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May 29, 2009

Garret Race Cars Joins National Guard ADRL as Contingency Sponsor

O’FALLON, MO (May 28, 2009) — The National Guard American Drag Racing League (ADRL) is proud to announce Garret Race Cars as its newest contingency sponsor. Garret Race Cars is a full-service chassis building shop in Marble Hill, Missouri, and the source of two-time defending Pro Extreme champion Jason Scruggs’ record-setting 1968 Camaro. Garret also built the 2007 Dodge Stratus in which Scruggs won the 2008 Pro Extreme title.

“This is a big step for us, but I think it’s important to support the racers who support us,” said Garret Livingston (right), owner and founder of Garret Race Cars. “The ADRL is on a huge growth curve right now and we at Garret Race Cars want to help keep that growth going.”

National Guard ADRL Director of Sales and Marketing Shawnna Reynolds said Garret Race Cars is exactly the kind of sponsor the professional eighth-mile drag racing series is looking for.

“We’re so happy to have Garret Race Cars join us as an official contingency sponsor,” she said. “It’s important to the National Guard ADRL that our racers benefit from the sponsors we bring on board and likewise, that the sponsors see a real return on their commitment to us and the race teams. I think Garret Race Cars is a perfect fit in all respects.”

As a chassis builder, Livingston said he appreciates the National Guard ADRL’s minimal rules beyond those required for safety. It allows him creativity in building the next generation of lightweight, but super-strong race cars to go lightning fast while keeping their drivers safe and secure.

“I don’t want to build the same old car; I want to take things to the next level and the ADRL allows me to do that,” Livingston said. “I want to encourage that kind of thinking in other racers and teams, too, so that’s why I’m offering this contingency bonus to teams that win or runner-up in a Garret Race Cars chassis.”

Garret Race Cars can be reached by phone at (573) 238-3055, or visit Garret online at www.GarretRaceCars.com.

Garret Livingston (far right) watches National Guard ADRL Pro Extreme champion Jason Scruggs launch his Garret Race Cars-built ’68 Camaro that scorched the Memphis Motorsports eighth mile in a record 3.66 seconds at more than 207 miles per hour. Garret Race Cars is the National Guard ADRL’s newest contingency sponsor.

(ADRL/Richards/Tocher photos)

May 27, 2009

Janis Enjoys Boost from New ‘Crew Member’

Millington, TN (May 26, 2009)—When Mike Janis’ Aeroquip Team departed for the National Guard ADRL Quarter-Max Memphis Drags II last week it was the first time in nearly 10 years the team rolled away from their Elma, NY shop without crew chief Mike Janis Jr. Junior stayed home to be with his wife, Melissa, as the two were near their due date of their first child.

Regardless, with today’s modern technology, Junior received up-to-the-minute reports from Memphis Motorsports Park via cell phone, Internet, and e-mails. He was able to direct the team from his Buffalo area home and then from the hospital room as his wife went into labor.

Prior to the birth of Jacob Michael Janis, his father, Mike Jr., sent orders in to the crew and tuned his dad to a career-best 3.771 at 199.35 miles per hour over the eighth mile; good enough for third on the 16-car Pro Extreme qualifying ladder.

Jacob Michael Janis came into the world May 23, at 5:11 p.m. Eastern, during the second round of qualifying, weighing in at a healthy seven pounds and 14 ounces. Both Mom and son came through fine and are now home.

After receiving news of the birth, the Aeroquip team was able to focus on the task at hand as they prepared for round one of eliminations against 14th-place qualifier Bennie McDonald. With the quickest field of Pro Extreme Cars in ADRL history no one could be taken lightly, especially teams they were not yet familiar with.

“With everything going on today and the fast pace of the ADRL events we weren’t sure who we had and not knowing many of the teams yet you just have to run your own race,” team owner and driver Mike Janis Sr. said. “Any team out here can bite you at any time, so as a driver I have to be ready for whatever happens.”

Both Janis and McDonald fought traction problems, but Janis was quicker to recover, posting an off-pace 3.962/189.12 to take the win.

Getting past McDonald paired Janis with Pro Extreme standout and privateer, Brian Daniels, who qualified 11th. Daniels defeated Travis Swearingen in round one after posting a psychic .001 light, so Janis knew he had to cut a good light against Daniels.

He did. Janis got the jump at the tree by five thousandths of a second, but the race wasn’t over there. Janis’ 1968 Firebird and the ‘63 Corvette of Daniels’ both lost traction and both drivers were on and off the throttle to the finish line where Janis arrived first to earn a berth in the semi-finals. The victory did not come without damage, however. The on-off throttle action built excessive pressure in the engine and caused a lean condition that exploded the supercharger from the manifold. Fortunately, the ADRL-mandated blower safety restraints did their job holding the supercharger to the rest of the engine.

