Schumacher, Medlen and Anderson Top Pro Qulaifiers at the NHRA POWERade Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals presented by Castrol

Tony Schumacher is #1 in Top Fuel (4.459 @ 330.96), Eric Medlen is #1 in Funny Car (4.707 @ 321.96) and Greg Anderson is #1 in Pro Stock (6.671 @ 206.83).

Georgia Notes:
Bob Vandergriff ( Alpharetta, GA) qualified #14 in his UPS Top Fueler (4.572 @ 324.36).

Whit Bazemore qualified #11 in Funny Car (4.780 @ 318.62).

Warren Johnson is #11 in Pro Stock with a 6.716 at a track record 207.08 mph.
Kurt Johnson is #14 at 6.723 @ 206.73.

NHRA Recap

Schumacher, Medlen and Enders Lead Pro Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals presented by Castrol

NHRA Recap

Pro Mod History at SGMP

by Marvin T. Smith

Racers made history in the Pro Modified category at South Georgia
Motorsports Park February 17-19. The ADRL staged their season opening
event and attracted the largest field of Pro Mods in history. Over 70 cars
came through the gates to battle in the eighth mile in Pro Extreme for
unlimited outlaw Pro Mods and Pro Nitrous for Nitrous Oxide equipped Pro
Mods. The original plan was to have a sixteen car field in Pro Extreme and
an eight car field in Pro Nitrous, but the huge turnout prompted ADRL
president Kenny Nowling to expand the nitrous field to sixteen cars. There
was also a special 10.5 exhibition race.

Friday was limited to test runs. One of the first racers down the track,
Quain Stott, ripped off a fine 3.950 at 186 to show that the track was
ready. Later in the afternoon, Jason Scruggs blasted to Pro Mod history
when he ran 3.937 at the fastest doorslammer speed ever
recorded: 192.91. He returned later in the afternoon to rock the world
with a 3.902 at 194.74. In the other lane, Bil Clanton ran an outstanding
3.925 182 to lose! This was the first side by side three second race
recorded for the ADRL if not the world. Other outstanding runs posted in
the Pro Extreme class included a 3.938 at 188.02 by John Lynam and a 3.982
185.51 by Todd Tutterow. Tutterow's run was historic as the first 3 second
run on DOT tires. But on Saturday, it got even better!

Saturday was the official qualifying for the event and the opportunity to
set the official ADRL records. Two qualifying passes would set up the
evening eliminations. In the Pro Nitrous category, Shannon Jenkins ran
under the ADRL record with a 4.005 at 186.00. The final sixteen car
field ranged from Jenkins' 4.005 to Ken Thomas' 4.224. Mike Castellana,
Burton Auxier, and Randy Weatherford were all in the 4.0s

In Pro Extreme, Jason Scruggs put down an unworldly 3.893 at 192.96 for the
number one spot and a place in the history books as the first car in the
3.8s. He failed to back up his outstanding time for the ADRL record during
qualifying. Even more amazing was the fact that Scruggs was not in the
show after his first attempt, but still let it all hang out on his last
effort. Bil Clanton (3.939) was second, followed by Phil Osborne (3.947),
Josh Hernandez (3.955), Quain Stott (3.966), Frankie Taylor (3.974), Danny
Rowe (3.977), Bennie McDonald (3.978), Toney Russell (3.983) in the world's
quickest station wagon, Chip King (3.984), Todd Tutterow (3.986), Mike Neal
(3.989), Eddie Ware (3.994), Joey Martin (3.997), Thomas Patterson (4.002),
and Doug Palmer (4.021) for what surely must be the quickest sixteen car
Pro Mod field ever. Notably, 2005 Series Champion John Lynam failed to put
down a good pass to qualify after running a low 3.9 on Friday.

In Pro Nitrous eliminations round one, Shannon Jenkins ran an historic
"first in the threes" for an eighth mile track with a 3.992 185.66 to
officially set the ADRL Pro Nitrous record. The crowd went wild! Other
first round winners included Randy Weatherford (4.06), Jason Hancock III
(4.17), Harold Martin, Terry Housley (4.13), Burton Auxier (4.055), Kenny
Rucker (4.24), and Rickie Smith (4.09).

Pro Extreme was up next. Toney Russell took out Bennie McDonald with a
4.09 and Danny Rowe took out Chip King with a 4.12. Then the rains
came! The remainder of the eliminations was postponed until Sunday afternoon.

Sunday was a very different day. Atmospheric conditions were a reported to
be 400-700 feet below sea level with temperatures in the 50s. It was
cloudy, so there was little heat in the track. Many racers had trouble
figuring out the conditions. Upsets abounded.

In Pro Extreme round one action (continued from Saturday night), Todd
Tutterow, still on street tires, ran 3.956 188.52 to beat Frankie Taylor
(4.11). Mike Neal (4.05) beat Quain Stott on a massive holeshot when Stott
ran a better 4.03 but was very late. Josh Hernandez ran the best Sunday
time at 3.913 189.28 to beat a troubled Eddie Ware. Hugh Scott, inserted
as an alternate, (6.007) beat Joey Martin's even more troubled run. Thomas
Patterson (4.25) beat Bil Clanton (5.04), and Jason Scruggs took an 11
second win when Doug Palmer fouled. Palmer also hit the wall hard on this
run and destroyed one of the most beautiful paint jobs in drag
racing. Luckily, Doug was not injured.

