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FINAL - ANOTHER SEASON IN THE BOOKS

Extreme Pro Stock driver Cary Goforth, Pro Extreme Motorcycle rider Eric McKinney and Aeromotive Fuel Systems Pro Modified driver Mike Castellana were already able to celebrate American Drag Racing League (ADRL) world championships on Saturday.

But the talented trio also earned an extra chance to celebrate as they each won the ADRL World Finals VIII presented by CarSafe at the Texas Motorplex.

In winning his second straight world championship in XPS, Goforth and his Jerry Haas Race Cars GXP went 4.096 at 175 mph to beat John DeFlorian and cap off his tremendous back-to-back championship run.

“It feels good to come here, get the win and get the championship,” said Goforth, who also thanked Sonny’s Racing Engines in winning for the third time in 2012 and ninth time in his ADRL career. “This is just a great feeling.

“That makes this very sweet. It was a great team effort from a great group of individuals. We are extremely happy.”

Three other drivers – Tommy D’Aprile (Pro Extreme), Pat Stoken (Pro Nitrous) and William Brown III (Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman) - won for the first time in the ADRL at the World Finals VIII presented by CarSafe, while Billy Glidden added to his record win total as the ADRL closed out its 2012 season in fine fashion.

It also officially awarded world championships to Mick Snyder (Pro Extreme), Bob Rahaim (Pro Nitrous), Alan Pittman (Mickey Thompson Extreme 10.5), McKinney, Goforth, Castellana and Marco Abruzzi (Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman).

All of those world champions – and special award winners – will be honored on Sunday at the ADRL’s Racer Appreciation and Awards Gala.

Goforth, Castellana and McKinney all closed out championship seasons with a win, as Castellana claimed a world championship for the second season, this time in Aeromotive Pro Modified.

He finished the 2012 season with five victories, going a weekend-best 3.857 at 195.22 mph in his Al-Anabi Racing 2012 RJ Race Cars Camaro to beat Mike Janis in the finals.

“Knowing we had already won the championship, that made us relaxed for the finals. Getting that win was sort of the icing on the cake, I guess you would say,” Castellana said.

Castellana trailed Jeff Naiser by more than 100 points heading into the weekend, but Naiser didn’t qualify and Castellana was in the 3.80s all weekend, edging out Pat Musi for the championship and running past Janis in the finals.

“We figured we had a chance, but we knew we had to have some things go our way,” said Castellana, who has 14 career wins between Pro Nitrous and Aeromotive Pro Modified. “Shannon and the crew did an amazing job with the car, and I just have to thank Sheikh Khalid (Al-Thani) for supporting us.

“Winning five events is just awesome and shows what this team can do.”

McKinney won five straight races to close out the season, capping off his remarkable year in Pro Extreme Motorcycle by going 4.032 at 176 mph to knock off Dave Norris in the finals.

“This is how we wanted to finish. This win was as big as any we had,” McKinney said. “We were on a roll and we wanted to keep it going. It carries you into the winter and next year, and this was big.”

McKinney qualified No. 1 with a 4.051 and then went 4.042 in a first-round win before stepping it up in the finals. In all, McKinney finished with seven wins – the most for any ADRL competitor in 2012 – and advanced to nine finals.

“This whole team is incredible. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here. They definitely make me more comfortable on the bike,” McKinney said. “When we come to race, we’re here for one reason and we do everything we can to win. This is just overwhelming.”

Tommy D’Aprile capped off his first winning weekend in the ADRL with a 3.633 at 206.51 mph to beat Von Smith in the Pro Extreme finals. Driving a Jeffers Pro Cars Corvette, D’Aprile was also helped by a brilliant .009 reaction time against Smith.

“I was in the zone driving and on the tree, and the guys were just flawless with this car today,” D’Aprile said. “Todd (Tutterow) tuned the car perfectly. This just means so much to us and I’m just fortunate to be part of this team.”

An overjoyed D’Aprile was overcome with emotion in the winner’s circle, dedicating the victory to Mel Bush Motorsports owners Mel and Joanne Bush.

“This is just surreal. I don’t know how it gets any better than this,” D’Aprile said. “I’m so gracious for Mel and Joanne, and I can’t thank them enough. I’ve struggled throughout my career, but I really think this is just a sign of things to come.”

Snyder clinched the world championship in his heated race against Jason Scruggs when Scruggs went red against Smith in the second round. Snyder and the Powersource Transportation team advanced to the semifinals, firmly securing their first ADRL world championship.

Pat Stoken and his RJ Race Cars ’69 Camaro went a blistering 3.786 at 198 mph in the Pro Nitrous finals, knocking off Shannon Jenkins in a thrilling first victory.

With the help of Reher-Morrison, Switzer Dynamics and his two sons, Stoken chased down Jenkins and ended up in the winner’s circle for the first time after four previous final round appearances.

Stoken qualified No. 1 with a 3.769 and then was consistent in eliminations, running a 3.83 and 3.82 before stepping it up in the finals.

