ADRL.us - News and Information

July 24, 2007

D’Aprile featured on TLC’s Miami Ink

O'FALLON, Mo. (July 24, 2007) – Tonight’s episode of Miami Ink on The Learning Channel will feature Flowmaster American Drag Racing League racer Tommy D’Aprile.

The original airing of the program is scheduled for tonight (Tuesday, July 24) at 10 p.m. Eastern. TLC (www.tlcdiscovery.com) is available on most cable systems; viewers should check their local listings.

D'Aprile is scheduled to receive a new tattoo on the popular show during the episode.

"The tattoo is something I wanted to do to promote the sport and promote my faith," D'Aprile said in a statement released last week.

The show’s cameras also followed D'Aprile at the ADRL’s race in Valdosta in early May, where he reached the semifinals in Pro Extreme, his best career ADRL result.

D'Aprile is currently seeking sponsorship help, with a goal of racing full-time again in the 2008 season.

For more information about Tommy D'Aprile, visit http://sirthomasinc.com. For the official website of the Flowmaster ADRL, visit www.adrl.us.

July 8, 2007

ADRL Champ Stanton Wins First PX Title; Riesterer Claims PN Honors

RADFORD, Va. (July 7, 2007) — Two first-time event winners visited the Motor Mile Dragway winner’s circle Saturday night at the conclusion of the ADRL.us Independence Drags, although one of them had previously won the biggest title the Flowmaster American Drag Racing League has to offer.

Bubba Stanton (Pro Extreme) and Doug Riesterer (Pro Nitrous) won their respective classes to cap an exciting day of racing Saturday in front of another sold out ADRL venue. For Stanton, the event win was his first in an ADRL points-earning event, although his other ADRL victory — the Battle for the Belts world championship eliminator last fall — made him the 2006 ADRL Pro Extreme world champion.

With his win Saturday night, Stanton jumped to the top of the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts points standings, leaping over Joshua Hernandez (who did not attend) and Huntsville winner Jason Scruggs (who recorded a surprising DNQ). Stanton’s 1,544 points now leads Hernandez by the rough equivalent of three round-wins.

After qualifying No. 7 with a 4.018 best, Stanton simply got better with each eliminations pass he made. He opened with a 4.032 to oust Dwayne Watkins, then followed with three consecutive 3-second runs: 3.997 to edge Michael Neal’s 4.03; 3.990 to take a dramatic holeshot win over Frankie Taylor’s 3.971; and, in the final, a 3.971 to score an easy win over Travis Swearingen, who shook and could not recover.

The runner-up finish was Swearingen’s second of the season. He lost to Joe Baker in the Valdosta final.

Like Stanton, Riesterer came through with a bracket-like performance when it mattered most. He recorded four runs of between 4.045 to 4.066 in eliminations to beat, in order, Terry Murphy, Jamie Hancock, Buzz Varner, and 2006 ADRL world champion Keith Baker in the final, 4.045 to a troubled 5.316. Baker was looking for his first ADRL eliminations win since the 2005 season-ender in Kennedale.

Pro Nitrous driver Johnny Pilcher’s bid for an unprecedented third straight ADRL event win came up two rounds short at the ADRL.us Independence Drags. He ran well all weekend and reached the semifinals, but came up on the losing end of his race versus Baker when he narrowly red-lighted.

Pilcher still enjoys a sizeable points lead in the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts points standings, and he remains the only ADRL driver to qualify for every event his class has contested.

