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January 30, 2010

Glidden Returning with M/T Mustang in 2010

STOW, OH (Jan. 29, 2010)—Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels is proud to announce the renewal of its partnership with Billy Glidden Racing for 2010.

Through this partnership, Glidden will continue to work closely with Mickey Thompson product development staff to provide information regarding the performance of Mickey Thompson products in real-world racing applications.

In return, Mickey Thompson will provide support to the Bill Glidden team as they compete in the ADRL Extreme 10.5 class throughout the year.

“Billy is working overtime getting his new 2010 Mustang ready for racing season,” said Ken Warner, VP Sales & Marketing, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels. “He has been working on the big horsepower he’ll need to win races, and we’re looking forward to seeing him test this vehicle and our products on the track. Billy is able to give us some of the real-world results we need to consistently improve our products and his input is invaluable.”

“I want to thank Mickey Thompson and the team for renewing our partnership again this year,” said Glidden. “We’ve been working hard with Ford and with Jerry Haas Race Cars to put this 2010 Ford Mustang body together for our race car, and we are looking forward to getting out on the track and shaking it out.”

January 25, 2010

Snyder Joins Scruggs as Pro Extreme Teammate

DEMOTTE, IN (Jan. 25, 2010)—It has been a busy off season for former Top Alcohol Funny Car standout Mick Snyder as he is taking on a new challenge this year in the American Drag Racing League’s hyper-competitive Pro Extreme arena.

The second-generation racer and his father, Larry, have been working hard to get a beautiful ‘63 split-window Corvette ready for the ADRL season-opening Safety-Kleen Dragpalooza VI, Mar. 19-20, at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas.

The Demotte, Indiana-based duo are teaming up with current ADRL world record holder and former back-to-back Pro Extreme champion Jason Scruggs and his father, Mitchell, for the 2010 season and will continue to be sponsored by Powersource Transportation.

While the Snyder team and associate sponsorship will remain primarily the same, Snyder Motorsports will be returning to its roots by putting a Coan converter and Lencodrive transmission in the car, a combination they ran successfully on the Funny Car circuits for years.

“Dad and I have thought and talked about racing in Pro Extreme for years,” the 28-year-old driver said. “We discussed it at the beginning of the off season and decided if we could put the right deal together we would make the switch. Shortly after, things started to fall into place. It has already been a lot of work, but we are having fun getting everything ready and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and see what she can do.”

January 22, 2010

Smith Smashes World Speed Record in Qatar

DOHA, QATAR (Jan. 22, 2010) – In what easily could be considered the biggest news ever to come out of the Arabian Drag Racing League, Oak Ridge, Tennessee’s Von Smith once more earned a spot in the history books en route to a runner-up finish during Round 5 at the Qatar Race Club with a shot-heard-round-the-world 209.43-mph lap – the fastest standing-start eighth-mile speed ever recorded by a full-bodied drag racing car.

History wasn’t confined to Smith’s right lane only, however, as the final round resulted in the quickest and fastest side-by-side race in the history of doorslammer drag racing, which also represented the first 3.60s pairing in the history of the sport. Smith’s 209.43-mph blast in his Barwa Racing ’68 Camaro came in just 3.684-seconds; just not quite enough to beat His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani’s stunning 3.679-seconds at 207.59-mph effort.

Despite falling to his Al-Anabi Racing teammate in the final, Smith maintained his lead in the Arabian Drag Racing League’s Pro Extreme points standings, a mere two rounds ahead of Al-Thani.

“I can’t think of too many occasions where it felt okay to be runner-up, but this is definitely one of them,” Smith said later. “To be in another final alongside Sheikh Khalid, to be in the quickest and fastest side-by-side drag race in history – you just can’t ask for anything better.”

In regard to the record-setting speed, Smith steered all the credit to his crew members who just completed a marathon three consecutive race weekends and delivered a win last week, plus a pair of runner-up finishes.

