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ADRL Drag Illustrated Dragpalooza IV - Pro Extreme
Text by Danny White
It was feast of famine in qualifying for the Pro Extreme field at the Drag Illustrated Dragpalooza IV at Houston Raceway in Baytown. Jason Scruggs again was the number one qualifier with a tire hazing 3.768 205.47 in the Scruggs Family 63 Corvette. Bubba Stanton was number two with a 3.858 197.88 in the Widowmaker Corvette of Roger Henson. Billy Harper would have been number three with his 3.92, but he withdrew from PX. The third spot was gathered by Wesley Jones also out of Mississippi with a wild 3.943 191.38 out of his steel bodied Camaro.
Other notable qualifiers were Michael Neal and Gene Hector who both ran their first ever threes. Neal ran a 3.980 in his Lumina and Hector ran a 3.983 in his small block Corvette. Steve Wiley also ran his best ever of 4.098 178.02 in the Texas Bounty Hunter. Bill Doucet landed on the bump with a 4.469 175.23 in his blown Corvette. Making their ADRL debuts were Billy Gibson, Bill Doucet, and Shawn Davis. The alternates were Jerry Hicks, Shawn Davis, Frankie Taylor and Don Wooton.
Jason Scruggs began eliminations with a 3.864 to beat the distant 4.594 120.27 of Bill Doucet. Travis Swearingen won his first round race 4.332 157.64 to beat the alternate for Thomas Patterson Shawn Davis. Davis ran 4.469 147.60 and crossed the centerline. Steve Wiley ran his best ever again of 4.062 179.83 to beat Wes Johnston who hit the wall and limped down the track at an angle. Gene Hector ran a 3.978 183.82 to beat Joe Baker's 4.086 191.86.
Hugh Scott won the next race with an off-pace 4.730 129.00 to beat Wesley Jones' pedaling 5.057 100.94. Mike Neal won the race in spite of a major oil spill with a 4.717 108.99 over the alternate for Chris Smith, Don Wooten. Wooton struggled to a 9.465 50.39. Josh Hernandez beat Gaylen Smith 3.948 191.89 to the 4.101 137.90 of Smith. Billy Gibson could not get the new Headhunter Superbird to crank allowing Bubba Stanton to single to a5.816 121.79
Travis Swearingen took down Jason Scruggs to begin the first round 4.08 167.76 to 4.199 178.78. Josh Hernandez's 3.906 193.07 beat Mike Neal's 4.098 175.08. Bubba Stanton red lighted away a 4.372 169.20 allowing the 6.591 73.41 of Steve Wiley to advance to the semi-finals. In a strange non-race next Hugh Scott was broke and could race, but Gene Hector broke on the burnout. Thankful for Hector and ADRL liberal rules he was allowed to continue into the semis.
Swearingen ran his best of the weekend 4.002 176.40 but it was not enough to beat Hernandez's 3.959 190.46 to begin the semi-finals. Steve Wiley's 5.745 103.95 got around Gene Hector's 5.710 89.45 on a holeshot to gain the spot in the final.
In the finals Josh Hernandez ran another four with a 3.963 191.57 to beat the 4.409 163.93 of Steve Wiley.
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