“It still hasn’t sunk in that we just won. It’s just unbelievable and it makes the winter a lot better,” Stoken said. “I still can’t believe it, and then to go in the 3.70s in the finals is just icing on the cake.

“We were consistent all weekend and the car was just flawless. It went down the track every time.”

William Brown III made a valiant run for the championship in Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman, but came up just short as Abruzzi advanced to the semifinals to clinch the first world title for the class in the ADRL.

But Brown took the consolation prize, which was going 4.222 at 168 mph to beat Glenn Butcher in the finals and pick up his first ADRL win.

“It feels great to finally win one. To be able to do that, it’s like finishing the year with a bang,” Brown said. “I would have liked to get two trophies, but I will take one.”

Brown finished second in the points standings, with the win providing the perfect finishing touch to a standout season.

“All that hard work paid off and that’s the best thing. It does make you feel good that you accomplished something like this after all of the hard work,” Brown said. “The team stuck by me, worked hard and we all did what we had to do. It was a good day.”

Billy Glidden picked up his second straight win and an ADRL-best 15th for his career, going 3.946 at 187 mph to beat Dan Myers in the finals of Mickey Thompson Extreme 10.5.

Glidden went as quick as 3.915 at 190 mph, qualifying No. 1 and ending his season on a strong note.

“We finally hit our stride and had a great weekend, so that was definitely exciting to see,” Glidden said. “It’s taken a long time for us to get everything figured out, but we did and that feels great.”

Kevin Helms gave Mopar its first win in the SuperCar Showdown, going 5.889 at 116.42 mph, knocking off Fred Henson in the finals.

In Pro Junior Dragster, Cole Burk knocked off Griffin Rider with a 7.922 at 77.30 mph. PJD’s Alex Oppen was also officially named the world champion in the class.

Pro Junior Dragster -- Cole Burk, Hardens, 7.922, 77.30 def. Griffin Rider, HalfScale, 7.868, 81.99.

SATURDAY QUALIFYING

SESSION 3

 

FRIDAY QUALIFYING - RECORD-SETTING DAY AT THE MOTORPLEX

Mick Snyder and Jason Scruggs continued their excellent championship duel in the American Drag Racing League’s (ADRL) Pro Extreme class at Texas Motorplex, but it was Texan Frankie Taylor who grabbed the spotlight under the lights on Friday.

Taylor and his Jeffers Pro Cars Corvette put together the quickest run in ADRL history and broke the world speed record, going 3.577 at 212.19 mph during the third and final qualifying session at the ADRL World Finals VIII presented by CarSafe.

It gave Taylor, who holds the world E.T. record (3.581) in PX, the No. 1 qualifying spot and the speed record he had long been chasing.

“We finally got that speed record. We’ve been after that for a long time, and it just feels awesome to put together a run like that,” Taylor said. “The car was really great out the back.

“It’s a cool deal because this is the first 3.50 we’ve had this year and it just felt good to have a run like that. It’s always exciting to get back out there and get another one in the 3.50s.”

Other No. 1 qualifiers through three rounds include Pat Stoken (Pro Nitrous), Billy Glidden (Mickey Thompson Extreme 10.5), Eric McKinney (Pro Extreme Motorcycle), John DeFlorian (Extreme Pro Stock), Pat Musi (Aeromotive Fuel Systems Pro Modified) and Joshua Vettel (Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman).

The final qualifying session takes place at 12 p.m. local time on Saturday at the Texas Motorplex, with eliminations for the World Finals VIII presented by CarSafe to follow.

Brandon Pesz started Friday in Pro Extreme with a career-best 3.587 and Tommy D’Aprile topped it with a career-best 3.580 under the lights before Taylor delivered his record-breaking run.

“It was just a very smooth run. We had it stepped up a little bit and we were trying to go a little quicker, but that just cruised right down the track,” Taylor said.

Meanwhile, the Pro Extreme championship points race between Mick Snyder and Jason Scruggs continues to be intense. Scruggs is currently qualified fifth with a 3.613, while Snyder and the Powersource Transportation team is right behind in sixth with a 3.627, meaning Snyder will take a 5-point lead into Saturday.

Pat Stoken delivered a top-notch run under the lights in Pro Nitrous, setting a huge career-best and breaking the track record in the process with a thrilling 3.769 at 198.44 mph. It’s the second-quickest run in Pro Nitrous in 2012 – and third quickest in class history – and also Stoken’s first visit in the 3.70s.

Jim Laurita is currently second with a 3.795 at 196.73 mph in his Tim McAmis Race Cars ’70 Camaro, which is a career-best for him as well.

“It was just so smooth and so straight, and to run 3.76 was just really cool,” said Stoken, who also thanked Reher-Morrison Racing Engines and Switzer Dynamics. “I can’t say enough about that run and everyone who helped make that happen. A run like that puts you in real good company and that feels good.”

Of course, Bob Rahaim clinched his first ADRL world championship in the class with his car passing tech earlier in the day. Rahaim is currently qualified No. 3 with an impressive 3.804 at 198.41 mph.

