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October 11, 2007

Next Event Information

September 17, 2007

Records smashed, Belts fields set at spectacular Dragstock IV

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (Sept. 16, 2007) - A spectacular, record-setting Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV ended early Sunday morning with a re-written Flowmaster American Drag Racing League record book and four deserving champions, who had to fight through the most competitive fields in eighth-mile drag racing history.
Dragstock IV featured enough jaw-dropping runs and dramatic developments for a full season of racing. Among the event's many highlights were:

*The four event winners. Joshua Hernandez stunned Jason Scruggs, who was dominant throughout the weekend, to win the Pro Extreme title with a 3.78; Jim Halsey claimed the Pro Nitrous title in his second career ADRL outing; Brad Personett buzzed through the Extreme 10.5 field in his six-cylinder Scion; and Bill Vose capped his record-setting weekend with a final-round win over Rob Bush, who was attempting to win from the No. 16 qualifying spot.

*Six ADRL performance records set (out of a possible eight). Both sides of the ADRL record were re-written in Pro Extreme (Scruggs, 3.703 at 205.22 mph) and Pro Extreme Motorcycle (Vose, 4.271; and Coodee Thomas, 169.10), and one side of the record was set in Pro Nitrous (Halsey, 3.975) and Extreme 10.5 (Mike Hill, 170.82 mph).

*The final determination of the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts point standings, which will set the field for next month's Battle for the Belts world championship eliminators at the AlphaTrade ADRL World Finals. Following Dragstock IV, the top points-earners and No. 1 qualifiers for the Belts competition were 2006 world champion Bubba Stanton (Pro Extreme), Johnny Pilcher (Pro Nitrous), Hill (Extreme 10.5), and Thomas (Pro Extreme Motorcycle).

*Record-setting fields in both Pro Extreme and Pro Nitrous. The Pro Extreme bump was a 3.996 (and 17 drivers in all hit the 3-second zone in qualifying), making Dragstock IV the first all-3-second Pro Modified show in drag racing history. The Pro Nitrous bump time was a 4.074; overall, 20 drivers posted at least one 4.0-second pass in qualifying.

*Exciting racing throughout the weekend. Most noticeably on Saturday, the fans at Rockingham Dragway were treated to numerous side-by-side 3-second passes in Pro Extreme, side-by-side 4.0-second passes in Pro Nitrous, and 4.2-second runs in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, all of which were formerly considered somewhat of a rarity.

Dragstock IV was the sixth of seven events on the 2007 ADRL schedule (a planned eighth event, the Shelor.com Spring Drags, which were rained out in their entirety twice, will not be re-scheduled this year) and was the final event in the 2007 points-scoring season. Following the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts championship eliminators on Friday, Oct. 12 at the ADRL World Finals, drivers will begin earning points toward the 2008 standings during the next day's qualifying and eliminations.

September 16, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme eliminations (final)

L-Jason Scruggs, 4.360/128.15
R-Joshua Hernandez, 3.786/197.80 (**Winner**)
And that’s why they run the races. Scruggs got most of the headlines over the weekend for his spectacular series of runs, but it’s Hernandez who comes away with the hardware. A stellar 3.78 tune-up from Howard Moon is more than enough to claim the win

September 16, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Nitrous eliminations (final)

L-Jim Halsey, 4.009/183.29 (**Winner**)
R-Harold Martin, 4.332/147.21
Halsey wins an ADRL title in his second career outing. Martin needed to win and set a record to grab the final AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts position, but he’ll come up just short to end a great weekend

September 16, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Extreme 10.5 eliminations (final)

L-Brad Personett, 4.337/167.18 (**Winner**)
R-Kenny Kneece, 4.525/164.11
Following a lengthy burndown, Personett picks up his first career ADRL win. The little Toyota had a great weekend

September 16, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme Motorcycle eliminations (final)

L-Bill Vose, 4.326/160.44 (**Winner**)
R-Rob Bush, 4.496/136.48
Vose finishes off a consistent weekend by eliminating Bush’s dream of winning from the 16th spot. Next up for Vose: the Battle for the Belts

September 16, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme eliminations (semifinals)

L-Joshua Hernandez, 3.877/192.99 (**Winner**)
R-Joe Baker, Centerline
Baker’s car gets squirrelly and briefly looks like it might even run into Hernandez in the other lane. Hernandez seemed unfazed, posting another set of impressive numbers.

L-Jason Scruggs, 3.703/205.22 (**Winner**)
R-Quain Stott, 5.380/8.951
Another round, another set of galactic numbers for the Scruggs team. The ADRL record book is on fire. Joshua Hernandez runs a 3.87 and loses lane choice by .17-second

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Nitrous eliminations (semifinals)

L-Jim Halsey, 3.975/186.20 (**Winner**)
R-Jamie Hancock, 4.242/142.88
Another great pass from Halsey, the third qualifier. He reaches his first career ADRL final

L-Harold Martin, 3.995/185.89 (**Winner**)
R-Johnny Pilcher, 11.038/38.09
And Martin also reaches the 3s in an easy win. He’ll be seeking his second career ADRL event win

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Extreme 10.5 eliminations (semifinals)

L-Huston Dial, NTR/NSR
R-Kenny Kneece, 4.592/165.33 (**Winner**)
Dial with an engine explosion that sends his hood flying straight up in the air. Kneece with a free ride into the final

