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SUNDAY FINAL - CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN HISTORIC INAUGURAL EVENT

The new X-treme Drag Racing League made history by completing its first-ever event, the X-DRL Spring Nationals, on Sunday at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park.

Eric Dillard capped off his own historic weekend with one more bonus in the new Precision Turbo & Engine Pro Turbo class.

After becoming the first turbo driver in drag racing history to reach the 3.70s earlier in the day, Dillard topped it with a 3.786 at 210.64 mph in the semifinals and then finished off the dream weekend with a win in the finals, running 3.812 at 210.37 mph to beat Todd Moyer on a weekend he and the X-DRL won’t forget.

“It was like winning twice in one weekend. We’ve been looking for that 3.70 run for so long and to get the win on top of it, it’s just huge for us,” Dillard said. “It’s a great way to start the season and there’s so much more we can do going forward.

“I feel like we’ve got a lot of room to grow and a lot to look forward to in the X-DRL.”

The X-DRL felt the same way, starting its inaugural season with an impressive bang in Tulsa.

Other winners at the debut event included Brandon Pesz (Pro X-treme), Jeff Naiser (Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous), John DeFlorian (X-treme Pro Stock), Dan Stevenson (X-treme Pro Mod), Bob Gulitti (Mickey Thompson Top Sportsman) and Bob Henry (Top Dragster).

Dillard, driving the Jerry Bickel Race Cars Camaro owned by turbo standout Jose Gonzalez, was brilliant all weekend, reaching the 3.70s with a pass of 3.79 during the final qualifying session on Sunday.

The celebrations continued the rest of the day, capped off by a winner’s circle party that included a call to Gonzalez in the Dominican Republic.

“He was ecstatic. You couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. The car was just running smooth all weekend,” Dillard said.

Brandon Pesz had his own storybook weekend in Pro X-treme, picking up his first professional win in the class with a hard-fought 3.769 at 198.88 mph against Tim Tindle in his Garrett Race Cars Camaro.

“To get your first win like this, it’s just a great feeling. It’s been a long time coming,” Pesz said. “We were running strong at the end of last year and I knew we would be strong this year. It’s great to start out like this, especially at the first event and at your home track.”

Pesz finished as the No. 2 qualifier and then worked hard throughout eliminations, running a 3.75 in the quarterfinals and knocking off Lethal Threat Racing teammate Todd Martin in the semifinals. But nothing came easy on a day where Pesz certainly earned his paycheck.

“The car was all over the track. I really had to drive it today, but it’s fulfilling knowing at the end of the day you really had to earn it,” said Pesz, who thanked Todd and Sheri Martin, LAT Oils, Kryptonite Kustomz and Trick Titanium.

After a number of struggles earlier in the weekend, Jeff Naiser came through with clutch performances when he needed them in Pro Nitrous, including a 3.997 at 168 mph in the finals against Jim Laurita. It was a welcome sign for Naiser, who hoped to have turn the corner at the X-DRL debut event.

“As much as we’ve been struggling, this is hard to believe and it’s very satisfying,” Naiser said. “It shows the potential this car has and hopefully we’re onto something that’s consistent and fast.”

A round earlier Naiser pulled off the big shocker, ousting No. 1 qualifier Bob Rahaim when the Pro Nitrous world champion shook. Naiser went a weekend-best 3.857 at 192 mph on that run, picking an ideal time to find what he needed to advance.

He had problems late in the finals run against Laurita, but did enough to get the all-important victory.

“We got the win and that’s all that counts,” Naiser said. “We just want to savor this win and hopefully we’re on the right track.”

John DeFlorian’s dominant weekend in X-treme Pro Stock had a fitting finish, as he went 4.122 at 174.89 mph to beat a red-lighting Scott Hintz.

It’s DeFlorian’s third career win in Pro Stock, and gives him incredible momentum for the rest of the 2013 X-DRL season.

“This is unbelievable stuff. It’s what dreams are made of. I never thought I would have the opportunity to do this,” DeFlorian said. “I have to thank Karen and Kevin Bealko and I’m so grateful for our team. If it wasn’t for all of them, I wouldn’t be here.

