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September 2, 2010

State Of The Class Address: Extreme 10.5

One month, two races and eight places up for grabs.
That’s what the 2010 ADRL season has come down to after a season filled with world records, incredible hot streaks and plenty of spectacular racing.
Only two races remain before the LenMar Motorsports World Finals VI in October, and it’s a perfect time to take a look at each of the ADRL classes and how they stack up heading into “The Battle For The Belts.”
Call it the State of the Class Address or call it whatever you like.
Either way, these final two races before the world finals - Simpson Dragstock VII at Rockingham Dragway (Sept. 10-11) and the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV (Sept. 24-25) - will feature an abundance of action and excitement before world championships are decided.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store for this wild finish.

TODAY: Extreme 10.5
WEDNESDAY: Pro Nitrous
TUESDAY: Pro Extreme

HOW IT GOT HERE

It’s almost mind-boggling to think how far Extreme 10.5 has come in such a short time and even the talented drivers will admit as much.
The list of contenders seemingly grows by the race, while the times and speeds continue to amaze even the competitors doing the driving.
The class was Gary White’s (pictured) for a spell that was incredibly impressive and it includes a stretch that saw him either win or advance to the finals in five straight months, a span that included six races.
He won three of those, including a dominant back-to-back stretch in May and June, but even White predicted that possibly couldn’t last all year.
The current points leader didn’t doubt himself, he was simply realistic enough to understand that several competitors were capable of doing what he had done.
Billy Glidden (pictured) had the biggest weekend of anyone this year, winning two races in two days in Texas in the scorching late July heat.
He will figure heavily into how the season plays out, but he’s not alone.
The foursome that follows in third through sixth - Jeff Naiser, Todd Moyer, Spiro Pappas and Chuck Ulsch, respectively - could easily read as the top four in the class.
Naiser just broke the 3-second mark in testing, Moyer has a win this year, Pappas won the 2009 World Championship and Ulsch just set the XTF world speed record with an unbelievable pass of 206.35 miles per hour.
Pappas hasn’t had the best of summers, but he has openly stated he plans to go 3.79 before the year is out, which would be a massive record reset considering Pappas’ 3.92 is the current record.
Kenny Doak and Michelle Wilson (pictured) round out the top eight, with Wilson joining the mix after advancing to her first finals in Texas. She doesn’t have the big-money backing, though Wilson has proved she can go rounds.
But the list of possible contenders for the “Battle For The Belts” stretches far further than the top eight and it exemplifies XTF’s most talented field in its ADRL existence.
Dan Millen’s powerful new car sits in 11th, but he could easily become that last Mickey Thompson 3-Second Club Member if everything goes right.
That immediately makes him dangerous, but he first has to jump some other talented drivers, including Michael Neal (9th) and Eric Stubbs (10th).
It will all make for an interesting two-week stretch in September.

WHAT LIES AHEAD

Glidden and Ulsch are the most recent winners in Rockingham and if last year is any indication, this seems to be the point in the season where Ulsch gets on a roll.
He was the first driver into the 3-second club last August and followed that up by winning in Rockingham.
Considering he already topped himself by breaking his speed world record in August, what does that mean for this September for the Maryland native?
Pappas cracked through for his first win at the Ohio Drags in late August last year and that has seemingly spurred Pappas for even more greatness since then.
He’s primed and prepared for this point in the season, which means everyone else is doing the same.
Pappas even went so far as sacrificing results in the summer so his car would be ready to dominate in the fall.
He might be able to pull out the fastest number - remember that 3.79 mark he talked openly about - but will he be the most consistent?
White has been consistent nearly all year, while Glidden has made a career out of being consistent, especially when it counts.
It would also be silly to forget about Naiser (pictured) and Moyer.
If Naiser breaks into that 3-second club, any race could be his, while Moyer is as talented as they come.
That’s a lot of factors without even considering a dark horse or a potential upset from the likes of a Wilson or a Millen.
This field may not be as deep as say Pro Nitrous, but that day is coming and it will be soon.
As for right now, Extreme 10.5 is deeper than it has ever been and it would surprise absolutely nobody if mind-blowing times and mind-blowing speeds follow over these last three races.
The best part will be enjoying watching how it all unfolds.

