Neal Wins from 12th Spot; Martin Takes Title in ADRL Debut
(2-19-2006) - An extra day's worth of waiting and anticipation
turned out to be well worth it for Mike Neal and Harold Martin, who kicked
off the 2006 FLOWMASTER American Drag Racing League season with wins at
the ADRL SpeedTech Winter Drags.
In Pro Extreme, Neal survived close calls against Quain Stott and Joshua
Hernandez, winning on holeshots both times, before going on to beat Thomas
Patterson in the final, 4.09 to 4.63. The Pro Nitrous competition
came down to a battle between veteran drivers Martin and Rickie
Smith, with Martin winning, 4.21 to 5.48, to claim an event win in
his ADRL debut.
The majority of eliminations at the Winter Drags were completed on Sunday
after evening rain showers on Saturday forced ADRL officials to call a
halt to the action.
Neal, driving the ProModifieds.us '53 Studebaker, opened with nail-biters
in the first two rounds of Pro Extreme, getting past Stott, 4.05 to 4.03,
and edging Hernandez by 15-thousandths, 3.98 to 3.96. After getting
past No. 1 qualifier Jason Scruggs in the semifinals with another 4.05,
Neal met Patterson for the title in a battle between the event's No. 12
and No. 15 qualifiers.
Martin, the No. 11 qualifier in Pro Nitrous, also won from the bottom half
of the field, driving his ACDelco '06 Grand Am past a red-lighting Rex
Kelley, Burton Auxier, and Kenny Rucker to set up his final-round showdown
against Smith. Earlier in the day, Smith outran Shannon Jenkins in a highly
anticipated second-round matchup, 4.11 to 4.64.
After a week off, the FLOWMASTER ADRL returns to action for the LGI DRAGPALOOZA
II event in Houston, the second event of the seven-race schedule.
SUNDAY NOTES - Record weekend, Champions
have it rough and stands and pits jammed
(2-19-2006) - Records Fall - A record weekend: The ADRL record book took a beating in Valdosta, with Shannon Jenkins re-setting both ends of his Pro Nitrous record, and Jason Scruggs recording the quickest and fastest Pro Extreme run ever.
Jenkins' historic 3.992 in his first-round win over Ken Thomas - the
first 3-second pass by a nitrous-oxide-added car in sanctioned competition
- is now the Pro Nitrous E.T. standard. He also raised the speed record
to 186.00 mph on his first and only qualifying attempt.
Scruggs became the first Pro Extreme driver to reach the 3.8-second zone,
running a stunning 3.893 at 192.96 mph in Saturday's final qualifying
session to pace the huge field by more than four-hundredths. Unlike Jenkins,
though, Scruggs will not pick up any bonus points for setting official
ADRL records, as he was unable to come up with a backup run within 1 percent
of his best numbers. He did, however, run 3.907, 194.74 during testing
on Friday, proving that his outstanding effort was certainly no fluke.
Everybody Showed Up - The ADRL season-opener attracted
62 entries for its two Outlaw Pro Mod classes, eclipsing the record 55
entries from the 2005 Jackson, S.C., event. The strong turnout prompted
ADRL officials to shift Pro Nitrous, which had 26 entries, from an eight-car
to a 16-car eliminator.
Not a good time to be champ - Neither defending ADRL
champion managed to qualify for their respective expanded 16-car eliminators.
John Lynam (Pro Extreme) wound up 26th in the order with a 4.14 best,
and Dan Parker (Pro Nitrous) was 20th, a full tenth off Thomas' bump time.