L-Brad Personett, 4.335/168.43 (**Winner**)
R-Rick Varner, 6.532/78.45
Personett continues to impress in his Scion, flirting with the ADRL national standards in an easy win

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme Motorcycle eliminations (semifinals)

L- Scott Gray, 4.438/160.82
R- Rob Bush, 4.391/162.70 (**Winner**)
Bush just won’t stop, winning yet again from the bump spot. He reaches his first ADRL final

L- Bill Vose, 4.279/167.43 (**Winner**)
R- Craig Rosenberg, Red-light
Vose continues his record-setting ways. He’s also got enough points to secure an AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts spot

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme eliminations (second round)

L-(single)
R- Quain Stott, 3.881/190.00 (**Winner**)
Clanton is unable to make the call. Stott would have been tough to beat in any case

L- Joe Baker, 3.889/186.64 (**Winner**)
R- John Lynam, 4.394/122.44
Baker, the No.10 qualifier, is turning it on in eliminations

L- Joshua Hernandez, 3.807/197.51 (**Winner**)
R- Joey Martin, 3.909/186.15
Huge numbers for the TLR team, which runs well enough to make Martin’s 3.90 a clear second place

L- Jason Scruggs, 3.736/205.13 (**Winner**)
R- Dwayne Watkins, Red-light
These two were placed at the end of the session following a malfunction with the Tree. The delay doesn’t bother the Scruggs team at all, which again posts ridiculous numbers. Both ends of the ADRL Pro Extreme record are smashed again

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Nitrous eliminations (second round)

L- Tim Savell, 5.061/101.51
R- Jamie Hancock, 4.261/162.51 (**Winner**)
Savell gets out of the groove and it’s too late to recover. A big win for Hancock, who is in a dogfight for an AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts position

L- Harold Martin, 4.007/175.75 (**Winner**)
R- Greg Godwin, 4.104/179.95
Godwin with a great start, but Martin has just enough to drive around for a close win

L- Jim Halsey, 4.088/183.84 (**Winner**)
R- Billy Harper, 9.588/45.34
Solid pass from Halsey, who continues to enjoy his recent dive into the ADRL pool

L- Johnny Pilcher, 4.765/159.17 (**Winner**)
R- Doug Riesterer, 8.209/76.92
Riesterer makes a hard right and has to make a quick save just to avoid the wall. Pilcher, the points leader, reaches the late rounds again

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Extreme 10.5 eliminations (first round)

L-Michelle Wilson, 9.643/59.74
R-Huston Dial, 5.042/157.92 (**Winner**)
Both drivers have to pedal, but it’s Dial who gets hooked up first

L-Brad Personett, 4.352/169.61 (**Winner**)
R-Michael Neal, Centerline
Neal drifts to the left and collects the cones. Personett gets his first career ADRL win

L-Steve Gorman, Red-light
R-Rick Varner, 4.609/149.05 (**Winner**)
Gorman goes on a strange journey, getting super-loose after red-lighting, then nearly losing control more than once. But Gorman does a great job getting back under control, saving the car and the Dragway guardwalls

L- Mike Hill, Red-light
R- Kenny Kneece, 8.448/86.58 (**Winner**)
Following a long staging process, Hill goes red by the slimmest of margins. Kneece basically coasts to the win

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme Motorcycle eliminations (second round)

L-Brian Carr, NTR/NSR
R-Rob Bush, 4.387/163.04 (**Winner**)
Carr has all kinds of problems, beginning at the Tree. That’s two straight wins for Bush, the No. 16 qualifier

L-Scott Valetti, 4.369/166.72
R-Craig Rosenberg, 4.303/164.67 (**Winner**)

L-Scott Gray, 4.451/161.42 (**Winner**)
R-(single)
Gray gets a single into the semi’s following the double-DQ in the first round

L-Bill Vose, 4.279/166.76 (**Winner**)
R-Eddie Gonder Jr., 4.383/162.53
Another great pass for Vose, who now has two runs good enough for the ADRL e.t. record

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme eliminations (first round)

L-Jason Scruggs, 3.756/203.12 (**Winner**)
R-Mel Eaves, 8.120/66.17
Sometimes, numbers just speak for themselves. Scruggs with one of the most overpowering runs in drag racing history

L-Quain Stott, 3.895/188.81 (**Winner**)
R-Kelly Martin, 3.920/188.04
Martin runs a great 3.92, but still ends up on the losing end. Scruggs is grabbing the headlines, but Stott looks great, too

L-Chip King, 3.931/186.36
R-Joe Baker, 3.903/185.92 (**Winner**)
Another great side-by-side pass. It’s going to take some amazing runs to win this event

L-Joey Martin, 3.927/184.90 (**Winner**)
R-Tommy Mauney, NTR/NSR
Martin with a competitive pass, but Mauney has problems and shuts it down

L-Bennie McDonald Jr., 5.745/97.18
R-Bil Clanton, 3.850/193.38 (**Winner**)
McDonald is in as an alternate for Mike Neal. Clanton with a great pass, but there was a lot of smoke at the top end. We’ll have to wait to see what the story is.

