3.89 to chase down Tim Tindle in the opening round of Aeromotive Fuel Systems Pro Modified. He will meet Adam Flamholc in the semifinals after his holeshot victory. The other semi will feature Mike Janis and Todd Tutterow, who backed up his 204.23 mph run earlier to set a new world speed record in the class.
Keith Raftery caught a lucky break in the first round of Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman after Lizzy Musi broke out. Raftery spun the tires early and went just 9.06, but he's onto the quarterfinals and a meeting with Glenn Butcher. Points leader William Brown III also broke on the starting line, opening the door for someone.
(Photos by ADRL/Richards)
