ST. LOUIS – Starting strong is good. Finishing strong is epic. – Robin Sharma  Frankie “The Madman” Taylor started the 2020 American Drag Racing League season strong with a Pro Extreme win on a hot June night in Texas. Saturday, on a chilly, overcast day at World Wide Technology Raceway, Taylor finished strong, wrapping up the class title. His second PX championship came along with the Battle For The Belts title strap and a check for $10,000. The four-car finale, originally scheduled for Friday, was moved to Saturday due to inclement weather.

Taylor advanced to the finals with a victory over Hank Stubbs thanks to a massive pass of 3.616 seconds at 209.56 mph. Jason Hamstra, the PX winner from three weeks ago at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas, made his way to the finals after beating Bubba Stanton, his 3.723-second lap at 207.05 mph topping Stanton’s run of 4.379 seconds at 121.94 mph.

The finals between the two Texas winners was expected to be one of the highlights of the season. Both cars were quick, both racers were hungry, and the track was prepped brilliantly. Taylor launched his 2005 Corvette down the eighth-mile at 3.608 seconds at 210.34 mph, topping his previous top qualifier pass. Hamstra, unfortunately, saw his season end with a race car that broke at the starting line.

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ST. LOUIS – The American Drag Racing League revealed its six-date Driven Automotive Protection 2021 ADRL Tour schedule today from World Wide Technology Raceway, site of the 2020 season-ending Dragstock XII. Saturday’s activities at the multi-faceted facility just outside the Gateway City are expected to provide late-season thrills for some of the best fans in drag racing.

Those St. Louis fans as well as the amazing base in Texas gave ADRL President Mel Roth a no-brainer of a decision as to where to put four of the six dates. “We’ve gone through some challenges over the course of this season,” Roth said, “but we’ve seen the fans here at World Wide Technology Raceway and the fans at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas step up and let us know that they want eighth-mile Pro Mod drag racing.

“We are honored that we’re able to provide free tickets to all of our events, to charge no entry fees to teams, and to provide safe, fan-friendly venues in which to host our races. It takes a lot of people to make the ADRL successful and we’re thankful for each and every one of them!”

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ST. LOUIS – World Wide Technology Raceway is the site of the American Drag Racing League 2020 season finale Friday and Saturday with early expectations of Dragstock XII being sky high by both the fans and the ADRL itself. Tickets to the legendary event are FREE as always thanks to the generosity of ADRL’s marketing partners and area businesses who have supported the sanction since its beginning. Start times have also been changed for Saturday’s eliminations, with pre-race ceremonies now scheduled for 1 p.m.

A number of storylines provide several interesting twists for the fourth-and-final race of a unique season for the eighth-mile league. Jason Hamstra was the third different Pro Extreme winner this year, thanks to his victory three weeks ago in Dallas. Can we see another new winner this weekend, creating a no-repeat winner situation in the ADRL’s premier class? The Battle For The Belts returns Friday night. Who among the four qualfiers will hold the strap? Finally, this weekend sees the return of the fan-favorite Extreme Pro Stock class. With points earned during Saturday’s runs counting for the 2021 championship battle, who is going to be the XPS pilot to gain bragging rights over the winter?

“I’ve never been shy about the fact I love Extreme Pro Stock,” said ADRL CEO Kenny Nowling. “I feel like they’re a perfect complement to our Pro Extreme class. Pro Extreme is made up mostly of the nostalgia-style muscle car bodies and most PX cars run screw-blown combinations with big blowers, whereas the XPS cars are the exact opposite. They’re all late-model cars with hood scoops and naturally-aspirated.”

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ENNIS, Texas – Jason Hamstra became the third different Pro Extreme winner in three American Drag Racing League events this year when he beat Bubba Stanton Saturday at the Texas Motorplex. The ADRL US Drags, the second race here in 2020, was the site of incredible weather Friday and Saturday and even better racing for the thousands of rabid fans in attendance.

Hamstra earned the victory in dramatic fashion against Bubba Stanton, barely pulling out the win with a 3.642-second pass at 216.31 mph over Stanton’s 3.657-second lap at 210.44 mph. The thrilling final capped off an amazing weekend of side-by-side racing in the PX class with Hamstra’s qualifying run setting the ADRL record for the class.

“We had the biggest crowd of the year at Texas and we rewarded them with our brand of racing!” said ADRL President Mel Roth. “We had perfect weather, another great track thanks to (Texas Motorplex GM) Andy Carter and his crew, and some of the best doorslammer racers in the country. And we’ve still got another race to go!”

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ENNIS, TX – Former American Drag Racing League champion Jason Hamstra drove his ’69 Camaro to the top of the Pro Extreme charts at the Texas Motorplex Friday night with a lap of 3.608-seconds at 216.65 mph down the eighth-mile track. The opening night of the ADRL US Drags saw near-perfect weather with an even better day expected Saturday. Tickets for the race, as always, are completely free of charge.

The most recent ADRL winner here, Frankie “The Madman” Taylor, was racing Hamstra to be the first driver since the successful relaunch of the ADRL to lay down an official lap in the 3.50-second range. Hamstra got his out of the way early, while Taylor waited until Q3 to make it interesting. The Texan laid down an impressive 3.61, but would’ve certainly made the 5’s had he not been forced to battle an ill-handling race car.