“(Crew chief) Howard Moon (above right, with Smith) has this thing making big power – really big power,” he said. “I can’t say enough about him and this entire Barwa Racing team, and I think all the hard work has been showing through these last few weeks. It’s been a pretty intense stretch, but it’s been a non-stop team effort. The support from Barwa Real Estate, Al-Anabi Racing and Sheikh Khalid has been incredible and we’re just honored to be able to represent them in fine fashion at the drag strip.”

With only two races remaining in the Arabian Drag Racing League’s 2009-10 season, there’s no doubt a battle between the two Al-Anabi entries will be waged to the very end.

“We know we’ve got our work cut out for us, but I’ve got all the faith in the world in Howard and the rest of this team. So long as I do my job behind the wheel I think we’ve got a shot at doubling up,” Smith declared, referring to his 2008-09 championship. “You can’t take anything for granted in heads-up drag racing, but we’re going to be working round the clock here in Doha to make sure we bring home a championship for Barwa.”

The Al-Anabi Racing ‘68 Camaros of driver Von Smith with crew chief Howard Moon (left) and team owner Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani with crew chief Frank Manzo are currently one-two, respectively, in Pro Extreme points and appear destined to settle the 2009-10 Arabian Drag Racing League championship between them over the next few weeks in the series’ final two events. 

(ADRL/Grooms file photos)

January 22, 2010

Sheikh Khalid Wins Record PX Final

DOHA, QATAR (Jan. 22, 2010)—In the quickest and fastest side-by-side race ever staged by full-bodied door cars, Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani (third from left) prevailed with his second career Pro Extreme event win in Round 5 of the Arabian Drag Racing League’s 2009-10 season.

Leaving with a stellar .005 reaction time, Sheikh Khalid got the jump on final-round rival Von Smith (far left), who cut a still-impressive .029 light in the opposite lane. The Sheikh then tripped the 60-foot timers in .930 and reached half-track (330 feet) in 2.497 seconds before posting a 3.679 winning time at 207.59 mph over the Qatar Race Club eighth mile.

Meanwhile, Smith, winner of the previous race just one week earlier, had a .964 60-foot time leading into 2.508 at half-track and 3.684 and an incredible 209.43 miles per hour at the finish line. Smith, from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, officially reset his own worldwide speed record with the pass.

“We knew going into the final, based on the previous round, that Howard [Moon, Barwa Racing crew chief] had a 3.60 in his tune-up bag, so I knew I was going to have to be on my game at the starting line,” Sheikh Khalid said following the winner’s circle celebration. “Tim [McAmis] and I are always talking about being consistent with my driving; staging the car the same every time, doing the same length burnout, and so on. I staged as shallow as possible in the final and, like I said, we knew they’d be swinging for the fences, so I had to do my job as a driver and leave first. Beyond that, I just let the clutch out and let her eat.”

The win solidified his second-place status in the Arabian Drag Racing League’s points chase, leaving the Sheikh within two rounds of Smith’s lead.

“I’ve never been one to get real excited, but it was hard not to be fired up after that final round,” he admitted. “Even before we got in the cars I felt like we’d already won. Having both our team cars in the final and then with the way the cars performed, it was all that we could ask for.”

Current American Drag Racing League Pro Nitrous champ Khalid Al-Balooshi (right) won a tire-shaking PN final in Qatar over Al-Anabi teammate Burton Auxier that saw their two cars almost come together near half-track. Al-Balooshi gathered his ‘68 Camaro up just a little quicker, though, after coming ever-so-close to crossing the center line from his right-hand lane.

Round 6 of the Arabian Drag Racing League’s 2009-10 season is set for Feb. 5-6, again at the Qatar Race Club. 

(ADRL file photos)

January 21, 2010

Smith, Balooshi Lead Qatar R5 Qualifying

DOHA, QATAR (Jan. 21, 2010)—Oak Ridge, Tennessee’s Von Smith (left) stepped up in the third and final Pro Extreme qualifying session today to earn the provisional number-one position for Round 5 of the Arabian Drag Racing League’s 2009-10 season.

Smith, who entered the qualifying round in fourth place, covered the Qatar Race Club eighth mile in 3.74 seconds at 207.15 mph in his Howard Moon-tuned ‘68 Camaro to wrest the top spot away from His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani in a similar ride crew chiefed by Frank “Ace” Manzo..

Al-Thani’s 3.75 pass at 205.07 mph from the previous session held him in second, with the ‘06 Mustang driven by Bader Ahli and tuned by reigning American Drag Racing League Pro Extreme World Champion Todd Tutterow in third with a 3.78 at 203.77-mph run.

“I’m happy with our performance,” Sheikh Khalid said. “There’s nothing better than being 1 and 2 with my teammate, Von Smith, and I hope this sets us up for another Al-Anabi and Barwa Racing final round. We’ve got one more shot at it tomorrow and we know there is a little left, so we will see if we can get that number-one spot going into eliminations.”

Alex Hossler of Canton, Illinois, the current American Drag Racing League Pro Extreme points leader, improved for the third-straight time today with a 3.82-seconds pass at 201.43 mph in his Chris Duncan-built and -tuned ‘70 Camaro to sit fourth, while Ali Aryan’s 4.02 at 187.40 mph from the second qualifying round placed him in the fifth and final position on the Pro Extreme list.

American Drag Racing League Pro Nitrous World Champion Khalid Al-Balooshi improved his own number-one effort from the earlier qualifying sessions with a nice 3.87-seconds pass at 194.83 mph in Thursday’s last run down the track, followed by a solid 3.89/194.58 combination by Al-Anabi Racing teammate Burton Auxier (right) of Dixie, West Virginia, and Ali Alansari with a 4.53 at 147.05 mph pass, his best of the weekend so far.

One last round of qualifying is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time (9 a.m. Eastern) on Friday, with eliminations getting underway about two hours later.

(ADRL file photos)

January 20, 2010

Sheikh Khalid Seeking Success at Qatar Round 5

DOHA, QATAR (Jan. 20, 2010)—Coming into the last leg of the Arabian Drag Racing League’s three-race swing at the Qatar Race Club, His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani (left) and his Al-Anabi Racing Pro Extreme team are amped up for one last hurrah on the outlaw eighth-mile before a solid month-long layoff.

Racking up his career-first professional win during Round 2 and scoring a semi-final finish at Round 4 only a few weeks later, Al Thani plans to build on the team’s success thus far with a strong finish this weekend.

“I’ve said it before, having a team consisting of guys like Frank Manzo and Tim McAmis, it’s easy to be confident,” Sheikh Khalid said following a test-session early in the week. “We’ve tested relentlessly between these races, giving Frank the opportunity to fine tune our program, and I anticipate it translating into a very successful weekend for the Al-Anabi Racing team this weekend.”

The Al-Anabi Racing team owner and driver also earned his rightful place in the drag racing history books during the Round 2 of the Arabian Gulf Region-based racing series with a 3.67-second blast, just the second-ever 3.6 run in sanctioned competition, a performance that has given the entire team a good deal of assurance moving forward.

“We’ve shown that we have what it takes to run the number on more than one occasion this season, now we turn our focus to getting these volatile race cars to repeat those record-setting performances on every lap. We’re out here to win, but we also want to run well, so it’s a bit of a balancing act.”

With three races left for the 2009/2010 Arabian Drag Racing League season, there is plenty of time for the Al-Anabi Racing Pro Extreme team to gain ground on current points leader, Von Smith. 

The Al-Anabi Racing Pro Extreme team will return to action this week during Round 5 of the Arabian Drag Racing League series at the Qatar Race Club. Qualifying for Round 5 will begin at 7 p.m. AST Jan. 21, with a second round scheduled two hours later. A final round of qualifying will take place at 5 p.m. Jan. 22, with eliminations getting underway at 7 p.m. AST.

For more information on the Qatar Race Club and the Arabian Drag Racing League’s season-opener, log on to www.qrczone.com.

January 20, 2010

Maintaining Momentum Key to Smith’s Qatar Strategy

DOHA, QATAR (Jan. 20, 2010)—With the conclusion of the Arabian Drag Racing League’s intense three-race stretch looming on the horizon, U.S.-based driver Von Smith and the Barwa Racing Pro Extreme team look to build on the momentum created with their dominating performance at the recently completed Round 4 event.

