Days after earning the ADRL’s Pro Extreme championship, Yadkinville, NC-based doorslammer legend Todd Tutterow still finds it difficult to find words descriptive of his greatest racing accomplishment.

“It does seem odd to be able to say that,” Tutterow admitted.

No world championship trophy on his shelf before the weekend, Tutterow has proven over the years to be anything but a newcomer. He built his legend racing on tracks, mostly eighth-mile in length, that many seasoned veterans would shy away from.

Days after earning the ADRL’s Pro Extreme championship, Yadkinville, NC-based doorslammer legend Todd Tutterow still finds it difficult to find words descriptive of his greatest racing accomplishment.

“It does seem odd to be able to say that,” Tutterow admitted.

No world championship trophy on his shelf before the weekend, Tutterow has proven over the years to be anything but a newcomer. He built his legend racing on tracks, mostly eighth-mile in length, that many seasoned veterans would shy away from.

And, for Tutterow, winning those events was every bit as prestigious in his mind, as winning Saturday’s Pro Extreme Speedtech Battle for the Belts title. Winning is winning has been Tutterow’s mantra over the years.

He’s never been one to follow a national series for a full schedule, so when the ADRL series made it possible for a team to contend for a championship without full participation being a necessity, Tutterow decided to make the most of each opportunity.

He knew that if he could earn a berth amongst the top eight point earners that he could effectively turn up the wick when the championship battle came into focus.

“We never planned on running all of the races from the time we started the season,” Tutterow said.

Tutterow’s plan didn’t include a pursuit of a No. 1 seeding but it did include a plan to stay ahead of the No. 7 seed to avoid a potential four-round day during the Battle for the Belts competition. The ADRL’s ladder for the championship bracket paired the seventh and eighth seeded competitors and the winner was inserted into the first round.

While some drag racing purists trivialize a championship won in a one-day playoff format, Tutterow believes this is the perfect format for the ADRL and works well for his limited racing budget.

“It works perfect for us because you don’t have to run every race,” Tutterow said. “It’s a pretty neat deal the way they do that and you get to start the new season. We’re not a high dollar team by any means and we count every nickel and dime.

“Where else can you race for $50,000 against the very best door cars and drivers in the world? What the ADRL has created here is something really special and something I feel truly honored to win.”

There was nothing easy about Tutterow’s run for the title as he defeated three past champions, stopping multi-time IHRA Pro Modified champion Mike Janis, then two-time ADRL Pro Extreme champion Jason Scruggs and then two-time NHRA Pro Modified champion Josh Hernandez.

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