Stoken, meanwhile, is after his first ADRL win after his first trip into the 3.70s in his RJ Race Cars Camaro.

“We’ve got to have a little luck on race day and we haven’t had that yet,” Stoken said. “This RJ Race Cars car is just great. Hopefully we can get all the pieces working together.”

Pat Musi is doing everything possible to finish on top in his championship chase in Aeromotive Fuel Systems Pro Modified, and his Friday got off to a good start with a 3.873 at 193.54 mph, which puts him as the No. 1 qualifier.

It was Musi’s second straight run in the 3.80s and gives him plenty of momentum heading into eliminations. Musi currently trails points leader Jeff Naiser by 150 points.

“We’re going after (the championship) and so far things are going well,” Musi said. “We’ve got the car repeating and that’s what we’re after. We’re pretty happy with how things went today.”

Mike Castellana, who trails Naiser by just 129 points, is currently second with a spectacular 3.875 at 193.99 mph in his Al-Anabi Racing 2012 RJ Race Cars Camaro. Naiser is currently not qualified, as his 4.126 currently has him 13th in an eight-car qualifying field. Naiser has one shot left to get in the field or his championship hopes will suffer greatly.

The class excitement didn’t stop there, either, as Clint Satterfield set a world speed record in the class, going 198.09 mph on his pass of 3.91.

“This car is a handful to drive. It makes a lot of power, but the crew has been doing a great job,” Musi said. “Now we just have to try to run our race, and hopefully it will all come together and we can get that win.”

Joshua Vettel appears on track for his second straight No. 1 qualifier in Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman thanks to his 4.011 at 184.07 mph in his RJ Race Cars ’70.5 Camaro to set the track record.

An event after breaking the world E.T. record with the first 3-second pass in the history of the class, Vettel delivered another fabulous performance to jump to the top of another loaded Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman field.

In an interesting championship race twist, current points leader Marco Abruzzi (4.214) is currently qualified No. 9, while William Brown III, who is second in points, is No. 8 with a 4.208. If that holds up they would meet in the first round, which would have huge championship implications. Brown currently trails Summit Racing’s Abruzzi by 278 points.

Ronnie Davis, who is third in points and still has a shot at the championship, is currently qualified third with a strong 4.094.

Eric McKinney has already wrapped up his world championship in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, which is his first world title in the ADRL, but he remains as dominant as ever in Dallas.

Through three qualifying sessions, McKinney is the No. 1 qualifier, running a 4.068 at 174.73 mph, putting him in a familiar spot.

“We came down here with the same mindset we always do, and that’s to try to win the race,” McKinney said. “We might have the championship wrapped up, but we want this one, too, and we’ll do whatever it takes.”

Dave Norris is right behind with a 4.077 at 171.71 mph, but McKinney is gunning for his fifth straight win to end the year, seventh overall and a possible ninth trip to the finals in an unbelievable 2012 campaign.

“We would love to keep that streak going,” McKinney said. “Everybody wants to win the last race of the year, but it’s going to be tough. Anything can happen and there’s a lot of good guys out there.”

In his 2012 Camaro from Jerry Haas Race Cars, John DeFlorian improved his world speed record in Extreme Pro Stock, going 179.95 mph. It’s also enough to give DeFlorian the No. 1 qualifying spot, thanks to his impressive run of 4.04.

If it holds, it will be DeFlorian’s fifth No. 1 qualifier in an excellent 2012 season, his first in Extreme Pro Stock with the Black Diamond Motorsports team.

“Coming down here, I thought we could go 180 mph and I still think we can,” said DeFlorian, who also thanked Sonny’s Racing Engines. “The weather has been consistent and conditions are exceptional out there. We couldn’t be happier.

“Sonny’s have given us great power and the car is working really well. This team is amazing and the guys just work their tails off.”

Pete Berner and his Summit Racing team are currently qualified second with a 4.051. Cary Goforth, the current XPS points leader, is third with a 4.055 at 177.32 mph in his Jerry Haas Race Cars GXP, putting him closer to a second straight championship.

Richie Stevens Jr., who is second in points, will need a spectacular Saturday to make up the current 435-point gap. Stevens and the CarSafe team are currently qualified No. 9 with a 4.075 at 177.07 mph in their Jerry Haas Race Cars Mustang.

In Mickey Thompson Extreme 10.5, Billy Glidden, who is seeking his ADRL-record 15th career win, is currently qualified No. 1 with a 3.915 at 190.59 mph.

Alan Pittman clinched his first ADRL world championship earlier in the day when his car passed tech. He is currently qualified No. 2 with a 3.948 at 197.19 mph.

Fred Henson is the top qualifier in the SuperCar Showdown, going 5.843 at 118.49 mph in his 2013 Ford Cobra Jet.

In Pro Junior Dragster, Kyle Dvorak is the current No. 1 qualifier with a 7.906.

SESSION TWO

SESSION ONE