L-Joshua Hernandez, 3.873/194.60 (**Winner**)
R-Todd Tutterow, 5.345/105.99
Following a track cleanup, Hernandez powers to a great set of numbers. He’ll face Joey Martin in the quarters

L-Frankie Taylor, 5.549/114.28
R-Dwayne Watkins, 3.863/190.32 (**Winner**)
Taylor took a hard turn after the hit, and it was all over. Watkins advances with another 3.8-second run

L-John Lynam, 3.910/187.23 (**Winner**)
R-Bubba Stanton, 4.091/155.42
An interesting matchup between the 2005 and 2006 ADRL world champions, with Stanton getting in as an alternate. Lynam, the No. 2 qualifier, is able to hold off the defending ADRL champ

September 15, 2007

Jason Scruggs: 3.756 at 203.12 mph in first round

Jason Scruggs just recorded one of the greatest passes in racing history: 3.756 at 203.12 mph in his first-round win over Mel Eaves.

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Nitrous eliminations (first round)

L- Randy Weatherford, 4.023/181.79
R- Johnny Pilcher, 3.999/181.45 (**Winner**)
And the Pilcher team starts us off right, recording our first 3-second pass in Pro Nitrous

L- Keith Baker, 6.882/66.46
R- Jamie Hancock, 4.042/181.69 (**Winner**)
Baker gets loose pretty quickly. He’ll be back for the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts

L- Billy Harper, 3.994/184.25 (**Winner**)
R- Dennis Radford, 6.335/80.40
Harper also dips into the 3s. Shannon Jenkins’ ADRL record (3.992) might be in jeopardy

L- Harold Martin, 4.016/181.98 (**Winner**)
R- Stan Allen, 4.632/174.59
Martin out of the gate quickly and never looked back

L- Greg Godwin, 4.052/181.28 (**Winner**)
R- Thomas Myers, 4.030/181.59
Godwin with a big holeshot. Myers is going to have a bit of a nervous night wondering if he still has enough points to reach the Battle for the Belts

L- Jim Halsey, 3.976/185.92 (**Winner**)
R- Buzz Varner, 4.041/180.95
Halsey with the quickest Pro Nitrous run in ADRL history

L- Burton Auxier, 8.306/53.51
R- Tim Savell, 4.437/154.62 (**Winner**)
Savell gets close, but does not cross the centerline. He scores an upset over the No. 2 qualifier

L- Steve Vick, 6.736/99.74
R- Doug Riesterer, 3.941/183.69 (**Winner**)
Halsey only holds on to the quickest pass for a short time. Riesterer posts a stunning 3.94 in his easy win

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme Motorcycle eliminations (first round)

L- Steve Drake, 4.387/162.10
R- Brian Carr, 4.357/163.59 (**Winner**)

L- Scott Valetti, 4.367/159.44 (**Winner**)
R- T.T Jones, 4.388/162.22

L- Eddie Gonder Jr., 4.359/163.85 (**Winner**)
R- Robert Hunnicutt, NTR/NSR
Hunnicutt bogs down right on the line. Norwalk winner Gonder moves on

L- Ronald Procopio, 4.532/159.31
R- Craig Rosenberg, 4.372/160.82 (**Winner**)
Rosenberg advances to his first career ADRL second round

L- Charlie Prophit, 4.837/112.67
R- Rob Bush, 4.385/162.12 (**Winner**)
We have our first big upset of eliminations, with Bush knocking off the No. 1 qualifier

L- Bill Vose, 4.271/166.93 (**Winner**)
R- Monte Campbell, 4.396/163.41
Great pass for Vose, who dips way below the 4.30s

L- Coodee Thomas, 4.413/154.83
R- Scott Gray, 4.421/159.07 (**Winner**)
Gray with the holeshot win

L- Ron Clark, Left Before Tree
R- Japel Heard, Left Before Tree
Both riders leave way too early. There will no winner in this one.

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme qualifying (third round)

L- (single)
R- Todd Tutterow, 9.701/44.98

L- Travis Swearingen, 4.992/108.25
R- Brian Daniels, 4.024/181.86
Daniels posts his best pass of the weekend, but it won’t be enough

L- Dwayne Watkins, 4.017/182.28
R-(single)

L- Quain Stott, 3.915/175.00
R-xxx, 4.xx/1
A nice e.t. for the LeeBoy team, but the speed is off. He might have shut it off just before the stripe

L- T.J. Harrill, NTR/NSR
R-(single)
Harrill is pushed back, ending Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV qualifying. Eliminations coming up soon for all four classes

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme qualifying (third round, partial)

L- John Lynam, 3.865/188.36
R- Frankie Taylor, 4.097/154.82
Another great run by Lynam, who improves on his earlier 3.89

L- Paul Athey, 4.175/170.92
R- Tommy Mauney, 3.896/193.71
Another sub 3.9-second pass is recorded at The Rock. Huge speed, too, for Mauney

L-(single)
R- Mel Eaves, 4.019/179.54

L- Joey Martin, NTR/NSR
R- Bubba Stanton, 5.186/95.20
Martin leaves before the Tree is ready. Stanton ends up as a surprising DNQ, but he had already clinched a spot in the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts

L- Doug Winters, 4.253/151.89
R- Herman Sheppard, 4.848/110.81
Sheppard will be another surprising non-starter in tonight’s eliminations

L- Tommy D'Aprile, 4.844/114.83
R- Joe Baker, 3.962/182.77
D’Aprile ends up out of the groove and loses his last chance at making tonight’s show

