CompetitionPlus.com presented by Attitude Apparel provides quick hit coverage of the ADRL Dragpalooza hosted by Royal Purple Raceway outside of Houston. Follow along for news and notes from the event.

 

PRO EXTREME

FIRST ROUND

SNEAKING UP – With runs of 3.71 and 3.72 in consecutive qualifying sessions, Jason Hamstra definitely appeared to be a driver on the move. Hamstra eliminated Alex Hossler in the first round with his best run of the weekend, a 3.701, 208.91.

MY COUNTRY’S SHOEBOX CAN BEAT YOURS -Their battle was more than just a battle of 1957 Chevrolets. JR Todd, representing Qatar and Al-Anabi Racing, faced off with Josh Hernandez, representing Bahrain and its B-1 Racing team. Todd scored the victory with a 3.794, 202.06 as Hernandez’s classic Chevrolet experienced mechanical issues and coasted through the lights.

THE BADDEST CAR OF THE ROUND – Todd Martin’s beautiful Studebaker couldn’t roll to the starting line for its first round match and even if it had, the result would have likely been the same. In the opposite lane was No. 1 qualifier Khalid Al-Thani and he soloed for both the win and low elapsed time with a 3.668, 210.97. His 60-foot was a conservative .958.

REMATCH – When Barwa Racing teammates Von Smith and Todd Tutterow lined up against each other in round one it was a rematch of the Arabian Drag Racing League Battle for the Belts final a few weeks earlier in Doha, Qatar. Smith won that one to back up his 2010 NHRA Pro Mod championship with the Arabian title,  but Tutterow took the win in Texas, going 3.71, 207.08 while Smith faltered to an 8-second pass.

VALVE JOB – Bubba Stanton won his first-round match against Gaylen Smith, but just as he crossed the finish line with a 3.77, 201.73 pass, his ’63 Vette blew a big puff of smoke from its engine. Stanton later said he thought the motor dropped a valve and his team would have to scramble to be ready for a second-round pairing with Mick Snyder.


QUARTER-FINALS

LOWMAD GOES LOW - Joey Martin and the ’55 Chevy “Lowmad” he built in his Milton, FL, shop set low ET of the meet so far with a stellar 3.667, 206.64 pass to beat JR Todd’s 3.784, 204.57.

FORTUNATE WIN - Sheikh Khalid Al-Thani double-steps the launch and goes .077 red, handing the win to 2009 ADRL Rookie of the Year Jason Hamstra, who doesn’t even make it to the 60-foot marker under power.  

LEAVING EARLY PAYS OFF - Fresh from advancing to the XTF semis, Frankie Taylor runs 3.670, 207.27, but loses to Todd Tutterow’s big .071 holeshot off the start that allows his 3.691, 206.92 combo to prevail.

YOUTH BEATS EXPERIENCE - Former class champ (2006) Bubba Stanton makes it back after suffering engine woes in the opening round and runs a solid 3.814, 196.07, but 2010 ADRL Rookie of the Year Mick Snyder goes a little quicker and advances with a 3.736, 205.47.


SEMI-FINALS

ROOKIE RUMBLE - The last two ADRL Rookie of the Year drivers faced off to determine which will go to the PX final in Baytown. In the end experience mattered the most, Jason Hamstra won the battle for Demotte, Ind., bragging rights against friend and fellow Hoosier Mick Snyder.

Snyder was first off of the line but Hamstra’s Duster was superior at the stripe with his best run of the weekend with a 3.675, 209.62 to Snyder's 3.708, 206.10.

BETTER ADRL SHOWING – Todd Tutterow had a less than spectacular Arabian Drag Racing Series showing. His American Drag Racing Series effort appears to be on better footing.

Tutterow got the best of Joey Martin with a 3.689, 207.50. Martin fell from the pace with a 3.839.

FINAL

HAMSTRA WINS - Consistency was king with Jason Hamstra on race day.

Hamstra scored victory early in his final round match with Tutterow when the past series champion went .012 red and wasted a 3.693.

Hamstra scored his third career ADRL victory with a 3.687, 209.82 pass.

 

PRO NITROUS

FIRST ROUND

TOP DOG – Jim Halsey continued to be the man to beat as eliminations opened. Halsey ran a 3.857, 196.36 to score low elapsed time of the round and defeat Dan Stevenson. Halsey's run to the 60-foot mark, a .966, was also the quickest of the round.

