Rumor Mill: The ADRL For Sale? Kenny Nowling The Buyer?

Dragzine learned last week from a reliable source that Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, the majority owner of the American Drag Racing League, had placed his stake in the popular heads-up doorslammer drag racing series up for sale to the highest bidder. Because rumors involving Al Thani and his Al-Anabi Racing team and the proverbial falling of the sky have been a weekly occurrence in recent seasons, we opted to just let this one play out, but reports from fellow media sources and several internet discussions have put some traction to this one, making it more likely that some part of the story is factual.

Al Thani has been the majority stakeholder of the ADRL since 2010 when series co-founder and former President Kenny Nowling was ousted from his perch. Al Thani placed renowned chassis builder Tim McAmis and Jeff Fortune in the roles of President and Vice President of the series, respectively. It’s Nowling, mostly silent from the drag racing scene for the last two years, however, that makes this story interesting.

Nowling, the accomplished and often controversial doorslammer and mixed martial arts promoter, recently resurfaced as an unnamed partner in a new racing venture with former VP of Competition Bubba Corzine that would host its first race next March and compete head-to-head with their former employer. But it’s Nowling who is now the rumored — and according to some internet posters, confirmed — buyer of the very series he created. This story is, as far as we’re concerned, unconfirmed and still very much a rumor — we repeat: a rumor — but it would indeed make plausible sense given the circumstances.

If you want to learn more about the new series that Nowling and Corzine are behind, check out the latest Wolf’s Word — and check it out soon, because every word of it may or may not be irrelevant in the next few weeks.