ADRL Safety-Kleen Dragpalooza Pro Nitrous

Photos by Gena White ~ Text by Danny White

Stan Allen pulled an upset win in Baytown in the Bankston Boyz Camaro. Allen who has won a ton of money grudge racing won his first ADRL race in the repainted Camaro that used to be Shannon Jenkins' first three-second car. In the first round Allen raced his teammate Tim Savell, winning with a 4.124, 181.06 to a 4.832, 110.81. In the second round Allen improved with a 4.049, 176.58 to beat the broken Pat Stoken.

Jim Halsey has laid down the fastest nitrous runs in history during testing at South Georgia Motorsports Park with a 3.84, 194 best. Halsey brought this testing and last year info plus the all-new Big Red Machine 68 Camaro to Baytown. Halsey like the rest of the field struggled with the tricky track but Halsey did run a good 3.962, 193.13 to get the second spot. In the first round, Jim Halsey put a holeshot on Thomas Myers 4.137, 151.56 to 4.121, 184.41. In the second round, Halsey made the run of the Pro Nitrous class with a solo 3.929, 194.13 run when Charles Carpenter was unable to continue. Halsey fell off slightly in the semi finals with 4.002, 189.73 that beat Keith Baker's 4.057, 184.07.

Johnny Pilcher had a good race at Baytown with the family's slick black Corvette. Pilcher not only qualified number one, he also ran his best ever at 3.959, 184.07 with the only hemi in the Pro Nitrous field. Pilcher dodged a bullet in the earning the win with a 5.615, 155.04 when Khalid Al-Balooshi's 5.353, 133.28 got to the finish line first but crossed the centerline in doing so. Pilcher and Steve Vick faced off in the closest race of Pro Nitrous eliminations when Picher beat 4.041, 180.16 to 4.042, 183.97.

Former ADRL Pro Modified champion Keith Baker had a good showing in Baytown. Baker ran a solid 4.077, 181.79 to qualified number eleven spot. Baker pulled a major upset in the first round when he made it down the track in the first round where as Castellana could not. Baker won 4.063, 184.02 to 4.452, 135.51. Baker put out another Al-Anabi entry in the second round when beat Shannon Jenkins 4.032, 184.52 to 5.39 91.88. Baker's 4.057, 184.07 was not enough to beat Jim Halsey and his 4.002, 189.73. Baker's 4.032 was a new personal best.

Shannon Jenkins brought his trick David Janes to Baytown with a new paint scheme forsaking the Black Ice theme in 2008. Jenkins showed his muscle with a 3.977, 192.93 to qualify number three. The Iceman Shannon Jenkins beat Owen Chester in the first round 3.998, 191.40 to 4.478, 151.14. In the second round Jenkins day ended when he shut off to a 5.397 91.88 and his opponent Keith Baker ran 4.032, 184.52 to win.

Steve Vick's brought his new Alan Pittman built for its first race. Vick has been in the three's in testing this year. Vick ran 4.052, 183.84 to qualify number eight. Steve Vick improved to a great 4.008, 184.83 to Burton Auxier's 5.028, 139.81. Vick lost to Pilcher in the closest race of Pro Nitrous eliminations when Picher beat him 4.041, 180.16 to 4.042, 183.97.

Charles Carpenter would probably rather forget the race he had at Baytown. Carpenter ran good enough in qualifying with a 4.038, 183.08 to get in the top haft of the field. In the first round Carpenter won but wrecked with a 4.086, 163 over Ed Burnley's 4.19, 177.18.

Montana racer Pat Stoken made the long trip to Texas to race. Stoken made the field with a 4.098, 183.87 in his Camaro. In the first round Pat Stoken improved to a winning 4.033, 187.08 run to beat Rickie Smith who had problems on his shut off 8.801 48.46 run. Pat Stoken broke in the second round allowing Stan Allen to win with a 4.049, 176.58.

You could say that Tim Savell had a good race in Baytown. Savell might have lost in the first round; he did run his first three in qualifying with a great 3.994, 185.89 to qualify number four. Savell ran a great 191.16 on another time trial to boot. In the first round Savell had to race his teammate Stan Allen, where he lost 4.124, 181.06 to his shut off 4.832, 110.81.

