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We are here at Virginia Motorsports Park for the third event of 2010 for the ADRL Speedtech US Drags III. Round one qualifying begins at 11 AM today with subsequent sessions at 2 PM and 5 PM. Also some big news including a new sponsor debut with Fightme.com for Joshua Hernandez.
Special thanks to our event coverage sponsor Mickey Thompson Tires for allowing us to bring you latest race updates on site from around the country.
“Dave Wood, Tommy Lipur and myself were able to grow the ADRL from a non existent company five years ago to arguably one of the top one or two drag racing series in the world by using a creative business model and hiring great people. Introducing Fightme MMA this weekend we feel with the ADRL there is no better place to brand our new company.” – Kenny Knowling, President ADRL Take a look at the first shots af the fresh sponsor wrap on Joshua Hernandez Pro Extreme entry. The idea for the new mixed martial league was conceived in September of 2009 after Michael Knowling had started selling “fight me” T shirts out of his gym in Ft Meyers, Florida and local fights around the state. The first event is at St Charles Family Arena in St. Charles Missouri on July 17th.
I spoke with Scotty Filkins this morning regarding Ellis Vial's new ride. He is providing crew chief duties for the Pro Extreme car which was finished up by K&K Race Cars. The Glauster, Virginia based team runs a Brad Anderson engine assembles by Ellis and the crew chief from Bubba Stanton. They have not been down the track at this point with the new piece. It features extensive lightweight parts including titanium firewall, tunnel and body mounts.
Universal Tecnical Institute is a new sponsor to the ADRL for 2010. Randy Whitman is here for them this weekend and is the Houston, Regional Admissions Director and also is driving a car here this weekend. UTI is the largest provider of technical training in the country for transportation and motorsports industry.
A new car on the lot for Terry Leggitt. The new Mustang was finished just last week from Tommy Mauney and also has not seen any track time yet. It uses the same engine as the prior car, a Brad Anderson HEMI.
After sitting out the Hardees Drags at SGMP last month Billy Glidden is back at it here in Virginia. No changes to speak of from the Glidden pits.
People are allready lined on the fence to get a close look at round one qualifying action.
Bob Bertsch came out loaded for bear and laid down a stellar 4.06 @ 177 for an Extreme Pro Stock track record early in the session.
Lester Cooper drives the Lumbee Nation Extreme Pro Stock Mustang. The former IHRA car is now campaigned here at ADRL and Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association events and hail from Laurinburg, North Carolina
Extreme pro Stock had some very nice run i the first session with Bob Bertsch leading the way with a record seting 4.06 @ 177 followed by Elijah Morton's Jacksonville, NC based 07 Mustang.
Extreme 10.5 Q1 Notes
Gary White was one of the cars to run early in the Extreme 10.5 session. I think the 4 flat @ 186 MPH blast he laid down was a shock to everyone in attendance. The next quickest car in the field was Michael Neal's blown Chevy II with a 4.15 @ 184.
Kenny Doak put up a 4.164 @ 184.8 for third qualifier and second best MPH in my favorite Chevelle around, just .003 better than Jeff Naiser. It was far from a straight pass but I think they will take it.
Dave hance was next to Michael Neal but shook the tires and was forced to lift after getting out of the groove. Billy Glidden seemed bog a big right after the launch but the car recovered quickly and went on to a 4.18 and the number four spot.
Pro Nitrous Q 1 Notes
Shannon Jenkins had more than enough to be the top car in Pro Nitrous, his 3.90 @ 194 was a solid .04 ahead of Greg Godwin who currently sits second.
Randy Weatherford sits in third right now but he was the first into the threes in today's first qualifying session.
Rickie Smith and Jim Halsey have the distinction of being the first three second paring today. Both running 3.98 with Halsey being just a tick quicker
Pro Extreme Q1 Notes
Andrew and Dina Parise were the first pair out in Pro Extreme with Andrew getting the better run of the husband and wife team with a3.96 @ 187 that put him in ninth. Dina is eleventh at this time.
Eliis Vial made the field on his first hit with the new car running a 4.33 @ 166, just good enough for the bump spot.
Sheikh Khalid Al-Thani laid a nice soft 3.90 @ 198 down and was the first Pro Extreme car into the threes. It was low ET but could not hold on. He is fourth right now. Brian Daniels matched his ET but was down on MPH so is just behind in fifth
Joshua Hernandez ran a late in the session and at that time KH had low ET. Hernandez ripped off a 3.69 @ 206 to take the lead and make a statement. Frankie Taylor ran soon after and landed second.
