Text by Danny White ~ Photos by Gena White

The Pro Extreme action was awesome at the ADRL Dragapalooza race held at Houston Motorsports Park. The 30 plus field of cars trying to make the field ended up with a superb 4.00 bump spot. Todd Tutterow was low qualifier at 3.88 and the final qualifier was Herman Shepperd at 4.00. The track surface was great and well kept by the ADRL and HMP through the weekend. The Draglist team had a good time at the very nice facility.

 

The 'Big Money' team is getting back on track after last year's crash at the Rock. Bil Clanton showed up at Houston with a escape hatch on the Clanton family Stude. The Hemi powered car ran 3.94 at 182.85 for the number six spot. Clanton put out Steve Engel in the first round and fell to John Lynam in the second.

John Lynam made several hair raising passes in the 'Little Red Corvette' of John McGrady. When it stayed on the ground, the Corvette went 3.907 at 173.14 for the number three spot. That run was John's personal best. Lynam beat the likes of Brandon Pesz and Bil Clanton on his way to the finals. A redlight ended a wild weekend of racing.

 

Troy Critchley was back in the AMS Second Hammer Corvette this weekend. The team's old car responded with a good 3.950, 185.47 pass in qualifying. That run was good for the number seven spot and the right to race Bubba Stanton in the first round. Critchley fell off to a 4.00 in the first round and fell to the defending ADRL champion.

 

Joe Baker had a good race in the repainted 'Gotham City' Willys. Baker ran his first three in testing and then repeated the feat in qualifying. This was the first ever ADRL field Baker had qualified for after two years in the series. The 3.9984 at 186.34 was good for the number twelve spot. Baker fell to Booth's 3.95 in the first round.

 

Steve Engel had two cars at the Houston race. Engel had his car from last year and was joined by Texan Brandon Pesz in another. Steve ran 3.972 for the number eleven spot in his 63 Corvette, but lost to John Lynam in the first round.

 

Mike Bell drove Roy Hill's 2007 Mustang to victory circle after qualifying in the number nine spot. The rebodied car ran 3.956 at 185.03 in qualifying. Bell defeated Mike Neal, Todd Tutterow, Josh Hernandez, and John Lynam for the big win. Mike ran a best of 3.92 against Hernandez in the semis.

 

Brian Daniels was the number 15 qualifier at Houston with a 3.997, 181.97 pass. The Vanishing Point built Corvette fell in the first round to Jason Scruggs. That made for a long trip back to Ohio for the team.

 

Micheal Neal seems to have gotten past his terrible 2006 season. At the Houston race, Neal qualified with a 3.992, 179.83 for the thirteenth spot in the tough field. The run was his first ever three in the Neal Family Lumina. The team fell to Josh Hernandez in the first round of racing.

 

Bobby Booth had an up and down weekend at Houston. Booth ran his best ever of 3.928, 184.45 on his only qualifying run Friday night. Bobby had troubles with a minor oil leak all weekend. The leak put him out of action after a 3.95 second first round win over Joe Baker.

 

Herman Sheppard barely made it into the Pro Extreme field at Houston. The 'Hermanator' ran a 4.006 to garner the final spot in the sixteen car field. Sheppard was the only qualifier in the four second range. In the first round, Herman got all over the track and very close to Todd Tutterow, who drove by Sheppard for the win. Sheppard did save the racecar for another day.

 

Brandon Pesz debuted this weekend as part of the 'Diamond Heavy Haul' team of Steve Engel. Pesz ran his first ever three with a 3.995 at 183.60. Pesz's father in law, alky racing legend Willard Buff, was helping to tune the car this weekend. Pesz fell in the first round to John Lynam.

 

Bubba Stanton came to Houston to defend his number one title. The Roger Henson owned car ran 3.96 at 181.60 to get the number ten spot, then the 'Widowmaker'defeated Troy Critchley with a a solid three second run in the first round. Stanton was supposed to receive a solo run in the second round when Jason Scruggs could not get his car to crank. However, Stanton broke on the burnout and could not stage. That left the race without a winner.

 

Todd Tutterow was the number one qualifier in his Willys. Despite suffering through a series of clutch and mechanical problems, the Willys ran 3.885 at 191.41. Tutterow won in his fist round race over Herman Shepperd, then broke a crankshaft in the second round, ending their weekend.

 

Jason Scruggs again laid down some big numbers in qualifying with a 3.897 at 194.55. But Scruggs also left the track again without the victory. Jason beat Brian Daniels in the first round with a 3.90 pass. The blower belt broke on the pass causing other damage. The team had to thrash to make it for the second round. The thrash was for naught, however. The killer Corvette would not crank. Scruggs' opponent Bubba Stanton also broke on the burnout, leaving the race without a winner.

 

The Stroud Racing Studebaker came to Texas with a new CN billet block after last year's block nearly cracked in two. Mike Neal got the Stroud Racing Studebaker to run a 3.951 at 193.45 for the number eight spot. The team fell to eventual winner Mike Bell in the first round.

 

Josh Hernandez became the second quickest racer in ADRL history behind Jason Scruggs. Hernandez ran a 3.86, 194 pass in the second round. The Dr. Moon's Rage' 57 Chevrolet fell to Mike Bell in the semis on a holeshot, 3.93 to 3.92. Hernandez was the number four qualifier at 3.920, 194.13.