Rickie Smith ran several low fours in testing and in qualifying in the second Al-Anabi car to make the field on Saturday. Smith's 4.008, 189.47 was not as good as he has been in preseason testing but was good enough for the fifth spot. In the first round Smith had problems on his shut off 8.801 48.46 run, while opponent Pat Stoken improved to a winning 4.033, 187.08 run.

Mike Castellana was the third member of the Al-Anabi team to make the field in his beautiful 68 Firebird in Baytown. Castellana hoped to win his second ADRL in a row after winning the final race of the year in Ennis last year but it was not meant to be. Castellana started from the number sixth spot and raced former ADRL Pro Nitrous world champion Keith Baker. Baker made it down the track in the first round where as Castellana could not, Baker won 4.063, 184.02 to 4.452, 135.51.

Burton Auxier ran a good 4.063, 187.44 in the Al-Anabi Racing/Auxier Trucking Camaro to land the ninth spot. Auxier's run made him the fourth car from the Al-Anabi team to make the field. Auxier raced Steve Vick in the first round, losing with a 5.028, 139.81 to Vick's great 4.008, 184.83.

Ed Burnley made the final field in Baytown with a great 4.075, 181.45 run in his Camaro. The Maryland based chassis builder grabbed the number ten spot with that run and the right to face Charles Carpenter in the first round. Burnley got down the track with a 4.19, 177.18 in the first round but fell to Carpenter’s winning, but wrecking 4.086, 163.

Josh Chester's weekend in Baytown was far better than the one he had last year when he broke on his first test pass. Chester made several runs in the Chester Motorsports Camaro with a best of 4.114, 178.78 in which he earned the fourteenth spot. Chester raced the Iceman Shannon Jenkins in the first round where fell 3.998, 191.40 to 4.478, 151.14. ***

Thomas Myers came to Baytown to pick up where he had left off last with 3.90 runs in Ennis. Like many others, Myers struggled with the track in Baytown. Myers got the Corvette down the track with a 4.134, 178.34 in the final session. In the first round, Myers fell to a Jim Halsey holeshot 4.121, 184.41 to 4.137, 151.56.

Khalid Al-Balooshi took the fifth Al-Anabi entry into the field Saturday. Al-Balooshi ran a 3.92 in testing in the offseason with the beautiful Camaro, but in Baytown, the team had handling issues. The best that the Qatar native could run was a 4.142, 179.68 to earn the final spot. In the first round, Al-Balooshi crossed the centerline against Johnny Pilcher disqualifying himself. Pilcher earned the win with a 5.615, 155.04 to Al-Balooshi's 5.353, 133.28.

After a year of breaking parts right and left in 2008, you could say that Baytown was a success for Jackie Deaver. The Underdawg team improved little by little with each run without major parts failure. By the end of qualifying Deaver had run a good 4.338, 171.10 to earn the first alternate spot in the final field.

John Deflorian brought his immaculate Bankston Boyz backed Corvette to Baytown, but did not enjoy the success that his teammates did. Deflorian had severe tire problems in testing and in qualifying that kept him from making a full pass all weekend long. Deflorian ran 4.768, 161.81 to end up number eighteen.

Blake Housely brought out his father's tried and true Willys to run this weekend. The team suffered severe drive shaft failure on Friday in testing. The parts breakage put the team out for the rest of Friday while they repaired the Willys. On Saturday the young Housley, who turned just turned 21, ran a coasting 5.326 at only 92.11 that left him in the nineteenth spot.

Dixie Pro Mod racer and Georgia resident Chris Patrick made his ADRL debut in Baytown. Patrick could not keep the wild green and white paint Willys from shaking Friday and testing. Patrick ran a best in testing of 4.945, 107 that is off the low four-second potential he has shown in the past. Patrick ran an 8.482 55.80 to land in the twentieth spot on Saturday.

Doug Riesterer had a truly awful race at Baytown that ended in him crashing in the first round. Riesterer began the race making several test and tune passes on his new 820 Reher-Morrison with a best of 3.97, 186.45. In the first round of qualifying, the car got out of the groove and hit the right wall and sending into the left wall almost head on. Riesterer was shaken up but not injured in the accident. Al-Anabi Racing stepped up with a $10,000 donation to restart the rebuilding of the team's race car.