Pro Extreme points leader Alex Hossler continued his dominance of the Arabian Drag Racing League’s quickest and fastest eliminator on Friday in round five of the six-race series, scoring his third victory in four final round appearances, carding low elapsed time and speed of the meet along the way. 

Hossler, who led qualifying with a stellar 3.539, downed a slowing Eric Dillard and his turbocharged entry in the opening stanza with another quick mid-3.50 lap — a 3.547 at 5.00 MPH — and set up a date with his Al-Anabi Racing teammate Von Smith. However, Tennessee native Smith lit the red bulb in the final, ending the race before the pair even reached the christmas tree. Hossler streaked to a 3.529 at a faster 215.79 MPH for the win, adding to his now nearly insurmountable points lead with just one event remaining.

In Pro Nitrous, the red-hot EKanoo Racing team, with 903 cubic inch of Pat Musi-prepared horsepower under the hood and noted tuner Shane Tecklenburg helping call the shots, notched their second straight victory in what has become the most hotly-contested category in the ADRL,  as driver Khalid Mohammed took a quick 3.73 to 3.77 victory over American driver Mike Castellana and the Al-Anabi team in the final round. 

Mohammed was the No. 1 qualifier in the seven-car field with his 3.718 at 201.43 MPH a day earlier and received an opening round competition single. He then met Al-Anabi team driver Khalid alBalooshi, fresh off his win in Top Fuel at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. just a week prior, combining a .005 reaction time with another stout 3.73 to advance to the final. Castellana, for his part, posted a winning 3.78 in the semifinals to dispose of Mahana Al Naemi to earn his trip to the money round.

Despite the loss, Castellana’s hopes for victory remained alive, as he charged from the No. 1 qualifying position in the legal Pro Modified eliminator to his fourth final in five races, setting up a chance for a double-up victory. Castellana, in his Al-Anabi 2012 Chevy Camaro, led the field into eliminations with a 3.806 at 196.30 MPH, just edging out teammate Von Smith, Bader Khoursheed, and Khalil Alansari, all of whom were in the 3.80’s.

Castellana ran 3.85 in his opening round win, then posted a 3.83 against a red-lighting Alansari in the semis. Khoursheed, his eventual final round opponent, matched him nearly blow-for-blow in eliminations, running 3.83 in round one and another 3.83 in the semis to defeat Smith. In the final, Khoursheed pulled the trigger too soon, turning on the red bulb and handing the win — his third of the season — to Castellana, who blasted to a 3.817 at 195.36 MPH to seal the victory.

Abdullash Al Soori drove his 1968 Camaro to victory in Outlaw 10.5, defeating Turki Al Humaidi on a holeshot, his .021 reaction time and 4.248 edging out Al Humaidi’s 4.200 paired with a later .087 light.

American Steve Jackson took the Super Street 8 Cylinder class honors, also on a holeshot, as final round opponent Jassim Al Muqahwi was dead-late with a .362 light, handing a vitally uncontested 4.42-second win to Jackson and his supercharged 1992 Ford Mustang.

Bahrain native Mohd Haji drove his 1992 Nissan GTR to the Super Street 6 Cylinder win, running 4.68s at 161.69 MPH to defeat Mohd Nawar Khaled and his 4.98.

Other winners included Syria’s Fadi Tamour (4.50 Index), Kuwaiti Jaber Al Maghrib (Dragster), Qatar’s own Mohd Al Darwish (Pro Bike) on his 2009 Suzuki, Mashari Al Turki (Super Street Bike) on his 2010 Suzuki, and Kuwait’s Misfer Al Misfer (Street Bike).

The Arabian Drag Racing League will close out its 2014 season later this week with the sixth and final round of the winter series on February 20th and 21st.

Photos courtesy Arabian Drag Racing League