ADRL.us sponsored by Flowmaster

September 28, 2009

National Guard ADRL Opens Adrenaline Zone Online

O’FALLON, MO (Sep. 28, 2009) — It just got easier than ever to fly your National Guard American Drag Racing League (ADRL) colors.

The National Guard ADRL is proud to announce the opening of its online store today, offering the same exciting, high-quality products and apparel available through its Adrenaline Zone merchandise store at all National Guard ADRL events, along with exclusive items available only through Adrenaline Zone Online.

“We’re all very excited about adding Adrenaline Zone Online,” National Guard ADRL Director of Membership Services Aimee Visney says. “It’s something that many people have been working on for several months and personally, I can’t wait to finally open its virtual doors for business.”

Adrenaline Zone Online is accessible though a link on the series’ official Web site (www.ADRL.us) and offers a wide variety of officially licensed ADRL merchandise, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, souvenirs and novelties.

“This is not the same old race wear,” Visney states. “We’ve really tried to find and develop designs that reflect modern fashion sensibilities. We’ll also be constantly adding new merchandise in cutting-edge styles and colors, in addition to running special sales.”

While all prices at Adrenaline Zone Online remain very reasonable, official National Guard ADRL members will be rewarded with a 15 percent discount and all orders totaling more than $100 will be delivered with no additional shipping fees.

“We feel like this is the perfect time to launch Adrenaline Zone Online,” Visney says. “With Christmas not so far away, I hope all National Guard ADRL racers and fans will drop by and pick up their gifts online this year.”

The National Guard ADRL Adrenaline Zone store will be in attendance and open for business Oct. 23-24, at the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals V in Ennis, TX, just south of Dallas.

One of the most popular stops for racers and fans alike at National Guard ADRL events is the National Guard ADRL Adrenaline Zone store. With the launch of Adrenaline Zone Online Sep. 28, the same exciting, high-quality products and apparel are now available to Internet-based shoppers.   

(ADRL/Tocher file photos)

September 25, 2009

National Guard ADRL Impresses Veteran Drag Racing Promoter

O’FALLON, MO (Sep. 25, 2009) — In the world of big-league drag racing, to say Steve Earwood, 61, has “been there, done that” almost trivializes the man’s career. He began in 1970 as manager of the famed Gainesville Raceway in Florida and stints as an NHRA and major-venue public relations specialist in Dallas and Atlanta had Earwood rubbing shoulders with all of drag racing’s greatest drivers, team and track owners, and promoters throughout the sport’s formative years.

In the early-1990s, Earwood purchased Rockingham Dragway, where for years he hosted the NHRA’s All-Star Winston Invitational before switching over to IHRA sanction a few years ago and now holds two IHRA national events each year in addition to periodic special events, including rock concerts.

Still, after more than 17 years at “The Rock” and experience with every major player in the game, even Earwood was blown away by the National Guard American Drag Racing League’s (ADRL’s) Flowmaster Dragstock VI, held recently at his track nestled in the pine forests of central North Carolina.

The National Guard ADRL’s official Web site (www.ADRL.us) caught up with Earwood, back at the track bright and early Sunday morning after Dragstock VI, running the timing system for a few ADRL race teams that lingered for a little testing after the record-setting crowds had long gone home.

ADRL.us: What’s most memorable about the past couple of days for you?

Earwood: Well, a couple of things.

Of course, the crowd, which was incomparable to anything we’ve ever done. It was by far our largest one-day crowd, even better than that first Dragstock (Dragstock III at Rockingham Dragway) because we were totally unprepared then and it got to be a sticky situation. But we had more people here this year than ever.

And I can tell by the parking lots. We filled up the NASCAR track, which we’d never done before; we filled up our back 60-acre lot, which we’d never done before. Our front lot was full by 10:15 yesterday morning and that’s just never happened; from Metallica, to the Winston Invitational or certainly for any of the IHRA national events, it’s just never happened, so it was by far our biggest crowd ever.

But, the performance of the cars and the safety of the event, that stands out more than anything else. We got the quickest fields in Pro Extreme and Pro Nitrous and in the bike class (Pro Extreme Motorcycle), so that’s very gratifying because we don’t have a lot of motorcycle events here. And we just missed the quickest Extreme 10.5 field by a couple hundredths, so it was just a true blessing.

Plus, with the biggest crowd that we had, Security told me of just one incident, one fist fight where a guy got his nose bloodied—and he probably deserved it—but  that’s just phenomenal. I mean, you have more fights than that at a Southern Baptists Convention. It was a very well-behaved crowd.

ADRL.us: Does a successful event like Flowmaster Dragstock VI positively impact your business beyond the immediate weekend?

Earwood: Oh yes, we’ve had calls already this morning from people telling us what a great time they had. They’d never been to a drag race before, they’d never been to a motorsports event of any kind, but they’re hooked and wanted to come back and were asking when our next big event is going to be.

We were blessed with beautiful weather, too. That little shower we had was actually a good thing because a third of the crowd left and they were replaced immediately by a new third, so that many more people got to experience things. It could not have gone better.

ADRL.us: The National Guard ADRL promotes Dragstock as its oldest, most prestigious event, but what will it take to get it where it equals other great American races like the Daytona 500 or U.S. Nationals?

Earwood: Well, I think it already has that reputation with the racers, but with the fans, the people who come to this race, they get it, they’re hooked and I think it does get placed at the top of their list of motorsports events to attend.

But the next step is we’ve got to go after the mainstream media. I mean, the Charlotte Observer needs to be here covering this race, local TV stations need to get involved. When a guy comes to an event like this and he goes home and he doesn’t see anything about it in the Raleigh News and Observer the next day he might think, ‘Hmmm, maybe that wasn’t such a big deal after all.’ But it is and if he sees the results in the newspaper and on his local sports show the next day, that’s a big deal.

So that’s the next thing we have to do, get on par with the other sanctioning bodies. I was so happy to see this event in the USA Today under their schedule. That’s a gigantic step forward because once you get in there maybe you can get those guys to come out and see what we’re doing and I think they’ll be impressed. That’s got to be next.

ADRL.us: So, you’re excited about the future of the National Guard ADRL at Rockingham Dragway?

Earwood: Let me tell you, (National Guard ADRL President and CEO) Kenny Nowling is my horse at every race we have going on; that’s who I’m gonna’ bet on.

The five-year-old National Guard ADRL routinely attracts a younger and more diverse audience than traditional drag racing series and has seen record-setting attendance at nearly every track visited this year.

(ADRL/Burwell/Rowe/Tocher file photos)

September 23, 2009

No New Rules for National Guard ADRL

O’FALLON, MO (Sep. 23, 2009) — After careful consideration, the National Guard American Drag Racing League (ADRL) will not be imposing any new minimum weight rules in the foreseeable future. Additionally, traction control will remain an option for those teams that wish to use it in every professional category with the exception of Extreme Pro Stock, which retains the rules that mandate a minimum weight (2,425 lbs w/driver) and specify the use of traction control is not allowed.  

The National Guard ADRL was founded on the principle of no rules except for safety. At its recent Flowmaster Dragstock VI event at Rockingham (NC) Dragway, however, the series distributed questionnaires to its teams seeking opinions on whether to mandate minimum weights and prohibit traction control devices as cost-cutting measures.

“We carefully read every single response and in the end we had to agree with our racers, who overwhelmingly said, ‘If it ain’t broke; don’t fix it,’” said Bert Corzine, executive vice president of competition for the all-eighth-mile drag racing series. “They’re right, we’ve had record car counts this year, enthusiasm for the series is still growing strong and to be quite honest, some of the costs thrown around for building these new, light-weight cars have been grossly inflated.

“As far as traction control goes, everything we’ve seen and heard points to these devices contributing to a safer ride. When you’re talking about going from zero to over 207 miles an hour in 3.6 seconds, anything we can do to make things safer has to be considered a positive, so the use of traction control remains permitted,” Corzine added.

National Guard ADRL racers like Pro Nitrous world championship contender Johnny Pilcher don’t have to worry about meeting minimum weight requirements and remain free to employ traction control devices, if desired. (ADRL/Tocher file photo)

National Guard ADRL President and CEO Kenny Nowling said he stands behind the decisions of Corzine and his Competition Committee “100 percent” and is confident the series will continue to prosper.

“The entire National Guard ADRL team works diligently to provide the best place to race the quickest and fastest full-bodied passenger cars and motorcycles in the world and we’ve been rewarded with growing entry fields at practically every race,” Nowling said.

“Over the five years we’ve been staging events, ADRL racers have repeatedly shown me they are the most courageous and determined competitors on the face of the Earth,” he continued. “I just don’t see any of them walking away from the level of competition that they created through their own hard work and sacrifice.”

The National Guard ADRL is back in action Oct. 23-24, with its LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals V at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, TX, just south of Dallas.

September 17, 2009

Castellana Carries Momentum Into Battle for the Belts

ROCKINGHAM, NC (September 17, 2009)— Mike Castellana (left)  scored his third Pro Nitrous win in three finals rounds on the 2009 National Guard ADRL Tour Sep. 12, in the ADRL’s Flowmaster Dragstock VI at Rockingham Dragway. The victory tied him for third on the Pro Nitrous all-time winningest driver’s list and marked the second time in his ADRL career Castellana has won from the number-one qualifying position.

One of the most talked about feats of the event, especially in Pro Nitrous, was Castellana’s 3.86-seconds blast in Friday night’s final qualifying session to earn the top spot. The elapsed time was the quickest in the category’s history and nearly a tenth-of-a-second quicker than 2008’s number-one qualifier at Rockingham. Castellana was unable to back the run up within the required one percent for an official record, however.

Regardless, while impressed by the performance displayed by his Speedtech Nitrous/Reher-Morrison engine program, Castellana spoke candidly about the world’s quickest nitrous pass—especially the part about the brandywine-colored 1970.5 Camaro being inches from the wall as it crossed the eighth-mile finish line.

“The car drove towards the wall, out of the groove about 500 feet out. I felt the car drift and knew I was taking a chance being that close to the wall, but luckily we didn’t crash,” he said.

En route to the final round, Castellana disposed of Fredy Scriba with an impressive 3.91-second run at 192.22 mph in the opening round, then battled it out with Pro Modified legend Charles Carpenter in the quarter-final, taking the win with a 3.90/192.96. His semi-final match-up against his crew chief and Al-Anabi Racing teammate Shannon “The Iceman” Jenkins produced a 3.90/192.08 win, and marked the first time the two had paired up in National Guard ADRL eliminations.

On the opposite side of the ladder, Al-Anabi teammate Burton Auxier, the third-place starter with a 3.90/193.29 qualifying effort, was also mowing through the quickest and fastest field in the history of ADRL Pro Nitrous on his way to his second career final round.

After taking out Randy Weatherford in the first round of eliminations by way of a 3.90/191.81, Auxier put together his first-ever 3.8-second run in the quarter-finals against John Bartunek at 3.89-seconds and 192.38 mph, setting up a semi-final match against Pro Nitrous points leader Jim Halsey. In the quickest side-by-side race in the history of the class, Auxier left first with a remarkable .007 reaction time followed by Halsey with a .040-light, taking the win by a margin of 11 feet with another career-best run at 3.87 at 192.52 mph.

For the final round, it would be the second all Al-Anabi Racing shootout in National Guard ADRL history as Auxier’s ’68 Firebird lined up in the left-hand lane with Castellana’s Camaro opposite. Both driver’s are well-known for their starting line prowess, but Auxier had the edge in reaction times with a .027-light to Castellana’s .052. The Westbury, New York-based driver quickly reeled in his teammate when Auxier’s car went into tire shake, and took the win with a convincingly consistent 3.90 at 193.16 mph.

“We had already won before we even raced,” Auxier said later. “Having two team cars in the final round, especially here at Dragstock, we couldn’t really ask for much more.”

Al-Anabi Racing teammates Mike Castellana (near lane) and Burton Auxier squared off in the Pro Nitrous final of the National Guard ADRL’s Flowmaster Dragstock VI Sep. 12, at Rockingham Dragsway, with Castellana earning his third race win of the ‘09 points season. 

Castellana, who won the first all Al-Anabi final in St. Louis earlier this year, was equally content with the situation.

“It was great to have three of our four team cars in the semis and two in the final,” he said. “I’m just glad we could win another one for the Sheikh. Racing one of my teammates in the final, I was a little more relaxed than usual because I knew the team was going to get the win, no matter what. Now we just have to turn our attention to the Speedtech Nitrous Battle for the Belts and bring home the championship.”

Staged in Ennis, Texas, next month at the legendary Texas Motorplex will be the National Guard ADRL Speedtech Nitrous Battle for the Belts—a shootout between the top-8 points earners in each class to decide the 2009 world champions. With all four cars in the Battle, Al-Anabi Racing is well suited to take home the coveted ADRL world championship belt, but faces formidable opponents in Pro Nitrous veterans Jim Halsey, Stan Allen, Steve Vick and Johnny Pilcher.

Jenkins, who not only drives, but also offers his wealth of nitrous tuning and racing expertise to the entire Al-Anabi Racing camp, was clearly satisfied with the team’s performance. “This is exactly the kind of weekend we want to have. This team rose to the occasion, showed consistency and performance – and the results are obvious. Our focus now, of course, has to be the Speedtech Battle for the Belts in Dallas.”

(ADRL/Bunsold/Tocher/Richards file photos)

September 16, 2009

Carpenter Encouraged by Dragstock VI Results

CHARLOTTE, NC (September 16, 2009) – It was easily Charles Carpenter’s most successful outing at Rockingham Dragway in recent memory.

Brushing aside years and years of frustration and bad luck at his home track, Carpenter (left) put on a show for the hometown fans, laying down a series of five consecutive three-second passes en route to the eighth qualifying position in Pro Nitrous and a second-round exit in eliminations this past weekend at the National Guard ADRL’s Flowmaster Dragstock VI.

The Charlotte, NC, native started the weekend off with a stellar 3.968 pass in the heat of the day, then followed that up with a career-best-tying 3.958 in Friday’s night qualifying session to land him in the top half of the quickest Pro Nitrous field in history, which also was the first all-three-second field, rounded out by Fredy Scriba’s 3.999.

“It’s critical to go out and make a good run, or at least get down the track, on your first hit,” said Carpenter. “That’s exactly what we did, and it set us up for a successful weekend. I was able to match my career-best ET and qualify in the top half of the quickest field in history. We’re out here doing all that with one of the smallest engines in competition, a patched-up, shoebox race car, and very limited funding, so it makes the type of performance we had this weekend even more rewarding.”

Carpenter would face fellow North Carolinian Dale Brinsfield in the opening matchup of eliminations. Both veteran drivers were off the line at nearly the same time, but Carpenter was able to hold off Brinsfield’s 3.995 with his 3.977 elapsed time.

“I knew Dale would be tough and we were able to get around him, but unfortunately the engine damaged a valve right at the finish line,” Carpenter explained. “We had a heck of a thrash in the pits to repair the damage, but everyone chipped in and we made it to the staging lanes just in the nick of time.”

However, Carpenter’s 3.983 wasn’t enough to hold off polesitter and eventual winner Mike Castellana’s 3.902 in the quarterfinals, putting an end to an outstanding weekend for the local favorite.

“I would have liked to go further in eliminations, but those guys are so tough right now,” Carpenter admitted. “We gave it all we had and still had an incredible weekend. All my friends and family finally got to see us perform to our potential, and I’m already excited about what’s in store for (the year-ending event in) Dallas and 2010.”

Carpenter will next compete in the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals V, Oct. 23-24, at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas, just south of Dallas.

September 15, 2009

Photographer With Unique Perspective of Flowmaster Dragstock VI

O’FALLON, MO (Sep. 15, 2009) — When photographer John Mason arrived at Rockingham (NC) Dragway for this past weekend’s National Guard American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Flowmaster Dragstock VI, he knew he was coming for not just a race, but a happening.

“I know this is an annual event, but I feel like Dragstock is similar to its namesake, Woodstock, where for many people the music, or in this case the racing, is almost secondary to the experience of just being there, of being part of something special,” explains Mason, an African History professor who also teaches classes on the history of photography at the University of Virginia.

“Of course they wouldn’t even be there at all if it weren’t for the fast cars and motorcycles, but I think it’s great that so many new fans who have never even been to any kind of race before were there.”

Ironically, Mason also finds refuge amidst the noise, smoke, speed and crowds of a major drag racing event like the National Guard ADRL’s Dragstock.

“I love the diversity of drag racing. It encompasses all ages, genders, social classes and races,” he points out. “With so much conflict in the world, it’s nice to go somewhere where people get along and all that really matters is how fast you run.”

With that thought in mind, Mason says he set out to capture Flowmaster Dragstock VI through his lens in a manner that emphasizes the people—on both sides of the guard walls—over the racing machinery.

“I don’t want to say that taking pictures of race cars gets boring, but it can get repetitive. I thought I’d try to show a little of what goes on away from the track this time.”

The result is “ADRL Flowmaster Dragstock VI: A Day (or Two) at the Races,” an insightful photo essay posted to Mason’s online blog (http://johnedwinmason.typepad.com/) that pays homage to ordinary fans, fellow photographers and Army National Guard soldiers attending Dragstock VI on a one-day pass from their basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

“Having all those National Guard soldiers there was a real bonus,” Mason says. “Here you have all these young people who have chosen to serve their country; it’s really quite inspiring.”

Mason also is a contributor to East Coast Drag News and his event report and more photos from the National Guard ADRL Flowmaster Dragstock VI will appear in the next published issue.

Seventy-three soldiers, including 29 from the Army National Guard, going through Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Jackson, SC, attended the National Guard ADRL’s Flowmaster Dragstock VI at Rockingham (NC) Dragway Sep. 12, on a one-day pass with their First Sergeant. 

(John Mason photos)

September 13, 2009

Flowmaster Dragstock VI Delivers Thrills at ‘The Rock’

ROCKINGHAM, NC (September 12, 2009)—The National Guard American Drag Racing League’s (ADRL’s) Flowmaster Dragstock VI lived up to its promise of a great event Sep. 12, delivering record-setting fields, outstanding individual efforts, massive crowds and exciting on-track action.

Before a standing-room-only crowd that packed historic Rockingham Dragway to capacity, Jason Hamstra (left, near lane) won his second Pro Extreme race of the year, Pro Nitrous veteran Mike Castellana scored his second win of the last three events, Chuck Ulsch doubled his Extreme 10.5 win total in record-setting fashion, Extreme Pro Stock racer Doug Kirk won his second of the year and Pro Extreme Motorcycle rider Eric McKinney became the lone first-time winner.

Hamstra, the number-one qualifier in the quickest 16-car field the National Guard ADRL has ever seen, opened with wins over Travis Swearingen, Gaylen Smith and Joshua Hernandez before defeating Pro Extreme newcomer Ken Walsh with a 3.76-seconds pass at 204.73 mph over the Rockingham eighth mile in the final round.

“Our car was driving really smooth all weekend, it didn’t spin the tires even once,” the 21-year-old from Demotte, Indiana, said of his supercharged 1968 Camaro. “Everything just went perfect for us here.”

Flowmaster Dragstock VI also represented the final points-paying opportunity toward securing a qualifying position for the National Guard ADRL’s unique Speedtech Battle for the Belts, which pits the top eight finishers in each of the series’ five pro classes against each other in winner-take-all, championship-deciding playoffs at the 2009 season ender this October in Dallas, Texas. With his win, Hamstra cemented a seventh-place points finish and a chance at a National Guard ADRL championship.

“That was our first priority when we arrived here,” Hamstra said. “Once we won our second round and knew we’d be in the Battle for the Belts we were able to relax a little and just go racing.”

Westbury, NY’s Castellana (right, near lane) knew going into the race he’d be part of the post-season Belts race and will start as the third seed in Dallas. Like Hamstra, he also qualified for the quickest Pro Nitrous field ever in first place at Rockingham before taking out Fredy Scriba, Charles Carpenter, and his own Al Anabi Racing teammates Shannon Jenkins and Burton Auxier in the semis and final round, respectively.

With team owner His Highness Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani looking on, Auxier got the jump off the start in the final, but Castellana’s 1970 Camaro quickly reeled him in and posted its third 3.90 pass in a row and won with a 193.16-mph blast.

“I saw Burton get out on me and didn’t think I was going to catch him, but then his car went into tire shake and that’s all it took,” Castellana said. “I’m just glad we could win another one for the Sheik. It was great to get three (of four) cars into the semis and racing my teammates, I was more relaxed than usual because I knew he team was going to get the win, no matter what. Now we just have to turn our attention to the Battle for the Belts and bring home the championship.”

Riding on relatively narrow 10.5-inch-wide rear slicks presents its own set of challenges, but since his debut of a new supercharged, Hemi-powered ’68 Camaro three races prior to Dragstock VI, Ulsch (left, far lane) has mastered the Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 class. After starting from the number-two slot with a 4.02 at an incredible 204.01 mph, the Clarksville, Maryland-based driver downed fellow Belts contenders Todd Moyer, Spiro Pappas and Jeff Paulk before facing off against top qualifier Gary White and his turbocharged, six cylinder 2007 Scion.

Ulsch left with a .045 holeshot and never looked back, running another 4.02 and increasing his speed to a whopping 206.39 mph. His qualifying speed becomes the official class record, however, since it’s not within the required one percent to back up the higher speed.

“This Vanishing Point car just continues to impress me. It’s working so perfectly and to see the kind of numbers we’re running now is really kind of unbelievable,” Ulsch said. “I’ve been at this a long time, but it doesn’t seem so long ago when we were running fives (seconds) at 140 miles an hour and to be running over 200 like this is just awesome.”

Following a seventh-place qualifying effort, Kirk (right, far lane), from Lenore, West Virginia, raced through Jason Collins, number-one starter Dean Goforth, and Elijah Morton before reaching his close friend, Brian Gahm, in the final round.

Prior to racing, Kirk and Gahm arranged with National Guard ADRL and Rockingham Dragway officials to stage a unique show for the thousands of fans on hand, swapping lanes while backing up from their burnouts.

“It’s something we’ve talked about doing for at least 10 years, but either no one would let us do it or it just wasn’t the right time to ask. We felt with the ADRL’s willingness to do things a little differently and the atmosphere and reputation of Dragstock as a unique race that this was the perfect opportunity. I hope the fans liked the show because we sure did. I especially liked the ending,” Kirk said after making his best pass of the weekend, a 4.09 at 176.12 mph, in the final round.

Starting from the number-three spot on the Pro Extreme Motorcycle qualifying list, McKinney (left, far lane) ran through Coodee Thomas, Ashley Owens and Monte Campbell to reach the final against Travis Davis. Mckinney’s race with Owens produced the first side-by-side passes in the 4-teens for the class, with McKinney taking a holeshot win with a 4.19 that beat Owens’ then-record 4.18 pass.

In the very next pair, Davis stepped up with a 4.16 to beat Lance Hines, then ran another 4.16 in the semis against Speedtech Battle for the Belts points leader Scott Gray to officially set the elapsed-time record.In the final, Davis left first, but his bike’s engine expired before reaching the finish line and McKinney rode his ’09 Suzuki to a 4.21 win at 170.60 mph.

“Oh man, it feels so great to get the win,” McKinney said. “This crowd is just amazing to race in front of. But this a team sport and I have to thanks so many people, but especially my dad and mom and my girlfriend; without them I couldn’t be out here.”

In the National Guard ADRL’s only non-heads-up and non-professional class, Manchester, Kentucky’s Tyler Allen (right, near lane) earned his first Pro Jr. Dragster victory, running a final-round 8.33 at 75.84 mph against an 8.30 dial.

The Speedtech Battle for the Belts will take place Oct. 23, on the first day of the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals V at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. The televised broadcast of Flowmaster Dragstock VI will be on Sep. 27, at 3 p.m. on the Versus network.

(ADRL/Richards photos)

September 13, 2009

Patrick Claims Final Spot in XPS Battle for the Belts

ROCKINGHAM, NC (September 12, 2009)— Being loyal has its advantages. Just ask Robert Patrick, the National Guard ADRL Extreme Pro Stock racer from Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Armed with bonus points from competing on the full 2009 National Guard ADRL Tour, Patrick overtook Cary Goforth for eighth place in points. This means he will compete in next month’s Speedtech Battle for the Belts competition in Ennis, Texas, to determine the 2009 National Guard ADRL Extreme Pro Stock world champion.

“I would have like to have won it straight up on points, but I’ll take it after the season we’ve had where we broke rods in four engines,” Patrick said of the bonus points awarded at the conclusion of his race day. “The engine we had in the car this weekend was one that we blew up after St. Louis. My engine builder Bob Ingles did a helluva job putting it back together. We just had some part failures.”

Patrick believes those issues are in the past.

“We’ll have our good motor back in time for Texas,” he said. “With the time off, we’ll have even more time to freshen up all of our equipment.”

Patrick came into the National Guard ADRL’s Flowmaster Dragstock VI this weekend in Rockingham, North Carolina, with the objective of keeping pace with Goforth, the eighth place ranked driver by four points. The former world champion outqualified Goforth by one spot and was eliminated in the same round of competition.

Momentum has been on Patrick’s side lately with a pair of number-one qualifying efforts, as well as a pair of semi-final finishes.

“We’re getting to running well when we needed to,” Patrick said. “I think we’ve run exceptionally well considering the situations we’ve faced. Texas will give us a new and fresh opportunity.”

(ADRL file photos)

September 12, 2009

Record-Setting Fields Reinforce Rockingham Reputation

ROCKINGHAM, NC (Sep.11, 2009) — Rockingham Dragway has a well-deserved reputation as a fast track and racers at the National Guard ADRL’s Flowmaster Dragstock VI reinforced that reputation Friday night with some of the quickest and fastest fields in series history.

Pro Extreme qualifying climaxed with a stellar 3.71-seconds pass at 205.10 miles per hour over the Rockingham eighth mile by Jason Hamstra (left) in his supercharged ’68 Camaro, representing the quickest and fastest pass ever by a torque converter-equipped car. It marks the first time Hamstra has ever officially led a National Guard ADRL qualifying round.

“We stepped it up a little bit at night, but it was far from a perfect pass,” the 21-year-old driver from Demotte, Indiana, said. “It moved around quite a bit out there. Our computer shows it pulled 2Gs lateral movement at one point. My teammates pointed out I missed my shift point a little and I told them that was because I was kind of busy driving!”

Dwayne Watkins currently holds the 16th and final qualifying position with a 3.91 at 193.63 lap, just nine-thousandths of a second off making it the quickest Pro Extreme field ever, and a record nine cars of the 35 entries have already topped the 200-mph mark. With one more qualifying session left for Saturday and several highly ranked drivers and cars still seeking inclusion, both records seem likely to change.

Pro Extreme qualifying also was interrupted by two significant engine explosions and fires, but fortunately, Frankie Taylor and Tommy D’Aprile escaped unharmed in both cases.

Mike Castellana (right) of Westbury, NY, leads a similar situation with his 1970 Camaro in Pro Nitrous, which already has set a record as quickest field in National Guard ADRL history, bookended by Castellana’s record-setting 3.86 at 185.23 and Ted Smith’s 4.01 at 182.72 mph in the 16th position.

“The car drove toward the wall, out of the groove about 500 feet out. I felt the car drift and knew I was taking a chance being that close to the wall, but luckily we didn’t crash,” Castellana said.

Only two cars separate Pro Nitrous from featuring its first all-three-second field, and again, several non-qualified contenders from the 38 entries may well step up and help create history in Saturday’s lone qualifying session.

Qualifying for the Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 class is presently led by New Market, Alabama’s Gary White (left) with a 4.00-seconds pass at 181.45 mph in the turbocharged, six-cylinder Titan Motorsports ’07 Scion. Close behind White at 4.02 seconds is Chuck Ulsch, who went an incredible 204.01 mph on the relatively narrow 10.5-inch-wide rear rubber on his supercharged ’68 Camaro.

Like Pro Nitrous, just two cars separate the Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 class from producing its quickest field ever, with R.B. Smith currently on the bump spot with a 4.62 time.

Thirty-nine riders entered Pro Extreme Motorcycle at Rockingham and after two qualifying rounds Ronald Procopio (right) from Wake Forest, North Carolina, is on top with a 4.22 at 169.13 mph aboard his ’07 Suzuki. After the opening session, the National Guard ADRL’s two-wheeled warriors had already established the fifth-quickest field in series history, but after two shots at the track they made up the quickest field ever, locked in with a 4.33 by Derrick Holloway.

Holdenville, Oklahoma’s Dean Goforth came through with a 4.08 at 176.77 mph on Friday night to become the provisional Extreme Pro Stock pole sitter. Goforth’s elapsed time is less than three hundredths off the official class record and his speed falls short of the official mark by less than one mile per hour.

As the National Guard ADRL’s only non-heads-up class, the Pro Jr. Dragster division for drivers aged 8-17 qualifies based on quickest reaction times and Taylor Weatherford currently holds the lead over the 16-car field with a .007 light after two hits at the tree.

Flowmaster Dragstock VI resumes Saturday, Sep. 12, with a third and final round of qualifying for all classes beginning at noon, with elimination rounds to follow.

September 11, 2009

Patrick Pursues Battle for the Belts Points

ROCKINGHAM, NC (Sept. 11, 2009)— Four points never meant so much to a driver.

For Fredericksburg, VA-based Robert Patrick, those points will determine whether his 2009 National Guard ADRL Extreme Pro Stock season is deemed a success or failure. If Patrick can pick up four points on eighth-place Cary Goforth, he will be one of eight drivers qualified to compete in the National Guard ADRL’s championship-determining Speedtech Battle for the Belts competition.

If Patrick’s most recent events are an indicator of his momentum, then the competition had better watch out.

“We’ve had a good running car lately,” said Patrick, who is currently ranked 10th after the first session of qualifying at the National Guard ADRL Flowmaster Dragstock VI event in Rockingham, NC. “We know the challenge we have before us and we are just going to go out there and do what we have to do.”

Patrick missed the combination on the first qualifying attempt but isn’t overly concerned with the slow start. The previous two races of the season began the same way but ended with the former mountain motor Pro Stock champion pushing his Purvis Ford-sponsored entry to the number-one  qualifying effort in both.

“Clearly it’s been the little things out there that have bit us at the most inopportune times,” Patrick said. “That’s a part of drag racing and if you don’t learn to accept it, then you’ll drive yourself crazy dwelling on it. If you want to be competitive in this class you have to learn that drag racing can be cyclical.”

Qualifying has been an important link in the chain for Patrick who boasts back-to-back semi-final finishes.

“I grew up coming to Rockingham Dragway and this place has always been special to me,” Patrick said. “Getting into the Speedtech Battle for the Belts this weekend would be just another great memory from here.”

(ADRL/Patrick file photos)

September 11, 2009

Al-Anabi Concentrates on Consistency at Dragstock VI

ROCKINGHAM, NC— Considered the most prestigious stop on the National Guard ADRL tour, this weekend’s Flowmaster Dragstock VI at Rockingham Dragway promises to be the biggest, quickest and fastest event in the storied history of the ADRL’s five-year history.

