ADRL PALM BEACH - EVENT RESULTS

FINAL RESULTS - MARTIN, CASTELLANA, GLIDDEN, OWENS AND BERNER WIN BIG

From start to finish, there was no stopping Joey Martin.

In front of a massive overflow crowd at Palm Beach International Raceway, Martin and his fan favorite Lowmad put together a string of incredible performances in Pro Extreme at the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Safety-Kleen Spring Drags II.

He was the quickest car in every round, starting with Friday’s first qualifying session and ending with Saturday’s final, as Martin took the win with a 3.755 at 200.20 miles per hour to deny Jason Hamstra his second straight victory.

“I know I could do it,” Martin said. “I knew if I got my way, I could have a winning car.”

The ADRL’s first trip to Florida proved to be a rousing success as an incredible fan turnout made for a memorable atmosphere during Saturday’s eliminations.

Martin shared the last magic moment with the Pro Extreme win, but there were five others who savored a victory as well.

Mike Castellana’s 3.828 gave him the Pro Nitrous win against Burton Auxier, while Billy Glidden picked up his ADRL record 12th event win after a solo pass wrapped up a wild day in Extreme 10.5.

Ashley Owens stayed on Glidden’s heel, picking up his 11th career win in Pro Extreme Motorcycle with a 4.045 at 179.11 mph against Carlos Wilkerson. Pete Berner, meanwhile, exhaled deeply after finally earning his first ADRL win in Extreme Pro Stock following his 4.084 in the finals against Richie Stevens Jr.

In Pro Junior Dragster, J.C. Gloyd went 7.952 to knock off Kendall Thiesse.

After qualifying No. 1, Martin persevered through plenty of trouble during eliminations. He went 3.69 in a first-round win, but had to work diligently – with some extra help – to pick up wins against Gaylen Smith in the quarterfinals (3.71) and Von Smith in the semifinals (3.68).

“The last three rounds, we were thrashing,” Martin said. “It was a lot of drama. (Two-time PX World Champion) Jason and Mitchell (Scruggs) really helped us. They’re top-notch people.”

Castellana is part of marquee team in Pro Nitrous, as he made impressive improvements throughout Saturday’s eliminations.

He went 3.90 in the first round, following it up with a 3.87 in a second-round win against Jeff Naiser and a 3.83 in a semifinal victory against John Decerbo.

It was also an emotional win for Castellana, who returned to racing this year after he was diagnosed with cancer last summer. After rigorous chemotherapy treatments removed the cancer, Castellana appeared to be as good as ever behind the wheel at PBIR.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. It’s just great. Really, it’s hard to describe this right now,” Castellana said. “Shannon (Jenkins) and the crew gave me a great car and you win with the people behind you. They really make this happen.”

Jenkins’ is Castellana’s crew chief and close friend, and the victory made for a touching moment for the legendary “Iceman.”
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“This is probably one of the best races we’ve ever won together,” Jenkins said. “To see how healthy he is, it’s just great, and he hasn’t lost his stride. He’s still one of the best drivers out there.”

The same could be said for Glidden, who continues to find a way to win in Extreme 10.5.

This might have been one of the most improbable yet. No. 1 qualifier Dan Millen went 3.92 in a semifinal victory, but his car went up in flames after crossing the finish line.

Millen escaped harm, but after the crankshaft was knocked out of the motor, the fire torched the entire front end of the car.

That ended his day, which would have included a bye run to the finals.

Instead, a semifinal matchup between Glidden and Frankie Taylor determined the winner.

Glidden’s battery shut off to seemingly put a damper on his run of 4.15, but Taylor crossed the center line, automatically giving the win to Glidden, who simply had to activate the tree in the final.

“We had really good luck, but we’ll take it,” Glidden said. “We’re just sticking to our gameplan and the car is just running really, really good for what we have.”

Owens’ new Fast by Gast continues to dominate in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, capping off a record-breaking weekend with his latest commanding performance.

Owens set the E.T. record on Friday (4.012), following it up with his second win of the 2011 season.

“The bike was just perfect all weekend,” Owens said. “It’s just so consistent. I love it. It’s definitely the best bike I’ve ever been on.”

Owens had two runs of 4.04 during eliminations, with his best being a 4.03 in a semifinal win against Richard Gadson. That set up the finals with Wilkerson, who knocked off hometown favorite Kim Morrell in the semifinals.

Owens was sure not to red light and then easily chased down Wilkerson for the win.

“We tried to push it a little in the final, but we didn’t want to do anything crazy,” Owens said. “We wanted to run well, but we didn’t want to hurt the engine. We’re just glad we got the win.”

Berner felt the gamut of emotions in Extreme Pro Stock after picking up his first win in the ADRL.

“This is an unbelievable gorilla off our shoulders,” Berner said. “The car is just so phenomenal right now and the guys are just working so hard. This is just awesome.”
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Upsets were aplenty during eliminations, but Berner was consistent throughout. He really shined under the lights, going 4.079 in a semifinal win against Trevor Eman, setting up another strong run in the finals.

“All I was concerned with was duplicating my previous laps,” Berner said. “I just didn’t want to go red and wanted to keep running consistent lights. This is quite an experience.”

The ADRL returns to action on May 6-7 with the Penske Truck Leasing Inaugural Northeast Drags, which takes place at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa. It will be the ADRL’s first trip to Maple Grove.

