Pro Extreme

It was Joey Martin of Milton, Fla., whose 1955 Chevy Nomad replica prevailed in the ADRL’s signature class Pro Extreme. Martin, whose “Lomad” was the most distinctive vehicle in the field outside of, perhaps, the Chevy S-10 school bus qualified by Steve George, wore out the field in Pro Extreme, especially the ubiquitous Pro Extreme 1963 Corvettes. He beat the ‘63 of former ADRL champion Jason Scruggs of Saltillo, Miss., in round one; the ‘Vette of No. 1 qualifier Von Smith of Oak Ridge, Tenn., in the second; the 1969 Camaro of Richard Holt of Giddings, Texas, in the semis; and the ‘63 Corvette of reigning series champion Mick Snyder of Demotte, Ind., for the $7,000 top prize.

Conclusion

The return of the ADRL to Rockingham Dragway proved that to drag racing fans in the Southeast the ADRL is still their favorite. More than 25,000 fans (some who bought a ticket) saw an excellent drag race courtesy of the ADRL and Rockingham Dragway. Many of the food and souvenir vendors we talked to said that they sold out or nearly sold out their stocks.

The ADRL racers were thrilled with the track conditions thanks to Steve Earwood and the ADRL’s track prep team. On Saturday and Sunday the show was completed and the crowd on their way home before sunset and they saw everything a race fan desires including record performances, spectacular (but with no injuries) crashes and two-dollar beers. It was the first race for the ADRL back under the leadership of Kenny Nowling, and was by any measure a huge success. Kudos to the ADRL and the Rockingham staff.

FINAL ROUNDS
PRO EXTREME – Joey Martin, Milton, Fla., 1955 Chevy Nomad, 3.670, 206.86 mph, def. Mick Snyder, Demotte, Ind., 1963 Chevrolet Corvette, foul. PRO NITROUS – Steve Jackson, Martinez, Ga., 1968 Chevrolet Camaro, 3.771, 196.50 mph, def. Mike Castellana, Muttontown, N.Y., 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, 3.813, 197.48 mph.
PRO MODIFIED – Adam Flamholc, Malmo, Sweden, 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, 3.962, 189.10 mph, def. Raymond J. Matos, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, foul. EXTREME PRO STOCK – John DeFlorian, Arnold, Mo., 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, 6.732, 71.21 mph, def.  John Pluchino, Commack, N.Y., 2006 Ford Escort, foul.
EXTREME PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – Eric McKinney, Homersville, Ohio, 4.032, 176.70 mph, def. Terry Schweigert, Abbotsford, B.C., Canada, 4.074, 174.84 mph. TOP SPORTSMAN – Robert Jones, LaPlata, Md., 1963 Chevrolet Corvette, 4.401 on a 4.400, 166.72 mph, def. John Lassiter, Graham, N.C., 2006 Pontiac GTO, 4.183 on a 4.170, 167.99 mph.
TOP DRAGSTER – Barry Brown, Blountville, Tenn., 4.238 on a 4.210, 166.99 mph, def. Travis Harvey, Elon, N.C., 4.458 breakout on a 4.490, 145.80 mph. PRO JR. DRAGSTER – Noah Strickland, Concord, N.C., def. Courtney Howard, Mocksville, N.C.
TOP JR. DRAGSTER – Caleb Russell, Ardmore, Ala., def. Tucker Brown, Blountville, Tenn.