Tutterow Family Claims Two of Six Wins at ADRL Simpson Dragstock VII
NORWALK, OH (September 24, 2010) — Just moments after watching his son, Ty, win in Pro Junior Dragster at the completion of the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Simpson Dragstock VII on Friday, Todd Tutterow had only one thought before his Pro Extreme final.
I just knew I needed to do my job," said Tutterow, the 2009 World Champion.
Tutterow followed suit, beating Joshua Hernandez with a 3.85 in the Pro Extreme final at Summit Motorsports Park to give the Tutterow family two memorable wins in one night.
"This is wonderful," Tutterow said. "It is very special when you got your family with you for something like this."
Other winners at Dragstock VII, which was completed on Friday after rain postponed the event two weeks ago in Rockingham, included Doug Riesterer (Pro Nitrous), Spiro Pappas (Extreme 10.5), Ashley Owens (Pro Extreme Motorcycle), Cary Goforth (Extreme Pro Stock) and Ty Tutterow (Pro Junior Dragster).
The fantastic day of racing served as an ideal prelude to the finish of Saturday's Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV, which will be the last chance for drivers to qualify for a top eight spot at next month's LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI.
Tutterow might have punched his ticket after starting the day eighth in points in PX.
But he put forth a yeoman's effort on Friday, beating No. 1 qualifier Frankie Taylor, teammate KH Al-Thani and points leader Hernandez in consecutive rounds to earn the win.
Taylor went 3.67 in their second-round matchup, but Tutterow cut a .005 light and went 3.73 to earn the holeshot win that spearheaded his title run.
"I knew I had to get Frankie at the line," Tutterow said. "We made some good runs and had some lucky runs. The main thing was just getting down the track."
Riesterer knocked off his own share of big names in Pro Nitrous and went 4.09 to beat Stan Allen in the finals.
"We came out here hoping to go a few rounds and have a chance to get into the 'Battle For The Belts,'" Riesterer said. "I never expected this in a million years. When I won, it didn't even hit me that I won Dragstock. It's a dream to win this race."
Riesterer beat No. 1 qualifier Shannon Jenkins in the second round and 2009 World Champion Khalid Al-Balooshi in the semifinals, moving to 10th in the points with Saturday's race remaining.
"We made some good calls and we did way more than I could have hoped for," Riesterer said. "We just need to keep winning."
Pappas was just glad to get back to his winning ways for the first time in 2010.
The 2009 Extreme 10.5 World Champion had his share of difficulty through a trying summer, but he proved he's back in the mix by going 4.15 to beat surprise finalist Brad Brand in the title round.
"We are finally on the right track," Pappas said. "We did some testing and we're back where we need to be."
Pappas earned his second career win and denied Brand his first ADRL win even though Pappas pulled back on the power during the finals.
"We really backed off on the engine and it paid off for us," Pappas said.
Brand had a major upset in the semifinals, getting a holeshot win against Billy Glidden, who went a career-best 3.96 during the run.
Owens continued to be bulletproof in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, beating Kim Morrell for the second straight race, this time by going 4.05 to once again deny Morrell her first ADRL win.
"The bike felt good and everything felt smooth out there," Owens said. "I thought it might go a little faster, but it was a good smooth day."
The win is Owens' seventh in eight races during 2010 and it is also his fourth straight victory. Should he win on Saturday, he would become the first ADRL driver to win five straight races.
But Owens, who also backed up his world E.T. record of 4.02 on Friday, is more concerned with reaching another mark.
"I would love to get that 3.99 out of the way," Owens said. "We're so close and I think if we have good track conditions, we have a chance."
Goforth re-took the points lead in Extreme Pro Stock, beating Cale Aronson on a holeshot in the finals. Aronson went 4.09 in his second straight finals appearance, but Goforth went .009 off the line and finished with a 4.10 for his second win this season.
"In my mind, I should have 2-3 more wins this year," Goforth said. "In St. Louis, I was late off the line against Brian (Gahm) and I really steamed about that. I really made an effort to drive like I can."
Goforth was consistent all day and that was key in avoiding the upsets that knocked John Montecalvo and Brian Gahm out in the second round. As a result, Goforth moved past both drivers in the points standings.
"We had three 4.11s in a row and that's just a tribute to our team. The car fell out of the trailer running fast," Goforth said. "We had the car to beat all night."
Ty Tutterow went 8.03 to earn a red-light win against Trevor Wilson in Pro Junior Dragster.
Owens is the lone winner from Friday who is also the top qualifier in his class for the Ohio Drags. The rest of the top qualifiers through three rounds include Alex Hossler (3.67, Pro Extreme), Pat Stoken (3.86, Pro Nitrous), Dan Millen (3.89, Extreme 10.5), Jeff Dobbins (4.10, Extreme Pro Stock) and K.J. Nowling (Pro Junior Dragster).
The fourth and final qualifying round for the Ohio Drags takes place at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The first round of eliminations is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
