Somehow overlooked by the media during the "numbers
parade" was the fact that six different drivers exceeded John Lynam's
187.78 mph ADRL National Speed Record during the event although none managed
to certify a new mark until Todd Tutterow's muffled and DOT Hoosier-shod
PSI-smallblock Mustang ran 3.95/188.52 in Sunday's very first pair verified
by his 3.98/187.31 qualifier. Two pairs later, Josh Hernandez proved the
value of mineshaft air, (hovering between -824 and -786 feet all day),
by charging to a 3.913 at 189.28 mph which was backed-up by his 3.95/187.13
qualifier. Notable was the fact that the Howard Moon-tuned "doorstop"
Bel-Air achieved those marks despite Sunday's nonstop 15 mph headwind!
To the handful of folks who even knew it occurred,
one effort potentially overshadowed even the performances of Scruggs and
Shannon Jenkins. On Friday, Bil Clanton unleashed the true potential of
the "Big Money" Commander with a phenomenal
3.925/184.55 alongside Scruggs' 3.90/194 shocker but the Georgia veteran
clocked a mind- boggling 2.580-second 330-feet ET on the run, easily the
quickest ever and the first under 2.6 seconds. No other driver came within
three hundredths of that number and Clanton proved it was no fluke by
hitting 2.590 on his 3.93/182 official qualifier. As a point of comparison,
many alcohol-burning Funny Cars hit 2.58-second 330s on 5.7-second quarter-mile
runs!
Despite his new speed record, Josh Hernandez was
only the third fastest Pro Extreme racer at SGMP until Sunday. Steve Engel's
gorgeous Diamond Heavy Hauling Ohio Stingray uncorked a 3.96 at a whopping
188.99 mph on Friday yet could muster no better than a 4.03/187 during
official qualifying sessions and failed to make the cut!
Although reigning ADRL World Champ John Lynam
also missed the 16-car field on Saturday with a tire-shaking best of 4.14/180,
his 3.933 at 188.02 on Friday proved the “Lil Red Corvette”
was still worthy of its reputation. The DNQ dropped Lynam to seventh in
ADRL PX 2006 points.
