Although both drivers had run 4.0’s in the quarter- and semifinals, Ulsch had consistently better reaction times, elapsed time and a nearly 20-mph edge in speed. When the tree went green, Ulsch delivered his worst RT of the night with a .160 effort while White had a .123. Ulsch then ran a winning 4.032/196.07 to White’s losing 4.070/179.56

This was one of the closest races in the ADRL’s short history. Adding the RT’s to the ET’s shows that Ulsch crossed the finish line one-thousandth of a second before White!

Pro Extreme Motorcycle

The Pro Extreme Motorcycle final between Macon, Georgia’s Lance Hines and Dublin, Ohio, rider Eric McKinney was the quickest side-by-side race in the history of the class. Hines, who qualified 4th with a 4.252, stepped up to a stellar 4.22 at 168.43 to defeat number-two qualifier McKinney’s 4.23 at 169.13. Both men were racing 2009 Suzukis.

There were 31 bikes trying to make the elite 16-bike field and the number one qualifier was Ashley Owens from Alabama with a 4.224. The bump spot was a 4.355 delivered by Casey Stemper. Owens was shut off on the line in the first round for a fluid leak. Kim Morrell, the only female rider in the class, was the number three alternate with a 4.383 timing.

Extreme Pro Stock

The Extreme Pro Stock win went to ADRL points leader Brian Gahm of Lucasville, Ohio. Gahm’s Mustang turned in a 4.140 at 173.99 mph in his ’07 Mustang to defeat IHRA regular Cary Goforth in an ’08 Cobalt. It was another very close race as Goforth had a .001 advantage off the line but his 4.147 couldn’t cover Gahm.

Twenty-one mountain-motored, Extreme Pro Stockers made qualifying passes trying to get into the 16-car field. Steve Boone’s Chevy Cobalt led all qualifiers with a 4.114 lap. He lost in the semifinals to Brian Gahm’s Mustang.

Conclusion

Free tickets plus 150 pro teams, plus an estimated 100,000 fans over two days and some of the closest finals in the four-year history of the ADRL only continue to prove that the ADRL series is filling a need of racers, fans and sponsors. To be sure, there are still some issues, but that is something all sanctioning bodies continually face, even those with 30-50 years in the business.

One thing is obvious: the Series is here to stay because the fans, racers, and sponsors want it to be, and in the end those are the only three votes that count.