 Throughout the 2009 season, there have been a number of performance marks set in the organization’s five professional categories, and at the forefront of those record setting efforts have been the Pro Nitrous superpower of Al-Anabi Racing. Yet there is no facility that lends itself to record-breaking runs more so than Steve Earwood’s legendary Rockingham Dragway; so when the two combine—Al-Anabi Racing and “The Rock”—it’s bound to be a historic occasion.

Currently second in Speedtech Battle for the Belts points standings, Shannon “The Iceman” Jenkins leads the Al-Anabi team into Rockingham and is looking to repeat his 2006 performance when consistency led him to the Dragstock winner’s circle. Also on task for the all-time winningest driver in the National Guard ADRL will be crew chief responsibilities on teammate Mike Castellana’s wicked ’70.5 Chevy Camaro which has shown itself as potentially the meanest nitrous-assisted hot rod on the property at the last two races.

“Most important for this team this weekend will be consistency—and going rounds,” Jenkins said. We go to every one of these races intent on winning the deal, but we’re taking it one round at a time and looking to put a pair of Al-Anabi Racing cars in the final on Saturday night.

Currently, all four Al-Anabi team cars are qualified for the Speedtech Battle for the Belts, the eight-car shootout at Dallas in October that will determine the 2009 National Guard ADRL world champions. 

“(That) has been our priority from day one and will continue to be our focus this weekend. Rockingham in the fall always presents us with ideal conditions, and I’m confident that these Speedtech Nitrous/Reher-Morrison powered hot rods are going to be hard to handle this weekend,” Jenkins added.

Following Jenkins in the Pro Nitrous points standings are teammates Castellana and Khalid Al-Balooshi. Castellana, already with two ADRL victories for Al-Anabi in 2009, made a little team history with Balooshi a few weeks ago in St. Louis when they staged the first-ever, all-Al-Anabi Racing final.

Rounding out the four-driver Al-Anabi team is Burton Auxier, currently occupying the number-seven slot and looking to go deep into elimination rounds this weekend to secure his spot in the championship-deciding Belts shootout at the ADRL World Finals in Dallas next month.

“We’ve got this new ’68 Firebird running very well,” Auxier said. “There’s still a lot left in it, but we’ve made a lot of gains in terms of consistency and being able to repeat on race day. In Columbus (three weeks ago), I think we had the car to beat; we were in the low 3.90s every time we let the clutch out, but I got a little bit overzealous in the semis and went red. We’ll have it together this weekend, though, that’s for sure.”

Auxier and Balooshi are both going after their first National Guard ADRL Pro Nitrous victory and if past performances are any indication—they’re due.

September 10, 2009

Scruggs Ready to Race at ‘The Rock’

Jason Scruggs enters this weekend’s National Guard ADRL Flowmaster Dragstock VI at Rockingham Dragway as the reigning back-to-back Pro Extreme world champion, class record holder, and 2009 points leader, but he’s far from satisfied. After all, he’s still looking for that first Dragstock victory.

Since the inaugural Dragstock in 2004 at Carolina Dragway in Jackson, SC, Scruggs has reached the semis or final round each year of what has become the National Guard ADRL’s oldest and most prestigious event. He’s set records at Dragstock along the way, too, including the world’s first 200-mile-per-hour pass over the eighth mile by a “door car,” when he drove his supercharged 1963 Corvette to a 200.86-mph qualifying lap in 2007 at Rockingham. He eventually left that day with both ends of the series’ and track records set at 3.70 seconds and 205.22 mph.

“But something always happens to prevent the win,” Scruggs says.

As the final points-paying opportunity toward the National Guard ADRL’s unique Speedtech Battle for the Belts, which places the top eight points earners in each ADRL pro class in championship-deciding shootouts at the season ender in October at Dallas, this year’s Flowmaster Dragstock VI carries even more importance for the Saltillo, Mississippi-based champion, who now races a Garret Race Cars-built 1968 Camaro with his father and crew chief, Mitchell Scruggs.  

At the most recent National Guard ADRL event, three weeks ago in Ohio, the Scruggs team failed to qualify for the first time in over a year after struggling with a new clutch, then breaking the car’s transmission in their final qualifying attempt. The rare DNQ tightened up the points chase, allowing veteran Quain Stott of Columbus, North Carolina, to draw within 226 points of the lead, representing just over two rounds of competition on the track.

Scruggs (right) does not take the challenge lightly and admits the pressure is on to do well this weekend at Rockingham Dragway.

“Quain’s as tough as they come; he’s an excellent racer who knows what he’s doing. He’s been like me this year, had some ups and downs, some bad luck along the way, or he would’ve already passed me for the points lead. I actually figured he’d have done that at the last race when I didn’t qualify, but he shook the tires in the second round,” Scruggs says.

“So he’s overdue, but we’re still a couple of rounds ahead right now and we just can’t go out early. You know, I hate to count points, I’d rather just go win every race, but the bottom line is, we’ve got to win rounds early. Well, first we have to qualify because you can’t take that for granted, obviously.”

This year’s Speedtech Battle for the Belts also offers the added twist of a first-round bye for the regular season points leader, making holding on to the top spot at Rockingham that much more significant to Scruggs.

“In the past it really didn’t matter much where you finished, as long as you were in the top eight, because everyone was tough to beat anyway,” he explains. “But it’s definitely a big advantage to have a bye run, a free shot at the track, so we definitely want to finish as number one. We’ve led the points since Houston (in March) and I sure would hate to lose that in the last race. We’ve just got to get our act together and hopefully go some rounds.”

Based on his record-setting runs, which now have the official records pegged at 3.66 seconds and 207.43 mph, both set at Memphis this year, and qualifying number-one at five of the eight National Guard ADRL races held previously in ’09, Scruggs has a reputation for running his car to the ragged edge and he insists that’s something that won’t change at Dragstock, regardless of points implications.

“You can’t be conservative in Pro Extreme right now. Everybody is tough,” he states. “It seems like the majority of the cars can run 3.70s or low .80s given the right conditions, so when cars run like that you can’t be conservative; you just have to go run your own race. So we’re going in there just like we always do; hopefully we’ll be number-one qualifier, run fast, run hard, run good, and if we do that the round wins will come. And if they don’t, well it’s just not our day, our year, or whatever.”

Regardless of the outcome, Scruggs says he always looks forward to returning to Rockingham Dragway, especially for a major event like Flowmaster Dragstock VI.

“It being the last points race makes it really important and number two, it was the very first ADRL race, so it’s always got that history there, but I think the biggest thing is that it’s in North Carolina, which is real racing country in my opinion,” he says.