“This is tough territory and I knew it would be a challenge. I’m just thankful and very happy.”

In his Black Diamond Motorsports Camaro built by Jerry Haas Race Cars and powered by Sonny’s Racing Engines, DeFlorian caught a break in the semifinals when Dean Goforth left before the tree was activated. He responded with a solid run in the finals against Hintz.

“It was an extremely challenging weekend. We were really fighting the weather, and the wind was blowing so hard you really had to fight the car. When moments like these come around, you just have to savor it,” DeFlorian said.

Dan Stevenson was a step ahead of everyone in X-treme Pro Modified, finishing off his wire-to-wire weekend on top with a 3.907 at 193.60 mph in the finals against Kevin Rivenbark.

Stevenson, who termed this season the “2013 No Excuses Tour” in the winner’s circle, qualified in the No. 1 spot with a 3.938 and continued to pick up throughout eliminations on Sunday. His topped it off with a weekend-best run in the finals, earning a thrilling conclusion to a rewarding weekend.

“This is a dream come true. We were the low qualifier, had the top speed and won. It can’t get any better than that,” Stevenson said. “The guys just busted their butts and with Charles (Carpenter) as the crew chief, things are just clicking.

“The car was just running really well. The guys at Reher-Morrison did a great job with the new engines. There’s way more left in it.”

Bob Gulitti became the first-ever winner in Mickey Thompson Top Sportsman, as his 4.40 at 148.76 mph was enough to get past Josh Vettel, who got loose almost immediately.

Gulitti had strong reaction times of .016 and .019 to reach the final, and was consistently in the mid-4.30s to take home the historic win in the class sponsored by Mickey Thompson.

“To win at the inaugural event, it’s just phenomenal. We’ve been looking forward to this since December. We’re on a little roll right now and it feels good,” Gulitti said.

Top Dragster proved to be a huge hit, with 24 cars putting in qualifying passes. In the end, it was Bob Henry who picked up the first TD championship, going 4.362 at 159.27 mph to pull off the upset against No. 1 qualifier Michael Kile.

Kile picked the worst time for a red light and Henry, who ran as quick as 4.316 in eliminations, gladly took advantage.

“This hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Henry said. “This was a very tough field and we got some breaks, but we kept improving. The track was awesome all weekend and the X-DRL is here to stay. It’s going to keep getting better and better.”

In Pro Junior Dragster, No. 1 qualifier Bethany Crick went 7.86 at 82.89 mph to knock off Kalee Mills in the finals. The next race in the X-DRL’s inaugural 2013 takes place April 26-27 with X-DRL Thunder Valley Madness at historic Bristol Dragway.

Pro Junior Dragster -- Bethany Crick, Halfscale, 7.861, 82.89 def. Kalee Mills, Motiavatio, 7.857, 81.54.

SUNDAY FINAL QUALIFYING -

SATURDAY QUALIFYING - PESZ, RAHAIM LEAD FIRST DAY OF X-TRL QUALIFYING

X-DRL Debuts With Action-Packed Qualifying Session During Spring Nationals At Tulsa Raceway Park
 
Brandon Pesz had the biggest highlight during the debut of the new X-treme Drag Racing League (X-DRL) on Saturday.

The X-DRL opened its inaugural 2013 season in fine fashion with the Spring Nationals at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park, as Saturday's action featured three rounds of qualifying in front of a large Tulsa crowd.

Pesz delivered the quickest run, going 3.739 at 203.28 to take the top spot in Pro X-treme.

“We’ll see some fast numbers (on Sunday), but as long as we can get from A to B, we should be good,” Pesz said. “It was headed for a run in the 3.60s on that lap, but I had to pedal it once. It hooked back up and went on through.”

Other top qualifiers included Bob Rahaim (Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous), Eric Dillard (Precision Turbo & Engine Pro Turbo), John DeFlorian (X-treme Pro Stock), Dan Stevenson (X-treme Pro Mod), Michael Kile (Top Dragster) and Jim Sackuvich (Mickey Thompson Top Sportsman).

