Von Smith (near lane) got the Pro Extreme belt by beating Tommy D’Aprile in the final.

ADRL Battle for the Belts at Rockingham, NC

Results compiled by Kay Burk
Photos by Chris Haverly

Veteran Von Smith used a .047 starting line advantage to make his slower 3.616 a winner over Tommy D’Aprile’s 3.596 Friday, Sept. 6, in the featured Pro Extreme final in the ADRL’s Battle for the Belts all-star race at Steve Earwood’s Rockingham Dragway. 

Smith, driving a supercharged 1969 Chevrolet Camaro for Al-Anabi Racing and Sheikh Khalid al Thani of Qatar, claimed one of three $50,000 winner’s checks. The other $50,000 winners were Pat Stoken of Eureka, Montana, who won in Pro Nitrous, and Scott Hintz of Odessa, Texas, who prevailed in Extreme Pro Stock.

Among Friday’s $20,000 winners was Rickie Smith, the veteran from King, NC, who drove his IDG Chevrolet Camaro past the Pontiac Firebird of Kevin Rivenbark of Wallace, NC.

Rivenbark, still in his rookie season, went head to head against some of the most seasoned Pro Mod drivers in this "best of the best" elite competition and proved he's going to be a racer to watch out for in the future. He drives the Black Diamond Motorsports Jerry Haas 2012 Clean Coal Camaro powered by Sonny’s Racing Engines.