ADRL.us - Race Results

August 8, 2010

Hossler Wins at Home Track, Five Others Join Him at Hardee’s Gateway Drags

MADISON, IL (August 7, 2010) - Alex Hossler’s first American Drag Racing League (ADRL) win 10 months ago ended with the Pro Extreme driver crossing the finish line with his car on fire in one of more memorable ADRL finishes.
In Hossler’s eyes, however, the Canton, IL native topped himself on Saturday during the Hardee’s Gateway Drags III at Gateway International Raceway (GIR).
With more than 100 friends, family and co-workers looking on, Hossler was never better and it paid off with his second career ADRL PX win.
His ‘71 Camaro went a Saturday-best 3.69 at 203 miles per hour, beating Gaylen Smith in an entertaining final before a massive overflow crowd at GIR.
”(The 3.69) put quite the exclamation point on the coolest win I’ve ever had,” Hossler said. “I don’t know how I could have made it any better.
“There is no race I would rather win. This is definitely the highlight of my ADRL career. This has been great, to share this experience with all the people I care about.”
Joining Hossler in the winner’s circle was Shannon Jenkins in Pro Nitrous, Chuck Ulsch in Extreme 10.5, Ashley Owens in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Brian Gahm in Extreme Pro Stock and Alexander Oppen in Pro Junior Dragster.
The capacity crowd soaked in the record-breaking weekend, as track E.T. and speed records were broken in every class over the two-day stretch.
Ulsch capped his amazing day with one more record, as his 3.99 run in the finals against Billy Glidden came at 206.55 mph, giving him the new world speed record in XTF.
That it came during a finals victory was simply icing on the cake for the Clarksville, MD native.
“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.”

The location added plenty more for Hossler, but how he did it was also meaningful.
After qualifying fifth, Hossler went 3.74 in the opening round and then knocked off Frankie Taylor a round later with a 3.76 at 204 mph.
That gave him KH Al-Thani in the semifinals and the buzz at GIR in preparation for that race was palpable. But it was Hossler who prevailed, denying Al-Thani of his second win in two days with a 3.75 to set up his terrific finals run.
“Anybody that tells you don’t get jacked up for something like that, you’re lying. You do get jacked up,” Hossler said of his semifinal matchup against Al-Thani.
“You just have to try to block that out and do what you always do.”
After wrecking in Houston two weeks ago, Jenkins has been driving the car of teammate Mike Castellana in Pro Nitrous.
It was a lethal combination on Saturday, as Jenkins went 3.88 at 193 mph to deny Randy Weatherford of his first ADRL win.
Instead, Jenkins picked up his class-best ninth - and it still felt as good as his first.
“This is why I still do it,” Jenkins said in the winner’s circle. “Winning is all I dream and think about.”

Before that, though, Jenkins had to overcome the crash in Houston and some difficulty on Friday with Castellana’s car.
But after staying up until 2:30 a.m. correcting the problems, Jenkins went 3.93 in the final qualifying session to set the tone for the day. He got better in each round, going 3.92 to beat Burton Auxier in the second round and 3.91 to top Stan Allen in the semifinals.
“We’re just racing for Mike,” Jenkins said. “We came out with that .93 in qualifying and it felt like a different car. After that, we knew we could win.”
Ulsch’s path to the finals was eerily similar to a year ago at the track, as he met Jeff Naiser and Gary White in the second and third rounds, respectively, for the second straight time.
He had passes of 4.03 at 205 mph and 4.02 to reach the finals, and this time he got the better of Glidden, who cut a perfect .000 light but shut the car off shortly after.
“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.”
It was the same old dominant story for Owens, as the Decatur, AL native made it a double-win weekend after also qualifying first.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the “Fast by Gast” driver, who went 4.09 at 174 mph to beat Kim Morrell’s 4.16 in the finals.
Morrell was making her first finals appearance, but had to relent to Owens, who now has a remarkable six wins in seven ADRL races.
“It’s hard to keep this going,” Owens said. “All the little stuff and there’s so many things that goes into this, it’s just unreal. It’s been a wonderful thing.”

Owens cut a .013 light in the finals, which is simply par for the course in the 2010 season.
His ‘07 Suzuki went 4.11 in the first round, a weekend-best 4.08 at 175 mph in the quarterfinals and a 4.10 to put him in the finals, where he remains perfect on the season.
“There’s quite a few people that stepped up and we were just trying to get that win light,” Owens said. “There’s a lot of tough people out here, but everything went good and the bike was real consistent.”
Consistent was also what Gahm kept coming back to en route to picking up his second win of the year.
He didn’t put up monster numbers - though his 4.11 in the finals was strong - but he never went worse than 4.15 on Saturday.
Gahm went a 4.13 at 173 mph to beat Cary Goforth in the semifinals, and Cale Aronson, making his first finals appearance, timed out on the starting line in the finals.
“We ran consistent all day,” Gahm said. “We weren’t the fastest but we were right there. The guys did a great job of reading the track all day.”

Aronson reached the finals by knocking off red-hot John Montecalvo, denying Montecalvo the chance to become the first ADRL driver to win five straight races.
That opened the door for Gahm, who gladly took advantage on a productive Saturday.
“We’re always ready to win, but (Montecalvo’s) Chevy has been hard to deal with,” Gahm said. “We’re very happy. It was a great weekend.”
In Pro Junior Dragster, Oppen picked up the win, getting a red-light victory against Kyle Dvorak.
Oppen, a Kenosha, WI native, had a reaction time of .057 and went 7.93 at 80.96 mph.
The ADRL returns to action on September 10-11 for the ADRL Simpson Dragstock VII from Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, NC.

(Photos by ADRL/Richards) 

August 7, 2010

Smith, Hossler to Meet in Pro Extreme Final

August 7, 2010

Morrell Pumped for First PXM Final

August 7, 2010

Fight Me Main-Eventers Love ADRL Action

Jesse Finney (right) has been in the ring and cage with elite kickboxers and mixed martial artists.
But he was still shocked when it came to the power of the doorslammers at the ADRL’s Gateway Drags III on Saturday.
“I’ve never been to a race before and actually I’m blown away by this,” Finney said. “It’s awesome to have this in our backyard. How big this audience is just blows me away.”
Finney, a St. Louis native, is hoping for another big crowd in one week when he fights Josh Neer in the main event of Fight Me MMA’s debut event, “Fight Me 1: The Battle Begins! Finney vs. Neer,” which takes place Aug. 14 at the Family Arena in St. Charles, MO.
From the reaction he and Neer both got at Gateway International Raceway, that shouldn’t be a problem.
The two marquee fighters signed autographs and took pictures with a mass of fans on Saturday, many of whom couldn’t wait until next week’s explosive event.
“There’s a great buzz in St. Louis and I’m definitely excited,” Finney said. “I have everything to gain here.”
Like Finney, Neer was just as amazed with the fan turnout at (GIR). Neer, a UFC veteran, stood on the starting line for a Pro Extreme pass and enjoyed every minute of the action.
“This is crazy. I never realized it’s this big,” Neer said. “To see all these people, it’s pretty cool.”
The duo posed for a heated standoff, which should be a sign of what is to come next weekend.
Finney is undefeated in his career, while Neer has a wealth of big-fight experience, part of the reason tickets for the event went fast on both Friday and Saturday.
“I have a lot of people coming down from Des Moines, so it should be good,” Neer said.

(Photos by ADRL/Richard)

August 7, 2010

Agent 660: Huge Crowds Online and In The Stands

August 7, 2010

Four Remain in Each Class at Hardee’s Gateway Drags

August 7, 2010

Murphy Leads Pro Nitrous Upsets in First Round

Terry Murphy had hoped for a productive weekend to stay in the top five in the points race in Pro Nitrous.
Qualifying No. 16 and getting top qualifier Jim Halsey in the first round didn’t seem to be the recipe for that.
But Murphy surprised many by knocking off the top qualifier in the first round of the Hardee’s Gateway Drags III, going 4.02 to advance.
“That was awesome,” Murphy said. “Halsey’s the bad of the bad.
“I don’t know what happened to him, but I could see him coming. I was loose and spinning bad and I thought I was going to cross the center line, but I hung in there.”
It wasn’t a picture-perfect run for Murphy, but he wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity.
The same went for Doug Riesterer, who pulled off the other big first-round upset.
He ended Rickie Smith’s run at four straight ADRL wins, going 3.96 to slip past the red-hot Smith.
“I don’t think anybody expected us to win,” Riesterer said. “We changed a few things, backed it down a little bit and it seems to be coming around for us.
“We would just like to get it down the track every pass.”
Riesterer and Murphy’s upset runs came on back-to-back passes, wowing the overflow crowd at Gateway International Raceway.
It was a much-needed pass for Murphy, who gets Stan Allen in the second round.
Allen went 3.97 to beat Dan Stevenson to advance to the quarterfinals.
“We need to go rounds for the Battle for the Belts,” Murphy said. “We can’t shoot ourselves in the foot.”
Smith took the blame for his surprising first-round exit, which prevented him from two straight double-win weekends.
“It’s nobody’s fault but my own,” Smith said. “I kept going left in the left-hand lane and everybody in the right-hand lane kept going right.
“I made some adjustments for the car to go right, but I wasn’t expecting to go that hard right. I just made the wrong adjustments.”
Smith, though, will remain in a comfortable lead atop PN thanks to his recent hot streak.
“We’re running real good,” Smith said. “I think we’ve made 17 of 20 runs in a row. We’ll be fine.”
Also advancing to the second round in Pro Nitrous was Shannon Jenkins (3.94), Burton Auxier (4.02), Isaias Rojas (4.08), Randy Weatherford (3.97) and Aaron Hodges (3.94).

August 7, 2010

Time for Eliminations at the Gateway Drags III

 

August 7, 2010

Al-Anabi Sporting Some Starpower at Hardee’s Gateway Drags

With the entire Al-Anabi Racing team in town for the ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags III event this weekend, there were plenty of significant faces in the Al-Anabi crowd.
Nothing summed that up better than the above picture which features, from left to right, Al-Anabi Funny Car driver Del Worsham, drag racing legend Frank Manzo, Pro Extreme standout KH Al-Thani and drag racing superstar Larry Dixon.
Manzo is Al-Thani’s crew chief and worked wonders on Friday with Al-Thani’s ‘68 Camaro, helping Al-Thani to a win in the Independence Drags.
Al-Thani was just as happy that his entire team was on hand to witness the memorable night, which included a terrific 3.66 pass at 208 miles per hour in the finals.
Worsham and Dixon were both excited to see Al-Thani in action, and Dixon was impressed with Al-Thani’s performance, which included track records in both E.T. and speed.
“This was awesome,” said Dixon, who races an Al-Anabi Top Fuel car. “KH hosts a hell of an event. To get to come here and be a fan and with KH racing, it’s someone we can cheer for. With all of the team here, it’s been over the top.
“The racing was great. To make five great runs, it was unbelievable to see.”

(Photos by ADRL/Richards. Pictured in photo, from left to right: Del Worsham, Frank Manzo, KH Al-Thani, Larry Dixon)

August 7, 2010

Hometown Hodges Reaches New Heights at Hardee’s Gateway Drags

The animated celebration from the team of Aaron Hodges (pictured, right) was enough to fill any notebook.
It’s a good thing, too, because the St. Louis-area native was left speechless after his incredible back-to-back passes in Pro Nitrous.
Racing at his hometown track, Gateway International Raceway (GIR), at the ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags III, Hodges cracked the 3-second mark for the first time in his career on Friday.
He went 3.95 on his second qualifying session, which was enough cause of celebration.
A round later, Hodges was even more blown away, going 3.93 at 190 miles per hour to jump to sixth in final qualifying.
When asked for his reaction to the terrific turn of events, Hodges could barely find the words.
“Unbelievable. This was just unbelievable,” Hodges said.
Hodges’ quickest pass before Friday was a 4.02 he made in Topeka in early July.
But Hodges clearly found something more in his ‘63 Corvette, crushing his previous best on two straight passes.
Even better was doing it front of a hometown cheering section that included close to 20 family members and plenty of friends.
“Pretty much on a scale of 1-to-10, this was a 12,” Hodges said. “It doesn’t get any better than this on your home track. I’ve got a smile on my face.”
Hodges said his team made some adjustments with the nitrous heading into the race, but it was nothing major.
Instead, Hodges credited his father, Mike, with taking the car to new levels.
“My dad builds a great car,” Hodges said. “Everything kind of came together on the car. I think we can get more out of it.
“Now, we just want to go rounds. We’re getting greedy.”
Things won’t be easy once final eliminations start in Pro Nitrous on Saturday, but Hodges appears to be dialed in.
“This is the best of the best,” Hodges said. “With the competition here, we’re amazed with this.”

(Photos by ADRL/Richards) 

August 7, 2010

Track Records Left in Dust at Hardee’s Gateway Drags

 

August 7, 2010

Final Qualifying For Gateway Drags III Set to Start

August 7, 2010

Al-Thani Puts on a Show, One of Six ADRL Winners at Hardee’s Independence Drags IV

MADISON, IL (August 6, 2010) - The day started well enough for Pro Extreme driver KH Al-Thani.