Eliminations results
Pro Extreme
First round
Jason Scruggs 11.465 43.48
Doug Palmer Red-light
Toney Russell 4.090 172.47
Bennie McDonald 5.651 82.90
J. Hernandez 3.913 189.28
Eddie Ware 4.967 100.68
Mike Neal 4.051 180.48
Quain Stott 4.038 181.20
T. Patterson 4.256 177.79
Bil Clanton 5.048 99.10
Danny Rowe 4.121 150.70
Chip King 9.991 57.12
Hugh Scott 6.009 124.66
Joey Martin 7.995 45.89
Todd Tutterow 3.956 188.52
Frankie Taylor 4.113 182.70
Quarterfinals
Jason Scruggs 7.485 74.58
Toney Russell DNS
Mike Neal 3.987 182.45
J. Hernandez 3.960 187.11
T. Patterson 9.931 93.25
Danny Rowe DNS
Todd Tutterow 3.957 186.72
Hugh Scott 7.089 63.30
Semifinals
Mike Neal 4.052 179.88
Jason Scruggs 4.147 181.47
T. Patterson 4.329 168.01
Todd Tutterow NTR
Final
Mike Neal 4.096 173.61
T. Patterson 4.637 120.50
Pro Nitrous
First round
Shannon Jenkins 3.992 185.66
Ken Thomas 4.173 174.12
Rickie Smith 4.093 178.54
C. Carpenter 5.992 78.36
R. Weatherford 4.068 179.11
Thomas Myers 4.249 173.70
Terry Housley 4.135 177.04
Johnny Pilcher 4.447 156.94
Kenny Rucker 4.249 163.77
Mike Castellana 5.072 116.46
James Hancock 4.172 171.14
Keith Baker 6.113 75.99
Burton Auxier 4.055 179.92
Jamie Hancock LBT
Harold Martin 7.210 81.20
Rex Kelley Red-light
Quarterfinals
Rickie Smith 4.117 179.66
Shannon Jenkins 4.644 123.45
Terry Housley 4.259 157.95
R. Weatherford 4.499 167.22
Kenny Rucker 4.229 171.47
James Hancock 5.405 91.32
Harold Martin 4.131 176.19
Burton Auxier 5.292 92.86
Semifinals
Rickie Smith 4.165 178.33
Terry Housley 5.620 92.06
Harold Martin 4.205 170.84
Kenny Rucker 4.875 120.02
Final
Harold Martin 4.219 174.89
Rickie Smith 5.485 91.01
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Rain Delays Winter Drags Finish
(2-19-2006) - For the second straight year, the opening
event of the FLOWMASTER American Drag Racing League season was affected
by rain, this time by showers persistent enough to force ADRL officials
to halt the SpeedTech Winter Drags during the first round of Pro Extreme
eliminations Saturday night.
The ADRL will attempt to complete the event Sunday at South Georgia
Motorsports Park, with gates opening at 9 a.m. local time.
A number of spectacular runs were recorded before the rain arrived. In
Pro Nitrous, No. 1 qualifier Shannon Jenkins picked up the class' first
3-second time slip, blasting to a 3.992 at 185.66 mph in his first-round
win over Ken Thomas and setting up an intriguing quarterfinals matchup
with fellow doorcar veteran Rickie Smith.
In Pro Extreme, Jason Scruggs continued his torrid pace from Friday evening's
open testing session, running a jaw-dropping 3.893 at 192.96 in qualifying
to finish on top of the order by more than four- hundredths. In all, 14
Pro Extreme entries went under the 4-second barrier during qualifying.
The ADRL performance records entering the Winter Drags were 3.929 and 187.78
in Pro Extreme, and 4.007 and 184.42 in Pro Nitrous.
Qualifying results
QUALIFYING
PRO EXTREME
1. Jason Scruggs 3.893 192.96
2. Bil Clanton 3.939 182.75
3. Phil Osborne 3.947 180.07
4. J. Hernandez 3.955 187.13
5. Quain Stott 3.966 185.82
6. Frankie Taylor 3.974 183.12
7. Danny Rowe 3.977 188.41
8. B. McDonald 3.978 172.32
9. Toney Russell 3.983 183.15
10. Chip King 3.984 185.46
11. Todd Tutterow 3.986 187.31
12. Mike Neal 3.989 181.28
13. Eddie Ware 3.994 178.50
14. Joey Martin 3.997 184.83
15. T. Patterson 4.002 185.38
16. Doug Palmer 4.021 181.79
PRO NITROUS
1. S. Jenkins 4.005 186.00
2. Mike Castellana 4.068 182.55
3. Burton Auxier 4.068 180.65
4. R. Weatherford 4.078 179.33
5. Johnny Pilcher 4.103 178.57
6. Rex Kelley 4.106 178.87
7. Keith Baker 4.115 179.61
8. Rickie Smith 4.117 177.93
9. C. Carpenter 4.131 178.68
10. James Hancock 4.133 174.59
11. Harold Martin 4.144 169.66
12. Terry Housley 4.147 174.01
13. Stan Allen 4.197 175.25
14. Jamie Hancock 4.202 173.96
15. Kenny Rucker 4.213 171.66
16. Ken Thomas 4.224 172.28
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Bad Voodoo
(2-19-2006) - Doug Palmer got into the wall during Sunday's delayed ADRL eliminations in Valdosta, Ga. Adding insult to injury, Palmer had -.002 foul in this first round match against Joey Scruggs. Finally the parachutes come out at the end to slow the out of control machine to a stop. (Roger Richards sequence)
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SATURDAY - Jenkins Makes History Just before
Rain Halts ADRL Winter Drags Eliminations
(2-18-2006) - Persistent rain showers brought the proceedings
to an end during the final day of the ADRL Winter Drags at South Georgia
Motorsports Park in Valdosta, Georgia. A full round of Pro Nitrous eliminations
were completed before the showers began. ADRL officials plan to complete
the event tomorrow.