L- Bennie McDonald Jr., 4.684/144.89
R- Kelly Martin, 3.974/187.11
The Martin team is jumping for joy at the starting line after Kelly posts a dramatic 3.97 to slip into the No. 13 spot

L- Dan Bandish, 14.142/38.08
R- Hugh Scott, 4.430/139.07
Scott, from the right lane, hits the left wall near the scoreboards. We’re down for a cleanup at the top end of the track

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Nitrous qualifying (third round)

L- Burton Auxier, 4.018/181.30
R- Charles Carpenter, 4.077/180.67
Great pass by Auxier, who leaps all the way up the order to the No. 2 spot

L- Kenny Rucker, 4.090/178.40
R- Sonny Tindal, 4.128/176.17
Tindal gives it a valiant effort and comes up with his best run, but he’ll still be a bit short of the field

L- Billy Harper, 4.037/179.37
R- Greg Godwin, 4.022/180.91
Good-looking passes on both sides; they claim the Nos. 3 and 4 spots

L- Dennis Radford, 4.055/179.54
R- Josh Chester, NTR/NSR
Chester’s car has some issues; he’s pushed back. Another solid run from Radford

L- Randy Weatherford, 4.048/180.14
R- Doug Riesterer, NTR/NSR
It looks like a repeat of the last pair. Riesterer, in the right lane, never takes the Tree and is pushed back. Weatherford improves slightly

L- Rex Kelley, NTR/NSR
R- Thomas Jones, 5.477/89.39
It’s an epidemic: three straight pairs with problems. This time it’s Kelley

L- Harold Martin, 4.031/183.47
R- Todd Tutterow, 6.804/95.81
Fantastic run from Martin, who zips all the way up to the No. 4 spot. Tutterow will not qualify

L- Buzz Varner, 4.071/179.42
R- Ed Burnley, 4.154/159.64
A clutch run from Varner, who takes over at No. 13 for now. There are a jumble of cars between 4.07 and 4.09 right now

L- Rod Houck, 5.664/85.32
R- Dwayne White, 4.257/143.34
Houck gets real loose and does the smart thing by clicking it off. Neither driver will qualify

L- Keith Baker, 4.039/181.08
R- Terry Housley, 8.400/79.34
There’s a big backfire from Housley’s machine. Baker with an improvement and a jump to No. 6

L- Tim Savell, 4.072/178.26
R- Steve Vick, 6.397/105.74
Great run at the right time for Savell, who stakes a claim to the No. 14 spot. There’s a few more cars left to come, though

L-(single)
R- Anthony Davis, 6.957

L- Lester Cooper, 4.691/117.77
R-(single)

L- Thomas Myers, 4.062/177.42
R-(single)
Myers picks up one-hundredth and sits at 12th. The bump is at 4.07

L- Mike Lockwood, 6.853/102.57
R-(single)

L- Ronnie Hood, 4.084/178.20
R-(single)
A series of single passes continues with Hood just missing the field

L- Jamie Hancock, 4.055/180.77
R-(single)
Hancock dramatically goes from outside the field up to the No. 10 position. Norwalk winner Charles Carpenter is bumped out

L- Stan Allen, 4.071/181.81
R-(single)

L- Jim Halsey, 4.021/184.60
R-(single)
Halsey finishes off the session with a great run. Without one little hitch about half-track, that might have been a 3.99

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Extreme 10.5 qualifying (third round)

L- Brian Williams, 4.477/158.76
R- Kenny Kneece, 7.153/85.77
Williams claims the No. 7 spot, but he’ll have to look over his shoulder for the rest of the session

L- Matt Seigel, 7.730/91.86
R- Huston Dial, 4.425/162.70
Dial’s best pass of the weekend vaults him into the fourth qualifying spot

L- David Janes, 4.557/159.83
R- Elliott Thompson, 4.693/152.31
Janes, the Norwalk champion, will not qualify at Rockingham

L- Rick Varner, 4.457/162.96
R- Michael Neal, 6.145/104.68
Varner improves a tenth and takes over the No. 7 spot

L- Brad Personett, 4.359/166.85
R- Steve Gorman, 4.471/161.81
Super run by Personett, who also drops by a tenth

L- Mike Hill, NTR/NSR
R- Edmund Hall, 5.926/103.40
Hill loses traction right away and drifts all the way to the left wall

L- Bill Jewett, 4.954/148.46
R- Rodney Rosenstiel, 4.783/155.27
Extreme 10.5 qualifying ends with two surprising DNQs

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme Motorcycle qualifying (third round)

L- Charlie Prophit, 4.271/163.49
R- Ron Clark, 4.326/151.07
Nice pass from Clark, but Prophit is even more impressive, going way below the 4.3-second barrier

L- Richard Holder, 4.479/159.12
R- Nikie Corley, 6.825/6.408

L- Steve Drake, 4.411/164.19
R- Japel Heard, 4.465/162.37

L- Ronald Procopio, 4.405/154.51
R- Monte Campbell, 4.456/159.74
Procopio is in the field at No. 7

L- Louie Grist, 4.680/150.45
R- Eddie Gonder Jr., 4.430/154.97

L- Jack Young, 4.692/162.00
R- Scott Valetti, NTR/NSR
Valetti’s bike never moves. Young will be a surprising DNQ

L- Bill Vose, 4.305/161.05
R-(single)
Vose finishes the session with a nice pass and claims the No. 3 spot

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme qualifying (second round)