It ended even better.
With his full Al-Anabi Racing crew on hand, Al-Thani put on a thrilling show for them and the capacity crowd at Gateway International Raceway (GIR), going five impressive rounds to win the previously postponed American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Hardee’s Independence Drags IV on Friday in Pro Extreme.
In the finals against Frankie Taylor, Al-Thani went an event-best 3.66 at 208 miles per hour to claim the win.
“The real excitement was that we were able to invite our entire team down here,” Al-Thani said. “I had to do my best to show them what we do.
“The more pressure there is, the better I get. I know how to cope with pressure.”
Al-Thani has done it well in his short ADRL racing career, picking up his second win in just five ADRL races.
He wasn’t the only ADRL driver that reached significant milestones on Friday at the completion of the event that was postponed due to rain in early July.
The eliminations made for a festive Friday at GIR, which should carry over to a memorable completion of the Hardee’s Gateway Drags III on Saturday.
The rest of the Independence Drags winners on Friday included John Montecalvo in Extreme Pro Stock - his fourth straight ADRL win - Rickie Smith in Pro Nitrous - his third straight ADRL win - Gary White in Extreme 10.5, Ashley Owens in Pro Extreme Motorcycle and Jimmy Sackwich in Pro Junior Dragster.
The wins for Montecalvo, Smith, White and Owens cemented their points lead in their respective classes, while Al-Thani will jump back into the top five in PX with his.
Al-Thani immediately turned heads on Friday by going a 3.68 in his first run, following that with passes of 3.74 and 3.69 in the second and third rounds, respectively, to reach the finals.
Al-Thani then capped his day by breaking the track’s E.T. record in the final.
“We very rarely get to (have the whole team together) and everybody on our team did awesome,” Al-Thani said.
It was another emotional win for Smith in PN following the tragic passing of his father on Thursday.
But, like he did in Houston two weeks ago, Smith used his father as motivation, getting a hole-shot win in the finals against Jim Halsey, going a 3.89 to continue his incredible run.
“It’s been tough because my dad has always supported me,” Smith said. “I’m just so thankful to win these. To win those at Houston and this one, it’s been all about family.”
Halsey will be the No. 1 qualifier for Saturday’s Gateway Drags, but Smith cut a .035 light to win by .007 of a second.
Smith’s consistency carried over from Houston as well. His ‘68 Camaro never went slower than a 3.94, and he went 3.91 to beat Dan Stevenson in the semifinals.
“It’s pretty incredible, in this day and age, to make all these runs,” Smith said. “That’s pretty tough. We’ve won a lot of races, but to do it when these cars are going this fast, it’s fooling me. The car is working really good.”

The same can be said for Montecalvo, who could enter uncharted ADRL territory with another win on Saturday.

As it is now, the four straight wins are a first for an XPS driver and after going a class-best 4.07 in the finals to beat Jeff Dobbins, Montecalvo joined Joshua Hernandez as the only ADRL drivers to win four straight races.
“We really set the bar high and after we got back from Houston and it took a while to set in,” Montecalvo said. “But we said nothing is holding us back from winning again. We’ve got a great car, a great team and I’m driving well. Right now, we’re hard to beat and while it’s happening, we’re going to ride it out.”
Montecalvo and his ‘08 Cobalt made several more strong passes on Friday and the New York native got better as the day progressed.
He went 4.12 to beat Bob Bertsch and then 4.11 to beat Cary Goforth and earn a finals berth.
Matched up with Dobbins, the pair engaged in an exciting battle on the starting line before Montecalvo took over.
“Jeff is tough and we knew it was going to be fun at the starting line,” Montecalvo said. “I felt some pressure before, but I just told myself to have fun and that took the pressure off.”

The pressure had been on Owens in PXM after blowing two transmissions in Houston two weeks ago.

The “Fast by Gast” driver and his team didn’t get the new motor back until Wednesday, leaving for one long night and some uneasy moments.
But Owens remained calm and picked up his fifth win in 2010, beating Terry Schweigert for the third time this year by going 4.10 at 174 mph.
“This guy is something else,” team owner Paul Gast said. “He’s doing a great job and he does it all. The real key is getting good data to have good runs. He’s the king of good runs and I’m really proud of him and our team.”
The quick turnaround impressed Owens, but more trouble came around in the first qualifying round when the bike suffered electrical problems.
Luckily, that was quickly fixed and Owens went 4.14 in a win against Eric McKinney to advance to the finals.
“We turned around quick and everything worked out great,” Owens said. “It’s always nerve-wracking, but everything went good. To come back from (the electrical problems) was satisfying.”

White had his own problems in XTF in Houston, bowing out early after a substantial amount of car trouble.

None of that was present at GIR, as White went 4.00 at 185 mph in the finals to beat Jeff Naiser, earning his third win this season in the process.
“We needed this,” White said. “In Houston, we went out in the first round and blew our motor, and that hurt.
“It was tough to recover from and it took a little doing to get back. We needed (the win).”

Things could get decidedly more difficult on Saturday, especially after Spiro Pappas broke a track E.T. record in XTF by going 3.98 to jump to the top qualifying spot.

White, though, will be ready.
“Tomorrow is going to be tough,” White said. “It’s going to take a 3.90 to win.”
In Pro Junior Dragster, Sackwich went 8.11 to win in the finals against Kendall Thiesse. Sackwich was the No. 10 qualifier, but went 8.16 in two straight races to reach the finals. 
The final qualifying round for the Hardee’s Gateway Drags III begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The first round of eliminations is set to begin at 3 p.m.
Along with Halsey (3.87) and Pappas, current No. 1 qualifiers are Al-Thani, Owens and Montecalvo.

August 7, 2010

ADRL Hardee’s Independence Day Drags IV Have Been Concluded

August 6, 2010

Pappas Lights Up the Gateway Night

August 6, 2010

Smith Can’t Chase Down Al-Thani in Pro Extreme

After KH Al-Thani went 3.68 in his first run of the day, Gaylen Smith said it was Al-Thani’s way of laying down a challenge for the rest of the Pro Extreme class on Friday at Gateway International Raceway.
Thus far, nobody has been able to match him.
Al-Thani’s incredible day has carried him to the PX finals of the Hardee’s Independence Drags, where he will meet Frankie Taylor.
Al-Thani knocked off Gaylen Smith in the semifinals, going 3.69 in front of an overflow crowd at GIR, sending Smith home despite the LenMar Motorsports co-owner going an impressive 3.75 at 202 miles per hour. 
“It’s been crazy,” Smith said. “The track is good and the wind is coming around. These hot rods are incredible. It’s like the fish are hunting you.”
Al-Thani has done plenty of hunting today, from his 3.68 to open the day to his 207 mph pass in the semifinals to ward off Smith.
It puts him in the finals for the second time this year. Al-Thani won the Speedtech U.S. Drags III for his first career win in May - in his second ADRL race - but will have his hands full with Taylor.
Taylor and his jet-black Corvette went 3.73, 3.72 and 3.70 in eliminations. The 3.70 came in the semifinals, where he edged Alex Hossler’s 3.73.
Still, everyone has been chasing Al-Thani since that opening pass Friday morning.
“Whenever you go 3.68, you’re throwing the gauntlet out there,” Smith said. “His pass was extremely fast and he’s got his stuff together. When you see that, you know what you have to run because eventually you’re going get him.”
Smith didn’t beat Al-Thani on Friday, but he’ll remain confident heading into the final two qualifying rounds before Saturday’s eliminations for the Hardee’s Gateway Drags III.
Smith has made some simple modifications on his ‘57 Bel-Air and he’s already noticed the difference - not that he can let up in a Pro Extreme class this loaded.
“We put on a carbon-fiber wheelie bar and that took 30 pounds off the car,” Smith said. “We’ve ran real good at the bottom and middle, we just gotta run out of the back door a little harder.
“Like any other race, you’re looking for more. We just have to keep working.”

(Photos by ADRL/Richards) 

August 6, 2010

Independence Drags Has Its Finals

August 6, 2010

Miller Smiling His Way to XTF Semifinals

It was one of the biggest wins in Dustin Miller’s career.
But even he wasn’t sure he was advancing to the semifinals in Extreme 10.5 after running a 4.57 in the second round.
“I had no clue,” Miller said. “I thought I was late and I got to the other end, and I had no idea I won until the horn went off in the golf cart. I couldn’t believe it. I was speechless.”
The smile stayed on the face of the Topeka native well after his run against Kenny Doak, who red-lighted in their second-round matchup. Wilson advanced to the semifinals of the previously postponed Hardee’s Independence Drags IV on Friday at Gateway International Raceway, a major feat considering the heavy hitters in the class.
“This is exciting,” Miller said. “I’m here going against faster cars, but as long as I stay consistent, I will be fine. I’m just taking it one round at a time.”
The rest of the semifinal field includes Gary White, who had a solo run, Jeff Naiser and Michelle Wilson, who advanced to one final at the double-race weekend in Houston two weeks ago.
Miller had planned to make the trip to St. Louis for the Hardee’s Gateway Drags III, but the weekend is already memorable. Whatever follows is simply icing on the cake.
“It’s already been worth the trip,” Miller said. “It’s awesome. This has just been unreal. I’m having a blast.”
Rickie Smith continued his hot racing in Pro Nitrous, running a 3.94 to advance to the semifinals.
Jim Halsey topped with a run of 3.92 to also advance. Joining them will be Lee Adkins and Dan Stevenson.

August 6, 2010

Agent 660: Al-Balooshi Gets Special Delivery at GIR

August 6, 2010

Martino Ready to Break Through in XPS

August 6, 2010

Eliminations Have Started For Independence Drags

We’ve completed the first round of qualifying of the Gateway Drags and we’re now onto the eliminations from the previously postponed Independence Drags.

We’re starting with the completion of the first round of Pro Extreme before moving on to the second round for each class.

Some great first-round matchups include KH Al-Thani and Todd Tutterow, and John Stanley and Frankie Taylor in Pro Extreme. Second round matchups include a great showdown between John Montecalvo and Bob Bertsch in Extreme Pro Stock, Charlie Prophit and Terry Schweigert in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Rickie Smith versus Pat Stoken and Shannon Jenkins versus Jim Halsey in Pro Nitrous, and Todd Moyer and Jeff Naiser in Extreme 10.5.

Due to the 8-bike field from Topeka, only four racers remain, meaning the two winners will advance to the finals. 

To finish off the first round of qualifying for the Gateway Drags, Jim Halsey bolted to the top of Pro Nitrous, going 3.92 at 192 miles per hour. In Extreme 10.5, Brad Brand went 4.19 to jump in the early lead. 

August 6, 2010

Al-Balooshi Back in Pro Nitrous

August 6, 2010

New Track Record Pass From KH Al-Thani

Al-Anabi Racing driver KH Al-Thani didn’t wait to make a sizable impression in front of the Gateway International Raceway crowd at the ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags III on Friday.

In his first qualifying run, the Pro Extreme standout went a track-record 3.68 at an incredible 208 miles per hour. Driving his sharp ‘68 Camaro, Al-Thani put together a perfect pass, wowing the crowd in the early afternoon sun.

It immediately shot Al-Thani to the top of the PX qualifying ladder and let everyone know he will be a force to deal with the rest of the weekend. 

In Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Terry Schweigert came out of the gates strong, running a 4.17 to take the early lead. John Montecalvo continued to appear unstoppable, running a 4.10 to jump to the top spot after one qualifying run.

Montecalvo has won the last three ADRL races in XPS and appears ready to have another strong weekend.

The rest of the first round of qualifying is close to completion and then we will head right into eliminations from the Independence Drags. Pro Extreme will go first, running its first round of elimination before the second round of eliminations - and qualifying for the Gateway Drags - begin. 

August 6, 2010

Agent 660: Great Signage at Gateway

August 6, 2010

The Rock Battery Named Official ADRL Battery

O’FALLON, MO (August 6, 2010) - The American Drag Racing League (ADRL) and President Kenny Nowling announced on Thursday that “The Rock Racing Battery” will serve as both the “Official Battery of the ADRL” and the “Official Mobile Power Source” of the ADRL’s “Battle for the Belts” doorslammer drag racing series.
Thanks to its lightweight and unsurpassed reliability, The Rock Battery is a top choice of of several ADRL drivers, including current Extreme Pro Stock points leader John Montecalvo. The New York native has won the last three XPS races, including a double-win weekend at Houston Raceway Park on July 23-24 in Baytown, TX.
The Rock Battery is available in either a 12-volt or 16-volt package. The company also manufactures a wide variety of companion products, including battery chargers, which are built especially for use in extreme racing disciplines like the ADRL.
The Rock Battery is built to be extremely durable and stand up well to constant vibrating and pounding that often takes place during ADRL drag races.
The battery has also received glowing reviews from its huge variety of consumers, including Montecalvo, who acknowledges The Rock Battery as the best product of its kind around.
“There is no better 16-volt battery, period,” Montecalvo said.
The ADRL’s “Official Battery” designation was also hailed by The Rock Batteries owner Steve Earwood as “an important endorsement of our products and a big step in the evolution of The Rock Battery.”
“I have tremendous respect for Kenny Nowling and the ADRL organization,” Earwood said. “To have both of my companies (Earwood also owns Rockingham, N.C., Dragway, site of the ADRL’s annual Dragstock race) so closely aligned with what I consider to be the most revolutionary racing series developed in the last 20 years is extremely gratifying.”

August 6, 2010

Racing Set to Begin

 

August 6, 2010

Top Storylines for the Hardee’s Gateway Drags III

O’FALLON, MO (August 6, 2010) - After winning ADRL UTI Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen on July 23, John Montecalvo didn’t realize it gave him two straight ADRL wins. 

A night later at the UTI Inaugural Texas Drags, the Extreme Pro Stock driver had three in a row and now has a chance for five heading into this weekend’s Hardee’s Gateway Drags III. 
It all left him shaking his head as he marveled about his astonishing run. 

“This is just incredible,” Montecalvo said. “I missed the first race of the year and now I’m (first in the points standings). Things are looking good.”