“I mean, you’ve got some of the best fans in the world in the Carolinas as far as drag racing goes. The atmosphere there is just a lot better, I think. You’ve got a lot of fans, a lot of cars, it’s just a fun race to be at, so I do think it’s the marquee event for the ADRL and that’s why we want to win it so bad. But then, I want to win every race I go to. I just think that’s the way you have to race.”

(ADRL/Richards/Tocher file photos)

September 10, 2009

Barklage Hopes to Repeat Ohio Drags Success

ROCKINGHAM, NC (Sept. 10, 2009)— After winning his first National Guard ADRL Minuteman trophy three weeks ago in the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags III in Hebron, OH, Pro Extreme racer Cody Barklage and his Lucas Oil-backed team will race this weekend in the National Guard ADRL Flowmaster Dragstock VI at Rockingham Dragway.

“I can really say we’re on top of our game right now. We just had our first ADRL win; we know how tough the competition can be,” Barklage said. “We certainly take nothing for granted. Because we know everyone will be performing at their best, we’ve spent the past few weeks preparing. We’ve been able to lighten our load a little bit thanks to Chris Duncan. Hopefully, with the car a little bit lighter, we’ll be able to repeat our success.”

Currently sixth in Speedtech “Battle for the Belts” points standings, Barklage knows this weekend could make or break his team’s 2009 season.

“This is the last event for us to get points for the ‘09 Battle,” he said.  “Although we’re sixth, the chase is tight. We do have room to advance, but so do a lot of others behind me. I have to stay in the top eight to make the Battle next month. Although we’re confidant we’ll be able to qualify well and go rounds, we know we have to be on top of our game. Everyone will be performing at their best; we have to make sure we’re prepared for everything.

“Even though there is more pressure then usual because we’re at the end of the season, we will just try to do our best,” Barklage said. “We always race to win, but after the last event we know we can. I have a lot of faith in my crew chief Chad Wilson, my dad, and everyone who helps us. I really believe we have a special team, so this weekend should be a good one.”

(ADRL/Richards file photos)

September 10, 2009

Carpenter Can’t Wait for Rockingham

ROCKINGHAM, NC – Charles Carpenter’s marathon run through August was just like the old days.

In the early years of his long and illustrious career, Carpenter would race as many as five times a week, barnstorming “Quick 8s” held at seemingly every tiny track across the southeast. It was grueling, but to a young and hungry racer, it couldn’t get much better.

Fast forward to 2009, and Carpenter is still at it in the National Guard ADRL Pro Nitrous wars. He spent every weekend in August at the track, winning a race in Farmington, NC, then taking runner-up honors in Orangeburg, SC, before heading to Columbus, OH, for an ADRL event and finally invading Huntsville, AL, where he once again scored a runner-up finish while resetting both ends of the track record for a nitrous car.

By the end of the month he’d reset his own personal best elapsed time and made several three-second passes in a variety of conditions.

But, just like the old days, there is always Rockingham Dragway, this time featuring the National Guard ADRL’s Flowmaster Dragstock VI, the oldest and most prestigious race on the ADRL circuit.

Since Carpenter began racing doorslammers when he was 15 years old, the big race has always been Rockingham. The class, car, speed, elapsed time, and sanctioning body may have changed many times over, but one thing remains the same: Rockingham is the race of the season for the Charlotte, NC-based driver.

“There always seems to be a little magic in the air around this time,” Carpenter says. “The weather begins to turn cooler and we get down to the last few races of the season, the biggest of them being Rockingham. Since 2006 the big race at “The Rock” has been Dragstock, and we are really looking forward to this year’s race. The car is performing at its best, and we have an absolute ton of friends and family coming down from the Charlotte area for the race.”

Carpenter credits the National Guard American Drag Racing League’s unique ticketing concept with allowing so many of his longtime followers to finally come out to the track.

“The ADRL’s complimentary ticket program allows us to invite everyone we know to come and check out what we do,” the Pro Nitrous legend says. “I’ve distributed thousands of tickets from my auto repair center over the last few weeks and I hope every single one of them gets used.”

Despite the excitement and anticipation for the race, there is one thing, however, that Carpenter would like to change about Rockingham.

“I never do well here,” he admits. “I don’t know if it’s the added pressure I put on myself because everyone I know is watching or if it’s just coincidence, but it seems to be a rare occasion when we can put it all together at Rockingham.

“The mission to is to change that this weekend.”

(ADRL/Richards/Tocher file photos)

September 10, 2009

Janis Prepared to Unleash ‘Monster Power’

ELMA, NY (Sept. 9, 2009)—National Guard ADRL Pro Extreme newcomer Mike Janis Sr. (left) has already clinched a spot in the top eight for the ADRL’s championship-deciding Speedtech Battle for the Belts, but the veteran racer from New York is not content to head into the last points race of the year with everything status quo.

For Janis’ Aeroquip-backed team, status quo is not an option.

Prior to entering Flowmaster Dragstock VI this weekend (Sep. 11-12) at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina, Janis and the team is heading to Mooresville, NC, for some testing at “The Dirty Mo,” Mooresville Dragway. 

Crew Chief Mike Janis Jr. feels now is the time for the team to unleash its “Monster Power.”

“We need to get a good hold of our tune up,” he said. ”All season long we’ve been babying this thing just to make sure she gets down the track. To be honest we even have our blower backed down compared to what the other teams are running. This thing has a ton of untapped power that we need to figure out how to use. There is too much at stake in these next two races and for us not to test would be foolish.”

Heading into Flowmaster Dragstock VI, Janis is fourth in points, less than one round behind third-place Joshua Hernandez. Janis would like to move up the Battle for the Belts ladder at this event and feels if the team performs to its potential the points will take care of themselves.

“If we can work out a few things in Mooresville I know we’ll have as good a shot at this year’s title as any team out there,” team owner and Driver Janis Sr. said. “We need to concentrate on using all the power we have on tap and use it consistently. If we can learn that in testing I know things will be in our favor when we leave Rockingham.”

(ADRL/Tocher/Rouweyha file photos)

September 9, 2009

National Guard ADRL Racers Gear Up for Flowmaster Dragstock VI

O’FALLON, MO (Sep. 9, 2009) — It takes time for any sporting event to develop historic and sentimental importance for competitors and fans, but the National Guard American Drag Racing League’s (ADRL’s) annual Flowmaster Dragstock is well on its way to achieving legendary status. This year’s Flowmaster Dragstock VI takes over Rockingham (NC) Dragway Sep. 11-12, and with record-setting car counts and spectator attendance expected, it promises to expand the event’s reputation and prestige.