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SATURDAY FINAL QUALIFYING

FRIDAY QUALIFYING - MARTIN HIGHLIGHTS FRIDAY QUALIFYING AT ADRL PALM BEACH

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Joey Martin is even quicker than he realized.
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The Pro Extreme driver predicted his crowd favorite Lowmad would run between a 3.648 and a 3.659 in the staging lanes leading up to his third qualifying pass during Friday’s American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Safety-Kleen Spring Drags II at Palm Beach International Raceway.

But Martin went even quicker, going an incredible 3.642 at 205.35 miles per hour to stay in the top qualifying spot after one exciting day of action.

“I guess the track is a little better than I anticipated,” Martin joked.

“It just feels good to roll up in here and run as good as we do.”

Martin stole the show in Pro Extreme under the PBIR lights on Friday, but several others helped make it a memorable qualifying night in the ADRL’s first visit to Florida.

In Pro Nitrous, Mahana Al-Naemi became the first PN car in ADRL history to reach the 3.70s with a magnificent 3.797 at 196.30 mph. The Al-Anabi Racing driver will get a chance to back up the time to set a new E.T. record on Saturday, starting with the fourth and final qualifying session at 11 a.m.

Ashley Owens set a new E.T. record in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, as his 4.012 inched him closer to the 3-second mark. Dan Millen took the top spot on Friday in Extreme 10.5 with a 3.89, while Cary Goforth’s 4.085 put him atop Extreme Pro Stock.

With the legendary Shannon Jenkins calling the shots, Al-Naemi’s 3.79 gave him the quickest PN pass in ADRL history.

“It’s like I took No. 1 in the race,” Al-Naemi said. “I have to thank (team owner) KH Al-Thani to get this chance and also Shannon. Without him, I could not do anything.”

millen Once again, it was a tremendous third qualifying session in Pro Nitrous, as the fans at PBIR were treated to numerous standout runs. Mike Castellana (3.820) and Khalid Al-Balooshi (3.822) ran impressively, but Al-Naemi’s final pass topped everyone.

“He’s been doing a great job,” Jenkins said. “He’s come a long ways and this is such a tough class to get into. He’s only going to get better.

“He’s become a great driver. He has a natural talent and it shows. It’s great to have him No. 1 and Mike No. 2.”

Martin was the top qualifier in Pro Extreme from start to finish on Friday.

He was the only driver to make three runs in the 3.60s, though Jason Hamstra, who won the first ADRL event of the season, came on strong with a 3.65 at a class-best 209.14 mph in the third session.

Frankie Taylor moved into the third spot with a 3.67.

Owens and his Fast by Gast bike continues to set new benchmarks, going 4.012 during the third qualifying session on his new bike.

“This bike is just working really well,” said Owens, who won the first race of the year and is one win away from tying Billy Glidden for the all-time ADRL record of 11. “The track is great and the guys just do a heck of a job.

“This bike feels easier to ride than the other one. It’s just been unbelievably reliable.”

It’s been unbelievably dominant as well. He’s .12 better than No. 2 qualifier Carlos Wilkerson (4.134) and that gap could grow if Owens becomes the first to reach the 3-second mark.

“There’s stuff left on the table, but you just have to put it all together,” Owens said. “We’re definitely trying hard.”

Millen’s string of bad luck appeared to continue after he broke a blower belt during his first qualifying session.
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But the Al-Anabi Racing driver came back strong with the 3.89 at 198.85 mph in Extreme 10.5, opting to sit out the third qualifying run after the impressive second pass.

“That run went as planned and it ended up being a great pass,” Millen said. “We’ve broken a lot of parts these last few races and I didn’t think we could learn a lot that last session.”

Billy Glidden provided the highlights in the third qualifying session, going a career-best 3.96 to move in the No. 2 spot. Lamar Swindoll and Frankie Taylor both went 3.99 to put them in third and fourth, respectively.

After a surprising red-light loss last month, Millen hopes to finish the job this weekend.

“Honestly, I’ve always had a lot of trouble at the beginning of the year. I’ve never come out running strong,” Millen said. “I really want a good start.

“The last race was completely my fault, but I want to start the year doing well. I’d like to see that happen.”

Goforth’s top run came in the first qualifying session, when he went the 4.085 right out of the trailer.

The team tried a few different things over the final two passes, but nothing could top the strong first run.

gorforth “We’re happy with the car and the 4.08, but we’re a little disappointed that’s the only run we’ve made,” Goforth said. “We experimented those last two runs and tried some things nobody tried, and we just missed it. But we’re happy to be No. 1 right now.”

Even Goforth, who is looking for two straight wins, doesn’t think it will stick, however. Three other drivers came on strong the rest of the day, as Pete Berner (4.085), John Montecalvo (4.086) and Dean Goforth (4.088) all went in the 4.08s.

Only Cary Goforth’s better speed (176.63 to Berner’s 175.52) kept him in the top spot, but he thinks he will have to be better on Saturday.

“I don’t think a (4.08) will stand up,” Goforth said. “I think somebody will go quicker. It’s going to be fast. We need to get an .06 in the morning, but we’re not here to be No. 2.”

In Pro Junior Dragster, Morgan Benfield took the top qualifying spot with a .006 reaction time.

The final qualifying session takes place at 11 a.m. on Saturday with the first round of eliminations to follow at 3 p.m.