Montecalvo has been red-hot in the summer months, winning the Ford Drive One Summer Drags in June and following with a double-win at Houston Raceway Park in July. To add to it, Montecalvo was the No. 1 qualifier at both the Summer Drags and the Texas Drags. 

With the Hardee’s Independence Drags IV being completed on Friday at Gateway International Raceway (GIR), Montecalvo has a chance to further cement his points lead in XPS and give him an improbable five wins in a period of eight weeks. 

That remarkable run is one of the main storylines as the ADRL heads to GIR for what should be an eventful weekend.
Here’s a look at five more major storylines heading into the Hardee’s Gateway Drags:

1. Big Crowds - Last year, the ADRL drew so much fanfare the gates had to be closed at GIR on both Friday and Saturday. 

In the process, the Gateway Drags II drew more than 100,000 people, making the ADRL’s hometown race the biggest event in GIR and ADRL history. 

The ADRL expects to see another overflow crowd this weekend and it’s clear the ADRL has had a major impact in the St. Louis-area. Racing fans will flock to GIR this weekend, making it a must-see event over the two days. 


2. Two Races in Two Days - For the second straight event, the ADRL will cram two events into one weekend.

The Independence Drags IV, which was postponed in Topeka in early July due to rain, will be completed on Friday and the Gateway Drags will be completed the following day. 

In a span of two weeks, four races will have been completed in the ADRL. For those that didn’t win in Texas, the onus to perform well on another double-race weekend will be big. 

“There’s that little added pressure with coming out of the box and racing, but you have to come with your game face on” Pro Extreme driver Joshua Hernandez said. “You have to step up to the plate.”


3. Who Wants It In Pro Nitrous? - The answer is a lot of people, apparently, as five drivers have won events in the 2010 points race. 

Rickie Smith won a pair in Texas to emerge as the hottest driver in the class, but when two of the class winners (Lee Adkins and Khalid Al-Balooshi) are out of the top nine, you know things are tight. 


4. Things Getting Interesting in Extreme 10.5 - Just when Gary White seemed to be running away with things in Extreme 10.5, the plotlines have suddenly thickened. 

White won two races in a row in May and June, but Billy Glidden surprised many with a double-win in Texas. 

Jeff Naiser also just went 3.99 in testing, throwing himself into the top contender mix. Add Todd Moyer, Spiro Pappas and Chuck Ulsch - who was the first XTF driver to reach the 3-second mark after doing it at the Gateway Drags II last year - and it’s one more deep class in the ADRL. 


5. Down the Home Stretch - After the double-race weekend at GIR, only two September races will remain before the LenMar Motorsports World Finals VI on October 22-23 in Ennis, TX. 

That means there’s very little time for drivers to get into the top eight for “The Battle For The Belts.” Things must be on point this weekend and for the next seven weeks if drivers and teams want to be racing for a championship.

Other things to watch:
Joshua Hernandez has become the hottest driver in a loaded Pro Extreme class, winning two of the past three races. Will he stay just as hot in St. Louis?

Did Travis Davis find a dent in Ashley Owens’ armor? Davis won once in Texas to end Owens’ perfect 2010 and will return to the site of his first ADRL victory. Owens, meanwhile, rebounded to win the UTI Inaugural Texas Drags the next night in a class that continues to get deeper.

August 6, 2010

Fact Sheet for Gateway Drags III

July 25, 2010

Double-Win Weekend For Three ADRL Drivers; Hernandez, Owens Also Get Wins at UTI Texas Drags

BAYTOWN, TX (July 24, 2010) - For three American Drag Racing League (ADRL) drivers, winning once this weekend at Houston Raceway Park (HRP) wasn’t enough.
For Pro Extreme driver Joshua Hernandez, one rousing victory in front of a boisterous hometown crowd proved to be plenty.
After winning the ADRL Universal Technical Institute Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen, which was completed at HRP on Friday after being postponed in March, Pro Nitrous driver Rickie Smith, Extreme 10.5 standout Billy Glidden and Extreme Pro Stock’s John Montecalvo all made it a two-win weekend by coming up victorious at Saturday’s ADRL UTI Inaugural Texas Drags.
Hernandez and Ashley Owens (Pro Extreme Motorcycle) pulled out the other two class wins on Saturday, with Hernandez and his ‘57 Fight Me MMA Chevy bringing the crowd to its feet on several occasions.
The last came in the final, when the Houston-area native went 3.72 - the low round of the weekend - at 204.91 miles per hour to knock off Steve Wiley that set off a memorable celebration in front of plenty of friends and family.
“This was just incredible. The show of support for a hometown boy was just amazing,” Hernandez said. “To hold that trophy at the end of the night in front of the fans, that’s what it’s all about.”
Hernandez had the Texas heat figured out all weekend and was the most consistent PX driver by far on Saturday.
In the process, he treated fans to spectacular races on both days, but none were more entertaining than his semifinal duel with KH Al-Thani.
The Al-Anabi racing member went 3.76 in a great run, but Hernandez went 3.74 in an epic battle that captured everyone’s attention. Hernandez followed with another spectacular performance in the final, which was simply par for the course for the weekend.
“We changed a lot of stuff and the track was the great equalizer this weekend,” said Hernandez, who was also the top qualifier and became the new points leader.
“Everyone was struggling in the same areas and it was just a matter of who figured it out the fastest.”
The victory double-dip proved especially rewarding for Smith, who dedicated both victories to his ill father.
He teared up after the win on Friday and his father served as motivation a day later as well.
“I wanted to dedicate this race to him and it was on my mind,” Smith said. “I didn’t want to try too hard and mess up, but it’s so unbelievable to do two in a row. It’s a tremendous lift for me.”
Smith was impressive on Friday in running the best times in the class, but he was dynamite a day later, reaching 3.90 in both the semifinals and finals.
After qualifying in the top spot, Smith went 3.90 to defeat Shannon Jenkins in the semifinals, before knocking off Johnny Pilcher on a red-light win in the finals.
Pilcher surprised many by running well while debuting a new Camaro, but Smith had far too much power and consistency to be denied on this weekend.
“We’ve been fighting the engine all year and I’m just so tickled with this car right now,” Smith said. “The car is just working great.”

Glidden weaved his own memorable tale at HRP, winning for a second straight night just weeks after a devastating crash in Topeka.
The XTF standout returned quicker than expected to the track and the payoff was his best weekend in more than a year.
“We’re really happy and at least something appeared for us after all the work we’ve been doing,” said Glidden, who has a class-best 11 career victories. “Everything in me is cramping up.”
Glidden also extracted revenge on Gary White after losing to the Titan Motorsports driver at Michigan in June.
This time, White red-lighted and handed the victory to Glidden, who managed to come up victorious despite plenty of struggles in his 2010 Mustang on Saturday.
“Today, we didn’t do a very good job. In the first and second run, the car just took off,” Glidden said. “It was tough to maneuver today. For the semis, we changed the shocks, the transmission and the tires. We changed everything but the car, the motor and me.
“But if we continue progressing, we can be a contender again.”

Montecalvo shot to the top of XPS after a weekend the New York native will never forget.
Nearly overcome by emotion in the winner’s circle, Montecalvo didn’t hold back when describing what the double-win weekend meant to him.
“It is by far one of the best weeks I’ve ever had in drag racing,” Montecalvo said. “I’ve never doubled up before and we just came through. I’m just so pumped right now. My adrenaline is through the roof.”
Montecalvo was nearly flawless on Saturday, again saving his best for last in the final. After knocking off Elijah Morton - whom he beat in the finals on Friday - to advance, Montecalvo turned in a class-best 4.11 in the finals, knocking off Brian Gahm for the second straight race.
Montecalvo also has three straight wins to his credit, making him the hottest current driver in the ADRL.
“Today, we were on fire,” Montecalvo said. “It went picture perfect and I have to thank my crew for making this possible.”

After Owens had his streak of dominance snapped on Friday, the thought of it not being his weekend seemed to apply after he also broke two transmissions in three passes.
But Owens and his team kept at it and the payoff proved to be a trophy that the entire Fast by Gast team enjoyed.
His performance on Saturday was also an indication there might not be any chinks in his armor in PXM.
“We just kept working all weekend,” Owens said. “I had never broke a transmission before and then I did two in three passes. I still don’t know what happened. The guys just kept working hard.”
That was evident, as Owens ripped off two eye-popping times in the semifinals and finals.
After going 4.13 to advance to the finals, Owens denied Travis Davis a double-win weekend by running another 4.13 that smashed any other elapsed time for any competitor in PXM.
That those times and the win came in the second-fastest PXM field in ADRL history added even more gratification for Owens, who maintains a massive lead in points.
“It is satisfying,” Owens said. “It’s a great group of guys and we came through.”

In Pro Junior Dragster, Cory Tankersley beat Cole Burk after a holeshot win. Tankersley had a reaction time of .002 to get the win.
The ADRL returns to action on August 7-8 for the ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags III at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., just outside of St. Louis.
Like the weekend in Houston, it will also be a double-race weekend.
The completion of the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags at Heartland Park Topeka will take place on Friday, with the Gateway Drags to be completed the next day.

July 24, 2010

The Inaugural ADRL UTI Drags Are in the Books!

Corey Tankersley took home the Minuteman from just outside of Houston, Tx. in the second day of racing at Texas Raceway Park in Pro Jr. Dragster action.  Ashley Owens returned to the winner’s circle in Pro Extreme Motorcycle. John Montecalvo defeated Brian Gahm to double up in Extreme Pro Stock along side both Billy Glidden in Extreme 10.5, Rickie Smith in Pro Nitrous.  Josh Hernandez took his Fight Me MMA sponsored ‘57 Chevrolet to the winner’s circle in Pro Extreme.

July 24, 2010

Finals Could Be Epic at UTI Texas Drags

There’s an abundance of storylines heading into what could be an incredible championship round of the ADRL UTI Inaugural Texas Drags on Saturday.
The biggest is the possibility of four drivers having the chance to win two races in two days. Rickie Smith (Pro Nitrous), John Montecalvo (Extreme Pro Stock), Travis Davis (Pro Extreme Motorcycle) and Billy Glidden (Extreme 10.5) have a chance to repeat after winning Friday at the ADRL UTI Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen.
All will be involved in epic matchups as well.
Glidden will meet Gary White in XTF after both impressed in the night air in the semifinals.
Glidden will also have the chance to avenge a loss to White in Michigan in June after running 4.06 in the semis.
White, meanwhile, has rebounded nicely after a rough Friday and has a chance to get his third win in four races.
“I think we can improve. We’ll see what happens,” Glidden said.
Smith will meet Johnny Pilcher, who has turned some heads as well. He is driving a new Camaro for the first time and has a chance for his fourth career win.
But beating Smith will be hard to do. He’s been locked in all weekend, going a class-best 3.90 in the semifinals under the lights.
“We want another (trophy),” Smith said.
Davis will get a chance to repeat after beating top qualifier Terry Schweigert in the semifinals in a matchup oozing with plotlines.

Davis will meet Ashley Owens, a day after handing Owens his first loss in eliminations in 2010. 

Owens, though, has rebounded in a major way, going 4.17 in quarterfinals and following it with an amazing and weekend-best 4.13 in the semifinals, a sign he might be back to his dominant ways.

John Montecalvo will match up with Brian Gahm (pictured) in a finals rematch from Michigan in XPS.
Montecalvo is hoping for a similar result, which would not only give him two wins in two days but three straight wins.
“I’ve never doubled up, so I guess that’s the goal,” Montecalvo said. “It would be pretty amazing.”
Joshua Hernandez is in the finals after an unforgettable race with KH Al-Thani in the Pro Extreme semifinals.
The duo brought the huge HRP crowd to its feet with an amazing race. Hernandez got the win, running a 3.74 at 202 miles per hour to slip past Al-Thani’s 3.76.
Hernandez will meet Steve Wylie, who is seeking his first ADRL win.

July 24, 2010

Action-Packed Quarterfinals at UTI Texas Drags

July 24, 2010

Quarterfinal Matchups Are Set at UTI Texas Drags

July 24, 2010

Weekend a Success For Wilson After Trip to Finals

Michelle Wilson’s fairy-tale ending at Houston Raceway Park had the Extreme 10.5 driver winning Friday night’s ADRL UTI Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen and advancing far at Saturday’s ADRL UTI Inaugural Texas Drags.
The Azle, TX native didn’t get that wish, but it hardly finished as a nightmare for Wilson.
She was the runner-up to standout Billy Glidden in the finals of Dragpalooza VI before making a first-round exit on Saturday against Kevin Allen at the Texas Drags.
That part made Wilson frown a touch, but it hardly took the damper of what she did on Friday.
“We had a great time last night. We couldn’t ask for anything more,” Wilson said. “We threw some stuff together and, at this point, we were very pleased with yesterday.”
Wilson had hoped to put up good numbers on Saturday after a memorable evening under the lights at HRP, but she ran into car difficulty early and had to shut it down against Allen.
To reach the finals against Glidden on Friday, she beat Michael Neal, Patrick Collins and Kenny Doak.
Just to do that was an accomplishment after what Wilson went through to get her ‘00 Firebird ready for Houston.
Her team just put in a new motor this week and made no passes on it, working long hours to have it ready for HRP. The payoff of the work proved worth it and Wilson hopes it leads to better things in the future.

“We’ve had several late nights getting this ready,” Wilson said. “Everybody had their fingers crossed.

“But I think we had a pretty good set-up. We’re just taking baby steps. We can’t afford to blow stuff up.”

July 24, 2010

Pilcher Enjoying Time in New PN

It was a long time coming for Johnny Pilcher (pictured) and his ‘68 Camaro but the wait might be worth it.

