Drag racing has a way of separating the wheat from the chaffe, which is why this news outlet spoke little publicly about the off-season turmoil swirling around the ADRL.

It was our belief as a staff, the first race in Houston would tell the story without having to offer our opinion.

The results are in – the ADRL is moving forward in a strong and healthy manner.

We couldn’t make the same statement in December. No one really could either considering the ADRL’s cone of silence eminating from the management level.

After two very successful events, Houston and Palm Beach, those who reserved judgement made the right decision.

Drag racing has a way of separating the wheat from the chaffe, which is why this news outlet spoke little publicly about the off-season turmoil swirling around the ADRL.

It was our belief as a staff, the first race in Houston would tell the story without having to offer our opinion.

The results are in – the ADRL is moving forward in a strong and healthy manner.

We couldn’t make the same statement in December. No one really could either considering the ADRL’s cone of silence eminating from the management level.

After two very successful events, Houston and Palm Beach, those who reserved judgement made the right decision.

Even though the ADRL’s Dragpalooza event at Royal Purple Dragway wasn’t so crowded people were falling out of the stands and traffic wasn't backed up for miles, what needed to happen, for this new group, happened. The race needed to run and it needed to run smoothly; which it did.

The ADRL season-opener in Houston, while deemed a crossroads for the ADRL’s management, might very well be the start of the “next” level which had eluded the doorslammer association in the formative years.

We believe drag racing needs the ADRL to continue, if only to keep the NHRA on a somewhat routine path of looking over their shoulders. Jeff Fortune’s group could do just that and while founding president Kenny Nowling succeeded, forcing “big brother” i.e. the NHRA to remain aware, it came at a huge cost and with great criticism.

Make no bones about, Nowling had a great idea with the ADRL but his plan wasn’t the first. He was just the one with the wherewithall and link to deep pockets to bring eighth-mile professional racing to fruition.

We were there at the first Dragstock in Jackson, SC., a pseudo ADRL event, and no one could have had an inkling what this doorslammer gathering would grow into over the years.

For the first six years of its existence, the ADRL remarkably survived by a “flying by the seat of your pants” management style. As time passed, it became apparent a more stable form of leadership was needed.

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Nowling's strong measure of charisma in the early going was needed to make the ADRL a serious player in the drag racing marketplace. And, if he could have channeled his ego into the betterment of the series instead of a bid to be the king of drag racing, he’d be a player in this “next level”; sadly he is not.

We will always hear the innuendos and rumors surrounding the change of leadership and if the new management group has its druthers, it will remain that way. To them, it’s just not good business to dwell on the past.

With Fortune the ADRL has a calmer form of leadership, one which knows when to shout and when to remain silent. Fortune is not a drag racer and to our best knowledge before becoming involved in drag racing as a television production executive, wasn’t even a fan of the straight line sport.

As Fortune said in an earlier interview with CompetitionPlus.com, all he needed was to see the first pair of cars make it down the track. And once that happened, Fortune’s team jumped into action.

Fortune's style is the exact opposite of Nowling’s. While Nowling went about yelling and screaming, reminding fans and employees time and again about the ADRL, Fortune is more laid back, willing to let the action on the pits and track do the talking.

Under Fortune's leadership, the ADRL, which represents the closest challenger to the NHRA, will spend the next few years letting the action speak louder than their words.   
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