Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV Race Preview

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When the rain came in Rockingham, the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV suddenly got even bigger.It’s still the last chance for drivers to have a say before the LenMar Motorsports Finals VI, but now two races will be completed in the last weekend before the top eight in each class vie for the Speedtech “Battle For The Belts.”Some have some big goals and ideas leading into the championship race, which means several drivers are planning large for Norwalk.“We’re planning on winning the next two races (Rockingham and Norwalk) to take over the points lead,” said Pro Extreme driver Frankie Taylor, who went 3.596 in Rockingham.“That’s our hope.”He isn’t alone with the high hopes.“We want to go to the championship No. 1 in the points. That’s our goal,” Pro Nitrous driver Shannon Jenkins said.To do that, Jenkins, currently No. 2 in PN, and Taylor, No. 3 in PX, will have to be locked in at Summit Motorsports Park, much like they were in Rockingham where both set new E.T. world records.After a one-year hiatus from the gorgeous facility, the ADRL has returned, but instead will be racing in the much cooler September temperatures.That means red-hot times and incredible racing, which is just what everyone likes this time of year.“It’s a beautiful place to go and it’s going to be fast,” said Extreme Pro Stock driver Brian Gahm, who lives about 3 ½ hours from the track.“We’re going there at the right time of the year. Going there in the fall, it’s going to be better. The track is going to be good no matter what, but it’s going to be fast.”If the summer races are about persevering through the hot temperatures, the September races in Rockingham and Norwalk are the reward.It yielded the usual incredible times in Rockingham, but more could follow in Norwalk.“This is the fun time of the year,” said Jenkins, who went 3.813 two weeks ago.There’s also plenty to enjoy about a track that made considerable upgrades just a few years ago.It was already highly-regarded among racers - Pro Extreme Motorcycle driver Billy Vose said it’s “one of the tracks worth testing at” - and those upgrades have made it one of the top racing facilities in the country.Coupled with an energetic fanbase that is sure to pack the first-class facility and it’s easy to see why it is an ideal destination and an ideal weekend.“The Bader family (who own the track) always runs a first-class program,” Jenkins said. “With all that they’ve done, it’s just one of my favorite tracks to go to.”Said Vose: “It’s not just the track prep, it’s the track itself and the personnel. The way they greet you and treat you, it’s a tough combination to beat.” The two races also make for a busy and potentially stressful month, especially with so much riding on each one.It gets compressed even more considering two races will be completed in two days, which is the third time rain has forced that to happen in the last two months.With that under consideration, getting through two races in two days yet again might favor the driver that doesn’t mind a busy schedule.“We race all the time, so that doesn’t really matter,” said Taylor, who won his first ADRL race at Norwalk in 2008.“But the ADRL really makes us step up our game. We know we have to go fast and we can’t back down.”There also wasn’t much time to get ready for the Ohio Drags with the limited time between it and the Rockingham Drags. Those who aren’t ready for the make or break weekend will likely pay the consequences.“You just have to be prepared,” Jenkins said. “You have to go in with an ‘A’ program and you better not look back.”Getting to that “A-level” for the stretch run of the 2010 season meant everyone had to stay busy between the Hardee’s Gateway Drags in early August and what has followed this month.“You have to keep your car fresh and keep it checked. You have to do your homework,” Taylor said. “You can’t let the car sit in the trailer. You have to work on it pretty hard.”Of course, after the rain wiped away the finish in Rockingham, some drivers will be more than ready for Summit Motorsports Park and the Ohio Drags.“If you’re running well and being consistent, the momentum helps a lot,” Gahm said. “That keeps everybody geared up.”

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