WELCOME TO PRO NITROUS – Jeff Naiser made the transition from Extreme Ten Five racing an impressive one this weekend, at one time grabbing the provisional pole position. Qualifying is one story and eliminations are another. John DeCerbo sent the Pro Nitrous newbie packing in the first round with a 3.926, 189.23.

WELCOME TO PRO NITROUS, PT. 2 – Rickie Jones made a strong run earlier in the season when he finished runner-up to Shannon Jenkins at the Shakedown at PBIR in February. Officially, the second-generation Pro Stock driver scored his first career Pro Nitrous round win with a 3.914 at 194.07.

STOKEN’S BEST – Pat Stoken qualified sixth quickest with a 3.871, 197.02 in his Gene Fulton-powered Camaro. The Eureka, Mont.-based Stoken saved his best run of the weekend with a 3.865, 196.67 to beat Lee Adkins.

EMOTIONALLY WONDERFUL WEEKEND CONTINUES – Mike Castellana, diagnosed with cancer last year, continued his birthday/return weekend with a strong winning effort in his first round against Robert Rahaim. Castellana’s Reher-Morrison-powered Camaro thundered to a winning 3.888, 195.28.

THE TOP RUNNER – Past ADRL Pro Nitrous champion Khalid Al-Balooshi blistered the competition in the first round as he established low elapsed time with a 3.862, 197.97 to beat a quicker-reacting Robert Mathis.

CONTROLLING HIS DESTINY – Stan Allen became the first Pro Nitrous driver to win from the lower half of the field. He combined a .001 reaction and a 4.039, 188.07 package to beat Doug Reisterer, who shook the tires and lifted. Allen was the 14th qualifier.

THE PROTÉGÉ – Mahanah Al-Naemi, who is driving the Al Anabi Camaro in Shannon Jenkins place, scored his first career ADRL round win despite giving up a tenth on the starting line against Terry Housley. Naemi ran a 3.88 for the victory to defeat Housley, the 1986 IHRA Top Sportsman champion.


QUARTER-FINALS

NICE TRY, BUT NOT NICE ENOUGH - Rickie Jones leaves first and leads at half-track, but his solid 3.883, 195.14 is still not enough to hold off the 3.835, 196.24 by fellow rookie Mahana Al-Naemi, which set low ET for the class so far.

LEFT MEANS NOT RIGHT - Stan Allen and Pat Stoken left within .002 of each other, but Allen’s ’68 Camaro made an almost immediate move toward the left wall, while Stoken’s similar machine ran straight and true to a 3.861, 196.99 win in the right lane.

TEAMMATE TUSSLE – Khalid Al-Balooshi lowers the ET mark for the race to 3.830 at a class-leading 198.90 mph to beat Al-Anabi Racing teammate Mike Castellana, who ran a game 3.856 at 194.97 mph.

OOPS! - A .025 red-light start by John DeCerbo tosses a career-best 3.890 and hands the win to top qualifier Jim Halsey, who was there for the taking with an early-shutoff pass.

 
SEMI-FINALS

THE BATTLE OF THE HORSEPOWER BROKERS – Two of Pro Nitrous’s primary horsepower brokers squared off in a tag-team battle between their leading clients.

Pat Stoken, representing engine builder Gene Fulton, beat the new driver Mahanah Al-Naemi.

Khalid Al-Balooshi, running David Reher’s Reher-Morrison engines, eliminated No. 1 qualifier Jim Halsey.

RECORDS SET – Balooshi’s winning effort sent a clear message. The past ADRL Pro Nitrous series champion nailed both ends of the class record with a 3.805 elapsed time at 199.35 miles per hour.

FINAL

AL-BALOOSHI WINS - Before Khalid Al-Balooshi rolled through the gates with his Speedtech-sponsored team, his group had already won four of seven events in Arabian Drag Racing League competition including the prestigious Battle for the Belts competition. Not to be lost in the shuffle of success, Al-Balooshi won the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod season opener in Gainesville, Fla. 

Tonight he added his second career ADRL national event victory by defeating Stoken by an 3.816 to 3.872 margin.




EXTREME 10.5

FIRST ROUND

SHORT FIELD – Due to only 10 entries for the Extreme 10.5 class at Baytown, ADRL officials decided this morning on an eight-car field for eliminations.