The fourth and final qualifying round for professional classes (Pro X-treme, Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, Precision Turbo & Engine Pro Turbo, X-treme Pro Stock and X-treme Pro Mod) takes place on Sunday at 10 a.m. with eliminations to follow. Top Dragster will go directly into eliminations on Sunday morning.

Pesz nearly topped himself under the lights on the third qualifying session, but shook late in the run. Duane Rister is qualified No. 2 with a 3.741 and Eric Clark is right behind with a 3.744 in Pro X-treme.

“It was on a 3.65 lap, at least, and I probably stayed in it a little longer than I should have. We’ll go for it again (Sunday),” Pesz said. “There’s a lot of guys capable of running in the 3.60s.”

Driving the car of customer and turbo standout Jose Gonzalez, Eric Dillard of Pro Line Racing turned in a thrilling debut in the new Precision Turbo & Engine Pro Turbo class.

Dillard set a career-best right off the trailer with a 3.83, but topped it under the lights with an incredible pass, running a 3.807 at 208.42 mph, much to the delight of the Tulsa fans.

“This is a really good car and a really good team, and we’ve got complete control of the car right now,” Dillard said. “On a run like that, you can feel the difference, especially the mph. Just picking up 2-4 mph, you can really tell the difference. This just worked out perfectly.”

The new, all-turbo class drew rave reviews and delivered some of the best action on Saturday. Dillard topped everyone with his spectacular run, nearly becoming the first turbo driver to get into the elusive 3.70s in the eighth-mile.

“This is real exciting. We’re here to support the class and we’re glad the turbos have a class to race,” Dillard said. “We really want that 3.70 and we’ve really worked hard to get there. We’re headed in the right direction, that’s for sure.

“Jose is extremely excited and this is huge for us. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be here.”

Bob Rahaim won a Pro Nitrous championship a year ago, and his 2013 got off to a great start in the X-DRL with a strong 3.841 at 195.82 mph to jump into the top spot in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous.

“The car had a really good tune-up and just needed some power. The track was stout and the guys just threw the kitchen sink at it,” Rahaim said. “We’re working on a lot of new stuff and we just needed some more power.”

Rahaim, debuting a new Jerry Bickel Race Cars Camaro, took the top spot in the second session with a 3.911, but Jim Laurita momentarily bumped him with a 3.859 at 195 mph under the lights. Moments later, Rahaim delivered his best pass of the day, giving him back-to-back strong runs.

“I just want to go out and have a car run fast. It’s exciting to have a run like that,” Rahaim said.

After making his Pro Stock debut in 2012, John DeFlorian’s hot streak continued to his X-DRL debut on Saturday, as he ran an impressive 4.049 at 178.40 mph. The run came right off the trailer, putting the Jerry Haas Race Cars-built Black Diamond Motorsports Camaro in prime position for the rest of the weekend.

“It’s really nice to come out and put together a run like that. That was absolutely fantastic,” DeFlorian said. “Everything was good, the track was good and the conditions were there, too. It allowed us to try some things in qualifying as well. We found some things to work with and see how the car would react, and I think we found some things.”

Cary Goforth is currently second with a 4.065, while Pete Berner’s 4.077 at 176 mph has him in third.

The solid start to his X-DRL career also provided some extra assurance for DeFlorian, whose car is powered by Sonny’s Racing Engines, heading into his sophomore season in Pro Stock.

“You’re off 4-5 months over the winter and you’re just hoping you can pick up where you left off. We started to show a lot of consistency in the program last year and to roll out and run like this, it’s a huge thing,” DeFlorian said.

“The consistency is showing up and all the work is paying off. The cars in this class are so competitive and it’s impressive how tough this class really is.”

Dan Stevenson was the first driver to the 3.90s in the X-treme Pro Mod class and he ended up as the No. 1 qualifier as well, running a strong 3.938 at 190.14 mph. Keith Haney jumped into the No. 2 spot on his final hit with a solid 3.976 at 186.18 mph. Rookie T.J. Tindle also jumped into the mix on his final Saturday pass, going 3.981 at 186.28 mph.

The Top Dragster class had a massive turnout at the debut X-DRL event, as 24 cars made up the first-ever field on Saturday, setting up a 32-car qualifying field for eliminations.

Michael Kile was the dominant driver all day, and became the first 3-second driver in the X-DRL class, posting an impressive 3.977 at 183.12 mph to earn the No. 1 qualifier spot. Tyler Brown nearly got there, running a 4.00 while Don Aydelott had a 4.06 at 174.82 mph.

In all, 14 drivers ran in the 4.20s or quicker, setting a solid pace in the class.

In the Mickey Thompson Top Sportsman class, Jim Sackuvich easily earned the top spot, running a strong 4.118 at 176.10 mph. That’s a big edge over No. 2 qualifier Mitch Withers and his 4.269 at 165 mph, while Bob Gulitti’s 4.346 at 168.39 is in third heading into eliminations.

Bethany Crick is the current No. 1 qualifier in Pro Junior Dragster, running 7.904 at 83.71 mph.


Saturday's results after qualifying for the X-DRL Spring Nationals at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park, First of 9 events in the 2013 X-Treme Drag Racing League.  Qualifying will continue Sunday for final eliminations.

Pro X-Treme -- 1. Brandon Pesz, Chevy Corvette, 3.739, 203.65; 2. Duane Rister, Chevy Camaro, 3.741, 200.29; 3. Eric Clark, Ford Mustang, 3.744, 200.59; 4. Terry Leggett, Mustang, 3.750, 201.58; 5. Quain Stott, Corvette, 3.817, 196.64; 6. Eddie Rogers, Corvette, 3.886, 189.42; 7. Todd Martin, Mustang, 3.902, 193.77; 8. Mike Recchia, Camaro, 3.949, 189.76; 9. Jay Diedrich, Camaro, 3.967, 164.31; 10. Shawn Jones, Plymouth Duster, 4.032, 165.74; 11. Don Wootton, Camaro, 4.049, 192.06; 12. Randell Reid, Chevy Belair, 4.122, 147.70; 13. Tim Tindle, Corvette, 4.151, 140.91; 14. Jon Stouffer, Dodge Barracuda, 4.197, 129.49; 15. Todd Tutterow, Mustang, 4.222, 142.39; 16. Neal Wantye, Mustang, 5.462, 87.10.

Pro Nitrous -- 1. Bob Rahaim, Chevy Camaro, 3.841, 195.82; 2. Jim Laurita, Camaro, 3.859, 195.62; 3. Ron Muenks, Camaro, 4.033, 180.28; 4. Jeff Naiser, Camaro, 4.071, 162.35; 5. Blake Housley, Chevy Corvette, 4.477, 123.31; 6. Bill Glidden, Ford Mustang, 4.614, 121.98; 7. Joshua Vettel, Camaro, 8.756, 68.56.

Pro Turbo -- 1. Eric Dillard, Chevy Camaro, 3.807, 208.42; 2. Todd Moyer, Chevy Corvette, 3.955, 198.99; 3. Mike Murillo, Camaro, 4.001, 197.83; 4. Steve Matusek, Ford Mustang, 4.011, 195.08; 5. Dennis Sugrue, Chevy Cavalier, 4.386, 136.47; 6. David Hance, Chevy Belair, 4.394, 187.29.

X-Treme Pro Stock -- 1. John Deflorian Jr., Chevy Camaro, 4.049, 178.40; 2. Cary Goforth, Pontiac GXP, 4.065, 177.91; 3. Pete Berner, Camaro, 4.077, 176.77; 4. Dean Goforth, GXP, 4.082, 176.95; 5. Todd Hoerner, Camaro, 4.098, 177.09; 6. Doug Kirk, Ford Mustang, 4.116, 175.82; 7. Kevin Bealko, GXP, 4.131, 175.55; 8. Scott Hintz, Mustang, 4.134, 176.14; 9. Greg Lair, Camaro, 4.275, 166.83; 10. Rick Cowger, Chevy Cobalt, 4.734, 114.97.

