ADRL Season Reaches Half-way Mark 

The 2012 ADRL season hit its half way mark during last weekend’s U.S. Drags V held at Virginia Motorsports Park near Richmond VA….. 

Winners included Mick Snyder (Pro Extreme), Doug Riesterer (Pro Nitrous), Brad Brand (Mickey Thompson Extreme 10.5), Casey Stemper (Pro Extreme Motorcycle), Richie Stevens  Jr. (Extreme Pro Stock) and Fredy Scriba (Aeromotive Fuel Systems Pro Modified). 

Local racer Glen Teets scored in the very lucrative Summit Racing Equipment “Clash of the Titans,” Top Sportsman feature – taking the $10,000 first prize in the special annual feature.  

Mick Snyder’s win in Pro Extreme made history – he became the first driver in PX history to win three straight races.

Mick Snyder (from Illinois) won for the 3-straight time in ADRL P/X racing

This time, Snyder won it on the line, using a .043 reaction time to have his 3.665 at 208.23 mph hold up in a holeshot win against Tim Tindle and his career-best 3.646. The win stretched Snyder’s points  lead and also gave him a significant first in the class.

Snyder was his usual consistent self in the  Power Source Transportation Corvette and stayed in the 3.60s the entire weekend. 

Doug Riesterer again delivered a masterful performance in Pro Nitrous, winning for the second straight race for the first time in his ADRL career.  In the final he ran an unbelievable 3.750 secs (low ET) at 195.11 mph to beat Burton Auxier, who ran a strong 3.824 secs.

The final round  career-best pass is just off Auxier’s record pass of 3.74 set in 2011 at VMP, and came after some considerable adversity. Riesterer didn’t make a qualifying pass until the final session, just getting into the field with one-shot 4.24 secs after arriving at the event late. 

Doug Riesterer beat Burton Auxier in a very quick P/N championship bout.

Fredy Scriba had an impressive run for his first ADRL victory, knocking out stalwarts Rickie Smith and Todd Tutterow in Aeromotive Fuel Systems Pro Modified.

Scriba went 3.981 at 188.25 to beat Smith, the No. 1 qualifier, in the semifinals and then stepped up with a 3.972 at 188.96 to chase down Tutterow and win by two feet in the finals.

Richie Stevens won the Extreme Pro Stock “Battle for the Belts” in 2011, but his first official event win came on Saturday after he reeled in Dean Goforth with a 4.091 at 176.33 mph in the finals,  picking a perfect time to run his quickest and fastest time of the weekend.

Richie Stevens Jr and sponsor Mark Eckman celebrate their XPS victory

A blown head gasket almost cost Casey Stemper in the Pro Extreme Motorcycle finals, but he was determined not to let it get the best of him.  Stemper did not abort his run despite the fact his bike caught fire in the finals against Eric McKinney – he held on to win with a very exciting and impressive 4.034 at 164.77 mph.

Stemper went as quick as 4.034 to qualify No. 1 and picking up his second victory in 2012. 

Brad Brand broke through for his first ADRL victory in M/T Extreme 10.5 category, just avoiding the left guardwall en route to a  3.949 at 185.72 mph to beat Alan Pittman in a highly-entertaining come-from-behind victory.

Brand qualified No. 2 with a 3.938 and his turbo-charged RJ Race Cars Mustang went 3.972 to beat Chuck Ulsch and advance to the finals. 

Bo Butner won for the third time in the SuperCar Showdown, running a  career-best 5.798 at 118.87 in the finals to outdistance Chris Holbrook.

In what was the most lucrative win in his career and in Top Sportsman history, local racer Terry Teets won the TS “Clash of Titans” title. 

Teets capped that off a terrific day with a winning 4.444 at 163.59 miles per hour in the  finals over another local driver William Brown III to net the payday.   Teets was driving a Jerry Haas Race Cars ’04 Cavalier – and won 5 rounds over a very stout 32 car qualified field. 

The sixth and next stop on the 10-race 2012 ADRL Tour takes place on July 13-14 with the Summer Drags VIII at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin,Mich.

Posted by:  Josh Hachat

Photos by:  Roger Richards 

Event Essentials:  ADRL U.S.Drags V (June 22-23^rd, 2012) Richmond VA

Mike Castellana (near lane) and Rickie Smith set low ET and top speed respectively -- but both were absent come the Pro Mod final round