Tomorrow: A look at Pro Extreme Motorcycle heading into the final stretch of the 2010 season

(Photos by ADRL/Richards)

September 1, 2010

ADRL Releases Ticket Info For October LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI

O’FALLON, MO (September 1, 2010) - The American Drag Racing League (ADRL) announced that e-tickets are now currently available on its website for the final race of the 2010 season, the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI, which take place on Oct. 22-23 from Texas Motorplex in Ennis, TX.
The convenient e-ticketing process allows fans an opportunity to print their own complimentary tickets off the ADRL website - www.ADRL.us - thanks in part to the generous support from ADRL sponsors.

The World Finals are annually one of the most anticipated events of the ADRL season, as world championships and the Speedtech “Battle For The Belts” will be on the line in all six ADRL classes.
By clicking on the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI event icon on the ADRL website, fans and interested attendees will have the chance to print out an e-ticket by following the simple steps. Upon doing that, the ticket will then be good for admission to the final race of what has been a memorable 2010 season.
Currently, tickets are available on the ADRL website for its final three races of the 2010 season. The e-ticketing process gives fans an easy and ideal way to get their tickets to attend their favorite ADRL races and watch their favorite ADRL drivers.

Tickets are also available for ADRL Simpson Dragstock VII at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, NC on Sept. 10-11, and the ADRL Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV, which take place from Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH on Sept. 24-25.
Those two events lead into the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals, where the top eight drivers from each class will lay it all on the line in the prestigious Speedtech “Battle For The Belts.”
The World Finals have quickly become a must-see event in drag racing and this year will be no different as the ADRL continues to offer the most exciting and explosive doorslammer action.

With its new innovative e-ticketing process, fans can quickly get their hands on tickets for this event as well.
Tickets can be printed off immediately and ticketholders simply need to fill out the back of the ticket before they attend the event.
From there, ticketholders will instantly be set up for an incredible racing experience.
By entering their name and address on the back of the ticket forms, it also makes them instantly eligible for all the great benefits of the ADRL experience.

September 1, 2010

State Of The Class Address: Pro Nitrous

One month, two races and eight places up for grabs.
That’s what the 2010 ADRL season has come down to after a season filled with world records, incredible hot streaks and plenty of spectacular racing.
Only two races remain before the LenMar Motorsports World Finals VI in October, and it’s a perfect time to take a look at each of the ADRL classes and how they stack up heading into “The Battle For The Belts.”
Call it the State of the Category Address or call it whatever you like.
Either way, these final two races before the world finals - Simpson Dragstock VII at Rockingham Dragway (Sept. 10-11) and the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV (Sept. 24-25) - will feature an abundance of action and excitement before world championships are decided.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store for this wild finish.

TODAY: Pro Nitrous
MONDAY: Pro Extreme

HOW IT GOT HERE
Rickie Smith (pictured) took hold of the division in late July, winning three straight races over a two-week stretch to take over the points lead.
He grabbed the opening that came with nobody dominating early in the year, but even Smith’s run of dominance lasted only two weeks.
It was mighty impressive, no doubt, but it seems unlikely someone can take the same hold over the division over, say, the next two months.
Shannon Jenkins stopped Smith’s hot streak with a win at the Gateway Drags and has two wins to sit in second place. He’s been arguably the most consistent driver all year, but even he had his troubles at some point.
He had a minor scrape in Houston and needed a backup plan in the form of Mike Castellana’s car.
Then there’s the Lee Adkins Jr. scenario, which could very well repeat itself with any of the category’s top drivers.
Adkins got hot in June, winning the Ford Drive One Summer Drags in Martin, MI to nab his first career ADRL victory.
Adkins was the hottest and best driver on that day, which is all that matters in the middle of a racing weekend.
The point is anybody is talented enough to do that and replicate Adkins’ feat, even when the stakes are going to be bigger.
If Adkins’ run wasn’t evident enough that anyone is capable of winning and performing well, the Gateway Drags were the latest example, though you could probably find one at each race this year.
Terry Murphy qualified in the No. 16 position, but he beat top qualifier Jim Halsey - who set the PN world speed record just two weeks earlier - in the first round of eliminations.
Murphy was also a finalist in Houston and has jumped to fifth in the standings.
Randy Weatherford and Pat Stoken sit in seventh and eighth, respectively, but both had advanced to a final at some point this summer as well.
Both were denied their first ADRL wins, but both have proven capable drivers.
After Smith and Jenkins, it’s another loaded group in the middle of the top eight with Charles Carpenter, Halsey, Murphy and Burton Auxier.
None have wins this year, but all can go rounds and proven to be threats - yes, I know you’re shocked.
Carpenter has slumped throughout the hot summer months, but he’s still managed to stay in third and could find his comfort zone again as the weather starts to turn cooler.
Halsey went to a final at the double-race weekend in St. Louis, which means he’s just as big a threat as anyone, especially with the world-record speed capability.
Things are just as interesting outside of the top eight, too.
Race winners Adkins, Mike Castellana and Khalid Al-Balooshi all sit there, meaning they pose a threat to everyone in the class, but they still have work to do.
Steve Vick is just 91 points out of the eighth position in a car he calls the best he’s ever had, which is example number, well, you’ve probably lost count, of how good this finish is going to be.
Other hopefuls include Stan Allen (pictured), Doug Reisterer and Dan Stevenson, and you get the drift.
Hopefuls in this deep class include just about everyone.

WHAT LIES AHEAD
Last year, racing fans were treated to the first all 3-second field in Pro Nitrous, with the countless amazing times coming at Rockingham Dragway.
That’s setting the bar high, meaning something great could happen again this year.
Vick, for example, knows what’s on the line at his hometown track.
He can taste that eighth position, but it also might seem a mile away with a category like this.
Vick said as many as 25 cars are good enough to qualify in a field and as many as 12 can fit in the top eight.
Unfortunately, 12 won’t make it to the top eight, which will make for some hard-luck losers.
Of course, that means strong performances will be necessary in Rockingham, which is why Vick is ready to go.
Castellana won at Rockingham Dragway last year, but he hasn’t raced since early July.
Halsey and Jenkins - surprise, surprise - have also won at the track, but that doesn’t mean anyone in that group is a shoe-in for the finals this time around.
After Rockingham, there’s one last-ditch hope to make a final move, as it’s a quick two-week rest period before a trip to Summit Motorsports Park.
Those cooler conditions might be a major advantage for someone like Carpenter, but this isn’t a one-driver field and others will benefit, too.
To show how much things have changed since Pro Nitrous went to Summit Motorsports Park, it’s worth looking at the last appearance in 2008 when Jenkins won.
Well, that part hasn’t really changed, but the records have. He went 192.91 miles per hour to set a new speed record, but Halsey has since left that in his burnout smoke.
Clearly, these guys are good, these guys are fast and there are a lot of them that are good and fast.
Whatever happens, don’t be caught napping - the No. 16 qualifier is always capable of a little magic in this class.

Tomorrow: A look at Extreme 10.5 heading into the final stretch of the 2010 season

August 31, 2010

State Of The Class Address: Pro Extreme

One month, two races and eight places up for grabs.
That’s what the 2010 ADRL season has come down to after a season filled with world records, runs of dominance and spectacular racing.
With only two races before the LenMar Motorsports World Finals VI in October, it’s a perfect time to take a look at each of the ADRL classes and how they stack up heading into “The Battle For The Belts.”
Call it the State of the Class Address or call it whatever you like.
Either way, these final two races before the world finals - Simpson Dragstock VII at Rockingham Dragway (Sept. 10-11) and the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV (Sept. 24-25) - present golden opportunities for drivers to make one final move.
It’s the stretch run before one last race decides who are the best drivers in the world.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store for what surely will be a wild finish.

TODAY: Pro Extreme

HOW IT GOT HERE

With only 34 points separating the top three drivers, it’s perhaps the best way to show just how close this loaded class has been this year.
Joshua Hernandez leads and has two wins this year, but is by no means the overwhelming favorite, mostly of because who is close behind.
Alex Hossler is right behind - and has two wins as well - but, well, he’s not the overwhelming favorite, either.
Actually, nobody can be considered such, which is why just getting into the top eight is reason enough to be considered at least somewhat of a favorite.
Considering all that is at stake in such a talented field, it might also be wise to predict the eventual victor will be an experienced driver who will know how to handle themselves in pressure situations.
But KH Al-Thani has proven impressive in every pressure situation in his still young and burgeoning racing career. He’s already won twice in just six ADRL events, and he talked calmly after his win at the Hardee’s Independence Drags IV about how well he races under pressure.
So, there goes that theory.
In truth, there are no theories or predictions that can be viewed as ironclad in a class this talented, this deep and this diverse.
Gaylen Smith, Jason Scruggs and Quain Stott are currently in spots five, six and seven, respectively. Smith has rapidly improved this year and advanced to two finals, while Scruggs will surely get better as he gets more comfortable in his new ‘63 Corvette.
Todd Tutterow rounds out the current top eight, though it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the final eight.
Even at the eighth spot Tutterow can’t be taken lightly. He is the reigning PX World Champion after all and, clearly, he knows how to win on the big stage.
So who is looking to crack into the top eight for their shot at glory?
Wes Johnston (9th), John Stanley (10th) and Bubba Stanton (11th) remain the best bets, but good luck stealing a spot from such incredible drivers.
If this were a fantasy draft, everyone would end up happy and there would be no bad decisions.
Unfortunately, this is an eight-driver field, meaning somebody - or several talented drivers - will be left as spectators for the World Championship.