The Pro Nitrous driver advanced to the quarterfinals on Saturday at the UTI Inaugural Texas Drags with a first-round win against Charles Carpenter at Houston Raceway Park and he’s hoping to go even further the rest of the day.
He’s doing it in a new Camaro, but the story of how it got to him dates back several years.
Drexel Stewart, who became a friend and customer of Pilcher after the pair met at the first ADRL race in Houston in 2006, owns the car.
Stewart bought the Camaro but never drove it and eventually asked Pilcher if he was interested in driving.
The Alabama native agreed and it finally came to fruition this weekend.
Pilcher has enjoyed every minute of his time in the new car, not to mention his friendship with Stewart.
“I loved it. It’s been a lot of fun,” Pilcher said. “He’s talked about me running more with it. But whatever Drexel wants to do, I’m game with it.”
He hopes to run plenty more in the Camaro and he’s been encouraged by what the car has done this weekend.
It’s only made 20 passes, but Pilcher likes the potential.
“The car’s been real good,” Pilcher said. “But there’s a lot of room for improvement.”

(Photos by ADRL/McHugh)

July 24, 2010

Eliminations Set to Begin at UTI Texas Drags

July 24, 2010

Halsey Displays Some Power in Pro Nitrous

 

July 24, 2010

Hugh Scott Involved in Major Crash at Texas Drags

 

July 24, 2010

Berner Recovers, Now Hopes to Finish Job

Like everyone else at Houston Raceway Park this weekend, Pete Berner wanted two wins in two days.

When that didn’t happen, Berner did as good of a job as anyone of refocusing his goals.
Berner red-lighted in the opening round of the ADRL Universal Technical Institute Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen on Friday, but the Extreme Pro Stock driver recovered to qualify second for Saturday’s ADRL Inaugural Texas Drags.
“I was pretty disappointed, but you have to get over it pretty quick,” Berner said. “That one was over and we had to focus on going fast and getting back on track.”
Berner had a .001 red-light in the first round of eliminations, but went 4.14 at 175 miles per hour to jump to the top qualifying spot later in the day.
He got bumped to No. 2 after John Montecalvo went 4.13 in his championship round win, but Berner takes confidence into Saturday’s Texas Drags eliminations.
“We’re not running as fast as we can, but we’re limited by what the track is giving us,” Berner said. “It’s really close racing, but it’s a lot of fun racing here.”

July 24, 2010

Schweigert Back to Form in PXM

 

July 24, 2010

Final Qualifying Round For Texas Drags Has Started

July 24, 2010

Taylor Takes Hometown Race, One of Five Winners at ADRL’s Dragpalooza VI

BAYTOWN, TX (July 23, 2010) - Frankie Taylor would have taken a win anywhere after waiting far too long for his second career American Drag Racing League (ADRL) victory in Pro Extreme.
But to do it at his hometown track in front of a huge following of friends and family meant that much more for the Houston-area native on Friday.
The “Mad Man” debuted his new ‘05 jet black Corvette at Houston Raceway Park (HRP) for the completion of the ADRL Universal Technical Institute Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen, which was postponed in March, and it made an immediate impact.
Taylor beat fellow Texas native Gaylen Smith in the PX finals, running a 3.76 at 200 miles per hour to get his second career win and one he won’t soon forget.
“This is a very emotional win. It’s been a great experience,” Taylor said. “To win in our hometown, it’s just crazy. We’ve won a lot of races in Texas, but this is way better. To win here in Houston, it’s great. It’s the best one yet.”
Other winners of the completed Dragpalooza event included Rickie Smith in Pro Nitrous, Billy Glidden in Extreme 10.5, Travis Davis in Pro Extreme Motorcycle and John Montecalvo in Extreme Pro Stock.
Smith, Glidden and Montecalvo are also the top qualifiers heading into Saturday’s Inaugural Texas Drags. Joshua Hernandez is in the top spot with one qualifying session remaining in Pro Extreme, while Terry Schweigert posted the top time on Friday in PXM.

The day, though, belonged to the animated and fun-loving Taylor, who posted wins against Quain Stott, Todd Tutterow and Gene Hector to reach the finals in front of a crowd that included his mother, aunts, uncles, other family and plenty of friends.
He stayed consistent in the Corvette built by Larry Jeffers Pro Cars, running a 3.96, 3.88 and a 3.78 before dialing it in even more in the finals.
The plan was to push it a little more each round and it left Taylor beaming by the end of the night.
“I guess you could say it’s a long time coming. We’ve been working hard and it’s a great team over here,” Taylor said. “We built this car for the ADRL. Jeffers built us a good car and it showed us it could be consistent.”
Just as remarkable on Friday was the performance by Glidden in XTF considering where he was just three weeks ago.
The Indiana native was involved in a crash in Topeka that left him questioning his next move in racing. But his 2010 Mustang was quickly restored, surprising even Glidden.
He followed that by knocking off first-time finalist Michelle Wilson in the final, going a class-best 4.03 at 183 mph under the lights at HRP.
“We just persevered,” Glidden said. “I can’t thank Jerry Haas enough. They just got after it. From when they started (rebuilding the car) to when we picked it up, it was nine days.
“The combination we’re using is a lot different and we’re just trying to learn it. Mickey Thompson’s support has just been amazing.”
Glidden beat Steven Benoit, Jeff Naiser and Spiro Pappas to reach the final, giving him an XTF-best 10 career wins.
His 4.03 was also .16 better than No. 2 qualifier Jeff Naiser, making it more than enough to hand Glidden his first win in more than a year.
“I guess we just have a never-say-die attitude,” Glidden said. “We haven’t done real well since Topeka last year, but we’re still working at it.”

Smith put in the work earlier this week, which helped lead to his win in Pro Nitrous.
He tested in extreme heat in Alabama on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the King, NC native credited that to his strong performance.
Smith went 3.91 in the finals, which led to a victory against Terry Murphy. But Smith is still thinking big with the Texas Drags lurking on Saturday.
“We found a few things that worked and we stayed low the whole day,” Smith said. “It was a good day. Now, I want another one (Saturday).”
Smith got better as the day went on, running a 3.97, 3.96 and 3.95, knocking off John DeFlorian, No. 1 qualifier Burton Auxier and Charles Carpenter while posting quicker times each round.
“I knew the car was consistent and reacting well,” Smith said. “The main thing was that first pass. That’s always the key.”

Davis turned more than a few heads in PXM, in part because of who he beat in round two. The Douglas, GA native ended Ashley Owens’ run of dominance - at least for a day - in the quarterfinals, running a 4.20 to hand Owens his first loss in eliminations in 2010.
Davis and his ‘08 Suzuki used that momentum to win for the second time in his ADRL career.
“I knew looking at the ladder it was going to be tough,” said Davis, who last raced in the ADRL in Richmond in May. “We tried to put consistent runs together and everything worked out.
“This is just rewarding after all this time we all put into this. It’s such a great field and to do this in the ADRL, it’s just so rewarding. It’s a great atmosphere and we love racing here.”

Montecalvo got his second straight ADRL win, but this is one the New York native insisted he would savor even more.
“In Martin (in June), it was like we dominated, but this one we struggled. I think this one was more rewarding because we struggled,” Montecalvo said. “The track was tough and we had a lot to deal with. This one was good.”
Montecalvo went a class-best 4.13 in the finals to beat Elijah Morton, which came on the heels of Montecalvo going 4.15 in the semifinals to slip past Brian Gahm.
After struggling early, Montecalvo found his groove, which could bode well for him on Saturday.
“There’s no way to describe this,” Montecalvo said. “This was just great. We were right on the tree today. We’ve never doubled up, so I guess that’s our goal for (Saturday).”

Houston native Justin Penton won in Pro Junior Dragster, going 7.904 in the finals to slip past No. 1 qualifier Ashely Sewell.
The final qualifying round for the Texas Drags takes place at 11 a.m. Saturday. The first round of eliminations are set to begin 3 p.m.

Taylor is in the second spot behind Hernandez and Alex Hossler is third in PX.
In Pro Nitrous, Jim Halsey (3.92) and Steve Vick (3.94) trail Smith. Glidden’s 4.03 leads Jeff Naiser and Michael Neal, who are second and third, respectively, in XTF.
Kim Morrell is second to Schweigert in PXM, while Owens sits in third.
In Extreme Pro Stock, Pete Berner (4.14) is currently second and Cary Goforth is in third.
Cole Burk is the top qualifier through Friday in Pro Junior Dragster.

July 23, 2010

We’ve Got Winners!

July 23, 2010

Scruggs Not Hurt But Weekend Is Finished After Crash

July 23, 2010

Night Air Leads to Hot Times at HRP

July 23, 2010

Rest of Finals Set at Dragpalooza VI

July 23, 2010

Glidden Continues Remarkable Run at HRP

 

July 23, 2010

Texas Four-Step For Pro Extreme Semifinals

Maybe there is something to the theory that having Houston Raceway Park as your home track would be advantageous in July.

In Pro Extreme, all four semifinalists for the ADRL Universal Technical Institute Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen are Texas natives and two - Joshua Hernandez and Frankie Taylor - are Houston natives. The third, Gaylen Smith (pictured), is a constant at HRP, and the fourth, Gene Hector, is a Texas native, too. It’s served all of them well on Friday.

Taylor and Hernandez have their cars dialed in on their home track, an impressive feat on a scorching track that has been difficult to solve for many. But Hernandez went 3.76 in the quarterfinals to meet up with Gaylen Smith, who had just enough to beat Chris Smith. Hernandez and Gaylen met in Michigan, with Hernandez winning en route to the event title. Hernandez is also currently the top qualifier after two rounds for the Inaugural Texas Drags, which will be completed on Saturday at HRP.

Taylor will meet another Texas native, Hector, in the other semifinal. Taylor went 3.88 to advance to the final four, running well in the heat in the new black Corvette he is debuting this weekend. Hector knocked off Tommy D’Aprile in the quarterfinals.

July 23, 2010

Second Round Complete - More Upsets At Texas Drags

 

July 23, 2010

Hugh Scott Selling ‘02 Corvette

Your agent is on the scene at Houston Raceway Park as well and he found an impressive vehicle for sale at the ADRL Inaugural Texas Drags.
Pro Extreme driver Hugh Scott is breaking in his ‘41 Plymouth, which means his sharp ‘02 Corvette is for sale.
That Corvette went 3.84 and Scott told your agent someone is getting a good deal.
“It’s a real good car,” Scott said. “It’s not beat up or anything; I just don’t need two cars. It’s a real nice car.”
Your agent found out that a good deal could be had as well.
For those interested in the PX Corvette, your agent suggests calling (256) 332-9701.

July 23, 2010

Collins’ XTF Upset of White Highlights First Round Eliminations

The first round of eliminations are finished for the ADRL Universal Technical Institute Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen on Friday at Houston Raceway Park and there were plenty of upsets involved.
The biggest came in Extreme 10.5, where Patrick Wayne Collins (pictured) went 4.58 to knock off Gary White, who had won the previous two races in XTF.
It’s only the second time Collins has raced in the ADRL, the first coming at the original Dragpalooza in March.
Several months later at the completion of that event and the Inaugural Texas Drags, Collins has opened some eyes.
“It was very good for our team,” Collins said. “We’ve put in a lot of hours and to get a win like that was good.”
The first-round win also gives Collins confidence for the rest of the weekend. He’s matched up with Michelle Wilson in the second round.
Wilson pulled off an upset herself, knocking off Kenny Doak thanks to a holeshot.
Collins, though, isn’t happy with just a big win in the first round.
“If we can beat him, we can beat anybody out there,” Collins said. “We plan to keep on winning. We would like to go eight rounds this weekend.”
Cary Goforth went 4.16 in his first-round win in Extreme Pro Stock in the biggest highlight in that class.
In Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Ashley Owens and Kim Morrell both went 4.21 to advance, but Charlie Prophit and his 4.20 topped them.
Big names that were ousted in PXM included Terry Schweigert, Scott Gray, Lance Hines and Paul Gast.
Doug Riesterer and Charles Carpenter both won in Pro Nitrous to set up an interesting second-round matchup.
Top qualifier Burton Auxier also advanced and will face Rickie Smith, who went a class-best 3.97 in the first round.
Joshua Hernandez and his 3.77 stole the show in Pro Extreme. He easily advanced to the second round after holding his top qualifying spot as well.

(ADRL/Richards photos) 

July 23, 2010

Fourth Round of PX Complete; Eliminations Next

The fourth round of Pro Extreme is complete and, thanks to the scorching Texas heat, there are not many changes to report at Houston Raceway Park.

As he was at the ADRL Universal Technical Institute Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen in March, Joshua Hernandez (pictured) stayed at that top spot on Friday after nobody was able to put together a spectacular run.

Several passes looked promising, but nobody could finish it off, partly due to the heat. The biggest move in Pro Extreme came from Steve Wiley, who jumped into the Top 10 after not being qualified at the event in March.

Final eliminations, which will also serve as qualifying for the Inaugural Texas Drags, are now set to begin in all five classes for Dragpalooza VI. We’ll jump right in with Extreme Pro Stock and exciting action is sure to follow.

Here’s some appealing first-round matchups:

Extreme Pro Stock: Cary and Dean Goforth meet up in a father-son matchup. Dean is also back at the track for the first time since an injury ended his weekend in Michigan in June.

Pro Extreme Motorcycle: Charlie Prophit and Paul Gast meet in the first round, as does Robert Hunnicutt and Kim Morrell, who qualified third in March.

Extreme 10.5: Spiro Pappas is the top qualifier in the 12-car field. Gary White is the No. 3 qualifier from March and is slated to race Wayne Collins.

