First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the
Inaugural Summit Racing Equipment Mardi Gras Nationals at State Capitol
Raceway, the first of 10 events in the 2009 Nitro Jam Drag Racing
Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday.

If you ever think that Billy Glidden isn’t serious about racing
and winning just try putting an in-car camera inside of his Mickey
Thompson Tires-sponsored Grand Am.
 
A crew shooting the ADRL event for airing on the Versus network
propositioned the defending Extreme Outlaw 10.5 driver about installing
the camera equipment inside of his car.
 
Glidden took the camera in his hand and checked the weight. His face was emotionless as he held the unit in his hand.
 
Five seconds later Glidden looked at the producer and politely said, “Thanks but no thanks.”

Todd Tutterow had a clear cut objective heading into the ADRL
Safety-Kleen Dragpalooza V at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Tex.
 

He had planned to enter the event, run 200 miles per hour and slip out
with the $5000 prize offered by Flowmaster Mufflers to any driver who
could run the speed. In his mind, anything after that was a bonus.
 
That’s why Tutterow, the veteran doorslammer racer from Yadkinville,
N.C., ran seven consecutive 200 mph runs over the course of the event.
 
Speed does indeed kill if you're in the lane opposite lane of Tutterow.
 
Thirty minutes shy of 11 PM on Saturday evening, Tutterow defeated big runner Jason Scruggs to collect his bonus.

Commisso sets IHRA World Speed Record, takes Pro Mod pole; Cox tops Top Fuel list, Collins No. 1 in PS

Welcome back to Louisiana.

After a nearly 20 year absence from the area, professional drag racing
finally made its return to Louisiana and did so with tremendous results
as fans packed the stands for one of the biggest shows in IHRA history
during Saturday’s “Night of Fire” at the Summit Racing Equipment Mardi
Gras Nationals at State Capitol Raceway.

Under a blue sky and with perfect temperatures, Saturday’s excitement
got started early when Pro Mod ace Ray Commisso (Toronto, Ont) set a
new IHRA World Speed Record with a run of 246.08 mph during the third
round of pro qualifying during the afternoon session – and the action
just continued to heat up from there.

Overflow
crowds, record-setting performances and the debut of a new professional
category into National Guard ADRL competition were the highlights of
the National Guard ADRL Safety-Kleen Drapalooza V at Houston Raceway
Park.

Todd Tutterow (Pro Extreme), Stan Allen (Pro Nitrous), Billy Glidden
(Extreme 10.5), Charlie Prophit (Pro Extreme Motorcycle) and Doug Kirk
(Extreme Pro Stock) took home the Minuteman in their respective
categories.

Tutterow mowed down a tough Pro Extreme field, using seven 200+ mile
per hour runs throughout the weekend to score his first career Pro
Extreme national event win. The North Carolina-born Tutterow defeated
reigning two-time Pro Extreme champion Jason Scruggs in the final round
with a 3.925 seconds - 201.46 mph to Scruggs' 4.241 - 136.41.

Veteran Pro Modified racer Charles Carpenter was involved in a
high-speed accident Saturday afternoon during the first round of Pro
Nitrous eliminations of the ADRL Safety-Kleen Dragpalooza V when he
lost control of his 1955 Chevy and made contact with the retaining wall
in the Houston Raceway Park shutdown area.

BIONDO, SILVEUS LEAD QUALIFIERS AT ORLANDO SPEED WORLD LUCAS OIL EVENT

Qualifying fields are set at Orlando Speed World Dragway’s NHRA Lucas
Oil Drag Racing Series.  Sal Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., is the No. 1
qualifier in Comp Eliminator and Jerry Silveus, Van Buren, Ohio, is the
best qualifier in Super Stock.  Biondo and Silveus are among the more
than 400 driver on hand vying for points leading to divisional and
national championships.  

Biondo, behind the wheel of a ’93 Beretta, made an 8.125-second pass,
running .665 seconds under his index to put in the top spot.  Friday’s
No. 1 qualifier in Comp Eliminator, Grant Lewis of Jessup, Ga., will
start eliminations from the No. 2 spot.

Silveus was the best qualifier on Friday and remained in the spot to
the end.  He did not improve on his initial run but it was enough to
keep him atop the field.  Deland resident Terry Earwood is qualified in
the seventh spot in Super Stock.

Final round results for the ADRL Safety Kleen Dragpalooza V at Houston Raceway Park, round one of the ten race National Guard ADRL tour.

PRO EXTREME

PRO NITROUS

XTREME 10.5

Ray Commisso made his run really count during the third round of qualifying Saturday with a new IHRA Pro Modified World Speed Record of 246.08 mph to take the provisional pole after three rounds at the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment Mardi Gras Nationals at State Capitol Raceway in Baton Rouge.

Commisso's speed accompanied a 5.970 second time to claim the pole after three Rounds of IHRA Pro Modified qualifying. His record-setting run came following a 245.09 mph run Friday night during Round 2 of qualifying.