ADRL Flowmaster World Finals
By Danny and Gena White
The first round of qualifying for the ADRL Flowmaster Get Work Comp.com World Finals began Friday night with the Battle of the Belts first round. The highlight was Bubba Stanton running 3.897 at 186.95 in the Henson Motorsports Widowmaker Corvette for the number one spot. The run made Stanton the second quickest ever in ADRL history behind Jason Scruggs. The run was the only three second run in the first round of qualifying. Scruggs ended up in the number 15 position with a shut off 4.34. Travis Swearingen got into the field with a strong 4.024 at 178.33. Dewayne Watkins also made a strong run, as did Texans Frankie Taylor, Jeremy Brown, and Bobby Booth. Eddie Ware scraped the wall with no major damage on a 4.075 shot. Mike Neal split a block in the Stroud Racing Stude but got a 4.161 out of the family’s Lumina.
The first round of qualifying follows.
1. 3.897, 186.95 Bubba Stanton
2. 4.024, 178.33 Travis Swearingen
3. 4.034, 180.53 Josh Hernandez
4. 4.034, 183.10 Frankie Taylor
5. 4.051, 183.87 John Lyman
6. 4.075, 170.06 Dwayne Watkins
7. 4.062, 162.57 Joey Martin
8. 4.075, 162.39 Eddie Ware
9. 4.079, 173.92 Brian Daniels
10. 4.097, 175.14 Joe Baker
11. 4.106, 171.95 Bil Clanton
12. 4.133, 164.55 Jeremy Brown
13. 4.140, 153.89 Bobby Booth
14. 4.161, 156.05 Mike Neal
15. 4.343, 123.54 Jason Scruggs
16. 4.394, 142.90 Bill Kuhlman
Not Qualified:
17. 4.410, 137.37 Bernie McDonald
18. 4.466, 129.74 Gaylen Smith
19. 4.598, 111.54 Hugh Scott
20. 4.769, 111.08 Brandon Pesz
21. 5.081, 105.94 Greg Holt
22. 5.160, 85.71 Ron Stokes
23. 6.806, 76.43 Troy Critchley
24. 9.171, 46.24 Jerry Hicks
25. 9.317, 46.44 Chris Smith
26. 10.419, 39.64 Wes Johnston
27. 27.124, 63.68 Kelly Martin
In the second round of qualifying, Bil Clinton, Dewayne Watkins, and John Lyman all made good runs. Bobby Booth almost ran his first three with a 4.004. Kelly Martin stepped up from the last spot with his best ever with a 4.03. Brandon Pesz made the wildest run of the round, running 4.045 with no chutes. He got it stopped and around the curve, Kennedale Eddie Ware ran 4.047 on a straight run. TOPMA racers Bobby Booth, Frankie Taylor, Jeremy Brown, and Chris Smith made the field. The surprise DNQ was Jason Scruggs, who could run no quicker than 4.24 in official qualifying. Scruggs did run 3.90 in testing on Friday and Saturday!
Other surprise DNQs were Mike Neal and Troy Critchley. Racers who ran good times in testing were Jerry Hicks with a 4.03 and Joe Baker with a 4.04. Greg Holt was driving the Low Mad for Tony Russell this weekend, but had nothing but trouble. Wes Johnston ran in the teens, but fell short of the 16th spot. The rest of the DNQ drivers had their own problems like Kuhlman’s evil nitro Corvette, which suffered tire shake. In fact, most of the crossed up and/or shut off runs resulted from tire shake.
Final qualifying was as follows:
1. 3.897, 186.95 Bubba Stanton
2. 3.952, 180.26 Bil Clinton
3. 3.960, 188.57 Josh Hernandez
4. 3.987, 180.04 Dewayne Watkins
5. 3.991, 186.50 John Lyman
6. 4.004, 178.42 Bobby Booth
7. 4.024, 178.33 Travis Swearingen
8. 4.034, 183.10 Frankie Taylor
9. 4.039, 186.20 Kelly Martin
10. 4.045, 184.22 Brandon Pesz
11.-4.047, 178.17 Brian Daniels
12. 4.047, 183.67 Eddie Ware
13. 4.061, 177.25 Jeremy Brown
14. 4.061, 175.67 Chris Smith
15. 4.062, 162.57 Joey Martin
16. 4.079, 175.00 Hugh Scott
DNQs:
17. 4.097, 175.14 Joe Baker
18. 4.161, 156.05 Mike Neal
19. 4.19, No MPH Wes Johnston
20. 4.24, No MPH Jason Scruggs
21. 4.394, 142.90 Bill Kuhlman
22. 4.410, 137.37 Bernie McDonald
23. 4.466, 129.74 Gaylen Smith
24. 4.66, No MPH Jeff Balton
25. 5.081, 105.94 Greg Holt
26. 5.160, 85.71 Ron Stokes
27. 6.806, 76.43 Troy Critchley
28. 9.171, 46.24 Jerry Hicks
The first round of the ADRL Flowmaster Get Work Comp.com World Finals began with Bubba Stanton taking a shut off 7.36, 89.05 run in the Widowmaker after he blazed the tires. Stanton’s opponent Hugh Scott was shut off on the line with problems. Kelly Martin put away Frankie Taylor with a 4.051, 186.96 to Taylor’s crossed-up 4.748, 116. Dewayne Watkins took a 5.547, 85.51 win when Jeremy Brown broke a mag drive in the Twisted Lemon Corvette. John Lyman ran low ET of the round with a 3.916, 187.47 win over Eddie Ware’s 4.008, 183.63.
Joey Martin ran his best of the weekend with a 3.949, 183.79 in the Tindal Mustang to Bil Clinton's 4.046, 175.69. Brandon Pesz took his Vette to a 4.049, 171.21 over Travis Swearingen’s 4.071, 172. Josh Hernandez ran another three with a 3.994, 189.90 to beat the shaking 7.593, 67.22 of Chris Smith. Bobby Booth ended the first round with a 4.006, 177.77 win over Brian Daniels who was close with a 4.041, 177.
Round One
W 7.35 89.05 Stanton
L Broke Scott
W 4.051, 186.96 K. Martin
L 4.748, 116.50 Taylor
W 5.547, 85.51 Watkins
L Broke Brown
W 3.916, 187.47 Lyman
L 4.008, 183.62 Ware
W 3.949, 183.79 J. Martin
L 4.046, 175.62 Clinton
W 4.049, 178.21 Pesz
L 4.071, 172.00 Swearingen
W 3.994, 189.90 Hernandez
L 7.593, 67.22 C. Smith
W 4.006, 177.77 Booth
L 4.041, 177.00 Daniels
The first round ended when the rains returned to Texas Raceway. Not only was Saturday washed out, but Sunday was as well. Kenny Nowling called the race off for the year, thus ending the ADRL Flowmaster Get Work Comp.com World Finals and the final ADRL action of the year.
Danny and Gena White