WHAT LIES AHEAD

Rockingham will surely yield some amazing times, but will it be kinder to others?
A year ago, Jason Hamstra won at the track, but he’s fallen out of the top 10 in 2010 after his big crash in Topeka, which caused him to miss the last two race weekends.
In 2008, Stanton won in Rockingham and he has performed well over the past two months despite his own nasty crash in Topeka.
Scruggs was the first ADRL driver to top 200 mph, doing it in 2007, but everyone in the class, including Scruggs, has now left that in the dust. It wouldn’t be surprising to see drivers hit 210-plus mph at the quick track.
One thing is for certain - we will quickly find out which drivers have the mettle for a stressful September.
Just two weeks after Rockingham is a trip - or perhaps a sprint - to Norwalk, OH, where it will be the last chance for a final move.
The last time racers were at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk was 2008, and much has changed in the class since then.
That year, Frankie Taylor won his first ADRL title, so maybe things aren’t that drastically different.
But a repeat performance there would put the PX E.T. record-holder in the driver’s seat heading into “The Battle For The Belts,” where Taylor would be looking for his first world championship.
The late September date will also unveil a series of new challenges for the class. Only one race - the Hardee’s Georgia Drags - was completed in cooler conditions this year, while a total of four events were completed during a scorching two-week stretch in late July and early August.
The cooler northern Ohio temperatures in late September will require a different combination to be successful, which adds one more monkey wrench into the Pro Extreme equation.
It will be interesting, it will be memorable and it will be exciting - just what everyone has come to expect from Pro Extreme.

Tomorrow: A look at Pro Nitrous heading into the final stretch of the 2010 season

(Photos by ADRL/Richards)

August 30, 2010

All Wins Much-Needed For Hungry White

From the surface, it hardly seemed like a must-win situation for Extreme 10.5 points leader Gary White.
Thanks to a red-hot late spring and early summer, White had bolted to the top of the points standings, where he appeared comfortable enough that nothing could unseat him.
Behind the scenes, though, White’s win at the completion of the Hardee’s Independence Drags at Gateway International Raceway in early August came at just the right time to start the Titan Motorsports’ late-season push.
White and his Scion went through a three-month stretch where nothing appeared to go wrong as he won two races and seemed untouchable in a fast-rising class.
But trouble hit at the end of July in Houston when White had his first hiccup in a nearly flawless 2010.
A first-round loss at UTI Dragpalooza presented by Safety-Kleen coupled with a double-win weekend by driver Billy Glidden didn’t shake up the top of the standings, but it did give momentum a new home and it no longer had a White (pictured) mailing address.
So, yes, upon further review, White was indeed pleased with picking up his third win of the year considering the circumstances.
“We needed this,” White said. “That makeup race in Houston, we went out in the first round and blew our motor. That hurt, so we absolutely needed this.”
The blown motor was the second part of the must-win equation, which made coming back and winning in St. Louis that much sweeter.
It also gave White and his team some piece of mind heading into the final two months of the season.
“That was tough to recover from,” White said. “It took a little doing to get it back and going to where we wanted.”
There were still some minor issues to be corrected at Gateway thanks to some fuel issues with the car.
White’s team had to back up on the tuneup because of that, but White still delivered a 4.00 at 185 miles per hour in the finals to beat Jeff Naiser.
White gladly took that after the troubles in Houston. After the motor blowup on the first day - which led to the surprising first-round exit - White red-lighted in the finals of the UTI Texas Drags the next night, handing the victory to Glidden, who managed two wins in two nights.
He immediately shot to second in the points race behind White, which added yet another layer to the importance of the win at Gateway.
“This are the top of top guys,” White said. “It isn’t like this is a class that’s not well known and bringing good guys in here. Every win you get in this class is a quality win.
“There’s a lot of guys doing an awesome job, but our guys have been doing an awesome job, too.”
White fell to Chuck Ulsch at the Hardee’s Gateway Drags the night after his Independence Drags win, the latest sign in how fickle the class is becoming down the stretch of the 2010 season.
Ulsch ended up winning the race, jumping right back into the mix in XTF.
But White could see this coming. Even as he was dominating in picking up wins at the Speedtech U.S. Drags in May and the Ford Drive One Summer Drags in June, he predicted everyone else would have their say at some point.
White rode out that hot string for as long as he could, but he made need one more to put the finishing touches on what has been an incredible year thus far.
“There’s a lot of fast cars,” White said. “It’s going to take 3.90 to win these races the rest of the year.”