GOOD LUCK! – Michelle Wilson would need plenty of luck to beat top qualifier Dan Millen and she got it when Millen left .106 too early, negating his 3.893, 197.25 and allowing the lady to advance with a 7-second run at just 67 mph, though her Camaro looked like it may have suffered some engine damage.

GLIDDEN GETS IT DONE - Past XTF champ Billy Glidden takes on “Turbo Todd” Moyer and wins with a 4.101, 177.63 to Moyer’s 4.237, 181.47 in a brand-new, twin-turboed ‘63 Vette. Glidden pre-staged first and as soon as Moyer lit his first bulb, the nitrous-boosted Glidden staged, giving Moyer little time to spool up the hair dryers.

OLDIE BUT A GOODIE - A pair of turbocharged, big-block GM products, the Chevy Cavalier of Lamar Swindell Jr. driving for Moyer in the car Moyer raced last year, takes on the ’68 Pontiac Firebird of Jimmy Blackmon, with Swindell moving on after a 4.062, 201.58 pass while Blackmon lost traction early and had to lift.

CORVETTE FEVER – The turbocharged ’63 Corvette of Eric Stubbs goes up against the supercharged ’05 version of Frankie Taylor’s. Stubbs leaves with a huge wheelstand, but doesn’t lift on a 4.257, 196.42 pass, but it’s not enough to beat the 3.942, 200.56 by Taylor.


SEMI-FINALS

GLIDDEN’S SUCCESS CONTINUES – The winningest driver in XTF history used a quicker reaction time and elapsed time to get the best of Michelle Wilson. Glidden advanced to the finals on the strength of a 4.047.

HOMETOWN FINALIST - On the other side of the ladder, hometown favorite Lamar Swindell Jr. drove the Todd Moyer Cavalier past a dominating Frankie Taylor with a 4.000, 203.28.

FINAL

BEGINNERS LUCK? NOT HARDLY - As impressive as Billy Glidden was in winning previous round, his nitrous car was simply no match for the turbocharged Cavalier driven by Lamar Swindell Jr.

Swindell was quicker at both ends of the track, leaving the starting line first and scoring the victory with a 4.030, 201.37. This was his first career ADRL victory in his driving debut on the series.


 

PRO EXTREME MOTORCYCLE

FIRST ROUND

STILL HOT – Ashley Owens sat out the final qualifying session and the break didn’t adversely affect him during his first match against Blaine Hale. As Hale sat on the line, Owens, the No. 1 qualifier sped away with a 4.186, 175.94.

WIRE TO WIRE – One of the closest races in the history of Pro Extreme Motorcycle was decided by the infra-red beams. Broderick Jackson beat Shane Eperjesi by .007 in a race which appeared deadlocked at the stripe.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS – The higher qualified bikes won in all of the races except Shane Eperjesi. The low elapsed time was scored by defending series champion Kim Morrell with a 4.117.


QUARTER-FINALS

THE CHAMP ADVANCES - Nathan Murray made another consistent pass, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with PXM champ Kim Morrell’s winning 4.130, 172.85 run.

NOT FOR PROPHIT - Eric McKinney makes his fastest, but not quickest, run of the weekend in a 4.169, 175.14 win over Charlie Prophit.

LEAVING ON TIME - Riding for TT Jones this weekend, Carlos Wilkerson earned a win courtesy of a .006 reaction to Terry Schweigert’s .086, leading to a 4.176, 166.07 to beat a 4.14 by the Canadian.

POTENTIAL RECORD SETTER - In tough against number 1 qualifier Ashley Owens, Broderick Jackson really stood no chance as Owens equaled the PXM ET record at 4.028 and has the first half of a speed record at 180.26 mph. 178.46 178.21


SEMI-FINALS

THE STAGE IS SET – Last year’s Battle for the Belts outcome created a large buzz over the rightful champion when after winning nine consecutive events, Ashley Owens broke in the finals giving an on-fire Kim Morrell the championship.

Morrell won her match with Carlos Wilkerson by a .003 margin.

On the other side of the ladder, Owens backed up a new speed record with a 180.26 blast to beat Eric McKinney.