Just
before the action was halted, however, doorslammer guru Shannon Jenkins
added another accolade to his long and distinguished career when he posted
the first three-second pass for a nitrous-injected car in eighth-mile
competition.
Jenkins, who lead qualifying for the 16-car field with a best-of-two
elapsed time of 4.005-seconds at 186.00 mph, set the new class record
in his first-round defeat of No. 16 qualifier Ken Thomas. Jenkins paced
his SpeedTech Nitrous-sponsored '69 Camaro to a mark of 3.992, 185.66
to become the first driver of a nitrous car to crack the three-second
barrier.
The Quick Get Quicker - Jason
Scruggs Runs First 3.80!
This weekend’s ADRL opener in Georgia has opened eyes throughout
the doorslammer world as long-held performance records tumbled literally
from pass to pass and car to car during the day’s two qualifying
sessions.
In Pro Extreme,
Jason Scruggs fired the loudest shot, cranking out an incredible 3.893,
192.96 to lead a 16-car field that included 14 cars in the three-second
zone. The bump spot was held down by Doug Palmer, who made the show with
a 4.021, 181.97.
Shannon Jenkins paced the Pro Nitrous field with a mark of 4.005, 186.00.
The field was expanded to 16 from the 8-car program originally planned
for due to the number of cars that showed up at SGMP this weekend. The
field was all in at 4.224, 172.28, posted by Ken Thomas.
FRIDAY - Shakedown Day
Todd
Tutterow blew up the engine in his nitrous ride last night, but
he put his supercharged car into the record book when he paced
it to a pass of 3.982, 185.51 on DOT tires. (Photo
by Marvin T. Smith)
(2-17-2006) - The 2006 season for the ADRL series officially kicked off today with Doug Palmer making the first launch. Beautiful blue skies and absolutely no clouds greeted the line of Pro Mod teams steaming into the South Georgia Motorsports Park. By noon on this test and tune day for the Flowmaster ADRL Speedtech Winterdrags, the car count was around 60 and still climbing. The day's activities will consist of testing and tuning with the qualifying and elimination rounds beginning early on Saturday morning.
Quain Stott, in just the third pass down the track today, reeled off
a phenomenal 3.950, 186.25. If this is a harbinger of things to come,
one can expect that records will fall this weekend and the fans will be
the big winners.
UPDATE - Historic numbers posted
on Friday
This weekend’s ADRL season opener is going to be one for the books
if Friday’s day-long test session was any indication. The once-vaunted
3.90 elapsed time mark was totally trashed by a number of the heavy-hitters
on the grounds of South Georgia Motorsports Park.
The most jaw-dropping moment in a day of excellent performances came
when Jason Scruggs and Bil Clanton posted the quickest and fastest side-by-side
eighth-mile pass in Pro Mod history. Unbelievably, Clanton’s stellar
3.925, 182.82 effort was eclipsed by Scruggs’ huge 3.907, 194.74
blast.
Other notable runs among many in the Pro Extreme ranks were those turned
in by defending class champion John Lynam, who ran 3.928 and 3.938 on
successive passes, while Chip King posted a mark of 3.938, 187.89 and
Josh Hernandez went through at 3.941, 188.81. Another landmark moment
came when Todd Tutterow notched a solid 3.982, 185.51 on DOT-approved
tires. It was the first "three" on street-legal tires in the
class.
The debut of Scott Cannon’s new 2006 Pontiac GTO was also impressive.
After finishing putting the car together at 2 AM Friday and driving directly
to the track, the second-generation star unleashed a straight 4.179, clicking
it off early.