Smith, who recorded the fastest speed ever by a door car at the previous event with a stunning 208.55mph blast on his way to a final-round win over local racer Ali Aryan, is eager to keep up the pace set by the Barwa Real Estate-backed Pro Extreme ’68 Camaro.

“Truth be known, I really like these back to back races,” said Smith, a native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. “I feel like it keeps me sharper as a driver and it lets the team get into a rhythm. It’s definitely hard on the guys and, as always, my hat is off to them for all their hard work and dedication. There is no questioning the fact that our performance last week is a result of a team effort.”

Currently leading the points in the Arabian Drag Racing League’s Pro Extreme division, the Howard Moon-led team couldn’t have found a better time to hit their stride as their primary sponsor, Barwa Real Estate, continues development on a number of high-level construction projects including the state-of-the-art Barwa Al Doha that was created with an unbeatable formula: a central location, resident, commercial and entertainment areas, keeping everything within reach.

“The pace at which Qatar is growing and the never-ending development in Doha, the nation’s capital city, is hard to imagine without seeing it first hand,” said Smith. “We’re proud to be representing a company like Barwa that has such incredible vision, and we hope to continue to represent them well in the competitive sport of drag racing, particularly this weekend.”

While the team has spend a considerable amount of time testing, Smith was quick to point out that it all comes down to a team and driver’s ability to get the job done on raceday.

“All of our testing has gone well, but until the race begins, you just never know,” Smith said. “We tested prior to the last couple events as well and it really didn’t come together for us until the day of the race, so we’re not resting on our laurels here. The competition is serious and every car out here is capable of winning. For us, it’s all about execution on race day. We’ve proven that we know how to win.”

(ADRL/Grooms photo)

January 20, 2010

Tutterow Counts on Consistency in Qatar

DOHA, QATAR (Jan. 20, 2010)—After a disappointing first-round exit at the recently completed Arabian Drag Racing League Round 4 event, Arabian Gulf Region standout driver Bader Alhi is anticipating a slightly more exciting outcome at the upcoming Round 5 with the help of tuning ace Todd Tutterow, the current American Drag Racing League Pro Extreme world champion.

The final race of three back-to-back events at the luxurious Qatar Race Club, Round 5 represents a do-or-die situation for the Alhi/Tutterow team in order to narrow the points gap between themselves and Sheikh Khalid Al Thani and Von Smith.

Always a choice weapon of Tutterow, the game plan for Round 5 will be unbridled consistency.

“At the last race, we were the only team to make it down the track in every qualifying round,” reported Tutterow, a native of Yadkinville, North Carolina. “Probably more than anything else, that’s what we’re going to count on going into this next race. You’ve got to get these things from A to B if you want to win and we’ve been able to do that on a consistent basis. We’re giving up a little to these other guys, but I think we can run pretty close to them.”

As for an unfortunate red-light loss in the opening round of Round 4, Tutterow summed it up as “one of those deals,” when the Qatar Race Club Team Pro Extreme 2006 Ford Mustang Cobra rolled through the beams.

“The line lock didn’t hold the car and it rolled through the beams,” said Tutterow. “There wasn’t anything he [Bader Alhi, driver] could have done. He knew exactly what was wrong, he knew as soon as it happened. It’s taken me a little getting used to not driving the car, being in the seat to know and feel exactly what is happening, but Bader has just done an excellent job. He’s a great driver and if we can give him a car capable of winning this deal, he’s got what it takes to get it done.”

In preparation for the coming event, Tutterow (behind car with arms crossed) and crew have been busy in the QRC team shop putting together a fresh engine for their Pro Extreme Mustang, as well as freshening the engine they’ve utilized thus far in 2009/2010 as a reliable back up coming into the championship rounds of the Arabian Drag Racing League series.

“I think we’ve found a little more power,” said Tutterow. “I think I can get this thing to run pretty quick, and with a little bit of luck – we might just put this Ford Mustang in the winner’s circle on Friday night.”