L- Joshua Hernandez, 3.914/192.66
R- Bil Clanton, 3.906/190.75
Pro Extreme kicks off with a fantastic side-by-side pass from both teams. A 3.91 is actually the slower of the two e.t.s

L- Bubba Stanton, 4.054/180.48
R- Paul Athey, 4.261/167.74
Athey moves up; no help for the world champ, who has a 4.00 from earlier today

L- Herman Sheppard, 4.361/172.21
R- Dan Bandish, 4.618/132.71

L- Frankie Taylor, 3.933/187.89
R- Mike Neal, 3.969/177.23
Another great side-by-side pass. Both drivers move way up, grabbing the Nos. 7 and 8 spots

L- Tommy Mauney, 3.925/193.60
R- Joey Martin, 3.978/183.64
Make it back-to-back all-3-second runs. Mauney goes from the outside to comfortably qualified

L- Mel Eaves, 3.996/184.75
R- Bennie McDonald Jr., 3.998/184.67
That’s three in a row. Three-second passes are getting almost common. Great job by all the teams involved

L- Todd Tutterow, 3.949/190.00
R- T.J. Harrill, 4.200/170.56
Harrill improves slightly; he’ll get one more shot

L- Brian Daniels, 4.048/181.50
R- Tommy D'Aprile, 4.003/183.92
D’Aprile with just enough to grab the bump for now. We’re approaching an all-3-second field

L- Joe Baker, 3.944/184.65
R- Chip King, 3.930/186.98
Another great two-lane race. And that gives us the first all-3-second field in eighth-mile drag racing history. The bump is now at 3.99

L- Hugh Scott, 4.105/175.05
R- Quain Stott, 3.899/187.55
It’s Stott over Scott, as Quain goes below the 3.9-second barrier. He claims the No. 3 spot

L- Kelly Martin, 4.002/183.89
R- Travis Swearingen, 3.984/186.95
Martin with a nice-looking pace, but he’s left on the outside for now. It’s hard to believe a 4.00 isn’t good enough

L-(single)
R- Dwayne Watkins, 8.417/76.61
Watkins turns left right away

L-(single)
R- Doug Winters, 6.902/68.34
Winters strikes the tires. That’s a wrap for an amazing Pro Extreme session

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Nitrous qualifying (second round)

L- Terry Housley, 4.100/175.71
R- Ronnie Hood, 4.093/178.33
Following a pass by Randy Weatherford, we’re back in action at The Rock, with the left-side scoreboard now working

L- Johnny Barb, 4.957/103.76
R- Buzz Varner, 4.640/117.31
No dice for this pair. The bump is already down to 4.09

L- Ed Burnley, 4.121/176.60
R- Burton Auxier, 4.187/174.30

L- Billy Harper, 4.275/136.34
R- Lester Cooper, NTR/NSR
Cooper never takes the Tree and is waved off. Harper clicks it early

L- Harold Martin, 4.091/182.40
R- Kenny Rucker, 4.831/107.61
Nice pass for Martin, but Rucker gets crossed up and rides the centerline briefly

L- Todd Tutterow, 4.154/171.73
R- Mike Lockwood, 4.113/170.97
Neither driver quite gets in, but Tutterow made a notable pass in his substitute role for Annette Summer

L- Greg Godwin, 4.049/179.59
R- Stan Allen, 4.058/181.84
There’s our best side-by-side pass of the session; nice pass for both teams

L- Sonny Tindal, 7.413/65.11
R- Thomas Myers, 4.228/171.75
Tindal loses the groove very early

L- Josh Chester, 4.151/175.25
R- Tim Savell, 4.156/171.72

L- Thomas Jones, 4.966/103.96
R- Jim Halsey, 4.064/184.70

L- Steve Vick, 4.083/179.41
R- Johnny Pilcher, 4.049/180.84
Nice effort from both lanes. Pilcher goes from below the line up into the thick of it. He looks likely to keep his lifetime ADRL qualifying streak alive.

L- Anthony Davis, 5.434/102.11
R- Dennis Radford, 4.309/131.90

L- Dwayne White, 4.208/156.70
R- Keith Baker, 4.071/180.69
Baker will stick with his first-round 4.05 for now

L- Charles Carpenter, 4.085/180.84
R-(single)
A solid pass for Carpenter jumps him up to the No. 12 spot

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Extreme 10.5 qualifying (second round)

L- Kenny Kneece, 4.458/164.91
R- Brian Williams, 4.567/162.10
Big improvement for both drivers

L- Steve Gorman, 4.358/164.79
R- David Janes, 4.759/148.30
Gorman matches his 4.35 from the first round

L- Huston Dial, 4.526/160.l9
R- Rick Varner, 6.088/94.70

L- Elliott Thompson,
R- Brad Personett, 4.740/166.46

L- Michael Neal, 4.451/167.38
R- Mike Hill, 9.903/71.90
Hill strikes the tires and is unable to repeat his great first-round pass

L- Rodney Rosenstiel, 4.552/155.49
R- Bill Jewett, 7.790/62.71

L- Edmund Hall, 4.555/164.31
R- Matt Seigel, 7.201/96.80
Strange run for both drivers, who lose traction at different points on the track

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme Motorcycle qualifying (second round)

