After generating astonishing response from throughout the industry with the creation of the first truly global contest among the world's most powerful production automobiles, the ADRL has now released a comprehensive set of rules devised to permit virtually any vehicle to compete in an equitable format.
"The SuperCar Showdown will be a drag racing series unlike any other," said ADRL President Tim McAmis, "and the rules for the class are the result of exhaustive research and analysis of dozens of production car platform, engine and transmission combinations from more than seventy manufacturers. Our goal was to embrace not only current technology but the equipment now being designed which will change all of motorsports in the coming years."
Longtime ADRL broadcast personality Bret Kepner admitted many exotic vehicles, both domestic and global, were not previously permitted to compete in any production drag racing class.
"In fact," said Kepner, "many of the rules for the new SuperCar Showdown have never been included in any drag racing rulebook for production vehicles. Even the terminology in the regulations, with the ADRL's inclusion of Variable Valve Actuation systems, Variable Geometry Turbines and semi-automatic transmissions, indicates a progressive approach to production vehicles previously unknown in drag racing."
One of the most revolutionary aspects of the SuperCar Showdown will be the total acceptance of computer control systems available from each vehicle manufacturer.
"Within these regulations, we can restrict the hardware to the original equipment available on the car," said Kepner, "but we have no plans to inhibit the electronic manipulation of the software within the production systems. In that aspect alone, the rules are far beyond any of those previously associated with the sport."
Chris Bell, the ADRL's Director of Technical Services, noted the new SuperCar Showdown guidelines meet and often exceed current SFI Foundation specifications for production drag racing machines.
"Of course, safety was our priority in the creation of the rules," stated Bell, "but understanding the use of composite materials and the unique construction features in many of these cars was imperative to the success of those rules. After exploring all the equipment options available from the manufacturers of these cars, we came up with regulations which, quite frankly, are radically different from what production car drag racers have seen in the past."
SuperCar Showdown consultant and competitor liaison Jeff Teuton has been shocked by the number of racers attempting to become among the first in what will be a limited field at the ADRL's season-opening event, CarSafe Dragpalooza VIII, at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, on March 30-31, 2012.
"We've had a lot of response from Ford Cobra Jet Mustang and Dodge Challenger DragPak racers," said Teuton, "but now we're getting interest from racers with the supercharged ZR1 Corvettes and the supercharged ZL1 Camaros from Chevrolet. There are already a few teams preparing cars from Nissan and a few of the European manufacturers, too."
The complete rules and regulations for the ADRL SuperCar Showdown can be viewed at www.ADRL.us/competition/rules.
Competitors requesting information for any of the 2012 ADRL National Events can contact ADRL Director of Technical Services Chris Bell at chris@ADRL.us.
The ADRL has also launched a FaceBook page dealing specifically with news, information and discussion of the SuperCar Showdown Series at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/ADRL-SuperCar-Showdown-Series/329368400438045.
