Event Essentials:  ADRL Independence Drags V – June 17-18^th 2011 — Topeka KS

Martin & Castellana Notch 2^nd Straight ADRL Wins

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> Posted by:  Josh Hachat

When it mattered most, Joey Martin once again proved he could deliver.

The confident American Drag Racing League Pro Extreme standout battled parts malfunctions all weekend Heartland Park Topeka (HPT), but he overcame those at the ideal time and then delivered a perfect performance in the finals of the Kansas National Guard Independence Drags V.

In a rematch of the finals at the ADRL race in April, Martin and his Lowmad again got the best of points leader Jason Hamstra, delivering a track record 3.652 at 205.98 miles per hour en route to his second straight win.

“We just had to get all the gremlins out of the way. The first two rounds we had to pedal it and it almost got away from us in the semis,” Martin said. “We got everything fixed up for the finals, and Jason and I were both here to win.”

Topeka's P/X Final saw Joey Martin (far lane) defeat Jason Hamstra

Martin closed in on the points lead, but he wasn’t alone in winning his second straight race on a near-flawless day at HPT.

Mike Castellana outran his teammate Mahana Al-Naemi in the Pro Nitrous finals, going 3.839 for his second consecutive victory.

The ADRL also crowned three first-time event winners, as Dan Millen (Extreme 10.5), Terry Schweigert (Pro Extreme Motorcycle) and Scott Hintz (Extreme Pro Stock) all claimed their first Minutemen in front of an energetic crowd.

Castellana also came to life during the final two rounds on Saturday, putting together his best two performances of the weekend against Rickie Jones and his teammate, Al-Naemi.

By the time the final matchup rolled around, Castellana was as calm as could be.

“The team won before we even ran the race,” Castellana said. “It was the most relaxing race we ran all day. There was no pressure on me. I just went out there and had some fun. This has just been unbelievable for us this season.”

In a thrilling semifinal round, Al-Naemi beat Burton Auxier by just .004 and Castellana cut it even closer, ousting Jones by a mere .002.

Castellana went a track record 3.814 on that run and thanked crew chief Shannon Jenkins for saving him.

It was "all" Al-Anabi Camaros in the P/N Final with Mike Castellana (far side) winning

Millen ended 2010 with the Extreme 10.5 World Championship, but his first event win didn’t come until Saturday when his 3.953 at 196.50 mph was enough to beat Lamar Swindoll Jr. in a wild final round.  Millen was ahead of Swindoll Jr. the entire race when Swindoll’s car swerved and darted into Millen’s left lane, narrowly missing the back of Millen’s Mustang right as he crossed the finish line.

Canada's Terry Schweigert won for the first time in ADRL P/X Motorcycle

Canada’s Schweigert was dynamite the entire weekend, running as quick as a 4.138, making him due for a fortunate pass.

That luck appeared in the finals when something on his bike broke, leading to a pass of 5.984, but only after Carlos Wilkerson went red by .002.

That led to a major celebration from a beaming Schweigert, who advanced to four finals in 2010 but came away with no wins until Saturday.

Hintz had no easy challenges in Extreme Pro Stock, beating 2010 World Champion John Montecalvo in the semifinals before going 4.14 in the finals against class standout Pete Berner.  It was Hintz’s first ADRL event win. 

Billy Banks Jr. claimed the win in Top Sportsman, running a 4.709 at 155.51 mph in the finals against Tony Jackson. 

In Pro Junior Dragster, Zac Barnett’s 9.063 carried him to the win against Wayne Gunneis.

The ADRL’s 5^th stop on the 2011 Tour takes place on July 15-16 with the Ford Drive One Summer Drags VII from U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich.