ADRL TITLES DETERMINED
Hancock is youngest drag racing champion ever; Scruggs' win caps dominant season
The Flowmaster American Drag Racing League's 2007 season came to a close Friday
night at Texas Motorplex, with Jason Scruggs, Jamie Hancock, Steve Gorman, and
Bill Vose claiming ADRL world championships by winning their respective classes
in the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts eliminators.
Scruggs capped a
sensational season by beating Joe Baker for the Pro Extreme title, 3.850 to a
troubled 7.79. During the 2007 season, Scruggs won his first career national
event title (Huntsville), continually lowered the ADRL's Pro Extreme performance
records (which now stand at 3.703 and 205.22 mph), and finished third in the
AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts points standings. He was dominant during
Friday's three-round competition, posting runs of 3.781/203.80 and 3.768/203.65
to win his two preliminary rounds before the final.
Hancock, 17, won the
Pro Nitrous title from the eighth and final qualifying position, beating
top-seeded Johnny Pilcher and Terry Housley to reach the final. He had his best
run of the event in that race, posting a 4.029 to turn back 2006 ADRL world
champion Keith Baker's 5-second run and deny Baker consecutive ADRL
championships. With the Belts title, Hancock became the youngest-ever winner of
a major drag racing championship. Ironically, Hancock came dangerously close to
not qualifying for the Belts field at all, needing a semifinal finish at
Dragstock IV in Rockingham to finally clinch his spot.
Hancock is youngest drag racing champion ever; Scruggs' win caps dominant season
The Flowmaster American Drag Racing League's 2007 season came to a close Friday
night at Texas Motorplex, with Jason Scruggs, Jamie Hancock, Steve Gorman, and
Bill Vose claiming ADRL world championships by winning their respective classes
in the AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts eliminators.
Scruggs capped a
sensational season by beating Joe Baker for the Pro Extreme title, 3.850 to a
troubled 7.79. During the 2007 season, Scruggs won his first career national
event title (Huntsville), continually lowered the ADRL's Pro Extreme performance
records (which now stand at 3.703 and 205.22 mph), and finished third in the
AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts points standings. He was dominant during
Friday's three-round competition, posting runs of 3.781/203.80 and 3.768/203.65
to win his two preliminary rounds before the final.
Hancock, 17, won the
Pro Nitrous title from the eighth and final qualifying position, beating
top-seeded Johnny Pilcher and Terry Housley to reach the final. He had his best
run of the event in that race, posting a 4.029 to turn back 2006 ADRL world
champion Keith Baker's 5-second run and deny Baker consecutive ADRL
championships. With the Belts title, Hancock became the youngest-ever winner of
a major drag racing championship. Ironically, Hancock came dangerously close to
not qualifying for the Belts field at all, needing a semifinal finish at
Dragstock IV in Rockingham to finally clinch his spot.
The ADRL's
first-ever Battle for the Belts finals in Extreme 10.5 and Pro Extreme
Motorcycle both ended at the starting line. In Extreme 10.5 Steve Gorman, the
fifth-place points finisher in 2007, claimed the ADRL championship by taking the
Tree after Michelle Wilson's car had troubles at the starting line and was
pushed back. Wilson had already become the first female to win a round in
AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts history and was attempting to become the series'
first female champion in any class.
The Pro Extreme Motorcycle
competition came down to the top two riders of the season, No. 1 qualifier
Coodee Thomas and No. 2 Vose. In the final, Thomas left before the Tree was
activated, although that didn't keep Vose from posting a monster run of 4.278 at
173.38.
Two points leaders from 2007 were eliminated in first-round
upsets Friday night. Pilcher, who claimed the top spot in the final Pro Nitrous
points standings by a massive 900-plus points, lost on a red-light against
Hancock, and Extreme 10.5 points leader Mike Hill was beaten on a holeshot by
Dragstock IV winner Brad Personett, 4.32 to 4.31.
The eight world titles
in the three full seasons of ADRL competition have now been won by eight
different drivers. John Lynam and Bubba Stanton won the first two Pro Extreme
championships; Dan Parker and Keith Baker won the fist two Pro Nitrous titles.
Friday night's AlphaTrade Battle for the Belts eliminators marked the
end of the 2007 ADRL season; Saturday's two rounds of qualifying and
eliminations in all four ADRL professional classes will begin the 2008 campaign.
All competitors entered this weekend's AlphaTrade ADRL World Finals with a clean
points slate, and any points earned Saturday will carry over into the 2008 ADRL
season.
ADRL CHAMPIONS
Pro Extreme
2007: Jason
Scruggs
2006: Bubba Stanton
2005: John Lynam
Pro Nitrous
2007:
Jamie Hancock
2006: Keith Baker
2005: Dan Parker
Extreme
10.5
2007: Steve Gorman
Pro Extreme Motorcycle
2007: Bill Vose