July 7, 2007

First look: AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts standings

(Effective June 7, 2007; all points pending ADRL approval)

Pro Extreme
1.    Bubba Stanton    1,544
2.    Joshua Hernandez    1,229
3.    John Lynam    1,151
4.    Travis Swearingen    1,140
5.    Joe Baker    1,139
6.    Jason Scruggs    1,047
7.    Mike Bell    868
8.    Michael Neal    730
9.    Bil Clanton    648
10.    Todd Tutterow    630
11.    Dwayne Watkins    620
12.    Frankie Taylor    599
13.    Brian Daniels    591
14.    Quain Stott    567
15.    Bennie McDonald    521
16.    Herman Sheppard    495
17.    Bobby Booth    473
18.    Brandon Pesz    435
19.    Hugh Scott    408
20.    Kelly Martin    388

Pro Nitrous
1.    Johnny Pilcher    1,850
2.    Terry Housley    1,332
3.    Keith Baker    1,142
4.    Doug Riesterer    1,114
5.    Thomas Myers    1,039
6.    Dennis Radford    1,029
7.    Charles Carpenter    943
8.    Jamie Hancock    913
9.    Shannon Jenkins    908
10.    Stan Allen    742
11.    Randy Weatherford    725
12.    Harold Martin    699
13.    Burton Auxier    635
14.    Billy Harper    614
15.    Steve Vick    533
16.    Rod Houck    517
17.    Greg Godwin    503
18.    Mike Lockwood    386
19.    Buzz Varner    338
20.    Mike Castellana   282

July 7, 2007

ADRL.us Independence Drags: PX eliminations, final

(Winner on top)

Bubba Stanton, 3.971, 183.52
Travis Swearingen, 5.316, 92.73

Another 3-second pass from Stanton, who wins his first career ADRL “regular-season” eliminations title. He was last year’s Pro Extreme winner in the ADRL Battle for the Belts championship eliminator.

July 7, 2007

ADRL.us Independence Drags: PN eliminations, final

(Winner on top)

Doug Riesterer, 4.045, 179.07
Keith Baker, 5.316, 92.73

The defending ADRL champion will score lots of points for his effort this weekend, but it’s a winner’s circle newcomer who claims the win-light. Doug Riesterer becomes the 11th driver to win an ADRL Pro Nitrous title.

July 7, 2007

ADRL.us Independence Drags: PX eliminations, semifinals

(Winner on top)

Travis Swearingen, 4.049, 188.05
John Lynam, 4.121, 181.09

Swearingen has been a little bit up-and-down in 2007, following up his Valdosta runner-up with a first-round loss in Huntsville. But he’ll get a second shot at a final round after eliminating the 2005 ADRL world champion.

Bubba Stanton, 3.990, 184.96
Frankie Taylor, 3.971, 188.28

Holeshots have been plentiful during eliminations, and here’s one more. Stanton with just enough to grab a place in his second straight Pro Extreme final.

July 7, 2007

ADRL.us Independence Drags: PN eliminations, semifinals

(Winner on top)

Doug Riesterer, 4.053, 179.07
Buzz Varner, 4.108, 179.50

Riesterer clinches a spot in his first ADRL final. He becomes the 18th driver to race in an ADRL Pro Nitrous final.

Keith Baker, 4.092, 179.71
Johnny Pilcher, Red-light

Pilcher’s dream of a Pro Nitrous three-peat ends in the semifinals. He still remains, though, one of only two drivers to ever win back-to-back PN events (Shannon Jenkins also did so in 2005).

July 7, 2007

ADRL.us Independence Drags: PX eliminations, quarterfinals

(Winner on top)

Travis Swearingen, 4.043, 188.44  
Joe Baker, 4.074, 178.43

A nice 4.04 from the Valdosta runner-up, who is one step away from a second final in 2007.

John Lynam, 4.055, 184.50  
Todd Tutterow, 4.155, 176.19

Lynam is making his Huntsville DNQ seem like something that happened to someone else. He is one round away from his ninth career ADRL final.

Bubba Stanton, 3.997, 184.58  
Michael Neal, 4.038, 181.09

Nice runs from both lanes, but it’s Stanton who survives. The ADRL champ is seeking consecutive final-round appearances.

Frankie Taylor, 4.118, 179.57
Mike Neal, 3.963, 187.03

Taylor needs some starting-line magic, but he holds on to equal the best showing of his ADRL career. Both Neals make good runs, but are each a quarterfinals loser.