The Aeroquip-backed team rushed back to the pits with their wounded horse and found excessive damage to the top of the engine. Without enough spare parts in the trailer, teammate Mel Bush offered up his hot rod as a donor vehicle and in less than 20 minutes the team  had removed the top half of Bush’s engine and transplanted it atop of Janis’ and fired up. But just as the team prepared to head to the staging lanes for the semi-finals, the rains came in and the race was called off.

The Quarter-Max Memphis Drags II semi-finals and final rounds for all five National Guard ADRL professional classes will be concluded during Friday’s qualifying at the next ADRL national event, June 5-6, at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin Michigan. Janis will be paired with Quain Stott in the semis and Stott will have lane choice.

(ADRL/Richards photo; Aeroquip/Janis courtesy photo)

May 26, 2009

Berner Bullish on Settling Memphis XPS Score in Michigan

CRETE, IL (May 26, 2009)—After qualifying third, Pete Berner drove his Quarter-Max.com sponsored Pontiac GXP to the Extreme Pro Stock (XPS) semi-finals of the National Guard ADRL Quarter-Max Memphis Drags II before rain ended the show. The semi-finals and final rounds for all five professional National Guard ADRL classes will now be held June 5, during Friday-night qualifying for the National Guard ADRL Summer Drags at Martin, Michigan, the next stop on the ADRL tour.

Berner put on an impressive show at the Memphis event, laying down the quickest pass of the weekend in round two of eliminations, when he flew to a 4.096 at 175.59 mph over the National Guard ADRL eighth mile.

“I didn’t know I could have this much fun eighth mile racing, but this is cool!” declared Berner, a two-time, quarter-mile, drag-racing world champ.

“This was another great show by the ADRL and I want to thank (series president and CEO) Kenny (Nowling) and his staff for all their hard work and energy into making this a spectacular event,” Berner said. “This was the first time Rick (Jones, owner of Quarter-Max) had chosen to sponsor an ADRL event and I’m thrilled to see it be a success for him. Many thanks to Rick for supporting the ADRL and Quarter-Max and RJ Race Cars customers that run this series. It’s awesome to have his support out here and to have him be a part of the ADRL’s growing success.”

Berner was obviously pleased with his progress in Memphis, but already is eager to head north to Michigan.

“We had a good run out here this weekend. We really wanted to win it for Rick and the Quarter-Max fans. We found a good combination to get down that eighth mile and hopefully we’ll carry the momentum from this weekend into the Martin, Michigan event and wrap things up there,” he said.

“Everyone left in (XPS) from the Memphis Drags is a tough competitor. My hat goes off to Brian Gahm, Bob Bertsch, and John Montecalvo for a job well done so far. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t want us to crown a winner Saturday night so we’ll have to face off in Michigan, but I’m sure we’ll have a good semi-final round there. That’s my home track on the tour, so I was already looking forward to racing there, but this just gives me more incentive!”

(ADRL/Richards photos)

May 25, 2009

Hot Times in Memphis for Mel Bush Motorsports

MILLINGTON, TN (May 25, 2009)—The Mel Bush Motorsports Pro Extreme team had a bit of unexpected excitement at this past weekend’s National Guard ADRL Quarter-Max Memphis Drags II at Memphis Motorsports Park.

After an aborted pass in Friday night’s lone qualifying session, the crew was towing their ‘62 Chevy Bel Air back to the pits when “Big Money” Bil Clanton crashed his ‘53 Studebaker and ground to a halt up against the right wall on the car’s left side just past the quarter-mile point of the track. Making matters worse, a fire had erupted in the car’s engine compartment.

Without thinking, the Bush crew, including driver Tommy D’Aprile, jumped the trackside barrier, scrambled to Clanton’s aid and pried opened his passenger-side door. D’Aprile, still in his fire suit, but without helmet and gloves, reached in to help pull out the struggling driver, while clutch specialist Jake “Snake” Fahy, wearing only his crew shirt and shorts, reached into the flames and focused on untangling Clanton’s legs from the maze of seatbelts and roll bars.

“You just act. You see a guy’s in trouble and you don’t think; you just do what it takes to help him,” Fahy said later. “I’m glad he’s okay.”

Though D’Aprile and crew struggled early in qualifying, they were able to put the power to the pavement when it counted, posting a 3.88 at 192.85 mph in their last attempt; good enough to start 12th in the quickest Pro Extreme field in history.

“We lost the blower belt just before the finish line,” said D’Aprile. “We lost some speed and elapsed time, but I’m pleased with the run. I’m sure (crew chief) Kevin (Peters) will have her ready for first round.”

In round one, D‘Aprile squared off with Jason Hamstra, the most recent PX winner at Valdosta, Georgia, last month, and in what many considered a significant upset, D’Aprile gave team owner Bush his first experience with an ADRL round win in person, after Bush missed all eliminations in Georgia due to a brief health scare. D’Aprile led from start to finish against Hamstra, leaving with a .027 advantage and running a career-best 3.80 seconds at just over 197 mph to earn the win.

In round two, D’Aprile was again paired up with a 2009 ADRL national event champion, Todd Tutterow, but this time it was all over at the hit with Tutterow taking the starting-line advantage and D’Aprile experiencing immediate traction problems. Regardless, D’Aprile, from Port Charlotte, Florida, remained pleased with his Memphis Drags outing.

“We had a great time this weekend,” he stated. “The car is coming around and I know we’ll be even better next race. The crew has really gelled and we’re having a lot of fun together.”

L-R: Mel Bush Motorsports teammates Eric Fahy, Steve Bush, driver Tommy D’Aprile and Jake Fahy. With little regard for their own safety, D’Aprile and Jake Fahy helped rescue Bil Clanton from his crashed and burning race car on Friday night at the National Guard ADRL Quarter-Max Memphis Drags II at Memphis Motorsports Park.

(Photos by ADRL/Richards and Denise Ramsey)

May 24, 2009

Rain Extends National Guard ADRL Event from Memphis to Michigan in June

MILLINGTON, TN (May 23, 2009) —The National Guard American Drag Racing League (ADRL) came up a little short in a race with Mother Nature this evening at Memphis Motorsports Park (MMP), as light rain began falling just as the semi-final rounds were about to be run at the Quarter-Max Memphis Drags II.

In a hastily convened meeting with all National Guard ADRL competitors left in contention, Director of Race Operations Quick Vandiver announced all semi-finals and final rounds for the Memphis event will now be held during Friday night’s qualifying session at the next National Guard ADRL event, June 5-6, at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI.

Before the wet weather arrived, two-time defending Pro Extreme world champion Jason Scruggs thrilled everyone in attendance Friday night with an astonishing 3.66-seconds pass at more than 207 miles per hour over the National Guard ADRL’s eighth-mile race course. He later officially backed up those numbers within the required one percent to reset his own National Guard ADRL records.

Also on a record-setting pace at Memphis was defending Extreme 10.5 champion Billy Glidden, who lowered his own elapsed-time record to 4.07 seconds, and the facility itself, which according to MMP Vice President and General Manager Jason Rittenberry, saw more than 10,000 National Guard ADRL fans visit for Friday’s testing and qualifying sessions and “right at 30,000” showed up Saturday to see additional qualifying and elimination-rounds action. It was the largest single-day crowd he’s seen since joining MMP nine years ago, Rittenberry added.

“I can’t even begin to describe what a pleasure it was to work with Jason and his staff on the Memphis Drags II,” National Guard ADRL Vice President of Competition Bubba Corzine said. “They got it. They understand how to run a National Guard ADRL event the way it’s supposed to be run and the proof was in the smiles of the fans, competitors and staff alike.”

(ADRL/Tocher photo)

May 21, 2009

Jenkins Back to Driving at Memphis

TUSCALOOSA, AL (May 21, 2009) – Everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before the world’s most accomplished nitrous racer would have to get back behind the wheel and that is exactly what will happen this weekend during the National Guard ADRL Quarter-Max Memphis Drags II as Shannon “The Iceman” Jenkins returns to the driver’s seat for the first time since the season-opener in Houston.

When asked if he was excited about his on-track return, Jenkins didn’t hesitate.

“This is what I do,” Jenkins (right) replied from the Tuscaloosa, AL-based Al-Anabi Racing facility. “I drive race cars. And to say the least, I’m real excited to get back after it in Memphis. We had a minor setback and I took some time out of the driver’s seat to get this team organized; it has really started to pay off and we’ve got a group of extremely competitive race cars in this camp.”

Jenkins, who maintains the number-14 spot in the Speedtech Nitrous ADRL Battle for the Belts point standings, spent the days leading up the Memphis Drags testing his fly-weight Pro Nitrous entry, seeing results that were more than satisfying.

“Right out of the trailer our Speedtech/Al-Anabi Racing ’68 Camaro went .975 (to the 60-foot timer) and 3.93 (over an eighth mile),” reported Jenkins. “We’ve got a good baseline and down in Memphis, in the heat, I think we’ve got a program capable of winning the race. It’s been awhile since we’ve run at Memphis, but I’m looking forward to getting back to business as usual.”

Along with Jenkins, Mike Castellana, who currently is third in the Pro Nitrous Battle for the Belts points standings, will once again be behind the wheel of the Al-Anabi Racing ’68 Pontiac Firebird looking to lock up a second ADRL victory for the ’09 season. The Westbury, New York native has seen his share of success this season, but it will probably take a combination of his patented super-quick reaction times and equally fast elapsed times to bring home the big check in Memphis as the ADRL’s Pro Nitrous division continues to raise the bar, performance wise, with the completion of each event.

Just six weeks after knocking off the quickest and fastest pass in the history of ADRL Pro Nitrous competition with a 3.871 at 196.33 mph, K.A. Balooshi will return to Pro Nitrous competition looking to duplicate that performance and demonstrate the consistency necessary to go rounds on race day. Balooshi, “The Beast from the Middle East,” has showcased his constantly improving driving skills in two continents in 2009, competing for the Arabian Drag Racing League in Qatar and Bahrain, as well as here in the United States of America in the ADRL. The Memphis Drags may provide the standout Pro Nitrous driver to earn a birth in the all-important Speedtech Nitrous ADRL Battle for the Belts.

Finally, Burton Auxier will also look to flex his muscles on the ADRL’s eighth-mile on behalf of Al-Anabi Racing this weekend in Tennessee, hoping to build on an already successful season that has him currently number five in the points.

May 20, 2009

Memorial Day Weekend Special to Janis Crew Members

ELMA, NY (May 20, 2009)–For millions across this great country, Memorial Day weekend is the kick off to summer, a time for picnics and barbeques and the Indy 500, but for others it’s much more than that.

Memorial Day is a day to honor our brave military men and women who are no longer with us. With the National Guard as the primary sponsor of the ADRL at this weekend’s Quarter-Max Memphis Drags II at Memphis Motorsports Park, it should hold special meaning to all in attendance.

One person who holds this federal holiday close to his heart is Mike Janis Racing’s Steve Hermann. Hermann, the lead crewman on Janis’s Aeroquip-backed Pro Extreme team, grew up an “Army brat” and knows full well the sacrifices military men, women and their families make for their country.

“Before he passed, my father, Tony Hermann, served the United States Army for 21 years. He retired just as I entered high school but for my early years I lived on bases in Europe and all across our country. I’ve seen the best and worst that families of our service men and women go through day in and day out as their loved ones protect our freedoms,” Hermann said. “If nothing else, please, on this weekend and this holiday, take just a minute to remember all those who’ve served our country and are no longer with us, and by the way if you fly a flag the rule is to fly your flags at half staff on Monday til’ noon.”

Hermann and the rest of Janis’ Aeroquip team took some time before the Memphis Drags to continue testing the combination on their ‘68 Camaro. The team continues to post impressive short times, but have yet to post a complete run that’s up to their tough expectations.

“We’ve had no problem with our 60-foot times, it’s been putting a complete run together that’s our issue,” team owner and driver Mike Janis said. “While our numbers this season are competitive we know we’ve an enormous amount of untapped power we need to get to the track. A perfect example is our last pass in testing. She ran a .935 60 foot, 2.51 to the 330, and 3.82 at 180, clicking her off at 3.0 seconds into the run. According to our data, it would’ve been a low 3.70 something, but we have yet to make it the full way under power this year. I’m hoping our luck turns around this weekend.”

To intensify the challenge, the Aeroquip team will be down a crucial man this weekend as crew chief Mike Janis Jr. will try calling the shots from over 1,000 miles away as he remains home with his wife Melissa, who is expecting the couple’s first child.

“It’s too close to our due date for me to be away,” said Janis Jr. “I need to be here, but I’d be lying if I told you being away from the race weren’t bothering me. We have a game plan and I’ll be up to the minute on all the data from each run as well as listening live on the net. Tell Brian Olson to give me a shout out.”

(ADRL/Richards file photos)

May 19, 2009

National Guard ADRL Names Vandiver Director of Race Operations

O’FALLON, MO (May 15, 2009) –The National Guard American Drag Racing League (ADRL) is pleased to announce the promotion of William “Quick” Vandiver to director of race operations. In his new role, Vandiver will work closely with Executive Vice President of Competition Bert Corzine to ensure National Guard ADRL events continue to operate in the safe and efficient—but fun—manner that competitors have come to expect.

Vandiver will serve as the primary liason between Corzine and all National Guard ADRL competitors and will be involved in all aspects of the events, including at times assuming the responsibility of making the “tough calls.” He will assume his new duties May 22-23, during the National Guard ADRL Quarter-Max Memphis Drags II at Memphis Motorsports Park in Millington, Tennessee.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Vandiver said. “National Guard ADRL racers are the best in the business and I want to make sure everything runs as smoothly and as fairly as possible for every one of them every single time they go down the track.”     

Vandiver joined the National Guard ADRL in 2006 at its historic Dragstock III event and was a key figure in establishing and promoting the incredible growth of the series’ Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 class.

“Throughout his career, Quick has done it all when it comes to race operations, from working the water box to prepping the track to announcing on the P.A. He’s even been known to get behind the wheel at times and I understand he’s killer on the tree,” Corzine said. “His experience, from both an official’s and a racer’s perspective, make him the ideal person for the job.”

(ADRL/Tocher file photo)