ENNIS, TX (October 22, 2010) – Frankie Taylor had waited several long years in the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) for a moment like Friday.
With the belt wrapped around his waist after winning his first ADRL World Championship in the Speedtech "Battle For the Belts" at the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI, the Pro Extreme veteran wasn't about to wipe the smile off his face.
"I can't even describe what this feels like," Taylor said. "This is great and it's just been a great, great year. I can't believe I get to top it off with this."
Five other ADRL racers won World Championships on Friday at Texas Motorplex, and all joined Taylor as first-time "Battle For The Belts" champions.
Taylor got his title by beating fellow Houston-area native Joshua Hernandez in the finals, and joining Taylor in the winner's circle was Burton Auxier (Pro Nitrous), Dan Millen (Extreme 10.5), Kim Morrell (Pro Extreme Motorcycle), John Montecalvo (Extreme Pro Stock) and Tyler Allen (Pro Junior Dragster).
Taylor needed to be close to perfect to win the belt considering his matchups. He went 3.65 to beat Texas friend and rival Gaylen Smith, added a little more to chase down Quain Stott with a 3.64 at 208.59 mph in the semifinals and then topped himself in the finals showdown against Hernandez.
Taylor again trailed off the line, but the 3.62 at a whopping 209.98 mph quickly made up for it, wowing the Texas Motorplex crowd in the process.
"All three of those guys are hard," Taylor said. "With Josh, I just didn't want to get beat on the tree. Beating anybody in the class is hard, but to beat these three guys says a lot for our team. I'm just lucky I get to drive."
Auxier went from a tremendous low – not qualifying at the last race in Norwalk, OH – to a tremendous high on Friday in winning his first world title in PN.
He was dominant throughout the day and ended it by going 3.89 to beat Al-Anabi Racing teammate and close friend Shannon Jenkins in the process.
"This is just unreal," Auxier said. "Everyone pitched in and made this happen. Shannon has taught me a lot and he really has helped me a lot. It was good that we ran in the finals because I know he's the best guy."
Auxier tested at Texas Motorplex leading up to the race and it made a major difference. He was the quickest car in Pro Nitrous the entire day, going 3.84 to beat Randy Weatherford and topping it with a 3.83 in the semifinals to knock off No. 1 qualifier Rickie Smith.
"This really hasn't sunk in," Auxier said. "Everybody made this possible. I just can't say enough about everybody that pitched in and helped. They made it all click."
Nobody saw their car come together better at the end of the season than Millen, who went from a world of frustration to a world champion in a span of less than two months.
After an incredibly difficult start to the year, Millen capped off his remarkable turnaround by going 3.84 in the Extreme 10.5 finals, beating No. 1 qualifier Gary White to not only claim the World Championship, but also his first ADRL win.
"I never thought in the middle of the year we would be here," Millen said. "We were really skeptical and we had so much trouble with the car. Having struggled in the middle of the season, it just adds to this."
Millen, who has been in the 3-second range for nearly every pass since he broke into the club, was on point in Ennis, going 3.84 and 3.85 before his quickest – and fastest (201.16 mph) – pass of the night (3.840) in beating White.
"We've changed a lot of things and just got lucky," Millen said. "We changed a ton of things. It's just amazing."
Morrell's celebration in Pro Extreme Motorcycle started the moment she crossed the finish line and saw the win light come on, making her the first female to win an ADRL championship.
"I was just screaming when the light came on," Morrell said of her first World Championship and ADRL win. "I can't believe this. I'll probably wake up tomorrow and just cry."
It would be tears of joy after Morrell dethroned Owens, who broke before the halfway point to suffer just his second loss all season.
But it came at a critical time and Morrell, who had a red-light win in the first round and a bye in the semifinals, took advantage with a 4.49.
"Everybody has their day and Ashley has had it all year," Morrell said. "I look up to him, but this is just unbelievable."
Sharing that sentiment was Montecalvo, who returned to the form that brought him four straight wins in Extreme Pro Stock earlier this year.
But none of them – or any win for that matter – felt as good as his first ADRL World Championship.
"Winning the IHRA title was a lifelong goal and I'm glad we did. But I've got to say this just blows it away," Montecalvo said. "Elated is the word to describe this. This has been a dream year."
It was a dream finish, as Montecalvo went 4.08 in the first round before posting back-to-back 4.07s in beating Brian Gahm in the semifinals and Pete Berner, who upset No. 1 qualifier Cary Goforth in the semifinals, in the finals.
"We dropped off the map (late in the season) and we were really concerned," Montecalvo said. "But the team got it together. I'm happy it came down to the four of us. It made it that much more rewarding."
Allen won the first Pro Junior Dragster title in ADRL history, beating Alexander Oppen in the finals with a 7.93.
Top qualifiers for Saturday's World Finals VI include Taylor in Pro Extreme, Auxier in Pro Nitrous, Millen in Extreme 10.5, Morrell in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Berner in Extreme Pro Stock and Raven Dupriest in Pro Junior Dragster.
The final qualifying session begins at 9 a.m., with eliminations set to take place at 1 p.m.