(Photos by ADRL/Richards)

August 27, 2010

Can Career-Best Car Lead Vick Into Top 8 in Pro Nitrous?

Thanks to the increase and improvement of top talent in Pro Nitrous, Steve Vick is driving the best car he’s ever had in his career.
Thanks to the class-wise development, that career-best car is still looking to cement a spot in the LenMar Motorsports World Finals VI.
Vick and his ‘68 Camaro is performing better than it ever has, but Vick is still sitting in ninth in the points standings in Pro Nitrous, another testament to how good this class has become in 2010.
“A lot of new people have come in, there’s a lot of new money coming in, and there’s a lot of things happening, no doubt,” Vick said. “It has made a lot of people step up their game, including me.
“This is the best car I’ve ever had.”
The North Carolina native is just 90 minutes from Rockingham Dragway, meaning Simpson Dragstock VII on Sept. 10-11 has been marked on Vick’s calendar all year.
With the way 2010 has gone, he might have added some underlines and a couple more circles around that date.
Only two races remain before “The Battle For The Belts” in October and Vick (pictured) knows he must perform well at his home track to break into the top eight.
“I’m looking to do good these next two races and get back in that top eight,” Vick said. “I’m feeling real good right now and I hope we feel as good when we leave (Rockingham).”
Minus a first-round exit at the Hardee’s Gateway Drags earlier this month - Isais Rojas had a near-perfect light to win - Vick and his team appears to have solved a clutch issue that led to inconsistency, frustration and first-round exits at ADRL races in April, May and June.
Vick had a strong weekend in Houston in late July, advancing to the semifinals at both Dragpalooza and the Texas Drags.
He went 3.93, but lost on a holeshot to Johnny Pilcher by a mere three feet at the Texas Drags, and couldn’t get his car fixed in time after it smoked in a second-round win at Dragpalooza.
“We found our problem we had the first of the year,” Vick said. “We changed our clutch and it’s made a huge difference.
“It seems like we’ve got a good hold on it. In Houston, we had eight back-to-back runs without any issues and we had four good runs in St. Louis (during qualifying).”
But it still hasn’t been enough to get in the top eight, though he’s just 91 points behind Pat Stoken.
Vick’s current spot in Pro Nitrous, though, is likely more an example of the category’s rapid ascension as a whole.
“It’s always competitive now,” Vick said. “If you show up at a race and there’s 25 guys there, there’s probably 23 that have the car to get into the field, and there’s probably 12 of them that are good enough to be in the top eight.”
Vick is currently among that group, but he doesn’t want to be on the outside looking in come October.
He estimates he’s passed out more than 4,000 tickets for Rockingham, and, in two weeks, he’ll be looking to make it worth the trip for all those fans.
“A lot of benchmarks have been set at Rockingham and there’s going to be a lot of fast times this year,” Vick said. “Hopefully I’m part of them.”

(Photos by ADRL/Richards)