FINAL

SAME OLD SONG AND DANCE - After winning nine races and losing the only race to determine the championship IN 2010, recently annointed ADRL Driver of the Year Ashley Owens was taking no chances.

Owens scored a revenge victory over series champion Kim Morrell in the finals by running a 4.025 second pass at 180.04.


EXTREME PRO STOCK

FIRST ROUND

JUST LIKE OLD TIMES – Elijah Morton and Bert Jackson used to do battle in their old stomping grounds – the IHRA mountain motor Pro Stock division. The two opened the first race of the 2011 season and it didn’t disappoint as only inches separated the two at the stripe with Morton winning by a 4.152 to 4.166.

IN AS THE ALTERNATE – Doug Kirk got into the first round of competition as an alternate when Scott Hintz broke in qualifying. Kirk made quick work of qualifier Brad Waddle, whose Mustang doubles as a Southeastern Quick Eight racer.

UNDERDOGS RULE – On paper Steven Boone was outmatched against Brain Gahm. Boone, with only one victory to his credit in Pro Stock, grabbed .05 on the tree against a quicker qualified Gahm and never looked back en route to a 4.146. 174.05 to 4.20, 173.47, .05 victory. Boone’s only ADRL race win came last season in Valdosta, Ga.

THE CHAMP PREVAILS – John Montecalvo got his championship defense season off to a good start by stopping an upset-minded Larry O’Brien. O’Brien drilled Montecalvo on the starting line with a .005 reaction but his 4.44 was no match for Montecalvo’s 4.162, 175.72.  

WELCOME BACK KID – Richie Stevens, nicknamed the Kid back in 1997 as a rookie, continued his get reacquainted weekend with mountain motor Pro Stock. Stevens nailed down the low elapsed time of the first round with a 4.149, 175 elapsed time to beat teammate Cale Aronson.

DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO – Cary Goforth beat former Pro Modified racer Tony Pontieri with a  4.149, 175.73. His father, Dean Goforth, fouled away his chances against Richard Penland. Dean was the quicker qualified of the field.  

UPHOLDING THE STANDARD – Pete Berner had been the quickest XPS car for every qualifying session and didn’t let up in the first round with a 4.104, 176.88 to beat Bob Bertsch. Berner has yet to win an ADRL event in his career.  


QUARTER-FINALS

ROOK VS. CHAMP – Racing in his first XPS event, Richie Stevens Jr. faces off against reigning class champ John Montecalvo. Montecalvo takes a .027 advantage off the start and needs it, winning with a 4.137 to Stevens’ slightly quicker 4.134.

KIRK CONTINUES CINDERELLA STORY – Doug Kirk, in as an alternate, made it to the semis with a big holeshot win over Richard Penland, going 4.172 to beat Penland’s 4.148.

AIR SUPPLY - A couple of past race winners here, as Cary Goforth takes on Steven Boone and wins with a 4.114 to Boone’s 4.125. All the cars seem to be running a little quicker and faster than in the first round, suggesting the air is getting better for the naturally aspirated mountain-motored crowd.

BERNER BURNS ANOTHER - Top-qualifier Pete Berner ran low ET in round one and does it again here with a 4.095, 177.37 to win over Elijah Morton.


SEMI-FINALS

THE REMATCH –No. 1 seed Pete Berner matched up with John Montecalvo for a rematch of the 2010 Battle for the Belts competition. Last year’s event saw both drivers run identical ET’s with the difference made on the starting line.

Lightning struck twice for Berner, as once again Montecalvo used a quicker starting line advantage to win by a 4.077, 177.16 to 4.078, 177.49 margin.

AND THE CLOCK STRUCK MIDNIGHT – Cary Goforth has made only one bad run all weekend and in his semi-final match against the Cinderella story Doug Kirk, he was in the same lane. The clock struck midnight for Kirk as Goforth was quicker at both ends of the track with a 4.103, 176.74.


FINAL

NEW CREW, SAME DETERMINED ATTITUDE - Cary Goforth wouldn't be intimidated, nor would he fold under the pressure of racing series champion John Montecalvo in the Extreme Pro Stock final round. Not only did Goforth leave on Montecalvo in the final round but also recorded his best run of the event in winning.

Goforth ran a 4.074, 177.30 to fend off Montecalvo's quicker 4.065, 178.07.

This weekend's triumph was his fourth career ADRL victory.

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