As the literal jumping off point for the National Guard ADRL in 2004, Dragstock has played a pivotal role in shaping the series and already has become the one race every racer wants to see his or her name written beside in the win column.

“Winning any ADRL race is like hitting a home run, but if I could win at Dragstock, that would be my grand slam,” 36-year Pro Nitrous veteran Charles Carpenter said. “Rockingham is my home track and we expect literally hundreds of our fans, friends and customers to show up, so it would just be such a huge accomplishment for us to win there.”

As the final points-earning opportunity toward the championship-deciding Speedtech Battle for the Belts, Dragstock also can play a huge role in a team’s assessment of its year. With only the top eight in points in each of the National Guard ADRL’s five professional classes getting to race each other for the 2009 world championships this October in Ennis, Texas, each point gained or missed at Dragstock carries added meaning for certain drivers and teams.  

For instance, with 100 points granted for each round win and bonuses offered for qualifying well and setting records, Pro Extreme racer Jason Hamstra enters Flowmaster Dragstock VI just over one round behind Frankie Taylor in eighth place, while in Pro Nitrous, Pat Stoken is in a similar position behind Steve Vick.

The eight-car Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 Speedtech Battle for the Belts field is already set, though plenty of room remains for contenders to shuffle their starting positions for the Battle in Texas. Pro Extreme Motorcycle remains wide open, however, again with the opportunity for current Belts contenders to improve their position and with no less than five non-qualifiers well within striking distance to break into the field.

And just four points behind Dragstock V winner Cary Goforth in the final Extreme Pro Stock Belts position is Robert Patrick Jr., with Jeff Dobbins also less than two rounds from inclusion.

“It’s always a tough race,” said Bubba Stanton, winner of Flowmaster Dragstock V’s Pro Extreme event and currently seventh in points. “It’s a big race and I’d love to defend our title, but I’m going in there this year just trying to be consistent and making sure we stay in the top eight.”

Flowmaster Dragstock at Rockingham Dragway also is known for offering record-setting conditions and was the site of the National Guard ADRL’s first 200-mile-per-hour pass over the eighth mile when reigning two-time Pro Extreme champ Jason Scruggs turned the trick during qualifying in 2007 before eventually leaving with both official elapsed time and speed records.              

Last year’s Flowmaster Dragstock V also produced memorable on-track results, highlighted by Billy Glidden running a then-record 4.14 in the Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 final and Andy Jensen upsetting the Pro Nitrous world by seizing the E.T. record in what turned out to be the swan song appearance for turbocharged entries in the class.

Additionally, the debut of Puerto Rico’s Raymond Matos and Qatar’s Khalid Al-Balooshi in the Pro Nitrous ranks gave the 2008 event an international flair, with Matos even scoring the surprise win to write himself a storybook ending.

The fans, too, arrived in force for Flowmaster Dragstock V, with some 31,000 passing through the Rockingham Dragway gates on Saturday alone.

It all added up to an exciting, over-the-top event that prompted Extreme Pro Stock’s Patrick to tell National Guard ADRL President and CEO Kenny Nowling, “I’ve raced a long time and I’ve been in a lot of important races, but I don’t get ‘goosebumps’ much anymore. At this event I get them every time I come to the line.”

Packed grandstands and tight racing are now the hallmarks of all National Guard ADRL events, but it all started with Flowmaster Dragstock, the O’Fallon, Missouri-based series’ oldest and most prestigious race, scheduled this year for Sep. 11-12, at North Carolina’s Rockingham Dragway (shown). 

(ADRL/Tocher file photos)

September 2, 2009

Speedtech Battle for the Belts to Determine National Guard ADRL World Champions

O’FALLON, MO (Sep. 2, 2009) — With just one last chance at gaining points toward finishing in the top eight and qualifying for the post-season 2009 Speedtech Battle for the Belts, every point gained—or missed—Sep. 11-12, at Flowmaster Dragstock VI in Rockingham, NC, could define the outcome for certain National Guard American Drag Racing League (ADRL) teams.

The Speedtech Battle for the Belts will pit the top eight points earners in each of the National Guard ADRL’s five professional classes—Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Flowmaster Extreme 10.5, Pro Extreme Motorcycle and Extreme Pro Stock—against each other in a unique, championship-deciding, elimination-rounds playoff during qualifying on the first day of the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals V, Oct. 23-24, at the Texas Motorplex, near Dallas.

National Guard ADRL competitors will actually begin accumulating points toward the 2010 Speedtech Battle for the Belts during LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals V racing on Saturday in Texas, just as this year’s first points-paying event was last October at the Motorplex.

New for this year, however, is a first-round bye granted to each points leader heading into their respective Speedtech Battle. This also means the seventh- and eighth-place Belts qualifiers in each class will race against each other first, during round two of qualifying, with the winner taking on the number-two contender in the quarter-finals round. Meanwhile, number three will take on number six and four will race five, just as in a traditional eight-car eliminations ladder.

So, to win a 2009 National Guard ADRL World Championship, a points leader would have to win only two rounds of head-to-head racing, the numbers two through six qualifiers would need to win three times, while number-seven and number-eight starters will face four rounds of potential elimination.

Additionally, each 2009 season points leader will receive a monetary reward and plaque recognizing their pre-Battle supremacy, with the Pro Extreme and Pro Nitrous leaders each receiving $5,000; the Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 and Extreme Pro Stock leaders each receiving $2,500; and the Pro Extreme Motorcycle leader earning a $1,000 bonus.

With a potential 641 points available for any racer who qualifies number one, sets both ends of the official National Guard ADRL records and wins at Flowmaster Dragstock VI, plus a 50-point bonus available if the driver has attended all 10 events counting toward the 2009 season, only reigning back-to-back Pro Extreme World Champion Jason Scruggs has not yet cemented his position as the number-one seed heading into this year’s Speedtech Battle for the Belts.

Heading into Rockingham Dragway, Jim Halsey has secured the top qualifier spot in Pro Nitrous; current champ Billy Glidden will remain number one in Flowmaster Extreme 10.5; Scott Gray has wrapped up the Pro Extreme Motorcycle lead; and Brian Gahm already knows he will receive the first-round bye in Extreme Pro Stock.