August 26, 2010

World Records Part of Ulsch’s Plan to Keep Up In Extreme 10.5

Chuck Ulsch does not want to get left behind in a rapidly improving Extreme 10.5 class.
Setting world speed records is surely one way to stay ahead of the competition.
Ulsch created more happy memories at Gateway International Raceway, winning the Hardee’s Gateway Drags with a new XTF world record speed of 206.55 miles per hour, bringing the capacity crowd to its feet.
Ulsch reset his own speed record, which might be his way of saying he’s still to be taken seriously.
“I saw the win light and that’s all I needed to see,” Ulsch said. “This was real cool because I lost this race (in the finals) last year. Anytime you can win, it’s great.”
Ulsch grabbed the spotlight last year when he became the first driver to reach the 3-second mark in XTF, becoming the founding member of the Mickey Thompson 3-second club.
But that celebration ended in a finals defeat against Glidden, something he reversed this year.
Ulsch saved his best for last, going 3.99 at 206.55 mph to beat Glidden, with the matchup once again taking place in the finals.
It was a much-needed win for Ulsch, who reaffirmed he still has to be considered one of the favorites in a class that seems to get better by the month.
After a win to open the 2010 season, Ulsch had slipped to the bubble of the top eight as drivers like Gary White and Glidden got hot, while others like Todd Moyer and Jeff Naiser continued to make consistent noise.
In the background, a host of others have made considerable improvements to suddenly make XTF one of the deepest classes in the ADRL.
“You can’t sit idle because everyone is doing something now. They’re all working,” Ulsch said. “There’s a lot of guys coming in and coming up. You’ve got some cars coming in with the technology and the convertors and they’re all spending money on good pieces.”
With the win, Ulsch moved back to the sixth position, finishing the job this time in St. Louis.
Ulsch had the exact same path a year ago - Naiser in the second round, White in the semis and Glidden in the finals - and beat Glidden in the rematch.
In a year’s time, three other drivers - White, Moyer and Spiro Pappas - have joined the Mickey Thompson 3-second club with Ulsch and the Maryland native predicted it wouldn’t be long until 3-second passes were the norm.
“You’re going to have 30 drivers in the class before long and everyone will be knocking on that door,” Ulsch said. “If you have 20 cars, you’re going to have 8-10 heavy hitters.”
Ulsch swung the biggest bat on that Saturday, going 4.03 at 205 mph en route to the finals.
It wasn’t the easiest of weekends, however, as Ulsch and his crew worked nonstop between runs.
“Hopefully this puts us back in the mix. Every little bit helps,” Ulsch said. “We made major changes before every run and we threw some stuff out there. We got where we want to be.”
But don’t expect Ulsch to be satisfied with where he’s at, especially in a class that continues to make significant jumps.
“We can’t be satisfied with just running the same times. We want to step our program up,” Ulsch said. “As you can see, everyone else has.”

(Photos by ADRL/Richards)

August 24, 2010

Stott and Co. Ready to Reap Benefits of 3-Car PX Team

In the long run, Quain Stott envisions the multiple benefits of tuning a 3-car Pro Extreme team that pairs him with Tommy D’Aprile and Terry Leggett in arguably the ADRL’s most loaded class.
As for right now, well, Stott couldn’t imagine being much busier.
Not only has Stott and his new team reached the homestretch of the 2010 season, Stott is still working towards getting every car on the same page.
The exhausted look on Stott’s face indicates just how much of a work in progress that remains to be.
“The goal is to get everyone the same,” Stott said. “The three cars are so different right now it’s like we’re making three different decisions. It’s like three different worlds. It’s total insanity tuning three cars.”
Insanity now, payoff later, or at least that’s the hope.
Leggett and his 2009 Mustang GT signed on with Stott (pictured, top) for the rest of the 2010 season.
He replaced his ‘41 Ford from the beginning of the season and while a “Battle For The Belts” position is out of reach - Leggett (pictured, right) is 20th in the star-studded field - he hopes to make significant progress the rest of the year.
“I am very excited about the possibilities that adding (Stott) to the team offers,” Leggett said. “I feel like it just makes us better to have two teammates that are being tuned by the same person. Quain is one of the best guys out there on and off the track, and I’m just really excited to see what this Ford Mustang is capable of.”

D’Aprile hopes his up-and-down season finishes with a flourish with help from Stott.
D’Aprile injured his elbow in a crash in Valdosta, an injury that required surgery and has hampered him along the way.
Since then, D’Aprile (pictured, bottom left) has been searching for consistency out of a car owned by Mel Bush Motorsports.
“Having two teammates can only help us. I have faith in my crew and in Quain’s tuning abilities,” Mel Bush said.
Bush sees the potential for a car that can go in the 3.7s, which will be needed for D’Aprile to make a last-ditch run towards the top eight.
He is currently in 13th place and needs to jump some big names with some productive showings to advance to the LenMar Motorsports World Finals VI in October.
The addition of Stott has D’Aprile thinking he still has a chance.
“The car has undergone some updates that should make it easier for me to drive, and will help us ultimately go faster and be more competitive,” D’Aprile said. “The addition of Quain Stott has already made an impact, we saw that in Topeka.”
D’Aprile qualified ninth with a 3.80 in his ‘71 Camaro at the Hardee’s Independence Drags, showing the potential to be a top competitor.
Along with all the tuning, Stott has his own aspirations as well.
He’s struggled to advance deep in eliminations at the past couple races, but Stott still remains in seventh in Pro Extreme.
With the plan of the 3-car team to eventually end up where each of the cars have a similar setup, Stott hopes that day is coming soon.
The days and race weekends might be long at the moment, but Stott sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Everybody is going to be helping each other and that’s good for the team,” Stott said.

(Photos by ADRL/Richards)