L- Monte Campbell, 4.609/
R- Jack Young, 4.773/159.59

L- Rob Bush, 4.472/157.52
R- Craig Rosenberg, 4.428/158.91

L- Mantez Thompson, 4.504/158.56
R- Mac McAdams, 4.559/154.58

L- Brian Carr, 4.552/152.66
R- Steve Drake, 4.491/160.14

L- Ron Clark, 4.512/154.20
R- Ronald Procopio, 4.635/156.87

L- Coodee Thomas, 4.391/168.41
R- Artavious McArthur, 4.871/132.43
Thomas jumps all the way to the No. 2 position with his first pass of the weekend

L- T.T. Jones, 4.538/153.67
R- Louie Grist, NTR/NSR

L- Japel Heard, 4.442/163.26
R- Bill Vose, 4.376/165.01
Good side-by-side pass here

L- Nikie Corley, 5.972/83.46
R- Scott Gray, 4.471/151.09

L- Robert Hunnicutt, 4.433/163.06
R- Charlie Prophit, 4.385/159.32

L- John Collins, 4.635/152.18
R- James Helton, 4.492/160.94

L- Scott Valetti, 4.292/165.44
R-(single)
Valetti hits the 4.2s on a great pass to end PMX qualifying

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme qualifying (first round)

L- Joey Martin, 3.998/181.69
R- John Lynam, 3.891/189.44
Pro Extreme starts off with a great side-by-side pass. The scoreboard was briefly out, but both of these runs looked legitimate.

L- Bil Clanton, 9.255/48.30
R- Joe Baker, 4.041/180.94
Clanton struck the tires right away and coasted from there

L- Dan Bandish, 4.099/180.74
R- Joshua Hernandez, 3.971/180.38
Hernandez clinches a place in the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts just by taking the Tree. He follows with a solid 3.97

L- T.J. Harrill, 4.263/167.78
R- Tommy Mauney, 6.791/74.84

L- Travis Swearingen, 3.998/184.09
R- Frankie Taylor, NTR/NSR
Taylor in trouble right away; he ends up coasting. Solid sub-4 pass for Swearingen

L- Quain Stott, 3.932/187.13
R- Mel Eaves, NTR/NSR
Eaves leaves before the Tree; nice-looking pass for Stott, a multiple-time ADRL event-winner

L- Doug Winters, 5.445/NSR
R- Bubba Stanton, 4.001/183.44
Stanton, the 2006 ADRL champion, has already clinched a place in the Battle for the Belts competition

L- Tommy D'Aprile, 9.521/54.36
R- Kelly Martin, 4.047/181.06

L- Paul Athey, 4.454/163.59
R- Herman Sheppard, 5.277/97.58

L- Dwayne Watkins, 3.931/185.51
R- Hugh Scott, 5.039/158.13
Great pass for Watkins to get his weekend started

L- Mike Neal, 6.361/69.57
R- Brian Daniels, 4.042/180.36
Neal with some major tire-shake right away; Daniels gets a baseline pass in

L- Bennie McDonald Jr., 7.603/70.78
R- Jason Scruggs, 3.809/200.86
And there’s some history! Scruggs is the first Pro Mod driver to reach 200 mph in eighth-mile competition. That could be, arguably, the last major performance milestone left in all of drag racing

L- Chip King, 4.683/113.42
R- Todd Tutterow, 3.975/189.15
King is all over his lane, but gets it to the finish. Good opener for Tutterow

September 15, 2007

Jason Scruggs hits 200 mph in Pro Extreme qualifying

It's just after 2 p.m. here at Rockingham Dragway, and Jason Scruggs has just made history. On his first qualifying attempt Saturday, Scruggs recorded a 3.809 at 200.86 mph, the first 200-mph eighth-mile pass ever recorded in a Pro Modified entry.

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Nitrous qualifying (first round)

L- Johnny Pilcher, 4.727/129.14
R- Terry Housley, 8.817/54.82
Pilcher lurches off the line, gets hooked back up, and is able to get it going

L- Ronnie Hood, 7.165/65.34
R- Josh Chester, 4.222/161.38
Hood gets loose right away in his season debut

L- Mike Lockwood, 4.098/180.07
R- Rod Houck, 4.112/177.30
Great runs in both lanes; best side-by-side pass of the early going

L- Buzz Varner, 4.091/179.33
R- Ed Burnley, 4.184/171.94
Great run for Varner, who takes the No. 1 spot right away from Lockwood

L- Kenny Rucker, NTR/NSR
R- Harold Martin, 4.331/141.25
Martin got real loose at the top end, but wrestled it back in line

L- Thomas Myers, 4.071/180.04
R- Todd Tutterow, 4.434/138.86
Great run for Myers, who takes over the top spot. Tutterow gets real loose in Annette Summer’s car

L- Burton Auxier, 4.087/178.99
R- Steve Vick, 4.074/179.65
Great side-by-side pass, with Vick just missing the No. 1 spot

L- Randy Weatherford, 4.057/180.09
R- Doug Riesterer, 4.002/181.59
The great passes just keep coming in Pro Nitrous. Riesterer nearly reaches the 3s

L- Jamie Hancock, 4.090/181.50
R- Anthony Davis, 4.445/162.90

L- Stan Allen, 4.067/181.89
R- Greg Godwin, 4.084/180.02
Two more good passes. This is shaping up to be a very strong Pro Nitrous field