Pro Nitrous: Charles Carpenter meets Lee Adkins in a 5-12 matchup. Burton Auxier is the top qualifier and will race Stan Allen to kick off the first round. 

July 23, 2010

Goforths Back to Two-Car Team in XPS

The Goforths are back to a two-car Extreme Pro Stock team for the ADRL Inaugural Texas Drags.
After an unfortunate non-racing injury to his leg at the Michigan race, Dean Goforth was forced to miss the race in Topeka.
But the XPS driver made a speedy recovery and will be in the car this weekend at Houston Raceway Park, perhaps sooner than many expected
“I hated sitting on the sidelines and not being able to compete,” Dean said. “I really feel like if we are going to have two cars in the Battle For The Belts that I need to suck it up and get in my car.
“I haven’t had a lot of pain or discomfort and I feel completely safe inside the car.”
Dean will be wearing a fireproof boot over his cast to keep his leg safe and healing, but he’s not expecting any sympathy. 

Instead, he jumps right into first-round eliminations against his son, Cary, on Friday for the completion of the ADRL Universal Technical Institute Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen.

Cary drove his father’s car to the top qualifying spot in Topeka and is currently the points leader in a tight XPS field. He knows he will get a challenge right from the start.
“I really feel like (Dean) can go back to driving safely,” Cary said. “I hate that we have to match up in the first round, but may the best car win. He’s not going to just hand it to me, injury or no injury.”
Cary is right about that.
Dean is currently eighth and wants to make up for lost time on this double-race weekend. That means there will be no let-up in his approach.
“Cary better be on his game because I am coming after him in the first round,” Dean said. “Having not been able to compete at Topeka, it really lit a fire in me to get back in and win rounds.”

July 23, 2010

Carpenter Hoping to Rebound in Pro Nitrous

BAYTOWN, TX - After three consecutive first-round losses, Charles Carpenter is hoping for a little redemption this weekend at Houston Raceway Park.
Looking to right the ship, Carpenter wants a swift turnaround in Pro Nitrous at this weekend’s ADRL Inaugural Texas Drags.
It’s a big opportunity, too, as Carpenter has a chance for two wins, with the ADRL Universal Technical Institute Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen to be completed today. Currently, Carpenter is second in Pro Nitrous, but he wants to get back to better performances.
“We’ve got a lot riding on this weekend,” Carpenter said. “What better place to try to right the ship than where we set new career bests in E.T. and speed last time we were here? We’re shooting to double up and bring two trophies home in one weekend.”
Carpenter will face Lee Adkins, the Pro Nitrous winner in Michigan in June (the last completed ADRL race), in the first round of eliminations of Dragpalooza VI on Friday.
Carpenter was the No. 5 qualifier, after going 3.92 at 192 miles per hour at HRP in March.
Track conditions will be much different at the track today, but Carpenter remains confident heading back to a track that has yielded good results.
“I know it’s going to be much hotter and it’s a whole new ballgame compared to when we were here in March, but we’re hoping we can look back at some of our past data and get a good reference point,” Carpenter said. “We’ve really struggled over the past few races. We haven’t been where we needed to be with our setup. I’ve gone through everything and found some places where we were off base and by correcting those I hope we start heading back in the right direction.”
To finish with a good weekend, Carpenter knows he needs a quick start in Friday’s Dragpalooza eliminations.
That won’t be easy against Adkins, who has been impressive lately.
“Lee has stepped up but it’s going to be a tricky deal for everyone since they’re not giving us any shots at the track and putting us into eliminations right away,” Carpenter said. “That combined with the heat makes it anybody’s game, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.”

July 23, 2010

Race Time Is Approaching

 

July 23, 2010

Top Storylines For Inaugural Texas Drags

The next time Ashley Owens says something brash, it will be the first time.
The fact is Owens has remained as ho-hum as could be regarding his dominant start to the 2010 ADRL season in Pro Extreme Motorcycle heading into Friday’s Inaugural Texas Drags.
While others are left searching for the proper superlatives, Owens’ demeanor stays about as aw-shucks as ever.
He won’t say anything boastful about his three wins this season or his commanding points lead, instead finding some simply reason as to why it’s all happened.
“The bike’s been real consistent,” Owens said. “It seems like it goes faster each time. It’s just consistency and putting good passes together.”
The passes may seem endless to Owens’ competitors, but Owens and his Fast by Gast bike are clearly one of the main storylines as the ADRL heads to Houston Raceway Park for the weekend.

Here’s a look at the biggest ones on what will be a wild and eventful weekend in the scorching Texas heat:

1. Owens’ dominance - With this being a double-race weekend, if Owens wins both days, that will give him all five wins in 2010, an unprecedented turn of events in 2010.
Owens’ method has been simple - make a good run to qualify high, take a round or two of qualifying off and enter final eliminations peaking.
It’s worked so far and everyone else has been left to chase him.
2. Double-Race Weekend - It’s the first of two in the ADRL, meaning it will be a hectic and intense stretch for the drivers.
The ADRL Universal Technical Institute Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen will be completed on Friday and the Texas Drags will finish up a day later. With such high stakes, it’s imperative that drivers start quickly, find the right set-up and have a profitable Friday.
3. The Texas Touch - With so much on the line on Friday, will the drivers who consider HRP their home track be at an advantage?
The track will be blazing - it was nearly 150 degrees earlier this week - and might take time to get dialed in to those conditions. The only problem is most won’t have time to spare, meaning the local drivers might have an edge.
4. Things Heating Up in Pro Extreme - Only 370 points separate points leader Alex Hossler and Jason Hamstra, who is ninth in the standings.
There’s been a different winner at each

event, with Joshua Hernandez taking the last win. He’s looked strong in recent races, but the likes of Hossler, Jason Scruggs, KH Al-Thani, Quain Stott, Frankie Taylor, John Stanley and Wes Johnston have all impressed this year.
5. Extreme Pro Stock Lives Up to Name - The points race isn’t quite as tight, but the racing is arguably even tighter.
Each individual race is close, which should make for plenty of excitement this weekend in XPS. Cary Goforth leads everyone and looked strong in Topeka, but drivers like Pete Berner enjoy racing in the heat and will pose plenty of challenges.

OTHER THINGS TO WATCH:

Gary White has won two straight races in Extreme 10.5 and was the top qualifier before the rain came in Topeka. Can he keep that hot streak going?
Things are up for grabs in Pro Nitrous as well. Nobody has won more than once and several different faces have proven to be worthy this season.

July 23, 2010

Fact Sheet For Inaugural Texas Drags

BAYTOWN, TX — The American Drag Racing League (ADRL) has been to Houston Raceway Park every year since 2006.
On Friday and Saturday, however, the ADRL will make its second trip to the track in Baytown, TX in 2010 for the Inaugural Texas Drags, marking the first time it has been to HRP two times in one year.
After rain forced the postponement of the ADRL Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen in March, the ADRL responded by creating another race at HRP.
Dragpalooza VI will be completed on Friday, with the Inaugural Texas Drags slated to be completed the next day, making it a double-race weekend.
That will make it a heated two-day stretch, featuring two races with the world’s fastest 1/8th mile doorslammers.
The Texas Drags are the sixth of 10 national events this season, though only three ADRL events have been completed this year due to weather. By the end of the weekend at HRP, five races will have been completed in front of an always energetic crowd that will surely pack the grandstands like it has done in previous years.
The final qualifying session was completed in four of the five classes at Dragpalooza in March, meaning only Pro Extreme will have one last qualifying session on Friday. From there, final eliminations will follow, giving fans non-stop action throughout the weekend.
In 2009, winners at Dragpalooza V included Todd Tutterow in Pro Extreme, Stan Allen in Pro Nitrous, Billy Glidden in Extreme 10.5, Charlie Prophit in Pro Extreme Motorcycle and Doug Kirk in Extreme Pro Stock.
This year, the ADRL is expecting even more excitement in each of the five (Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Extreme Pro Stock, Extreme 10.5, Pro Nitrous and Pro Extreme) professional eighth-mile drag racing classes plus the Pro-Junior dragsters.
The spectator gates open at 9 a.m. Friday, with racing set to begin at 11 a.m. Friday will feature the conclusion of the ADRL UTI Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen, with a special jet-car and monster truck pass concluding the evening session.
On Saturday, the racing will begin at 11 a.m. Final eliminations for the Inaugural Texas Drags start at 3 p.m., with a special jet-car and monster truck pass concluding the evening.
WHAT: ADRL Inaugural Texas Drags, the sixth of 10 national events this calendar year for the American Drag Racing League (ADRL), but the seventh points-paying event toward the 2010 championship-deciding Speedtech Battle for the Belts.
Series includes five all-professional, eighth-mile drag racing classes: Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Extreme Pro Stock, Extreme 10.5, Pro Nitrous and Pro Extreme, the quickest and fastest full-bodied, doorslammer class in the world.
Pro Jr. Dragsters also compete at each ADRL event, along with exhibition runs by a Police Interceptor jet car and the legendary Summit Motorsports “Bigfoot” monster truck.
WHEN: Friday and Saturday, July 23-24, 2010
WHERE: Houston Raceway Park, 2525 FM 565, Baytown, Texas 77523
CONTACT: For directions, contact Houston Raceway Park at (281) 383-7223 or www.HoustonRaceway.com. For media requests please contact Josh Hachat with ADRL Communications (636) 272-2375
TICKETS: Complimentary in-advance general admission tickets distributed locally. Tickets on sale both days at track. Friday Adult $20; Kids 6-12 $5; Saturday Adult $30; Kids 6-12 $5; Full Event Pass Adult $50; Kids 6-12 $10; All Kids Under 6 Free; General Parking $20; RV Parking Weekend $150. All tickets include ADRL VIP pit pass.

July 3, 2010

Rain Postpones Completion of ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV

TOPEKA, KS (July 3, 2010) - Inclement weather forced the postponement of the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka on Saturday.
After several rain delays throughout the day, ADRL President and CEO Kenny Nowling called for a postponement near the end of the first round of final eliminations.
“Mother Nature frowned on us and we felt the better option was to get the racers and fans home safely,” Nowling said. “Safety is paramount and unfortunately we can’t complete this event today.”
The event will be completed at the ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags III on August 7-8 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill, just outside of St. Louis.
The completion of final eliminations of the Independence Drags will take place on Friday, with the Gateway Drags to be completed the next day.
Rain halted the action after four classes - Pro Nitrous, Extreme 10.5, Pro Extreme Motorcycle and Extreme Pro Stock - had completed their first round of eliminations.
Two races were finished in Pro Extreme in the first round before the steady rain ended the event in Topeka.
Before that, the final round of qualifications on Saturday and the first round of eliminations featured plenty of highlights.
The biggest surprise may have come from Doug Riesterer in Pro Nitrous. The Victoria, TX native shot to the top spot in qualifying, going 3.894 at 186.69 miles per hour in his final qualifying run on Saturday.
He followed that up by winning his first round matchup, giving him a quarterfinal berth and a top qualifying spot that not many saw coming.
“After we went .89, we could have gone home right then,” Riesterer said. “That made our whole year. We’ve been struggling all year and we didn’t expect a run like that. Needless to say, we were on top of the world.”
Riesterer and his ‘68 Camaro will try to take that momentum into the next ADRL race, the ADRL Inaugural Texas Drags, which takes place July 23-24 at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, TX.
He won’t be alone, either.
Joshua Hernandez ran a blistering 3.69 in Pro Extreme, taking the top qualifying spot away from Frankie Taylor, who had nabbed it from Hernandez on the final pass on Friday.
Hernandez also won his first-round matchup and will be a likely favorite heading to his hometown track in three weeks.

In Extreme 10.5, Gary White claimed the top qualifying spot for the second straight race, running a 3.98 to slip past Todd Moyer’s 3.99.
Both White and Moyer won their first-round matchups, though No. 3 and No. 4 qualifiers Spiro Pappas and Dan Millen were knocked off by Dustin Miller and David Janes, respectively.
“This place is awesome. It’s one of my favorites,” White said. “It was great to get that .98; we’ve been chasing Todd all weekend.
“The first two runs, we had some problems with the boost control valve. But we got it fixed and it did good.”
Cary Goforth may have been wondering if the move to switch cars was worth it, but the Extreme Pro Stock driver got his payoff in the final qualifying session on Saturday.
Goforth was the No. 15 and last qualifier after Friday, but made up for it in one pass Saturday morning, going 4.13 at 173.49 mph to shoot to the top qualifying spot.
With his father, Dean, nursing an injury suffered in Michigan, Cary switched cars, a move he may have debated until that final run.
“We felt like dad’s car was better, so we switched,” Goforth said. “Our last run on Friday was too aggressive, but it felt good. We knew we could get a good number if we drove it right.
“The number surprised us but we’ll take it. The jump from last to first feels really good.”
Goforth received a bye to the semifinals and the top six qualifiers in XPS won their first-round races.
Ashley Owens didn’t make a final qualifying run, but he stayed the top qualifier and then went a weekend-best 4.15 in PXM to move to the semifinals in the eight-bike field.
The conclusion of the ADRL Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Dragpalooza VI presented by Safety-Kleen will be completed on Friday, July 23 at Houston Raceway Park, with the Inaugural Texas Drags to be completed the next day.

July 3, 2010

The ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV Have Been Postponed

Due to a line of storms covering Kansas and Oklahoma, the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV have been postponed. The event will be continued at the ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags III, which takes place August 6-7 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill just outside of St. Louis.

Eliminations for the Independence Drags will finish on Friday, with eliminations for the Gateway Drags taking place the next day.

“Safety is paramount and we can’t complete this event today,” ADRL President and CEO Kenny Nowling said on Saturday at Heartland Park Topeka. 

