White Runs Record E.T. in Early Dragstock Qualifying

ROCKINGHAM, NC (Sep. 12, 2008) — Gary White of New Market, Florida, made the first-ever Extreme 10.5 (XTF) pass in the “teens” this afternoon when he posted an unofficial 4.15-seconds lap over the Rockingham (NC) Dragway eighth mile during testing for the American Drag Racing League’s (ADRL’s) Hushpower Dragstock V.

Proving it was no fluke, White drove his turbocharged Titan Motorsports 2007 Scion to the provisional number-one spot with a potentially record-setting 4.18-seconds pass at 173.32 mph in first-round qualifying. He needs to back the record time up within one percent this weekend to make it an official ADRL record.

Later in the session, Billy Glidden and Steve Kirk Jr. made the quickest and fastest side-by-side XTF passes in history, as Glidden qualified second at 4.18 and 172.10 mph, while Kirk ran 4.19 at 177.42 to place third heading into two more qualifying rounds on Saturday, with eliminations to follow.

Potts Camp, Mississippi’s Bubba Stanton also looked strong in Pro Extreme practice with a 3.83 lap in Roger Henson’s “Widowmaker” ‘63 Corvette. He ran another 3.83-second pass at 197.36 mph in round-one qualifying to sit on top of the list heading into Saturday.

Reigning class champ Jason Scruggs placed second at 3.84 seconds and 195.73, with Bennie McDonald Jr. third after running a career-best 3.89 at 191.73 mph in his 1953 Corvette.

Pro Nitrous saw Street, Maryland’s Jim Halsey return to ADRL action after missing last month’s national event in Norwalk, Ohio, and he secured the provisional pole with a 3.94-seconds pass at 189.50 mph in his ’68 Camaro. Teammates Rickie Smith and Burton Auxier are currently runner-up and third going into the second qualifying session.

The ADRL’s two-wheeled class is currently led by Casey Stemper from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, who rode his 2008 Suzuki to a 4.25-second Pro Extreme Motorcycle lap at 168.68 mph.

Finally, Holdenville, Oklahoma, racer Dean Goforth went 4.12 at 174.93 mph with his 2007 GTO to lead the Extreme Pro Stock exhibition class, followed by Elijah Morton and Bert Jackson.

Saturday’s action includes two more qualifying sessions followed by eliminations for 16-car/bike fields in each class. Spectator gates open at 9 a.m. and qualifying resumes one hour later.

PHOTO CUTLINE:

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The Team Titan Scion carries only a single-turboed 183 c.i. engine, but Gary White drove it to the provisional number-one position after one round of qualifying for the ADRL’s Hushpower Dragstock V at Rockingham Dragway.

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Jim Halsey, from Street, Maryland, earned the provisional Pro Nitrous pole after one round of qualifying Sep. 12, for Hushpower Dragstock V, staged by the Flowmaster American Drag Racing League presented by the National Guard at Rockingham (NC) Dragway.