X-Treme Pro Mod -- 1. Dan Stevenson, Chevy Camaro, 3.938, 190.14; 2. Keith Haney, Camaro, 3.954, 187.73; 3. T.J. Tindle, Ford Mustang, 3.981, 186.28; 4. Kevin Rivenbark, Pontiac Firebird, 3.993, 185.43; 5. Jeffrey Cummins Jr, Camaro, 4.011, 188.81; 6. Monroe Guest, Camaro, 4.041, 185.84.

Top Dragster -- 1. Michael Kile, Spitzer, 3.977, 183.12; 2. Tyler Brown, Monden, 4.000, no speed; 3. Don Aydelott, Mandon, 4.062, 174.82; 4. Coby Jones, Allen, 4.076, 178.31; 5. Dustin Thompson, Monden, 4.089, 174.28; 6. Larry Eidson, TNT, 4.091, 176.49; 7. Bradley Thompson, Monden, 4.102, 178.90; 8. Jerry Holt, TNT, 4.136, 174.89; 9. Scott Barker, American, 4.154, 169.81; 10. Mallori Rodgers, Monden, 4.163, 170.19; 11. Matt Driskell, Mullis, 4.222, 166.09; 12. Wade Pennington, Monden, 4.266, 168.79; 13. Jeremy Maples, Mullis, 4.282, 162.45; 14. Darrell Reid, TNT, 4.284, 166.66; 15. Bob Henry, RaceTech, 4.316, 162.51; 16. John Lobner, Mullis, 4.354, 159.72; 17. Cody Moore, TNT, 4.360, 157.71; 18. J R Lobner, Mullis, 4.365, 160.42; 19. Mike Secrest, White, 4.370, 159.34; 20. Danny Nelson, RaceCraft, 4.381, 159.27; 21. Steve Beeny, BOS, 4.459, 154.78; 22. Kyle Lawrence, Mullis, 4.552, 155.27; 23. Rick Wilson, Sherrill, 4.783, 144.07; 24. Kyle Dvorak, Spitzer, 7.507, 63.03.
 
Top Sportsman -- 1. Jim Sackuvich, Chevy Camaro, 4.118, 176.10; 2. Mitch Withers, Pontiac GTO, 4.269, 166.11; 3. Bob Gulitti, Camaro, 4.346, 168.39; 4. Jerry Holt, Camaro, 4.351, 162.06; 5. Josha Vettel, Camaro, 4.353, 163.22; 6. Rick Wilson, Camaro, 4.397, 160.21; 7. Gary Jance, Pontiac GXP, 4.486, 157.14; 8. Kirk Piepke, GTO, 4.540, 155.45; 9. Stewart Jophnson, GTO, 4.626, 153.72; 10. Randell Reid, Pontiac Grand Am, 5.463, 92.16; 11. David Hance, Ford Mustang, 6.344, 73.96.

Pro Junior Dragster -- 1. Bethany Crick, Halfscale, 7.904, no speed; 2. Jimmy Sackuvich, Halfscale, 7.906, 83.09; 3. Kalee Mills, Motiavatio, 7.909, 82.11; 4. Tia Tutterow, Halfscale, 7.915, 81.39; 5. Brandon Rudd, BOS, 7.917, 82.81; 6. Griffin Rider, Halfscale, 7.921, 81.87; 7. Jackson Core, Jr.RaceCar, 7.928, 81.79; 8. Mitchell Seymore, Halfscale, 7.932, 82.91; 9. Summer Brixey, Motaviatio, 7.937, 81.09; 10. Andrew Green, BOS, 7.944, 81.46; 11. Morgan Torres, Halfscale, 7.949, 83.52; 12. Nicki Little, Quick Kids, 7.957, 82.95; 13. James Evans, Motivation, 7.961, 79.16; 14. Allison Wood, M/T, 7.971, 82.98; 15. Shelbi Wiggins, Halfscale, 7.974, 82.87; 16. Kyla Hubbard, Hardin, 7.984, 82.46.  Not Qualified: 17. Andrew Withers, 7.987, 79.91; 18. Codie Nye, 8.002, 81.86; 19. Renee Rhinefort, 8.617, 74.95.

SESSION TWO

SESSION ONE