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The ADRL Returns to Heartland Park Topeka for the ADRL National Guard Independence Drags. KH Al-Thani returns to competition this weekend to defend his Independence Drags event title in the Pro Extreme category. This weekend should continue to provide the great action we’ve come to expect from the ADRL. Stay tuned to DragZine all weekend for the coverage!
Special thanks to our event coverage sponsor Mickey Thompson. You can check our their fine line of wheels and tires at www.mickeythompsontires.com
Click the drop down at the top for notes from Thursday!
Friday Morning Pit Notes
Suggs Jr. brought out his fan favorite Timberland Racing '41 Willys. The ride has been painted inside and out with "No Guts No Glory" painted on the dash. We will have photos posted of this beautiful ride once it hits the track shortly in PX for round one qualifying.
The Midwest is well represented, with this Plymouth Cuda, built by Larry Jeffers, making its ADRL debut with Jon Stouffer behind the wheel. Stouffer has recruited help from the Barklage Racing crew including brothers and former ADRL competitors Zach and Cody Barklage.
Josh Hernandez will be making making his competition debut of the B1 C5 Corvette. The car is already making waves with the "Funny Car" styled spill plates that direct airflow over the spoil and will add stability to the car down track. The car will hit the track shortly in Q1.
Dan Saitz will be hitting the track for the first time this season in his Hyperformance Motorsports Ford Probe. Under the hood the Probe is a 108 mm turbo providing the air for a 400 cubic inch small block Ford. Saitz will be hitting the track in the Extreme 10.5 class and is no longer campaigning his '08 Ford Mustang that he has run in the ADRL PX category.
Qualifying Round 1 Notes
Cary Gofroth is currently sitting atop the Extreme Pro Stock field after Q1 with a 4.15 second-run at 172 mph. The Holdenfield, OK., resident leads Pete Berner's '09 Pontiac GXP who posted a 4.16 second lap at 171 mph. Also in the field is nearby resident, David Schorr, who is currently qualified 14th in his Ford Escort.
Larry Jeffer's made his ADRL debut as a driver. The respected chassis builder struggled on his first pass of the weekend and had to abort his effort.
Mahana Al-Naemi grabbed the top spot in the Pro Nitrous field in his Al-Anabi sponsored '69 Camaro with a 3.87 second effort. Al-Naemi's teammate, Burton Auxier is second with a 3.89 and Jeff Naiser rounds out the top 3 with a 3.94 second effort.
KH Al-Thani posted the top time in the first round of Pro Extreme qualifying. Al-Thani posted a 3.75 second lap with Alex Hossler in the other lane. Hossler went to the fifth spot with a 3.79. Todd Tutterow posted a 3.76 second lap at 201 and Frankie Taylors 3.77 second pass rounded out the top 3.
Josh Hernandez puts his Corvette into the field on it's first trip down the track in competition. The Texas resident posted a 3.82 second-lap for his maiden trip down the track in the Murf McKinney creation..
Qualifying Round 1 Sheets
Qualifying order of Round 1 of the Pro Extreme Category
Pro Nitrous qualifying, round 1.
Qualifying round 1 of Extreme 10.5
Pro Extreme Motorcycle round one results.
Extreme Pro Stock qualifying results from round 1.
Qualifying Round 2
Al Suggs Jr.'s second round qualifying effort did not go as planned with a bang at the top end of the track followed by some smoke. The effort will not be enough to get Suggs into the show. Suggs will be behind the 8 ball as he passed on the first qualifier.
The run started fine enough for Suggs, who slowed at the top end with a little smoke. The crew is working feverishly to repair a reported burned piston.
John Stanley's run looked good early on.
However, with a small puff of smoke and the motor silent, Stanley slowed to just 156 mph.
The missing valve in this photo of John Stanley's power plant was found on the opposite side of the motor. The entire crew is working to get it put back together for third round qualifying.
John Montecalvo moved up the qualifying ladder in the third and final qualifying round to be contested on Friday. Montecalvo's 4.159 would not be enough to take Cary Goforths 4.152 off of the top spot.
Montecalvo stepped up later in the session with 4.159 that put him even with Montecalvo, but Berner's 172.63 to the 172.52 would give him the second qualifying position going into the final round, held on Saturday morning.
The Joey Martin piloted "Lomad" faced heart break in the third round of qualifying as he would be pushed off of the track. The conditions for this round of qualifying are likely to be the best of any for the Pro Extreme cars and this may play into the final qualifying position of Joey Martin.
Von Smith Struggled in the third qualifying round. After making a strong launch, Smith's '58 Camaro darted to the right and nearly crossed the centerline. Smith lifted out of the throttle and kept the car out of trouble. Following Smith, both Alex Hossler and Josh Hernandez each struggled getting down the track. It appears that with the better conditions, teams are trying to step a little harder on their cars and probably getting just a bit too aggressive.
Gaylen Smith took the top spot away from KH Al-Thani in the third qualifying session with a 3.687. Frankie Taylor matched the time, but as is the case in Pro Stock the position was decided by speed and by a few tenths of a second, Gaylen Smith remained on top.
Mahana Al-Naemi reset the track record for Pro Nitrous with a 3.84 second run at 195 mph. Al-Naemi praised crew chief, Shannon Jenkins, for the cars performance.
