The soap opera that has been outlaw doorslammer racing in 2013 has taken perhaps it’s messiest twist yet over the course of the last three days, as public attention has been brought to the ADRL’s failure to fulfill its payout policy for the $500,000 Battle for the Belts held at the Rockingham Dragway in September.

After the competing X-DRL organizations’ payout debacle earlier in the year, the ADRL’s Kenny Nowling recommitted to his racers that all payouts would be issued within a specific window following each event. However, word began to spread regarding in recent weeks regarding the Belts purses, and on Wednesday Nowling issued the following statement on the ADRL Facebook page: 

“I think by now most everyone that follows the ADRL is aware that a significant issue has arisen regarding the payout of the 2013 ADRL Battle for the Belts. I want to be clear before proceeding that I take full responsibility for the current situation that is facing us. I also want to assure everyone who participated in the 2013 Battle for the Belts that they will receive one hundred percent of what they are owed.

“I have been involved in promoting drag racing since 2002 and prior to Friday, September 6, 2013, had never advertised or held a race that I did not have the monies to cover. During those twelve years I have raised and paid out several million dollars to racers. As proud as I am of that, I am equally ashamed of what transpired on September 6. Regardless of what promises were made by our sponsor leading up to September 6, I should have cancelled the event. I spoke with our sponsor at the event on that day and was given instructions to not cancel the event and was repeatedly assured that we would receive one hundred percent of the prize monies immediately. Holding that event was simply the biggest mistake of my career.

“The second biggest mistake was made on September 27. On that date we were partially paid and we subsequently paid some of the Battle for the Belts competitors. The fact is no one should have been paid until everyone could be paid. It is important to note that I was told that the remaining money would be paid soon thereafter and, based on what we had received, was confident that was indeed the case. Regardless, I should have waited and for that I am sorry.

“I want to publicly apologize to every ADRL racer, team owner, crewmember, sponsor, track partner and fan who has suffered as a result of my grievous lack of judgment. Talk is cheap as they say and all I can do at this point is make things right. With the exception of the remaining Battle for the Belts payout, all remaining 2013 prize monies will be paid prior to the beginning of 2013 PRI show on December 11. As for the remaining Battle for the Belts payout, we are working diligently to secure the funds and have made significant progress in the last several days. Once the full remaining amount is procured, we will issue payment to everyone who is still owed immediately. Anyone who is currently owed for the 2013 Battle for the Belts can contact me directly via email at [email protected] or by calling 855-660-2375 to keep updated on our progress. Thank you for your continued support and Happy Thanksgiving.”

The following evening, as the world was sitting down to enjoy it’s Thanksgiving feast, Al-Anabi Racing CEO Donald Greenbaum countered with a statement of his own in response, setting the drag racing community abuzz with controversy.

“On November 27th, 2013, American Drag Racing League (ADRL) president Kenny Nowling issued an open letter to the public stating that he had only been partially paid by the sponsor of the Battle For the Belts.

“In September 2013, $380,000 was wired to Mr. Nowling to pay the ADRL Battle For the Belts purse to non Al‐Anabi owned race teams. The Al‐Anabi Racing teams were paid directly by Al‐Anabi Racing the sum they were owed by the ADRL. The total of these two payments amounted to $500,000.

“Earlier in 2013, the ADRL received from Al‐Anabi other payments totaling $280,000 to support the ADRL championship purse and the newly announced Pro Drag Radial class.

“No one has supported the ADRL and doorslammer drag racing more than Al‐Anabi Racing and it is outrageous for Mr. Nowling to blame others for his failure to distribute his sponsor’s money after he received it.

“We would rather not be involved in a public discussion of the matter, but the events of this week leavnze us no choice. We now leave it up to Mr. Nowling to show the racing community how the distribution of the $380,000 he received in September was handled. Only he has the canceled checks.”

Nowling quickly took to the internet to deny these claims and vowing a response:

“The ADRL will be issuing a follow up response to Mr. Greenbaum’s BULLSHIT in the coming days! I have done EVERYTHING to stay professional regarding Al-Anabi over the past THREE YEARS and will NOT keep quiet any longer! There is only one way to handle a bully, HIT THEM IN THE MOUTH! I have a responsibility to EVERY RACER, TEAM OWNER, SPONSOR and FAN who has ever supported the ADRL to TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH SO HELP ME GOD! I have every communication, text message and witnesses to SEVERAL conversations that will prove to the world that Mr. Greenbaum and the people he represents are liars! The ADRL and my family are NOT the only people who have been lied to. Hopefully some of them will locate their guts like I have today and come forward! Either way I will fight to protect the ADRL and my family until the day I die!”

It’s quite unfortunate that it’s come to this, particularly in a year of so many struggles for the doorslammer community, and worse, that it’s all being aired in a public forum to further give the popular series a black eye. Time will tell, but regardless of who’s ultimately right and who’s wrong here, this situation could have serious repercussions for the ADRL moving forward and outlaw doorslammer racing in general.

As the saying goes, there’s three sides to every story: that of each involved party, and the truth. Grab your popcorn!