L- Jim Halsey, 4.048/185.15
R- Dwayne White, 4.282/151.26

L- Llewellyn Bryant, NTR/NSR
R- Charles Carpenter, NTR/NSR
Bryant crosses the centerline, hits a cone, and pretty much shuts off the timers. Carpenter is given a 3.6-second e.t., but that will obviously be thrown out

L- Keith Baker, 4.053/180.91
R- Thomas Jones, 5.344/93.71
Baker goes A-to-B and ends up No. 4 in the first-round order

L- Rex Kelley, NTR/NSR
R- Billy Harper, 4.053/181.69
Kelley’s car dies on the line and he’s pushed back. Nice pass for Harper

L- Dennis Radford, 4.070/179.14
R- Sonny Tindal, 4.167/173.18
The bump is already down to 4.11

L- Lester Cooper, 4.343/166.35
R- Johnny Barb, 9.027/48.35
Barb’s car takes a sharp left turn at the hit

September 15, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Extreme 10.5 qualifying (first round)

L-Rick Varner, 4.56/159
R-Elliott Thompson, 5.119/134.75
And here’s the 10.5s. The left-hand scoreboard is out due to a lightning strike last night, so we might not be able to report every number from that side. A crew is on site and the electronics are expected to be fixed within two hours

L-Brian Williams, 6.357/106.80
R-Rodney Rosenstiel, 4.512/162.94

L-Matt Seigel, 8.668/76
R-Michael Neal, 4.472/168.30
Problems in the left lane, but Neal looks good on his baseline pass

L-Mike Hill, 4.336/170.82
R-Huston Dial, 4.949/153.30
Great run for Hill, who has a chance at the ADRL speed record. He’ll need a backup run later tonight

L-David Janes, 4.712/114.14
R-Kenny Kneece, 5.843/127.58

L-Bill Jewett, 5.231/148.20
R-Michelle Wilson, 4.386/165.92
Nice-looking pass for Wilson

L-Brad Personett, 4.445/163.97
R-Steve Gorman, 4.358/166.92
Nice passes from both sides

L-(single)
R-Edmund Hall, 5.992/107.03

September 14, 2007

Rain ends Friday action at Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV

Friday’s action at the Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV event at Rockingham Dragway has ended. With just one rider in Pro Extreme Motorcycles yet to complete a first qualifying pass, a rainstorm moved into the Rockingham area, bringing an end to the night.
Drivers in Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, and Extreme 10.5 will get three qualifying passes Saturday (noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m.), while Pro Extreme Motorcycle riders will get their normally scheduled two runs. Eliminations in all four classes will be contested in the evening, as usual.
Dragstock IV is the second-to-last event on the 2007 ADRL schedule. It is the final chance for all ADRL professional racers to earn points toward qualifying for the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts championship eliminators.

September 14, 2007

Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV Pro Extreme Motorcycle qualifying (first round, partial)

L-Robert Procopio, NTR/NSR
R-Robert Hunnicutt, 4.466/160.82
And we’re off! Procopio never takes the Tree; Hunnicutt establishes the baseline

L-James Helton, 4.479/159.40
R-Monte Campbell, 5.070/157.34
These two are part of what looks like a big PMX field. The first version of the entry list shows 24 riders

L-Louie Grist, NTR/NSR
R-Brian Carr, 4.681/143.96
Grist’s bike never really gets going; he’s helped off the track

L-Artavious McArthur, 4.857/132.30
R-Rob Bush, 4.485/156.43
It looks like we might have some oil on the track

L-Mac McAdams, 6.286/78.72
R-Mantez Thompson, 5.013/133.67
Following a clean-up, neither rider will be totally thrilled with these numbers

L-Bill Vose, 4.780/117.94
R-John Collins, 4.363/152.18

L-Charlie Prophit, 6.805/73.48
R-Scott Valetti, 4.302/163.69
Nice run for Valetti, who goes right to the top of the order

L-Craig Rosenberg, 4.424/157.19
R-T.T. Jones, 4.619/153.91
Jones enters the event in the crucial No. 8 spot in the Battle for the Belts stndings

L-Steve Drake, 4.503, 153.70
R-Japel Heard, 4.513, 158.50
Close side-by-side run, but both riders will look for more Saturday

L-Derrick Holloway, 4.647/128.22
R-Eddie Gonder Jr., 4.419/161.75
A nice-looking pass for Norwalk winner Gonder

L-Scott Gray, 4.515/143.34
R-Ron Clark, NTR/NSR
Clark goes through the Tree. And, not long after, the rain begins. We’re on a delay.

September 14, 2007

Test session under way at Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV

The Rockingham Dragway staging lanes are now open for test runs in all four ADRL professional classes, with the first car going down the track at 2 p.m. straight up. The lanes are beginning to fill up rapidly with a steady stream of Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Extreme 10.5, and Pro Extreme Motorcycle entries.

Some of the early highlights included:

* Quain Stott recording a nice 3.99/182 in the third pair down the track;
* Doug Riesterer with a 4.02/171 in his Pro Nitrous entry;
* Jim Halsey makes another ADRL appearance and shakes off the cobwebs with a 4.08 that looked a little bit loose.

Update, 5 p.m.:

* Two nice Pro Extreme runs within a few minutes of each other: John Lynam with a 3.94 and Tott Tutterow posts a 3.95.

Update, 5:30 p.m.

* Joey Martin with a great-looking 3.99 in Pro Extreme; the staging lanes will only be open for another half an hour, and a lot of drivers are looking to get one more hit;
* Just a few minutes later, Jason Scruggs wows the crowd with a 3.85. He'll be looking to collect a $10,000 bounty from Flowmaster (as will any other driver) if he can break the 200-mph at any point this weekend.

Update, 6 p.m.

* Sonny Tindal with a solid 4.14, notable because most of the other drivers in the pairs in front of him either struck the tires or lost the  groove.
* Quain Stott with a 4.03 to back up his 3.99 from back when we first got started this afternoon at The Rock.

September 13, 2007

AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts points scenarios

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (Sept. 13, 2007) — This weekend's Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV event at Rockingham Dragway will determine the eight-car fields for the third annual AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts competition, the season-ending eliminators in all four Flowmaster American Drag Racing League professional classes that will decide the 2007 ADRL world champions. Only the top eight points-earners in each class at the conclusion of Dragstock IV are guaranteed a spot in their respective Belts fields.

The Battle for the Belts will be held Oct. 12 in Ennis, Texas, as part of the AlphaTrade ADRL World Finals, the last event on the 2007 schedule.

Heading into Dragstock IV, three drivers have managed to mathematically clinch Battle for the Belts spots in their respective classes. A number of other drivers are on the verge of clinching, needing only either a reasonably good weekend for their own teams or else a poor weekend by a lower-ranked driver to secure a spot.

Following is a breakdown of each class' major contenders. For details on how ADRL/Battle for the Belts points are scored, visit http://www.adrl.us/index.php/main/insidepage/rules/:

Pro Extreme
Clinched: Bubba Stanton (2,078 points). Stanton is the defending ADRL Pro Extreme world champion.
Virtually clinched: Joshua Hernandez (1,568). He needs only to activate the Tree on a qualifying attempt to claim a Belts spot.
Looking good: Travis Swearingen (1,375) and Jason Scruggs (1,338). Scruggs is a likely candidate to score bonus points for setting new Pro Extreme records; he set both ends of the current ADRL record at Dragstock III.
Eighth place: Brian Daniels (920).
Difference between eighth and ninth place: 35 points.

Pro Nitrous
Clinched: Johnny Pilcher (2,090 points). He has dominated the points battle all season.
Virtually clinched: Charles Carpenter (1,477) and Terry Housley (1,468). Both drivers could still get in even with a sub-par event. One round-win would clinch a Belts place for either driver.
Looking good: Keith Baker (1,379) and Doug Riesterer (1,355). Baker is the defending Belts champion.
Eighth place: Rod Houck (949).
Difference between eighth and ninth place: 11 points

Extreme 10.5
Clinched: Mike Hill (914 points). Hill is in the field, despite skipping the Norwalk event.
Virtually clinched: Rodney Rosenstiel (840) and Bill Jewett (815). Both drivers will qualify for the Belts show the minute that Marcus Birt loses or fails to qualify.
Looking good: Steve Gorman (592). He has a 100-point lead over fifth place.
Eighth place: Todd Tutterow (333).
Difference between eighth and ninth place: 4 points

Pro Extreme Motorcycle
Clinched: None.
Virtually clinched: Coodee Thomas (981 points) and Jack Young (919). Just qualifying would probably be enough for both riders.
Looking good: Steve Drake (801). He is nearly 200 points clear of fourth place.
Eighth place: T.T. Jones (558).
Difference between eighth and ninth place: 20 points

September 12, 2007

Big Fields Expected for Fourth Dragstock; Belts Fields Wide Open

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (Sept. 10, 2007) - The Flowmaster American Drag Racing League's oldest and largest event returns for a fourth edition this weekend, with more than 100 total entries expected Friday and Saturday for the Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV event at Rockingham Dragway.

Dragstock IV begins Friday with open testing throughout the afternoon and a single qualifying round for the ADRL's professional classes (Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Extreme 10.5, and Pro Extreme Motorcycle) in the evening. Saturday's schedule calls for two additional qualifying attempts, followed by eliminations in all four classes. Dragstock IV will follow the ADRL's standard time schedule, which can be found at www.adrl.us/index.php/main/insidepage/schedule.

The ADRL began in the fall of 2004 with the first Dragstock, a stand-alone event open to any Pro Modified race team willing to take on a large field at an eighth-mile distance. Since that inaugural race, Dragstock has continued to be the ADRL's largest and most prestigious national event, with huge fields turning out every year to compete for some of the most prestigious event titles in all of Pro Modified racing.

As in the last two editions of the event, Dragstock IV will also serve as the final chance for all professional drivers to earn points for the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts competitions, which will determine the four 2007 ADRL world champions. Only the top eight points-earners in each class at the completion of Dragstock IV will qualify for the Battle for the Belts championship eliminators, Oct. 12 at the AlphaTrade ADRL World Finals in Ennis, Texas.

Entering the event, three drivers have mathematically clinched spots in their respective Belts competitions (and a number of other drivers will clinch the moment that some of their lower-ranked competitors are eliminated). In Pro Extreme, 2006 ADRL champion Bubba Stanton has earned a place in the final eight; Johnny Pilcher has qualified in Pro Nitrous; and Mike Hill has wrapped up a place in the Extreme 10.5 field. All other Belts competitors, including the entire Pro Extreme Motorcycle field, will be determined when the dust settles Saturday night at Rockingham Dragway.