State Of The Class Address: Extreme Pro Stock

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Only one month and two races remain in Extreme Pro Stock before the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI in October.Eight spots are still up for grabs heading into “The Battle For The Belts,” making this a perfect time to see what has happened up to this point and what the future holds.Call it the State of the Class Address or call it whatever you like. Either way, these final two races before the world finals - Simpson Dragstock VII at Rockingham Dragway (Sept. 10-11) and the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV (Sept. 24-25) - have plenty on the line.For the final part in this weeklong series, we take a look at Extreme Pro Stock and get a glimpse of what’s in store for this wild finish. TODAY: Extreme Pro StockFRIDAY: Pro Extreme MotorcycleTHURSDAY: Extreme 10.5WEDNESDAY: Pro NitrousTUESDAY: Pro ExtremeHOW IT GOT HEREThe season started with the first-timers taking center stage, but the last six races have been dominated by a couple of XPS veterans. Cary Goforth and Steven Boone started the 2010 points season with the first wins of their ADRL careers, but John Montecalvo (pictured) and Brian Gahm (pictured) have hogged the spotlight since then.The duo has combined for six straight wins dating back to May, with Montecalvo becoming the first driver in XPS history - and only the second driver in ADRL history - to win four straight races.That hot stretch came during a three-month span in the summer heat, which is notable since Montecalvo has never particularly enjoyed driving in the warm air.That didn’t slow him down this year and he’s in the points lead because of it.But it’s certainly not a runaway lead, thanks in part to Gahm’s consistency and, of course, a host of other talented drivers fighting for position.Gahm won in May and also at the Gateway Drags in August, but even the Ohio resident doesn’t have a firm grip on second.Goforth is just a point behind in the third spot, partly because he has gone rounds at nearly every race this season. He hasn’t won during the 2010 calendar year, but he did set the E.T. (4.04) and speed (179.04) records at Houston.To the surprise of nobody, this class goes 12 deep as far as potential top eight world championship qualifiers.Bob Bertsch, Mark Martino and Elijah Morton occupy spots 4-6, while Boone sits in seventh.Boone (pictured, bottom) hasn’t made major noise since winning in Valdosta in April, but that weekend proved he’s capable of beating anyone.Pete Berner has dropped to eighth with some hard-luck turn of events, which simply means others are ready to pounce.Jeff Dobbins (pictured) is only 94 points behind Berner in ninth, while Cale Aronson, Dean Goforth and Doug Kirk trail Dobbins. All still have thoughts of making major moves and, at some point this year, they’ve shown those thoughts aren’t pipe dreams.So much for the theory that this class belongs only to Montecalvo and Gahm.WHAT LIES AHEADIf Kirk plans to make a move from that No. 12 position into the top eight, Rockingham might be the place to do it.He won last year at Dragstock VI and a repeat performance would send another shockwave through the class.Of course, Kirk won the Ohio Drags last year as well, marking his first ADRL win since it preceded Rockingham in 2009.A double-win month would vault him from being an outsider to a favorite, but it’s not going to be easy.Gahm is one of many XPS drivers with a wealth of experience at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, which is the site of the Ohio Drags IV.He has relied on consistency for success this year, but he openly said he is expecting a little more out of his car over these final few races.The cooler air will allow for that on its own, but Gahm will have a few tricks up his sleeve as well.Morton, meanwhile, has already called out his friend, Montecalvo, and predicted a win at his home track in Rockingham.Montecalvo would like to respond with his fifth win of the year, but it will be interesting to see how he reacts after his four-race winning streak was snapped in St. Louis.Aronson was the one who knocked him out, and Aronson has also stated there’s plenty more power that his Mustang can produce.Martino is still looking for his first final, but like several other XPS drivers, he’s capable of going rounds and running solid times. Bertsch has shown that capability as well, while Berner has been near the top of the points standings all year before a forgettable double-race weekend in St. Louis.Where does that leave us heading into the home stretch?Well, for one thing, there should be some fantastic times at two tracks built for awesome XPS racing this time of year.Gahm said he wasn’t sure if a 3-second pass would be possible, but he did know plenty of great racing remains in Extreme Pro Stock.With a field where not much is set in stone this late in September that might be a no-brainer. (Photos by ADRL/Richards)

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