Five Impressions From Simpson Dragstock VII At Rockingham Dragway

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We didn’t get the full Rockingham experience over the weekend thanks to the rain that has been an all too frequent guest this year, but what did happen during the ADRL Simpson Dragstock VII was truly memorable.A new E.T. world record was set in three classes and there will be chances for two other class records when Dragstock gets completed in two weeks.Those weren’t the only records, either.In Pro Nitrous alone, there were three total records set, as competitors came out in droves to participate in the ADRL’s most prestigious race.Even during a rain-shortened race, there was plenty we discovered as we inch towards the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI at Texas Motorplex in October.Here is the top five things we learned at Rockingham Dragway at what was still a historic weekend.Rockingham Dragway Brings Out the Best in EveryoneWorld records were left in the nitrous dust, with the most coming in Pro Nitrous.Sure, Frankie Taylor set a world E.T. record in Pro Extreme and Dan Millen did the same in Extreme 10.5. Ashley Owens pulled out the quickest run in Pro Extreme Motorcycle history (4.02) and Rickie Jones went the fastest an Extreme Pro Stock car has ever gone (179.59 mph), but it still didn’t top what the huge Pro Nitrous class did.In addition to Shannon Jenkins’ new E.T. record (3.813), the capacity crowd got the biggest PN field in ADRL history - a whopping 40 cars - and it also saw the fastest field in PN history.The No. 16 qualifier went an impressive 3.95, but 39 of them were left looking at Jenkins, who is getting hot at the right time.He looked on as car after car made incredible passes under the lights, but all it did was motivate Jenkins to make sure he reached new territory in the ADRL’s deepest class.“I was just sitting up there watching cars and I just watched and watched, and they were all making good runs,” Jenkins said. “I just got mean with it and got lucky with that run.”Frankie Taylor Should Play the LotteryObviously, the Madman is pretty good with numbers - or pretty good at obliterating them, perhaps.It wasn’t an outright prediction, but Taylor openly hoped - and at least partially predicted - that he could become the first ADRL driver to get into the 3.5s.He did it with an amazing 3.59 at 210.64 miles per hour, as the quickest driver in the ADRL just added a little more pizzazz to his record mark.Taylor had been doing a large amount of testing in preparation for the race and just put a number of new parts on his sleek Corvette. Whatever the case, Taylor got his wish.Like he said, a “5” on that second number is pretty cool.“It felt good. To do it with the sun out was pretty cool,” Taylor said. “I wanted to be the first in the 50s, so that’s pretty cool, too. I’m very happy and this is pretty exciting.”Did Dan Millen Just Reset the Bar in Extreme 10.5?We might not get a final conclusion for a couple more weeks, but the Al-Anabi Racing driver left a mind-blowing impression in Rockingham.The potential was always there, but it had never been fully harnessed until this past weekend.Now, after four straight passes in the 3-second range, including a record-breaking 3.85 run, will this become the norm for Millen? He’s the new E.T. record holder and he’s figured out how to get the most out of his 2011 Mustang. Looks like we’ve got another marquee talent in XTF.“We have the right combination now,” Millen said. “We changed the car significantly. It’s a completely different set-up from front to back. This is the way we’ve expected to run now that everything’s changed.”Single-Race Weekends are an ADRL Rarity in 2010Due to less than ideal weather conditions, only three races were completed on their own this year in the ADRL.The last took place in June in Martin, MI, and even that one featured shortened qualifying and weather delays.Since then, it’s been all about the double-race weekends and even the mighty Rockingham Dragway couldn’t change the course of Mother Nature.“Nobody wanted to finish Dragstock at Rockingham Speedway more than myself, but unfortunately we have to call the event,” ADRL President and CEO Kenny Nowling said.The good news is the two double-race weekends went off without a hitch in 2010 and each produced a number of special moments.It’s a pretty good bet that the next one will do the same.The Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV Just Got Even BiggerIt was already going to be a big race, with the ADRL returning to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH, and it marking the final race before the World Finals next month.Now, things are going to be fast and intense in the cool Ohio air. It’s a double-race weekend and racers will have to leave everything on the line if they plan to be racing in the Speedtech “Battle For The Belts” in Ennis, TX.Double races might have become the norm in 2010, but none will be as pressure-packed as this one.How will the drivers handle it?“We’ll be ready to go in Ohio,” Pro Extreme driver Joshua Hernandez said.There’s one. We’re sure there will be plenty more.

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