With news helicopters buzzing overhead, traffic backed up for miles on two Interstates and the largest-ever, Friday-night crowd in Gateway International Raceway’s history, the National Guard ADRL put on a spectacular show Aug. 7, with the opening round of qualifying for its ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags II.

“This is unbelievable,” declared National Guard ADRL President and CEO Kenny Nowling as he gazed at thousands upon thousands of enthusiastic National Guard ADRL fans. “I’ve been coming here since I was just a little kid and to see this track like this makes me feel good on so many levels.”

RECORD CROWD FOR NATIONAL GUARD ADRL AT GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

With news helicopters buzzing overhead, traffic backed up for miles on two Interstates and the largest-ever, Friday-night crowd in Gateway International Raceway’s history, the National Guard ADRL put on a spectacular show Aug. 7, with the opening round of qualifying for its ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags II.

“This is unbelievable,” declared National Guard ADRL President and CEO Kenny Nowling as he gazed at thousands upon thousands of enthusiastic National Guard ADRL fans. “I’ve been coming here since I was just a little kid and to see this track like this makes me feel good on so many levels.”

After track officials closed the gates to any more spectators shortly after 8 p.m., fans already inside were treated to seeing two-time reigning Pro Extreme World Champion Jason Scruggs of, seize the provisional top spot over 31 entries. Scruggs, from Saltillo, Mississippi, scorch the Gateway eighth mile with a 3.76-seconds pass at 203.06 miles per hour in his supercharged ’68 Camaro. The run was costly, however, with crew chief Mitchell Scruggs deep into replacing rod bearings in the wee hours of the morning.

On the other hand, things were quiet in the Al-Anabi/Awesome Motorsports camp after three of four of their drivers qualified in Pro Nitrous, with rookie Khalid Al-Balooshi leading the field after making a stout 3.90 pass at 191.24 mph in his Rickie Smith-tuned ’68 Camaro. Al-Anabi teammates Shannon Jenkins placed second, followed by Mike Castellana in sixth and only Burton Auxier outside the top 16 after the opening session.

First-round, top-qualifier honors in Extreme 10.5 went to New Market, Alabama’s Gary White in his turbocharged, inline-six-powered ’07 Scion. The Titan Motorsports driver drove past the finish line in 4.063 seconds at 176.28 mph, edging out new E.T. and speed record holder Chuck Ulsch by just two-thousandths of a second. Following Ulsch one-hundredth later was current class champ Billy Glidden.

Hamersville, Ohio’s Eric McKinney, one of the hottest young riders on the Pro Extreme Motorcycle trail, put his ’09 Suzuki up front at Gateway with a 4.22 pass at 171.38 mph after 20 bikes made qualifying attempts. Close behind McKinney are Travis Davis, Lance Hines and James Helton.

In a dramatic conclusion to Extreme Pro Stock qualifying, point leader Brian Gahm laid down a nice 4.14 pass at 172.14 that put him out front after first-round qualifying.

ADRL Hardee’s Gateway Drags action resumes at 10 a.m. Saturday morning and will include two more rounds of qualifying followed by elimination rounds for 16-car/bike fields in each National Guard ADRL professional class. 

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