Words by Jeff Burk
Photos by Roger Richards/ADRL

More often that not in a professional drag racing series one or more of the winners at any given race will have won previously. It is just the way it is. The best often repeat, especially late in a racing season. That’s why the racers in the winner’s circle at the National Guard ADRL Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags at National Trail Raceway represented a unique event.

All of the professional class winners at that event were first time winners having never before visited a National Guard American Drag Racing League victory lane. Even more remarkable all five of the class winners defeated former ADRL race winners in the finals. 

Missourian Cody Barklage in the Pro Extreme class defeated Texan Joshua Hernandez, who has six prior wins on his record. In Pro Nitrous Texan Thomas “Tom Slick” Myers defeated Alabama racer Shannon “Iceman” Jenkins, who has seven prior event titles in his resume.

In Extreme 10.5 action Chicago’s own Spiro Pappas got his first ADRL “Minuteman” beating eight-time race winner and defending series champion Billy Glidden in the final round. Motoryclist Paul Gast got the win light over Scott Gray, who leads all Pro Extreme Motorcycle riders with three victories, in their final round battle. And in Extreme Pro Stock Okie Dean Goforth downed Doug Kirk, who got his first win at the ADRL season opener at Houston earlier this year in the National Guard ADRL’s new Extreme Pro Stock class.

PRO EXTREME

“That was awesome,” twenty-year-old Cody Barklage declared after driving his family-owned, Lucas Oil-backed 1967 Firebird (above) to a 3.91/190.48 win over the National Guard-sponsored Josh Hernandez, who is tuned by future Hall of Famer Jim Oddy and his son.

“I can’t really put into words how I’m feeling right now because our team really needed this,” Barklage said. “I’m sure it’ll hit us by tomorrow, but it just seems so unreal right now.”

After laying down a string of solid mid- to high-3.70 passes to reach the final, Hernandez had been heavily favored, but his supercharged Hemi-powered ’57 Chevy drifted over the track center line, taking out the 330 cone before the veteran driver got the car reined back under control.