"Battle for the Belts" will determine ADRL champs
(10-14-2005) KENNEDALE, TX - Fridays at FLOWMASTER American Drag Racing League events are usually reserved for open testing and grudge racing, with nothing more at stake for the drivers than shaking out any lingering gremlins before Saturday's action begins. That will all change this weekend at Texas Raceway, however.
For 16 drivers, Friday evening's "Battle for the Belts" competition at the GetWorkComp.com Lonestar Fall Drags presented by Pinnacle Business Solutions will represent some of the most important runs they've ever taken in their Outlaw Pro Mod cars. Those 16, divided into eight-car fields for Pro Extreme and Pro Nitrous competition, will battle over three rounds of eliminations on Friday evening to determine the 2005 FLOWMASTER ADRL champions.
The two eight-car FLOWMASTER ADRL championship fields were determined by points earned during the first five events of the season, which began in February in Hattiesburg, Miss. In Pro Extreme, John Lynam (1,737 points) and Bil Clanton (1,227) were the leaders, winning three of the five events between them, while Shannon Jenkins (1,830) and Johnny Pilcher (1,230) were the toughest Pro Nitrous competitors. Jenkins won three of the five Pro Nitrous events, including the DRAGSTOCK II title earlier this month in Jackson, S.C.
On Saturday, the Lonestar Fall Drags will feature a new twist on the ADRL's unique team-vs.-team concept. A competition between 11-man teams representing the state of Texas and non-Texans will compete over three rounds on Saturday, with one point being awarded for every head-to-head win. In the previous three ADRL team events, the 11-man squads were divided into FLOWMASTER Outlaws and AMS All-stars.
Following is a list of the scheduled first-round matchups for Friday's ADRL championships (qualifying spot in parentheses):
Pro Extreme
(1) John Lynam vs. (8) Todd Bauknecht
(2) Bil Clanton vs. (7) Joshua Hernandez
(3) Mike Neal vs. (6) Herman Sheppard
(4) Michael Neal vs. (5) Quain Stott
Pro Nitrous
(1) Shannon Jenkins vs. (8) Rex Kelley
(2) Johnny Pilcher vs. (7) Rickie Smith
(3) Keith Baker vs. (6) Charles Carpenter
(4) Dan Parker vs. (5) James Hancock
Photos courtesy of CompetitionPlus.Com