Among the Pro Nitrous troops, Mike Castellana led the way with a 4.056,
182.38 effort.
Qualifying will kick off at Noon on Saturday, with eliminations to follow.
THURSDAY - Outlaw Pro Mod's Top Drivers Ready to Open ADRL's Second Season
(2-15-2006) - Coming off a record-setting and crowd-pleasing 2005 season, the FLOWMASTER American Drag Racing League will begin its second full season of racing Friday when drag racing's top Outlaw Pro Mod drivers descend upon South Georgia Motorsports Park for the second annual ADRL SpeedTech Winter Drags.
Large fields are expected in both the Pro Extreme and Pro Nitrous classes when action gets underway Friday at 2 p.m. with open testing for all competitors. ADRL President Kenny Nowling estimated Tuesday that he had received more than 80 entry requests for the season-opening event, including many from first-time ADRL drivers.
The two-day event concludes Saturday with a full day of qualifying and eliminations. Three rounds of qualifying are scheduled for noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m., with eliminations - including an expanded 16-car field in Pro Extreme - set for 6:30 p.m.
"Since we finished the 2005 season with record-setting crowds in Valdosta, Jackson [S.C.], and Kennedale [Texas], I have been literally counting the days until we could continue that momentum in 2006," Nowling said. "I'm very proud of how far we've come in the one calendar year since we put on the first SpeedTech Winter Drags, and I'm confident we can continue our upward trend. I'm also excited to be returning to Valdosta, which will be the first venue we have visited three times."
Both the Pro Extreme and Pro Nitrous fields appear to be loaded. Among the Pro Extreme drivers expected to compete for one of the 16 spots in Saturday night's eliminations are 2005 ADRL world champion John Lynam; Quain Stott, who is riding a two-event winning streak in ADRL competition; Bil Clanton; Mike and Michael Neal; quarter-mile Pro Mod veterans Troy Critchley and Joshua Hernandez; and Todd Tutterow, who also plans to enter a car in Pro Nitrous. The list of drivers expected to make their ADRL debuts includes Pro Mod legend Bill Kuhlmann, Danny Rowe, Scott Ray, Tommy Gray, and Scott Cannon Jr.
In Pro Nitrous, a who's-who list of bottle-powered drivers are expected to fight it out for the coveted eight eliminations spots, including 2005 ADRL world champion Dan Parker; teammates Shannon Jenkins and Mike Castellana; Pro Stock and Pro Mod veteran Rickie Smith; Burton Auxier; and fuel-injection wizard Harold Martin, who is scheduled to make his ADRL debut.
The SpeedTech Winter Drags will also feature a special four-car shootout in the Pro 10.5 category, a class that ADRL officials are seriously considering for full-time status at future events. The invited drivers are Steve Kirk Jr., Jack Barfield, Marcus Birt, and Sandro Sementilli, who will drive Parker's 10.5 entry.
Stott (Pro Extreme) and Keith Baker (Pro Nitrous) enter the Winter Drags on top of the ADRL points standings, having won their respective classes at last year's season-ending Kennedale event. Points earned at that race count toward each drivers' 2006 total.
Pro Extreme driver Michael Neal and Pro Nitrous standout Johnny Pilcher are the defending event champions. Last year's event was contested at Hub City Dragway in Hattiesburg, Miss.
2006 Pro Extreme points standings
(after 1 of 7 events)
1. Quain Stott 407
2. John Lynam 308
3. Mike Neal 205
4. Gaylen Smith 203
5. Toney Russell 106
6. Eddie Ware 104
7. Bubba Stanton 102
8. Bil Clanton 101
2006 Pro Nitrous points standings
(after 1 of 7 events)
1. Keith Baker 408
2. Ken Thomas 307
3. Johnny Pilcher 205
4. Rex Kelley 106
5. Thomas Myers 104
6. Rick Senft 103
7. Grant Hensley 102
8. Ricky Cate 101
Just
before the action was halted, however, doorslammer guru Shannon Jenkins
added another accolade to his long and distinguished career when he posted
the first three-second pass for a nitrous-injected car in eighth-mile
competition.
In Pro Extreme,
Jason Scruggs fired the loudest shot, cranking out an incredible 3.893,
192.96 to lead a 16-car field that included 14 cars in the three-second
zone. The bump spot was held down by Doug Palmer, who made the show with
a 4.021, 181.97.
