Anatomy of a Championship: Extreme Pro Stock

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The John Montecalvo who won the Speedtech “Battle For The Belts” looked a lot like the driver who won four straight races at one point in Extreme Pro Stock in 2010.He started off strong and simply got better as the night progressed at Texas Motorplex last weekend, saving his best for last as he earned his first ADRL World Championship.To get there, though, Montecalvo had plenty of work to do and all of the XPS action that took place in Ennis is worth dissecting.Here’s the anatomy of a championship for Extreme Pro Stock and how Montecalvo got his ADRL title.FIRST ROUNDElijah Morton was strong in getting past Jeff Dobbins in the race-in matchup, but he couldn’t catch Montecalvo, who was red-hot right out of the trailer. Montecalvo went 4.088, quickly sending him back to his happy place that had him ruling the class over the summer. But he still didn’t have the most eye-opening performance of the round.That nod went to Pete Berner, who knocked off close friend Bob Bertsch in the opening round with a 4.086. He also immediately served attention that everything had aligned for the Summit Racing Equipment team. Berner certainly got Cary Goforth’s attention after he earned lane choice against the No. 1 qualifier. Goforth went 4.11, which would have been fine last month. But, in just one round, it was obvious things were going to be quicker in Texas.The final semifinal qualifier was Brian Gahm, who showed just how ready he was with a .000 reaction time. It put him past Cale Aronson, who cut a .004 light but quickly shook the tires in a rematch of the Hardee’s Gateway Drags III finals.SEMIFINALSBerner continued his strong day, as Goforth couldn’t quite match the explosive times that Berner and Montecalvo were displaying at Texas Motorplex.Berner went 4.08, knocking off Goforth, who went another 4.11. Goforth was the hottest driver in the class down the stretch, but that quickly fizzled out in this hot field in Ennis.Still, a season that included three wins and a No. 1 spot in the points for Goforth is worth celebrating.In a great semifinal matchup between two heavy hitters in Montecalvo and Gahm, Montecalvo never trailed in the race, going a blistering 4.077 to advance to the finals. Neither Berner nor Montecalvo were rolling heading into Ennis, but both were in a memorable rhythm last Friday.It also set things up for quite the race under the lights.FINALSThe two longtime racing friends delivered in a major way at Texas Motorplex.Both ran identical 4.071, but it was Montecalvo who left the line quicker.Berner’s car might have been the best of anyone in the class over the weekend, but Montecalvo had the total package.His car was impressive and the New York native was finally back to the comfort level that had him rolling through the division in June and July.He was quick off the line in every race and the car helped with the rest, including the title clincher against Berner.Montecalvo showed what happens when his team is completely dialed in and he proved it once more in the biggest race of the year.(Photos by ADRL/Richards)

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