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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)