The first day of qualifying, (three of four total qualifying sessions), is complete for the fifth event of the 2014 Arabian Drag Racing League series at Doha, Qatar. American Alex Hossler and crewchief Frank Manzo continued their sweep of qualifying honors in Pro Extreme Eliminator by wheeling Sheikh Khalid al Thani’s home country supercharged Al Anabi ‘68 Camaro to an amazing string of 3.566/214.25, 3.549/214.86 and 3.539/215.44 clockings in atmospheric conditions ranging from 906 feet to 461 feet above sea level. No other driver in the field is under 3.60 seconds or over 215 miles per hour.

Bahrain’s Khalid Abdul Mohammed drove his EKanoo-sponsored, Shane Tecklenburg-tuned, Pat Musi-powered '68 Camaro built by Jerry Bickel Race Cars to the pole in Pro Nitrous Eliminator with several runs close to his 3.707/202.88 World Record with a best of 3.718/201.43, (and a later 3.748/201.55), but Top Speed honors went to second qualifier Mahana al Naemi of Qatar whose 2013 Camaro ran back-to-back 3.763/201.61 and 3.764/200.53 passes. American Mike Castellana’s Al Anabi 2013 Camaro is third with a 3.767/199.37.

However, Castellana stole the recent thunder of current Von Smith by posting a brilliant 3.806/196.30 in his other nitrous oxide-injected Al Anabi/Western Beef ‘13 Camaro to lead the “legal cars” ahead of Smith’s supercharged “Rage” ‘68 Camaro, (3.832/194.07), and speed record holder Bader Khoursheed in his Kuwait-based, nitrous-injected Drag 965 ‘68 Camaro, (3.927/197.25).

The biggest news of the day came in Pro Extreme Motorcycle Eliminator where current point leader Canadian Terry Schweigert unleashed the quickest and fastest run of the 2014 Arabian series with an ungodly 4.008/175.87 and backed up the run with a 4.04/175.90 after an opening 4.06/175.75. Schweigert leads Qatar’s Mohammed al Darwish, (4.098/172.19), and American Billy Vose, (4.099/173.52), in another Suzuki sweep.

Outlaw 10.5 Eliminator is once again a battle between the turbocharged late-model Mustangs of Kuwaiti racers Turki al Hamaidi, (4.134/190.59), and Abdulla Wahab al Saleem, (4.167/188.07).

True 10.5 (No Bars) Eliminator is a tremendously tight field led by Kuwait’s Jassim al Muqawhi’s Team Drag 965 turbocharged 2004 Corvette, (4.347/183.87), American Stevie Jackson in the elapsed time record-holding ProCharger-equipped Al Anabi ‘92 Mustang, (4.359/178.31), and Kuwaiti Abdullah al Shatti’s ProCharged Team Q80 ‘89 Mustang, (4.383 at a new Arabian speed record of 187.65 mph). As in previous 2014 events, the field sports a tight 4.77 “bump spot”.

Saudi Arabia’s Mashari al Turki came within one hundredth of a second of his own Super Street Bike record while leading the field with a great 4.374/175.32. His Suzuki Hayabusa was followed in the “No Wheelie Bars” class by the similar entry of Kuwait’s Misfer al Misfer who pounded out an astonishing 181.59 mph on an early 4.463-second qualifying run and later returned with a brilliant 4.408/177.72.

The Super Street Six-Cylinder division is once again the property of American Chad Morgan in the Al Anabi Toyota Supra with a blast only four hundredths of a second off his own Arabian record, (4.654/161.75). Point leader Bahrainian Mohammed Haji’s Al Anabi ‘92 Nissan GTR, (4.782/159.74) is in the second slot followed by Bahrain’s Yousef al Zayani in his Nissan 300ZX, (4.797/152.37).

Kuwaiti rider Mohammed Bourashid took his Suzuki Hayabusa to the quickest run ever in Street Bike Eliminator with a 5.150/142.06 but countryman Khaled al Fouzan is close behind at 5.199/137.61.

Saudi Arabian Hisham al Mola’s nitrous-injected ‘68 Camaro leads the 4.50 Index category, (4.503/157.50), and Kuwaiti Duaij al Sabah ran a dead-on 4.800/145.59 to lead the 4.80 Index Dragster division.

A fourth and final qualifying session will precede tomorrow’s elimination for the penultimate event in the 2014 Arabian Drag Racing League series.

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