MARTIN, MI (July 16, 2011) – Jason Hamstra had a win, three finals appearances and the points lead in Pro Extreme during an already brilliant 2011 American Drag Racing League (ADRL) season.
Now, he can add a victory at his home track in front of a mass of family and friends to an already extensive accomplishment list.
Showing tremendous consistency throughout at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, Hamstra wrapped up his magical day by going 3.715 at 207.05 miles per hour to beat Todd Tutterow in the finals of the Ford Drive One Summer Drags VII.
"All of our friends and family drove here, and it feels good to get this win in front of them," Hamstra said. "If you're going to pick one race to win, this would be it. You can't ask for a whole lot more."
Hamstra added a second victory to his 2011 season, extending his points lead in front of a packed crowd at U.S. 131.
Joining the Demotte, Ind. native in the MAVTV Winner's Circle at the Ford Drive One Summer Drags VII was Mahana Al-Naemi (Pro Nitrous), Frankie Taylor (Extreme 10.5), Ashley Owens (Pro Extreme Motorcycle), Cary Goforth (Extreme Pro Stock) and Glenn Butcher (Top Sportsman).
Hamstra led an animated family-heavy celebration after qualifying second and running in the 3.70s all day.
Displaying a new patriotic-themed wrap, his efficient Duster beat Von Smith, Mick Snyder, who made his fifth straight semifinal appearance, and Tutterow (3.73 in the finals) in an excellent side-by-side finals matchup.
"We didn't go too crazy with the car. We just tried to pick at it and it turned out for the best," Hamstra said. "This is a good car. It does what we tell it to do."
Al-Naemi sported a beaming smile after picking up his first ADRL win in the loaded Pro Nitrous class.
After becoming the No. 1 qualifier for the fourth straight race, the Al-Anabi Racing driver capped it off by going 3.882 at 194.54 mph in the finals against class standout Burton Auxier.
"I'm very, very happy. I tried many, many times to do this and to get a win is just great," Al-Naemi said. "I think I'm getting better with each run, but when I saw the win light, I couldn't believe it."
Al-Naemi persevered through scorching track temperatures on Saturday, and his RJ Race Cars Camaro was solid all day. He beat teammate Mike Castellana in the semifinals – extracting revenge after Castellana beat Al-Naemi in the finals last month in Topeka – with a 3.88 before posting a nearly identical run a round later.
"(The crew) did a very good job today," Al-Naemi said. "They wanted to make sure nothing went wrong."
Frankie Taylor may be used to the ADRL winner's circle, but he graced it for the first time in Extreme 10.5 after beating Billy Glidden with an impressive 3.914 at 199.33 mph.
"To get that first win in this class, it feels really good," said Taylor, who also credited Mickey Thompson Tires. "My brother made great calls on the car all weekend and every pass we made was good. He had the car in bracket-racing mode."
Taylor qualified in the No. 1 spot with a track record 3.88 and was a step ahead of the class all weekend at U.S. 131 in his Jeffers Pro Cars Corvette.
He used a 3.924 to beat Chuck Ulsch in the semifinals and Taylor considered his victory against Glidden, who has 12 career wins, in the finals to be significant.
"Billy is so good and we needed that horsepower against him," Taylor said. "If you beat him, you've earned it and it's a big deal."
The win at the Ford Drive One Summer Drags VII for Owens against Eric McKinney was historic, as it gave him 12 for his career to tie Glidden for the most in ADRL history.
He also did it in fashion, running a 4.009 at 178.39 mph to make it the quickest PXM pass in ADRL history.
"I was getting a little nervous because Eric is so good on the tree. But everybody just did a great job and worked so hard to get this done," Owens said. "We swapped around a lot of stuff and made a lot of changes, but it worked out great."
Owens, the No. 1 qualifier, got plenty of stiff competition, as McKinney went as quick as 4.10, Terry Schweigert ran a 4.11 and Kim Morrell had a 4.13. But his Fast by Gast bike steadily improved, capped off with a pair of 4.08s before the big finish.
"I definitely thought it would go faster. We changed some things and it was probably more like the regular combination," Owens said. "It responded even better than we thought."
Cary Goforth, the No. 1 qualifier in XPS, couldn't have expected such a great start for his new Jerry Haas-built GXP, but it delivered all weekend, including a remarkable 4.116 – the quickest pass of the event – in the finals against John Montecalvo.
"This went exactly the way you would want it to. I don't know how it could have gone any better," Goforth said. "We knew John was going to step up, but we're just so happy with this. I don't even know what to say."
In the semifinals, Goforth beat points leader Pete Berner with a 4.12, retaking the points lead and extending it with his strong run a round later.
"If we're running with Pete, we're where we need to be," Goforth said. "There's so many guys working hard in this class, but we're working hard enough that good things should happen."
In the Top Sportsman final, Glenn Butcher went 4.25 at 168.48 mph, knocking off Charley Whittenburg.
It was a monumental win for Butcher, as he became the first winner in Top Sportsman since it was named an official class in the ADRL.
Butcher reflected on the thrilling moment in the winner's circle.
"To be the first Top Sportsman winner in the ADRL, this is just incredible," Butcher said. "To have the ADRL bring us in, it's absolutely amazing. I had great help all day and the car was just on a string, and it worked out perfectly."
Shainna Wilson was the winner in Pro Junior Dragster, going 7.941 at 82.55 mph. Wilson upended Trevor Wilson in the finals.
The next and sixth stop on the 2011 ADRL Tour – the U.S. Speedtech Drags IV – takes place on Aug. 12-13 at Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, Va.
MARTIN, Mich. -- Saturday's final results from the ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags VII at U.S. 131
Motorsports Park. The race is the Fifth of 9 in the American Drag Racing League:
Pro Extreme -- Jason Hamstra, Plymouth Duster, 3.715, 207.05 def. Todd Tutterow, Chevy Camaro, 3.717, 204.76.
Pro Nitrous -- Mahana Al-Naemi, Chevy Camaro, 3.882, 194.54 def. Burton Auxier, Camaro, 3.948, 182.47.
Extreme 10.5 -- Frankie Taylor, Chevy Corvette, 3.914, 199.33 def. Billy Glidden, Ford Mustang, 3.995, 182.72.
Pro Extreme Motorcycle -- Ashley Owens, Suzuki, 4.009, 178.39 def. Eric McKinney, Suzuki, 4.120, 171.46.
Extreme Pro Stock -- Cary Goforth, Pontiac GXP, 4.116, 175.44 def. John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 4.120, 176.30.
Top Sportsman -- Glenn Butcher, Chevy Camaro, 4.250, 168.48 def. Charlie Whittenburg, Camaro, 4.185, 171.72.
Pro Junior Dragster -- Shainna Nelson, Home, 7.941, 82.55 def. Trevor Wilson, Hardens, 7.968, 83.32.