Round Two Qualifying Notes
In the Extreme Pro Stock qualifying second session there was a few changes to the order. The biggest news is that after being light by a few pounds in the first session Cary Goforth came back and made low ET for the round moving up to sixth behind team mate and father Dean Goforth with a 4.10 @ 175 for sixth. Berner and Dobbins improved to tenth and eleventh respectively and bumping Richard Penland to twelvth. Brian Gahm made it up to fourteenth in the Summit Racing sponsored 07 Mustang. Cale Aronson sits on the bump.
Extreme 10.5 Q2
Jeff Naiser moved up to second from fourth position after running a 4.141 @179
Sandy Wilkins also moved up to eighth from twelfth with a 4.39. Joe Schroeder made it in from outside and all the way to tenth with a 4.43. Texan Todd Moyer also made it into the field with a 4.44 @ 164.
David Hance is here this weekend with a new engine combo bue is not currently qualified. He did not make a pass in the second session. Another racer outside the field is Chuck Ulsch who has been unable to get a hold of the track after two tries.
Pro Nitrous
Shannon Jenkins still has the top spot on Pro Nitrous with his earlier 3.90 but behind him there has been some movement with Burton Auxier putting up a 3.94 to take second. John Decerbo gets his first threee second pass, however he fell three spots to tenth.
Dan Stevenson was able to improve two spots from the bump to fourteenth with a nice 4.04 @ 183. Pat Stoken put up a 4 flatt to land eleventh spot.
Pro Extreme
Jason Scruggs had a wild ride on his second run today using up about 700 feet of track on a 3.80 @ 202 MPH blast to put him all the way up to fourth qualifier.
Hernandez was unable to improve his performance. Gaylen Smith improved to a 3.81 @ 210 jumping two spots to fifth. Mick Snyder put his 63 Vette into the threes in his second ever ADRL pass, he is now eighth.
Wes Johnston jumped up from twenty-third to third with a 3.77 @201. Hamstra was paired with him but got loose was forced to lift.
Frankie "Mad Man" Taylor made a killer run to the top of the field with a stellar 3.65 @ 205 to knock Hernandez down to second qualifier. If he can back this up it's a record. Ellis Vial lost the blower balt around 330' feet out and still ran a 3.92 putting him in eleventh position. They are looking for .80's next round
Round Three Qualifying Notes
Extreme Pro Stock had some interesting news at Jeff Dobbins put the 2008 Chevy Cobalt "Black Widow" from eleventh right up to third with a 4.08 @ 176. Pete Berner jumped up from tenth to eighth and John Pluchino ran a 4.14 knocking Cale Aronson out.
Extreme 10.5
Dave Hance made the field on his third try running a 4.17 @ 186 putting him in sixth spot. Oh and didI mention the Hemi is back inthe car ? Looks like they are getting a handle on it now thanks to Don Bailey. Chuck Ulsch was also able to make it in with a 4.19 @ 146 clicking it early. Now it's Todd Moyer on the bump.
Pro Nitrous
There was lots of movement in the Pro Nitrous ranks in the third session with several racers improving their ET's. Jenkins and Auxier still are on top but now with a 3.87 and 3.89 respectively. Castellana jumped to third with a 3.89 @ 191.
Isaias Rojas is running well this weekend. The San Juan Puerto Rico racer laid down a nice 3.94 @ 190 improving his position to seventh.
Pro Extreme
The big news of the night is all about Pro Extreme with now one, not two, , not even three, but five cars in the 3.6 zone and Frankie "Mad Man" Taylor setting low ET with a 3.607 @ 208, more than enough to back up the previous 3.651 as the new class record.
KH also ran below the record on his last run of the day with a 3.649 @ 210. Just behind him is former record holder Jason Scruggs with a 3.66 @ 208.
Todd Tutterow ran a new personal best ET and MPH with a 4.70 @ 206 which earned him one spot up on the sheet to sixth and in front of Gaylen Smith. Zack Barklage managed to get in with a 3.83 @ 196.
Andrew Parise managed a 3.93 and sits on the bump. Bubba Stanton came from out of nowhere and landed in tenth spot with a 3.83 @ 205 just ahead of Barklege.
