ADRL Quarter Max Memphis Drags: Extreme 10.5

Photos by Gena White ~ Text by Danny White

Billy Glidden again was the number qualifier in Memphis with his killer small block Grand Am from Indiana. Glidden took the number spot from Jeff Naiser in the final session with a 4.087 176 run.  The 404 c.i. Glidden built Ford took down Danny Shemwell in the first round 4.084 177.16 to 4.85 150. Glidden beat Moyer 4.079 to 4.10 in the race of the night.

Jeff Naiser shook up the Extreme 10.5 field with his 4.092 177.93 run that was number one until the final session.  The Richard Otwell owned Grand Am features a 618 Naiser built engine.The Texas based racer soundly beat fellow Texan H.T. Wilson in the first round 4.09 to 5.64. Jeff Naiser ran a 4.113 176.72 to beat Grant McCrary and his 5.266 107.81.  

Jake Carlton came out of nowhere it seems at Baytown to take the runner up spot. Carlton had the assistance of Hank Hill and engine builder Kris Nelson to race the 787 c.i. Pontiac Grnad Am. Carlton ran 4.162 176.48 for the sixth spot in Memphis. Carlton beat Kneese in the first round 4.19 to 4.29. Carlton backed that win with a 4.15 176 to 4.18 183 upset of Spiro Pappas.

Todd Moyer broke a Liberty transmission in Memphis almost prompting Moyer to withdraw. Moyer did not quit he switched to a Rossler automatic setup overnight in his unproven Cavalier. On Saturday with a car that Moyer is still debugging and a new combo, Moyer came to race.  Moyer went 4.25 172 for the number eight spot in the field. In the first round Moyer beat Steve Gorman 4.11 to 4.28. Moyer fell to Glidden with a 4.10 to Billy’s 4.07. Moyer received a 199.speed on the run in the 622 Jeff Naiser built Cavalier that most likely was wrong.

Spiro Pappas and his new 522 c.i. Chevy powered Bickel built GXP have taken to the Extreme 10.5 like a duck to water. Pappas has been testing like crazy before this race to prove that his South Georgia runner-up was no fluke. Pappas ran a 4.12 182.08 to qualify number three in the field. Pappas easily beat Baskin 5.03 to 5.46 in the first round. Pappas lost to Carlton in the second round when his 4.18 183 run was not enough to beat Carlton’s 4.15.

Limited Street legend Jeff Paulk has shown he too can race with the best in Extreme 10.5 in his new 68 Camaro with Gene Fulton power. Paulk ran a great 4.135 177.79 in Memphis for the fourth spot. Paulk ran a 4.17 to beat Randy Matlock’s 4.55 in the first round. Paulk fell in the second round  

Gary White and the unique 186 c.i. I-6 turbocharged Titan Scion had a good race in Memphis. White ran a 4.137 182 for the fifth spot. In the first round White beat White with a holeshot 5.20 to Paulk’s 5.18. That race was a pedalfest for both racers.  

Grant McCrary was on 10.5’s in Memphis after trying Pro Extreme. McCray ran a soft 4.248 186.28 to get the number seven spot in the LenMar Motorsports 632 c.i. Ford powered Hell Horse.  Jeff Naiser beat Grant with a 4.113 176.72 to McCrary’s 5.266 107.81.

Former ADRL World Champion Steve Gorman is slowly improving in his Dodge Viper that he got from Billy Harper. In Memphis the mean green 749 c.i. Charles Buck powered Viper ran a 4.297 168 for the number nine spot. In the first round Gorman’s 4.287 168.98 was beat by Todd Moyer’s 4.11.  

Michele Wilson ran a 4.24 in testing before the Memphis race. Wilson hurt the 707 Hans Fuestal engine on a 4.35 164 pass Friday on her only qualifying run. To save the engine Michele set out until the first round where she ran a 4.429 146.42 that Grant McCrary beat with a 4.29.

Kenny Kneece was either running career best times or up in smoke in Memphis.   Kneece got the Joker’s Wild Corvette with a 762 c.i. Sonny Leonard powerplant to run a 4.35 to qualify number eleven. Kneece stepped up to a 4.29 172.63 but was beaten by Jake Carlton’s 4.19.

Pro Street racer Tony Bischoff made his ADRL debut in Extreme 10.5 in his 645 c.i. BES powered Cougar. Bischoff ran a 4.387 166 to qualify number twelve in Memphis in his first time on the skinny 10.5 tires. Bischoff shut off early in the first round on his 6.638 108.67pass that allowed the 4.11 of Gary White to win.

Randy Matlock is showing improvement in Extreme 10.5 racing in his nice 57 Chevy. In Memphis Matlock ran a 4.39 169 for the thirteenth spot with the 706 c.i. Charles Buck built powerplant. Matlock fell off to a 4.55 149.48 to lose to the 4.17 of Jeff Paulk.

Micheal Neal never found his groove in Memphis with the Tom Ashley owned Glass Doctor Chevy II. Neal ran a 4.438 170 for the fourteenth spot in the 526 BAE powered Chevy II. Saturday afternoon in the final session Neal aborted the start of the burnout and the run. Neal was unable to race in the first round of eliminations.  

HT Wilson waited until Saturday to take to the track. Michele, his wife, was solidly in the show allowing him to get the team’s 738 c.i. Hans Fuestal powered Camaro in the field. It would take two runs to get there. On the first run the hood blew off the car, forcing a duct tape repair. In the final session Wilson ran 4.591 159.01 for the number fifth teen spot in the show. Wilson raced Naiser in the first round shutting off to a 5.63 64.03 while Naiser ran a 4.09!

Danny Shemwell was making his ADRL debut with his traditional Outlaw 10.5 69 Camaro with a 525 c.i. Chevy from Kentucky.   Shemwell made the final field on the bump with a 4.85 146.15. Shemwell was forced to race Glidden the first round with Glidden coming out on top 4.084 177.16 to 4.85 150.

Skip Baskin brought the proverbial knife to a gunfight in Memphis. Local resident Baskin entered his class legal D/A in the Extreme 10.5 class. Baskin was only running a 278 c.i. small block w/o nitrous. Baskin did not qualify for the final field but was the first alternate with a 5.43 117. Baskin took Neal’s place in the first round racing Spiro Pappas. Pappas defeated Baskin        

Jason Wilson has been having troubles with his Mustang this year and the troubles continued in Memphis. Wilson hurt the 400 c.i small block engine in qualifying ending his weekend early. Wilson could only run a best of 5.67 91.67 leaving him outside of the field and the number two alternate.

Ford Mustang legend Wild Bill Devine had an off weekend in Memphis. The wild looking Mustang struggled all weekend long to get down the track. The best Devine ran was an off-pace 7.04 91 in the 364 c.i. small block Bulleye’s Power Mustang.