Photo courtesy ADRL Communications

Glidden takes win streak to five at delayed Memphis finals; Martin MI finals delayed until Topeka July 4th

Words by Jeff Burk
Photos courtesy of ADRL Communications

2008 ADRL World Champions Jason Scruggs (Pro Extreme) and Billy Glidden (Extreme 10.5) finally made it to the ADRL’s Memphis race finals after a two-week delay caused by rain forstalling the Memphis event’s finals.

The long delayed final rounds were run during the regular Friday night qualifying session at the ADRL Summer Drags V at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park at Martin, Michigan. Joining Scruggs and Glidden in victory lane were Brian Gahm in Extreme Pro Stock, Ashley Owens with his first ADRL Pro Extreme Motorcycle title, and Jim Halsey in Pro Nitrous.

In a turn of events that probably could only have happened on the racer-friendly ADRL tour, officials and fellow racers agreed to wait an extra day until Saturday for one of the Pro Nitrous class finalists, who had a prior family commitment and couldn’t get to the track Friday to run the finals.

The Pro Extreme final round  saw Mississippi racer Jason Scruggs continue his domination of the class by  whipping Quain Stott. Scruggs, who seems to be able to get his car down any track in record time, kept his reputation intact by posting a final round 3.84 second ET and shut the car off early, recording a top speed of just 178.96. Meanwhile in the other lane, Quain Stott, a driver known for negotiating tricky tracks, blew the tires off immediately.

“The mph dropped off because we popped the burst panel on the blower about three-quarters of the way down the track,” Scruggs explained. “I was waiting for him (Stott) to come back around me, but I guess he had more trouble than I did.”

The fact that Scruggs recorded a 4.84 ET with the engine  under full power for just 500ft probably didn’t go unnoticed by his fellow competitors.