July 3, 2010

Crash Leave Glidden in Bad Place

The exasperation was evident on the face of Billy Glidden after a crash during his fourth qualifying run on Saturday at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka.
It wasn’t just because the weekend was prematurely done for the Extreme 10.5 driver, but because of what the crash might mean for the near-future of one of the top drivers in the class.
“We’re in the same boat as a lot of people. This is a setback and it is not something we can easily recover from,” Glidden said. “We don’t have the funding to make up for this.”
Glidden, a Whiteland, IN native, and his team will discuss and evaluate the future when they return home from Topeka, but there was clearly discouragement and disappointment in his words in the moments after the crash.
Glidden’s car lost control early on, drifted and hit the right wall at about the 300-feet mark, and it flipped shortly after.
Glidden nearly got the car stopped but he couldn’t quite regain control and it ended up flipping anyway. Glidden was quickly removed from the ‘10 Mustang and appeared to be fine. The car, however, is another matter.
“When you’re sliding, you’re just along for the ride,” Glidden said.
Glidden pointed to the rear portion of the car on the driver’s side as the cause of the crash. Something broke there, setting the stage for the crash.
“I’m sure it was something there, whatever it was. That created the whole deal,” Glidden said.

July 3, 2010

Rain Interrupts First Round Eliminations

 

July 3, 2010

First Round Matchups to Watch

July 3, 2010

Final Eliminations Are Set After Incredible Fourth Qualifying Round

July 3, 2010

Goforth Shoots to Top Spot in XPS

Cary Goforth may have been wondering if the move to switch cars was worth it, but the Extreme Pro Stock driver got his payoff in the fourth and final qualifying session on Saturday at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka.

Goforth was the No. 15 and last qualifier after Friday, but made up for it in one pass Saturday morning, going 4.13 to shoot to the top and take the top qualifying spot.
With his father, Dean, nursing an injury suffered in Michigan last month, Cary switched cars. He may have been questioning the decision after Friday, but he was all smiles after his first run on Saturday.
“We felt like dad’s car was better, so we switched this weekend,” Goforth said. “Our last run on Friday was too aggressive, but it felt good. We knew we could get a good number if we drove it right.
“The number surprised us but we’ll take it. The jump from last to first feels really good, but you can’t take anybody lightly.”
If Goforth wins his first-round matchup against Richard Penland, he gets a bye to the semifinals. That could be crucial in a field that has had strong runs from Pete Berner, John Montecalvo and Bob Bertsch.
Mark Martino also made a big jump, going up to the No. 2 spot with a 4.14 pass.
“Keeping lane choice is big because we want to stay in that left lane,” Goforth said. “Hopefully we can get a bye and stay consistent.”

To watch final eliminations in XPS and every ADRL class, visit www.ADRL.us for FREE live online video coverage. 

July 3, 2010

White Back to Form in XTF

After running nearly flawlessly the last two races, it was more than a little surprising to see the early struggles from Gary White in Extreme 10.5 on Friday at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV from Heartland Park Topeka.
White and his ‘07 Scion had plenty of difficulties during two early passes on Friday, but he made up for it by taking the No. 1 qualifying spot on Saturday in the final qualifying session.
White went 3.98, slipping just past Todd Moyer who turned in a 3.98 and had a 4.00 to sit in first place after Friday.
White and the Titan Motorsports team changed those standings, giving him two straight No. 1 qualifier spots.
“This place is awesome. It’s one of my favorites,” White said. “It was great to get that .98; we’ve been chasing Todd all weekend.
“The first two runs, we had some problems with the boost control valve. But we got it fixed and it did good.”
But White also knows it’s not going to be enough in a field that also had strong runs from Moyer, Spiro Pappas and Dan Millen.
To get that third straight win, White knows he will have to be even better the rest of Saturday.
“We’re going to have to speed it up,” White said. “A .98 is not going to hold up.”

To watch White try to get a third straight win, visit www.ADRL.us for live online video coverage.

July 3, 2010

Glidden’s Car Flips in XTF Crash

July 3, 2010

Jenkins Trying to Find His Groove

ADRL Pro Nitrous driver Shannon Jenkins was simply happy to get in an acceptable pass on Friday at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka.
He got it in his third and final run of the night, going 3.92 at 191.73 miles per hour, but he is hardly overjoyed.
“I was still fighting it a little bit,” Jenkins said. “The last round was going super and then it started shaking. Hopefully we can get it together.”
That run puts him in second in the class heading into Saturday’s final round of qualifications.
The middle of the track has been difficult to navigate for Jenkins and he hasn’t been alone in that regard.
Jenkins was one of plenty who struggled to put together a consistent run.
In Pro Nitrous, Burton Auxier is currently on the outside looking in. He didn’t make a third pass late on Friday and is 17th after going 5.62 on his second pass.
The only other class that will send people home after qualifications this morning is Pro Extreme, where 30 drivers have made passes.
Among the big names looking in is John Stanley, who is currently in 19th after going 4.04 on Friday.
The Pro Extreme field might not be the quickest 16-car field in ADRL history, but it will be close and has been super competitive at Heartland Park Topeka.

July 3, 2010

Saturday Racing Has Started!

The final round of qualifying has started at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka on Saturday.
Extreme Pro Stock is in the lanes and is kicking off what should be another excellent day of racing.
Currently, top qualifiers through the three rounds on Friday are Frankie Taylor in Pro Extreme, Mike Castellana in Pro Nitrous, Todd Moyer in Extreme 10.5, Ashley Owens in Pro Extreme Motorcycle and Pete Berner in XPS.
We’ve got cloudy skies here in Topeka, but we’re hopeful it will hold off until late Saturday night.
With the new Saturday schedule, final eliminations will begin at 3 p.m., giving fans a chance to enjoy elimination-round racing under the lights.
Of course, it will all be capped off by an incredible winner’s circle celebration and a beautiful fireworks display.

July 3, 2010

Castellana One of Five Leaders at ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV

TOPEKA, KS (July 2, 2010) - Mike Castellana was simply looking for one good run in Pro Nitrous on Friday at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka.
When that came on his very first run, Castellana delivered in an even bigger way to cap his evening under the lights.
Castellana and his ‘69 Camaro wowed the energetic crowd with his third qualifying run, staying in first after three sessions with a pass of 3.89 at 192.28 miles per hour.
It was significant that Castellana had two in a class where most drivers struggled to get one on a day where track conditions proved difficult to solve.
“I think we had a better handle on things,” Castellana said. “It was kind of hit-or-miss for a lot of people, but we’ve got a good handle on this car. When you got something good going, you don’t want to change too much.”
Other top qualifiers after Friday’s three sessions include Frankie Taylor in Pro Extreme, Ashley Owens in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Pete Berner in Extreme Pro Stock and Todd Moyer in Extreme 10.5.
Castellana’s solid performance on Friday gives him some breathing room heading into Saturday’s final qualifying session as well.
”(Saturday’s) session won’t be as good with the conditions, so we should be able to stay on top,” Castellana said. “We feel pretty comfortable.”
The Al-Anabi Racing driver should after Friday. Shannon Jenkins shot up considerably in his final pass, going a 3.92 to move up to second overall.
But he says everyone is trying to keep up with Castellana this weekend.
“Mike’s car was good today,” Jenkins said. “He had pretty good control of it. The track conditions cooled off and the thing stayed hooked up.”
Castellana wasn’t the only one who got better under the lights in the cooler conditions.
After shooting to the top on his first qualifying run, Taylor went back up to the top on his final pass on Friday.
The “Wild Man” pushed it hard in the nighttime air, going 3.70 at 202.58 mph. He went 3.73 earlier in the day, giving him a good base for eliminations.
“The .73 earlier today is probably what we’ll baseline tomorrow off of,” Taylor said.
Joshua Hernandez and Jason Scruggs overtook Taylor on the second run, going 3.733 and 3.734, respectively.
They moved back to second and third on Taylor’s final run, with KH Al-Thani sitting in fourth after going 3.74.
Taylor knows where he has to improve on Saturday in what was a 30-car field on Friday.
“I’ve got to get on the tree a little bit more,” Taylor said. “It’s been acting a little funny on the two step, but we’ll get it taken care of tonight, we’ll put a few plug wires on it.”

Moyer was another driver who put together two impressive runs on Friday, bolting back to the top with a 4.00 at 195.85 mph run under the lights.

“(My crew) told me it was going to be a .99 so I was a little disappointed,” Moyer said. “We were going to smoke the tires or we were going to go real fast.”
They clearly went fast, something that was the theme for Moyer and his ‘04 Cavalier on Friday.
He was first after the first qualifying run, but moved back to second after Gary White, winner of two straight ADRL races, went from 15th to first with a run of 4.01.
That didn’t last long as Moyer went back on top moments later, taking momentum into Saturday. The Seabrook, TX native knows that doesn’t guarantee anything in XTF.
“They’re all 4.0 cars or 3.99 cars,” Moyer said. “It is going to be hot and it’s going to be an issue, but I think we know how to do it right now.”

Berner was consistent all day, with his 4.14 from his first run putting him at the top in XPS.
Berner went 173.54 mph in a blistering pass and the Summit Motorsports driver couldn’t be happier with how the day went.
“We’re tickled to death. With the conditions we had on the track, this is pretty awesome. We had three great runs and hopefully we’ll keep it going,” Berner said. “The crew is making exceptional calls for these conditions. We’ve got a great car.”
Berner had great reaction times all day, and his car was clearly dialed in despite the hot and sticky conditions.
That’s where this car has thrived, something Berner is banking on heading into final eliminations.
His ‘09 GXP had good power coming into the weekend and that was evident throughout the day. Berner, though, has his mind on one thing.
“One of those days we want one of those trophies. Hopefully it’s this weekend,” Berner said. “Consistency is what’s going to win. In this class, you have to be on your game for every run.”
John Montecalvo, who won in Michigan last month and was also the No. 1 qualifier, jumped to second in his final run with a pass of 4.160. Bob Bertsch is right behind after a 4.169 in his first pass.

Owens continues to appear untouchable in PXM, needing only two runs to take command.
After running a 4.19 in his first run, Owens passed on his second run and then came back at night to put up an impressive run of 4.16.
“It’s kind of the pattern we’ve developed and we’ve stuck with it,” Owens said of making only two passes on Friday.
“We’re making less passes and it’s less wear and tear on the bike. I feel good about (Saturday).”
There’s plenty of good reason for it as the Fast by Gast team shoots for its fourth straight win.
The No. 2 qualifier, Charlie Prophit, is .09 behind Owens in qualifying and the nine-bike field appears a step behind Owens and his ‘07 Suzuki in Topeka.
Owens joked he’s under pressure this weekend because owner Paul Gast did not make the trip to Heartland Park Topeka.
“Paul left me with the bike this weekend, so we have to do good,” Owens said with a chuckle. “We can’t do bad. It won’t look good.”

Sporting an incredible .001 reaction time, Cody Jeffs was the top qualifier in Pro Junior Dragster.
The fourth and final qualifying session starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Final eliminations are slated to begin at 3 p.m. at Heartland Park Topeka.

July 2, 2010

Qualifying is Finished

Qualifying is completed for the day at Heartland Park Topeka.  Your provisional number one qualifiers with just one session remaining are Cody Jeffs (PJD), Pete Berner (XPS), Ashley Owens (PXM), Mike Castellana (PN) and Frankie Taylor 

July 2, 2010

Janes Returns to ADRL

Two-time ADRL XTF winner, David Janes, returned to competition this weekend for the first time since the 4th Annual LenMar Motorsports World Finals held in 2008.  Janes is driving his customer’s, Gordon Muir, car.  The car is a ‘96 Dodge Avenger.  Janes is shaking down the car to try to reduce “the new car blues.”  Muir plans to make his ADRL debut in St. Louis.  Janes has began to work on a Pro Nitrous Camaro to debut next year to have a two-car team for the 2011 season.  

July 2, 2010

Housley/Walker Team Makes Emotional Return

It was an emotional return to the track for the Housley/Walker Pro Nitrous team on Friday at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka.

After missing two straight races following the tragic loss of crew member Mike Walker in April, Blake Housley and his team returned to the track for the first time. It wasn’t easy, but Housley was glad to return to racing.
“It’s a lot different not having Mike around, but we’re working through it,” Housley said. “The only thing we’re here for is to honor Mike. That first run was a little emotional, but the car is going good so that helped a lot.”
Through two qualifying rounds, Housley was sitting eighth in qualifying after running a 4.02.
He thinks his car can reach three seconds for the first time this weekend, which would be a perfect tribute to Mike and his family.
“Everything is working great on the car. We would really like to get in the 3s and a win would be awesome,” Housley said. “It just feels good to drive again.”

July 2, 2010

Second Qualifying Round Now Complete

The second round is complete and a couple of impressive passes in Pro Extreme capped off the quick qualifying round on Friday at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV from Heartland Park Topeka.
On back-to-back runs, Joshua Hernandez and Jason Scruggs (pictured) went 3.733 and 3.734, respectively, to jump into the top two spots. Hernandez went 201.34 miles per hour and Scruggs followed at 204.63 mph.
“We were all over the track on that one,” Hernandez said. “We stepped on it pretty hard, but there’s more left in it.”
Hernandez plans to find out how much is left on the third and final qualifying session on Friday, which will come under the lights.
Scruggs has similar plans after getting in a strong run despite hot and sticky conditions. But that run was important, giving Scruggs and his ‘68 Camaro some leeway heading into Saturday.
“We were hoping for low-to-mid 70’s and we were happy with that,” Scruggs said. “We’ll sleep good knowing we’re part of the field. Now we can take a few chances.”
Jim Halsey and his ‘68 Camaro jumped to the top of Pro Nitrous, running a 3.94 at 193 mph on his second pass.
Mike Castellana remains in second place.
In Extreme 10.5, Todd Moyer remains in front in a field that has struggled to make strong runs. Nobody has reached the 3-second mark and Gary White, who has won the last two races, sits in 15th with a time of 5.64.
Extreme Pro Stock and Pro Extreme Motorcycle also remain unchanged. Ashley Owens didn’t make a second pass in PXM but still leads at 4.19, and Pete Berner’s 4.14 is still tops in XPS. Bob Bertsch remains in second in XPS.

July 2, 2010

Aronson Trying to Figure Out Car, Track

Cale Aronson wasn’t happy with the weekend he had in Michigan in June.
It hasn’t exactly been easy on Friday at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka, but the CarSafe-sponsored driver has made considerable progress.
After two qualifying rounds, Aronson and his 2010 Mustang are sitting eighth in Extreme Pro Stock.
It’s not where Aronson wants, but he’ll take it at the moment considering the difficult track conditions in Topeka.
“This is a tricky track and it’s hard to find the groove here,” the Kansas City native said of his home track.
“It’s a little more finicky here.”
It’s led to a lot of difficult runs for drivers in all classes on Friday, which is why Aronson is just happy to be in the middle of the pack at his home track.
He’s also getting accustomed what his new Mustang has to offer.
”(Michigan) was a nightmare, but we’ve only had 33 runs in this car,” Aronson said. “We’re still trying to find it. We’re starting to get consistent and get this car where it needs to be.
“There’s a lot left in it.”
Be sure to read more about Aronson and his excitement with racing just more than two hours from home in an upcoming “Beyond the Guardwall” piece.

July 2, 2010

Hamstra Suffers Another Unlucky Break

Jason Hamstra simply can’t catch a break right now.

More importantly, he had no major injuries follow a vicious crash in the first round of qualifying in Pro Extreme at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka.
Hamstra shook the tires at 200 feet and tried to shut it off. But the rear end came up and turned the car, sending it into the right wall. It veered back into the left wall and then came back to the right side, hitting that wall one last time in an explosive crash.

“I’m sore but I’m okay,” Hamstra said. “My knee hurts a little. I must have hit something in the car.”
It was Hamstra’s first pass with a new front end after the old one blew up in semifinals at the Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI in Martin, MI less than a month ago.

The new one didn’t last long and Hamstra is also done for the weekend after the crash.
“It was pretty scary. I couldn’t figure out why it was doing it,” Hamstra said. “We can’t catch a break anymore. It’s been pretty rough. Hopefully we can turn it around.”
Hamstra isn’t sure when that opportunity will come.

He hopes to race in Houston in three weeks, but getting the car ready in time will be difficult.
“I’d like to, but I don’t know,” Hamstra said. “It’s going to be hard to get (fixed) that quick.”

July 2, 2010

Stanton Escapes Harm, Snyder Avoids Trouble in Strong Pass

At one moment, Bubba Stanton felt good about his first run in Pro Extreme at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka on Friday.

A split-second later, he had to be pulled out of his flipped ‘68 Camaro.

After a run of 3.84 at 192 miles per hour, Stanton’s throttle stuck and the brakes locked up. He took a hard turn left, hit the wall and flipped over, sliding across the pavement until it stopped.
“It was a pretty wild ride,” Stanton said “I cut the fuel off to kill the motor, but the brakes locked up. Everything happened at one time.”

The car caught fire and Stanton tried to crawl out of the overturned car. It was scary for a moment, but Stanton was quickly pulled out of the car.
“They got there quick and got the fire out,” Stanton said.

Stanton said he is sore, but the safety items in the car did their job, leaving him mostly unscathed.
The car is another matter. His weekend is done and Stanton said he will likely have to go back to his Corvette for the ADRL race in Houston in three weeks.

Mick Snyder had the best view of the crash, running in the opposite lane. He ran an impressive 3.81 and somehow avoided everything in the process.
“I saw something in the corner of my eye and the next thing I know, the car was upside down,” Snyder said. “I didn’t realize it was that bad until I got out of the car.”

Snyder got stopped in time to avoid any damage to his car, watching it all unfold in front of him.
He also displayed some fancy maneuvering to avoid it all.
“I was weaving in and out and missed it all,” Snyder said. “It was a good first pass and we missed everything. We’re making progress.”

July 2, 2010

First Qualifying Round in the Books

 

July 2, 2010

Two Major Crashes in Pro Extreme

The first qualifying round for all five classes is nearly complete at the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka, but Pro Extreme has been interrupted by two major crashes.

The first came in a qualifying run that matched up Bubba Stanton and Mick Snyder. After running a 3.84, the throttle stuck on Stanton’s ‘68 Camaro and the brakes locked up. It made a hard left turn, hit the wall and flipped over. Stanton escaped the car without harm, though his weekend is done.

Snyder ran a 3.81 and somehow managed to avoid any damage, getting stopped in time to avoid any trouble.

Just a few runs later, Jason Hamstra went towards the center, hooked right and into the right wall and then slammed into the wall on the left side before coming back to the right side wall one more time. Despite the violent collision, Hamstra got out of the car under his own power and appears to have avoided harm.

Check back shortly for pictures and full stories regarding the crashes.

July 2, 2010

PXM’s Owens Sporting New Look

July 2, 2010

Team Aruba’s Eman Expects Strong Showing in Topeka

Your agent found out that Extreme Pro Stock driver Trevor Eman is confident heading into today’s ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags at Heartland Park Topeka.

Driving the colorful Team Aruba and Aruba.com XPS car, Eman takes momentum into today’s action after a strong finish at the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI in Martin, MI less than a month ago.

“The past few weeks have been intense,” Eman told your agent. “Since Martin, we’ve been working long days and nights to prepare our car.”

Eman is currently 300 points out of eighth place in the points standings, but he told your agent he plans on making a move.

“Our performance this weekend is crucial,” Eman said. “Time is slipping away.”

July 2, 2010

Racing Action Almost Set to Start

Last year, Heartland Park featured the completion of the Ford Drive One Summer Drags V on Friday after it had been postponed in Martin, MI, before fans were treated to wins for the Independence Drags a night later.
The winners last year included Mike Janis in Pro Extreme, Shannon Jenkins in Pro Nitrous, Billy Glidden in Extreme 10.5, Scott Gray in Pro Extreme Motorcycle and Elijah Morton in Extreme Pro Stock.

Janis and Morton got their first career wins at last year’s race, while Jenkins was a double-winner, winning the Summer Drags on Friday and the Independence Drags a day later.
This year, the ADRL is expecting even more excitement in each of the five (Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Extreme Pro Stock, Extreme 10.5, Pro Nitrous and Pro Extreme) professional eighth-mile drag racing classes plus the Pro-Junior dragsters.

The spectator gates open at 9 a.m. Friday; with the first round of qualifying set to begin at 11 a.m. Friday will feature three qualifying rounds, with a special jet-car and monster truck pass concluding the evening session. An incredible fireworks display will also be a part of the post-race festivities.
On Saturday, the final round of qualifying takes place at 11a.m. Final eliminations start at 3 p.m. and fireworks will light up the sky as the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags celebrate the event winners and the Independence Holiday on Saturday evening.

SCHEDULE (Subject to change; all times local)
FRIDAY: Qualifying Round 1 at 11 a.m. (Run order: XPS, PXM, XTF, PN, PX, PJD) Qualifying Round 2 at 2:30 p.m. (Run order: XPS, PXM, XTF, PN, PX, PJD) Pre-Qualifying Ceremonies at 6 p.m. Qualifying Round 3 at 6:15 p.m. (Run order: XPS, PJD, PXM, XTF, PN, PX) Jet Car and Monster Truck run 9:45 p.m. Secure Track 10 p.m. 
SATURDAY: Qualifying Round 4 at 9 a.m. (Run order: XPS, PXM, XTF, PN, PX, PJD); Pre-Race Ceremonies 12:30 p.m. Eliminations Round 1 at 1 p.m. (Run order: XPS, PXM, XTF, PN, PX, PJD) Jet Car and Monster Truck run 6 p.m. ADRL Winner’s Circle Party 6:15 p.m. Secure Event 7 p.m.

June 12, 2010

Hernandez Among Five Winners At Ford Drive One Drags

MARTIN, MI (June 12, 2010) — The added pressure, expectations and attention that comes with landing a new major sponsor seems to have brought out the best in Josh Hernandez.

A race after advancing to the final in Richmond while debuting his new Fight Me MMA sponsorship, Hernandez and his ’57 Chevy took it a step further on Saturday, winning in Pro Extreme at the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI.

“To come out with a new sponsor and within two races have a win, that’s what we’re in it for,” Hernandez said. “To be in that winner’s circle, nothing makes me happier.

“I’m so happy for my guys. This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

It’s the seventh career win for Hernandez, but just the first this year in a loaded division.

Hernandez left his stamp on the weekend in the finals, running a 3.66 at 206 miles per hour to knock off Alex Hossler.

Hernandez wasn’t the only one to entertain the raucous crowd on a thrilling Saturday.

In Pro Nitrous, Lee Adkins picked up his first career win, denying No. 1 qualifier Pat Stoken his first title in the final round.

Gary White picked up his second straight win in Extreme 10.5, beating Billy Glidden in the finals to extend his recent reign in the division.

Ashley Owens made it three straight wins in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, extending his dominance with a holeshot win in the finals against Terry Schweigert.

John Montecalvo was the winner in Extreme Pro Stock, denying Brian Gahm a second straight win by running a 4.09 in the finals.

Both Montecalvo and White were No. 1 qualifiers who ended up in the winner’s circle. It was also the first chance for Martin fans to celebrate final-round victories after rain ended the two prior races prematurely in 2008 and 2009.

It wiped out the final round of qualifying on Saturday, but it didn’t keep Hernandez and his Fight Me team down for the count.

After struggling through two qualifying sessions on Friday, Hernandez looked strong, knocking off Mike Stawicki, No. 1 qualifier Gaylen Smith and John Stanley to reach the finals, running 3.65, 3.69 and 3.66 in three of those wins.

“You have to keep hacking it and I think we turned every knob on it,” Hernandez said. “I just loved seeing that win light. “The car was just marching all day long.”

Lee Adkins was overcome with emotion after his first career and understandably so.

He was at a loss for words after running a 3.96 at 188 mph to knock off Stoken, hoping to thank everyone that came to mind in his victory speech.

“I’m speechless right now,” Atkins said. “Anybody that has had anything to do with this car or this team, you’re the man.”

Adkins knocked off Steve Vick, Thomas Myers and got a red-light win against Khalid Al-Balooshi to advance to the finals.

Stoken will have to wait for his first win, picking the worst time to have his biggest struggle of the weekend.

“We’re getting there,” Stoken said. “We’ll be there next time. We need one of those (trophies).”

White’s stack is starting to grow as he picked up his third career win in XTF in another wildly successful weekend.

White ran a 3.93 at 190 mph to beat Glidden and that elapsed time is becoming par for the course for White.

“We’re just enjoying this,” White said. “To be the No. 1 qualifier and win, it’s just great. That’s something we missed out on in Richmond. I’m glad we could get it this time and we’re just going to ride this as long as we can.”

White had a first-round bye and then broke the 3-second mark in wins against L.J. Wood and Spiro Pappas.

“The guys are just doing an amazing job right now,” White said. “It’s just so easy for me right now thanks to the work they’re doing.”

It might be a neck-and-neck battle between Owens and White for the most dominant ADRL driver at the moment.

Owens slipped past a stout Schweigert to get his third straight win, running a 4.23 at 174 mph.

“It was a close one,” Owens said. “We’re having a good time and we have to keep working.”

After not making a second qualifying run on Friday, Owens ran a 4.09 in the semifinals to beat Kim Morrell, which was preceded by wins against Casey Stemper and Scott Grey.

“This is a great deal,” Owens said. “We’ve got a great bike. I felt great about the bike today and, after going 4.09, I felt good going into the final.”

Montecalvo was another start-to-finish winner, needing a top-notch performance in the finals to knock off Gahm and his 4.11 time. Montecalvo made a significant change before the final race, but it paid off, going 4.09 at 178 mph.

“We saw the clouds and made the call to change the transmission,” Montecalvo said. “We did it in 15 minutes. We’ve got a fantastic crew and it to go 4.09, it obviously was the right decision.”

Montecalvo was unbeatable all weekend, beating Scott Hinle, Doug Kirk and Pete Berner to reach the final.

“This is as good as it gets for the weekend,” Montecalvo said. “We’ve been close the last couple races, we just needed to finish it.”

Taylor Weatherford was the winner in Pro Junior Dragster, running an 8.14 at 79 mph, slipping past Kyle Dvorak.

The American Drag Racing League returns to action July 2-3 with the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, KS.

June 12, 2010

Winners Crowned at the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI

John Montecalvo grabbed the win in a very competitive Extreme Pro Stock class in Martin, Mi.  Montecalvo ran the best speed ever in the ADRL XPS class, but without a backup earlier in the event, he will have to try to get the mph record later this year.  Ashley Owens took home another trophy in the Pro Extreme Motorcycle class with a great holeshot victory over no. one qualifier Terry Schweigert.  In Extreme 10.5 Gary White took home his second victory in a row in ADRL competition.  White defeated Billy Glidden in the final round with a 3.93-second run.  Glidden made a lot of noise in the opposite lane with a 4.04-second effort, but was just outrun by White.  Lee Adkins was, for the first time, crowned event champion in Pro Nitrous after defeating Pat Stoken with a 3.96-second elapsed time.  Josh Hernandez collected the trophy in the Pro Extreme final round, but it was Alex Hossler collecting the attention of the capacity crowd at US 131 Motorsports Park, with a great save after encountering severe tire shake.  Hossler crossed the centerline from the left lane to the right lane, then back to the left where he may have just barely grazed the wall.  Hernandez made a remarkably quick run of 3.66 seconds.  Also congrats to Tayler Weatherford for collecting the win in Pro Jr. Dragster after defeating Kyle Dvorak in an extremely close final round. 

June 12, 2010

Hamstra Finds Carnage in Semi-Final Round

Soon after crossing the finish in his semifinal race, Jason Hamstra’s motor let go in an explosive way.  The motor exploded parts outward and destroyed the the front of the the newly built ‘68 Camaro.  Hamstra’s crew is already assessing the damage and preparing to the get car repaired, hopefully, in time to go to Heartland Park Topeka on Independence day weekend for the ADRL Hardee’s Independence Drags IV

June 12, 2010

Finals Are Set

It started with 16 and now there are two remaining in each class at the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI.

The Pro Nitrous final will give either Pat Stoken or Lee Adkins their first career win. Adkins is making his first championship-round appearance, while this will only be the second trip for Stoken, who was the top qualifier and ran a 3.94 to advance to the finals.

In Pro Extreme, it will be Joshua Hernandez against Alex Hossler. Hernandez advanced after a red-light start from John Stanley. Hossler needed a holeshot to knock off Jason Hamstra.

Brian Gahm and Gary White will be looking for consecutive wins in Extreme Pro Stock and Extreme 10.5, respectively. Gahm will meet John Montecalvo in a matchup of the top two qualifiers.

White will face Billy Glidden in XTF after both put together strong semifinal runs.

The Pro Extreme Motorcycle final is a repeat of last month’s final in Richmond between Ashley Owens and Terry Schweigert. Owens won that one and is looking for his third straight win. He’ll take plenty of momentum into the final after running an event-best 4.09 in a semifinal win against Kim Morrell. 

June 12, 2010

Glidden Will Take Lucky Run

 

June 12, 2010

Semifinals Are Set

The semifinals are set for the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI and four of the five top qualifiers have advanced.

The only one who won’t be making appearance is in Pro Extreme, where Joshua Hernandez ran a remarkable 3.65 to slip past Gaylen Smith, who ran an impressive 3.71. Hernandez will take on John Stanley (pictured), while Jason Hamstra will face off in the other semifinal against Alex Hossler. That pair knocked off two heavyweights in the quarterfinals, as Hamstra got a red-light win against KH Al-Thani and Hossler ran a 3.71 to beat Jason Scruggs.

Top qualifier John Montecalvo, Pete Berner and Brian Gahm all ran 4.13 to advanced to the semifinals in Extreme Pro Stock, where they will also be joined by Steven Boone.

The top four qualifiers make up the semifinalists in Pro Extreme Motorcycle. Kim Morrell matches up with Ashley Owens in a marquee matchup, while top qualifier Terry Schweigert and Ronald Procopio is the other matchup.

Top qualifier Pat Stoken continues to look strong in Pro Nitrous, running a 3.95 to advance, where he will face Greg Godwin. Khalid Al-Balooshi and Lee Adkins is the other semifinal matchup.

In Extreme 10.5, top qualifier Gary White ran a 3.98 to set up a big semifinal matchup against Spiro Pappas. Billy Glidden ran a 6.25, but he slipped past Kenny Doak and will meet Todd Moyer.

June 12, 2010

Hernandez Finds His Groove

June 12, 2010

First Round Action

June 12, 2010

Racing Has Started!

We just had our first pass and final eliminations are underway at the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI.

Extreme Pro Stock is currently running at the moment under sunny skies and in front of a growing crowd that will pack the grandstands before long. 

June 12, 2010

Juicy First-Round Matchups

With final eliminations nearly set to begin at the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI, there’s a number of appealing first-round matchups in every class.

The first round is set to start at 1 p.m. EST.

Here’s a quick peek of what’s to come shortly: 

In Extreme Pro Stock, Dean Gorforth and Doug Kirk meet in a 8-9 matchup.

In Pro Extreme Motorcycle, No. 7 qualifier Charlie Prophit takes on No. 8 qualifier Lance Hines in the 14-team field.

There’s a pair of strong matchups in Extreme 10.5 in the 13-car field. Billy Glidden, the No. 3 qualifier, meets Chuck Ulsch (pictured) in a huge opening-round matchup, and No. 2 qualifier Todd Moyer will take on No. 13 qualifier Jeff Naiser. The winner of the Moyer-Naiser race will get a bye straight to the semifinals, making the race that much bigger.

Charles Carpenter, the No. 3 qualifier in Pro Nitrous, meets Thomas Myers, the 14th-place qualifier, in a first-round matchup.

In Pro Extreme, Jason Scruggs will face off with Todd Tutterow in a No. 6 versus No. 11 matchup. It’s also a loaded field that could feature a number of marquee races throughout the afternoon. 

June 12, 2010

Straight to Eliminations

Just like yesterday, rain and poor weather forced the cancellation of a qualifying session on Saturday at the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI.

Hopefully the rest of today turns out like Friday as well.

Final eliminations will begin at 1 p.m. EST, as we will jump right into the mix. The stands are filling up fast and it looks like the rain may have stopped, which is the scenario that played out on Friday and allowed two qualifying sessions.

We’re about set to start, so let’s enjoy the action! 

June 12, 2010

Rain Returns in Martin

The morning rain has again made life difficult at the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI.

The scheduled 9 a.m. start on Saturday for the final round of qualifying has been postponed as a light rain continues to fall at the track.

Rain erased one qualifying session yesterday and racers are hoping to get in a third and final session before final qualifications today. At best, racing likely won’t start until after 12 p.m.

We’ll keep you posted as we go. 

June 11, 2010

White Stays Hot in Martin, One of Five Leaders

MARTIN, MI (June 11, 2010) — Gary White’s remarkably consistent and impressive runs do not seem to have stopped in Richmond.

After one day at the ADRL’s Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI, the Extreme 10.5 points leader’s hot streak appears to have continued.

His six-cylinder 2007 Scion put together two more strong passes on Friday, with his 3.95-second pass leading the rest of the field by a wide margin after the first of qualifications.

“We want to enjoy it while we can,” White said. “Weekends like Richmond don’t come around often. It makes you feel pretty good. We’ll ride this as long as we can.

“The guys have it super dialed in. The front end doesn’t come up and it makes it easy to hit my shifts. There’s not a lot of drama with this car right now.”

Other top qualifiers after Friday’s two sessions include Pat Stoken in Pro Nitrous, Gaylen Smith in Pro Extreme, Terry Schweigert in Pro Extreme Motorcycle and John Montecalvo in Extreme Pro Stock.

Heavy rain early on Friday cancelled the first round of qualifying, but the two that were completed offered a number of exhilarating performances.

White was overwhelmingly consistent in XTF in Richmond and that carried over in Martin. After running a 4.01 on his first run, White cut an .0097 light en route to a run that pleased the near-overflow crowd.

He was the only XTF driver to break 3 seconds, and his time is .09 quicker than No. 2 qualifier Todd Moyer. Billy Glidden is in third after a 4.20 run.

“We had a really good race in Richmond and we’ve had a string of really good passes. I’m thrilled,” White said. “We went an .01 and a .95 today and there’s probably a .92 or a .93 in it.

“I’m just confident I can run from point A to point B and stand a pretty good chance. But I know those guys sitting there are going to get runs.”

Gaylen Smith provided a major spark at the end of Friday’s second session, running a career-best 3.68 at a career-high 206 miles per hour.

He overshot KH Al-Thani with a run that brought the crowd to its feet.

“That’s a career-best and that’s what ADRL races will do to you,” Smith said. “If the ADRL doesn’t pull the best out of you, you need to find another sport.

“Our run went very well. We were very happy.”

Al-Thani is in second after running 3.71 in his first run. Alex Hossler, who ran 3.73, is currently in third.

Pat Stoken was pleased with his first run on Friday, but he delivered an attention-grabbing performance in Pro Nitrous with his second pass, running a 3.91 at a class-best 196 mph to jump to first after one day.

“I’m real pleased with this,” Stoken said.  “We had a pretty good MPH for that air.

“The first run, we just wanted to make sure we got in. We came back and decided to put a little more in it.”

Stoken thinks there’s more potential for an even better performance on Saturday and he may need it.

Khalid Al-Balooshi ran a 3.92 to sit in second, while Charles Carpenter’s 3.95 puts him in third.

“It’s still pretty soft. I think we can get a little more out of it,” said Stoken, who has delivered a 3.87 in his career.

“Hopefully there’s no more rain. We didn’t hurt any part, so we’ll just try to get after it again tomorrow.”

Terry Schweigert knows he will be challenged on Saturday in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, but he seems ready after building on his second-place finish at Richmond.

His 4.21 was just ahead of the charging Kim Morrell, who continues to make considerable improvements.

Still, Schweigert is gunning for his first first-place trophy.

“I would love one of those,” Schweigert said of the first-place trophies. “I think we’re in a really good position. We’re not going for second place; we’re going for first. There’s a lot of races left.”

Points leader Ashley Owens didn’t make a second pass after an engine malfunction, but he still sits in third.

Schweigert expects to be pushed by both Owens and Morrell on Saturday, but he has additional confidence after running a 4.18 during a test run on Thursday in Norwalk, OH.

“I feel like we’re in a good spot,” Schweigert said. “We’re relaxed and I feel good. We’re happy right now.”

John Montecalvo is also in an enviable position in Extreme Pro Stock after running a 4.11, topping Brian Gahm’s 4.14 in what was a thrilling drag race in the second round of qualifying.

“It was a good run and a smooth run,” Montecalvo said. “Trust me, I’m very happy with what we did.”

Montecalvo had the shift light stay on after his burnout and his crew had to reset it. But he quickly gathered himself and delivered a strong – and needed – performance.

“We’re one race behind – we missed the first race of the year – but we’re moving in the right direction,” Montecalvo said.

After Gahm, Trevor Eman is in the third spot with a 4.16.

In the Pro Jr. Dragster class, Rayvan Jenkins was the top qualifier with a .001 reaction time.

The third and final round of qualifications for all classes at the ADRL Ford Drive On Summer Drags VI is scheduled to begin on Saturday (June 12), with eliminations to follow.

June 11, 2010

Smith Takes Top Spot to Finish Friday Night

Gaylen Smith and took his Bounty Hunter ‘57 Chevrolet to the no. one position to close out Friday night’s qualifying.  After just two rounds of qualifying the top sixteen are all already in the 3 second zone with Todd Robertson on the bump spot with a 3.96-seconed effort.  

June 11, 2010

Decerbo Taking a Lighter Approach

John Decerbo hopes the incredible detail put into his new ‘68 Camaro will make a massive difference down the road.

For now, he’s happy with the gradual baby steps and improvements his new car is making in Pro Nitrous.

After a solid showing at Richmond, Decerbo is currently qualified ninth after two rounds at the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI at the U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.

He’s made just five passes in his new lightweight automatic car, but he’s already made two runs in the 3-second range.

“It’s such a new deal, everything is real experimental right now,” Decerbo said. “We’re trying to apply power a little at a time and keep getting better.”

Decerbo’s best run on Friday was a 4.02 at 184 miles per hour, but he’s expecting big things in the future.

Every part of the new design is catered to make the car, built by Tim McAmis, lighter, and Decerbo expects that to make a big difference down the line.

“It took Tim three extra months, but he went to the extreme with it,” Decerbo said. “I’m excited to see where this goes. We’ll just gradually keep applying power to it. We won’t go crazy.”

June 11, 2010

BTG: Hamstra Discusses Racing Close to Home

Go Beyond the Guardwall with ADRL Pro Extreme driver Jason Hamstra between qualifying rounds at the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI, where he discusses racing close to home with the ADRL’s Josh Hachat.

Check it out here.

June 11, 2010

Stoken Tops the Field on Friday Qualifying

When the nitrous plumes eventually cleared from Friday qualifying in Pro Nitrous, it was Pat Stoken at the top of the field.  Stoken’s ‘68 Camaro clocked a 3.91-second elapsed time under the lights with beautiful blue flames exiting the headers.  Stoken was followed closely by Khalid Al-Balooshi.  Al-Balooshi posted a 3.92 second elapsed time in his Al-Anabi Camaro.  Charles Carpented rounded out the top three with a 3.95-second pass.  

June 11, 2010

White Goes to the Top Spot

Gary White and his Titan Motorsports six-cylinder powered Scion stormed away from the Extreme 10.5 field in the second qualifying round on Friday evening.  White put a 3.95-second pass to capture the top spot.  Another turbocharged entry driven by Todd Moyer qualified second, almost a tenth behind White with a 4.04-second elapsed time.

June 11, 2010

Schweigert On Top in PXM

Terry Schweigert held off a strong charge from Kim Morrell (pictured) in the second round of Pro Extreme Motorcycle. 

He remained in the top qualifying spot through two rounds at Friday’s ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VI at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI.

The third and final round of qualifying takes place Saturday morning.

Schweigert had a strong run to open the day, running 4.21, which was just good enough to stave off the ever-improving Morrell, who ran a 4.21 in the second round early Friday evening. Her impressive second run was one one-thousandth of a second behind Shweigert.

Points leader Ashley Owens is currently qualified third, though he didn’t make a second pass after suffering through engine difficulties at the starting line.