In Pro Extreme round two, Scruggs (7.48) beat a fouling Russell, Patterson
(9.93) beat a fouling Danny Rowe, Todd Tutterow continued to show his
mastery of the DOT tire with a fine 3.957 186 thumping of Hugh Scott (7.08)
and Mike Neal ran a holeshot-aided 3.987 to beat the quicker 3.960 of Josh
Hernandez.

Pro Extreme semifinals saw Neal (4.05) beat Scruggs (4.14) and Patterson
(4.32) beat a breaking Tutterow. In the final, Neal ran a nice 4.09 173 to
beat Thomas Patterson's slowing 4.63 120.

Pro Nitrous round two action saw Rucker beat Hancock III, Housley beat
Weatherford, Martin beat Auxier, and Rickie Smith upset Shannon
Jenkins. Low et of the round went to Trickie Rickie Smith at 4.117
179.66. In the semifinals, Martin beat Rucker and Smith beat
Housley. Smith again had the best time of the round with a 4.165 178.33 to
be the final round favorite. In the final, Harold Martin streaked to a
4.21 174 to beat Smith's troubled 5.48 91mph.

In the Outlaw 10.5 exhibition race, a seven car field boiled down to Jack
Barfield beating Marcus Birt 4.587 157 to Birt's toubled 6.23. Birt had
earlier run a fine 4.498 162.74 in the semifinals for low elapsed time of
eliminations. Number one qualifier was the beautiful Camaro of Steve Kirk,
Jr.

In regular bracket action, Chris Bennett beat Bruce Mouat for Super Pro
honors when Mouat left 0.001 seconds too soon, and Frankie Bishop took home
Pro in his new jeep over Kenny Bevins. Bishop's reaction time in the final
was a fine .010.

This was the largest Pro Mod race ever held, and probably the biggest event
in South Georgia Motorsports Park history. Stay tuned for the ESTN event
in March.

Photos

New ADRL Photos From SGMP

New Marvin T. Smith ADRL photos from SGMP here!

ADRL at SGMP

by Marvin T. Smith

In a race filled with upsets, Pro Extreme number 12 qualifier Mike Neal driving Don Stoud's Stude beat Thomas Patterson in the final, 4.09 to a troubled 4.63. Best run for today was Josh Hernandez' fine 3.913 189.28. Also impressive was a fine 3.956 188.52 by Todd Tutterow on DOT legal street tires (well, they do have a couple of grooves).

In Pro Nitrous, favorite Shannon Jenkins went out in round two. With air conditions at 400-700 feet below sea level and temperatures in the 50s, many drivers had problems making consistent passes. In the finals, nice guy Harold Martin beat Rickie Smith, 4.219 174 to Smith's troubled 5.48 91mph. Low ET for Sunday was 4.117 by Rickie Smith.

Jack Barfield of Pembroke, Ga, beat Marcus Birt of Gray, Ga 4.58 157 to a troubled 6.23 in the special Outlaw 10.5 exhibition race. Birt had earlier run a fantastic 4.498 at 162.74.

In bracket action, Chris Bennett won Super Pro and Frankie Bishop won Pro.

Pro Modified History was made Saturday at South Georgia Motorsports Park

by Marvin T. Smith

If you were lucky enough to be there, you saw some of the most incredible runs ever recorded on the eighth mile. Major barriers were smashed as racers hit all time bests.

In Pro Extreme, Jason Scruggs was attempting to improve on his Friday run of 3.902 194.74. On his first of two qualifying attempts on Saturday, he was forced to shut down. Not being in the field did not bother Scruggs in the least, as he blasted to a "shot heard round the world" 3.893 at 192.96. Records could only be set on Saturday during the event, so this one will need to be backed up in a later round. This was the first ADRL Pro Extreme run in the 3.8s, and the crowd went wild!

In Pro Nitrous qualifying, Shannon Jenkins ran a 4.005 at 186.00 to better both ends of the ADRL record. He had set the record last May at SGMP at 4.007 184.42. But the best was to come later in Round One of eliminations, when Jenkins blasted to an unworldly 3.992 at 185.66 to become the first eighth mile nitrous racer in the 3s. Again, the appreciative crowd went wild! I assume that the backups are in place and the new records are 3.992 186.00. Can Jenkins better these marks later in the event???

Qualifying produced a Pro Extreme sixteen car field with a bump spot of 4.021. Fourteen of the cars were in the 3 second zone. After Scrugg's 3.98, Georgians Bil Clanton ran a 3.93 for second spot, Bennie McDonald ran a career best 3.978 for eighth, and Eddie Ware ran a thirteenth place 3.994. Georgia cars are in the hunt! 36 Pro Extreme cars made qualifying attempts.

The Pro Nitrous field was expanded from eight to sixteen cars when 26 cars attempted to qualify. The bump spot was a 4.224. No Georgia cars made the tough field, but Jerry Bridgforth, Dan Parker, ClarenceCloud, and Doug Patton made strong efforts.

Was this the biggest Pro Mod race ever held? Without a doubt it was. 62 cars made qualifying attempts on Saturday, but even more cars were present. Some broke on Friday, and were unable to run on Saturday. No one seems to know exactly how many cars were on hand, but I heard numbers ranging from 74 to 84 mentioned in the tower.

Now the bad news. Rain came in the middle of Round One and the event has been postponed until Sunday. If you missed the race on Saturday, you can still catch most of the eliminations beginning at noon. BE THERE.

Photos