Fan favorite Travis Brandt was bitten twice by qualifying gremlins, forcing him to back his car off the line in both the second and third rounds. Fortunately, he piloted his ’68 Camaro to a 3.693-second lap at 206.64 mph during the opening round of quals Friday afternoon.

Currently, Bill Doucet sits at the bump spot at No. 16 with an ET of 3.87. The Pro Extreme last chance qualifier is scheduled for 3 p.m. local time tomorrow.

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ENNIS, TX – The American Drag Racing League’s 2020 season debut at the Texas Motorplex in June was so nice, they decided to do it twice. The Driven Automotive Protection ADRL presented by CarGuard Administration U.S. Drags comes to the world-class racing facility near Dallas Friday and Saturday with tickets, once again, completely free of charge.

Texan Frankie “The Madman” Taylor took home the famed Minuteman trophy in Pro Extreme that first event and left a number of competitors eager for a shot for redemption. Despite his confidence, Taylor knows even if he wins again, it probably won’t be in the same fashion as his last victory here, where he raced four uncontested rounds to get to the Winners Circle.

“That was unbelievable!” said ADRL President Mel Roth. “I’ve seen Frankie win a lot of races, but that was definitely unique. I know a lot of guys who want to make sure he doesn’t get back-to-back wins here, especially those four guys he was supposed to race before!”

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LAKE ST. LOUIS, MO – American Drag Racing League CEO Kenny Nowling announced today that WALCO Funding has signed a multi-year agreement to be the class sponsor for the ADRL’s Extreme Pro Stocks. The class, a fan favorite throughout drag racing, debuts at World Wide Technology Raceway Oct. 23-24 for the sanction’s signature event, the 2020 ADRL Dragstock XII.

WALCO Funding, based in Chicago, is the trusted source of payment plans for experienced sellers, dealers, and administrators in the automotive and home industries. They strive to create successful partnerships by providing payment plans and strategic funding which allow their partners to focus on selling service contracts to their customers.

“We are thrilled at the opportunity to become involved with the ADRL,” said Ed Walder, WALCO Funding President. “After seeing the fan reaction to the first two ADRL races this year, it was an easy decision when Kenny pitched us to sponsor the ADRL Extreme Pro Stock class.”

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MADISON, Ill. – That right there is why we race them on the track and not on paper. – Drag Racing Proverb.  Jason Hamstra came into Saturday’s ADRL Gateway Drags at World Wide Technology Raceway as the American Drag Racing League’s Pro Extreme Top Qualifier, thanks to a blistering lap Friday night of 3.633 seconds. After a first-round win, he faced off against No. 9-seed Bill Doucet in E2 in front of a guideline-savvy crowd of socially-distancing race fans.

And got treed.

Doucet took Hamstra off the board with a massive holeshot, putting the PX favorite on the trailer early, leading the way for Hank Stubbs to tee off for the Minuteman trophy win, his first of the season. Stubbs beat class champion Mike Recchia in a final for the ages, Stubbs’ 3.667-second lap at 206.29 mph just beating Recchia’s 3.676-second pass at 207.18 mph. It’s a victory that gave the fans at WWT Raceway a taste of what they can expect at ADRL Dragstock XII here Oct. 23-24.

There was more drama earlier in the day when Dragpalooza Top Qualifier and this weekend’s No. 3 provisional qualifier in PX Wesley Jones had to back out of the event due to terminal damage to his car from Friday night.

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MADISON, IL – Under the lights on the world-class drag strip at World Wide Technology Raceway, the American Drag Racing League returned home to the site of its greatest events and a foundation of the Missouri-based series. Former ADRL Rookie of the Year and Pro Extreme World Champion Jason Hamstra rocketed to the top of PX class qualifying with a Q3 pass of 3.633 seconds at 210.57 mph. More impressive is the fact Hamstra’s ’69 Camaro labored for most of the eighth-mile track, huffing and puffing to the finish line.

Hamstra also set top speed of qualifying thus far with a pass of 211.49 mph, done before the track’s lights came on in round two.

A hallmark of Friday night’s action across the river from St. Louis was great side-by-side racing. Reigning Mid-West Pro Mod Series Champion Aaron Wells and the ADRL PX winner from the Texas Motorplex last month Frankie “The Madman” Taylor put on the run of the night with Taylor edging Wells at the lane, 3.71 to 3.72. Taylor would go on to qualify second on the provisional ladder with a Q3 pass of 3.653 seconds at 285.05 mph. Wells currently sits seventh.

Dragpalooza top qualifier Wesley Jones qualified third Friday night with a solid lap of 3.663 seconds at 209.14 mph. Round 2 was an odd one for Jones, as it was for Bubba Stanton and John Sullivan, all of whom experienced gremlins in the left lane, preventing them from taking the staging light.

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ST. LOUIS – The American Drag Racing League comes home to World Wide Technology Raceway this Friday and Saturday for the 2020 ADRL Gateway Drags. On the heels of a hugely-popular season opener last month at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas, the ADRL comes to the St. Louis area ready to put on a drag race for the ages.

Leading the charge is the Pro Extreme class, an eighth-mile of fire-breathing Pro Mod excitement. With American muscle under the hood and exciting and colorful themes on the body, PX is guaranteed to thrill fans under the lights.

“The great thing about these cars,” said ADRL President Mel Roth, “is that they’re like the old drag cars back in the day. Back then, drivers went out of their way to create a personality for their race cars and that’s what we’re seeing now in our Pro Extreme class. These cars look like real cars, they sound like real cars, and they move down the track like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

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