Hossler
Wins PX Title in Qatar Round 3
DOHA,
QATAR (Jan. 8, 2010)—Canton, IL’s Alex
Hossler (left) made his long trip to Qatar pay off
with the Pro Extreme win in Round 3 of the Arabian
Drag Racing League’s 2009-10 season, posting
a holeshot win over Tennessee’s Von Smith
in the PX final round at the Qatar Race Club.
In Pro Nitrous, newly crowned American
Drag Racing League Pro Nitrous World Champion Khalid
Al-Balooshi made it two-in-a-row with a his win
over Al-Anabi Racing teammate Burton Auxier, who
turned on the dreaded red light in the final round.
Hossler, the current American Drag
Racing League Pro Extreme points leader, left with
a .047 reaction time in his Chris Duncan-built ‘70
Camaro to Smith’s .068, allowing his 3.77-seconds
pass at 202.52 mph to defeat the quicker and faster
3.76 at 206.01 put together by Smith in his Barwa-backed
‘68 Camaro.
Auxier, from Dixie, West Virginia,
left five-thousandths of a second too soon, negating
his 3.95 at 191.35 that easily would have beaten
Al-Balooshi’s off-the-pace 5.20 effort at
just 96.37 mph.
BARWA
RACING PRO EXTREME TEAM
SETTLING IN FOR THREE RACE STRETCH
(12-6-09) DOHA, Qatar – With the third round of Arabian Drag Racing League action getting underway this week at the Qatar Race Club, Barwa Racing’s Howard Moon and Von Smith will return to the outlaw eighth-mile in search of a second consecutive world championship.
After winning the season opener, Smith had to settle for runner-up honors in the Barwa Racing Pro Extreme ’68 Camaro during Round 2 when His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani of Al-Anabi Racing bested him in their final round pairing. With three races slated for the next three weeks, Rounds 3 through 5 of the Arabian Drag Racing League season could easily be likened to the brutal NHRA “Western Swing”. Albeit the events are all contested at the same facility, the American-based racers are still required to spend several weeks away from their families and homes, working round the clock to maintain these three-second, 200mph door slammers between races.
“While we definitely enjoyed some time with our families over the holiday season, we couldn’t be more excited to get back at it this week at the QRC,” said Smith, checking in from the team’s villa near the track in Doha. “We’ve done a little testing since the last event and we’re confident moving forward that we can run the numbers it takes to win this deal.”
The veteran driver continued, “We’ve got a few new faces over here for these races, and we’re obviously very excited to see more competitors turning up for the top classes here in Qatar. The sportsman classes enjoy a great following, but we’re at the forefront of the Pro Modified movement here in the Arabian Gulf Region and it’s going to take some time for this area to see 16-car fields and such.”
The Qatar Race Club, quickly gaining worldwide notoriety for its ultra-fast racing surface and ideal atmospheric conditions, is anticipating another record-setting weekend as some of the best tuners and drivers in the business converge on Doha for Round 3.
“We’re satisfied with the way we have been running,” said Howard Moon, crew chief for the Pro Extreme ’68 Camaro. “It’s clear, though, that it’s going to take more than consistent 3.70s if we want to win a championship for Barwa this season. We’ve prove we can run the number, and that’s the plan for Round 3 – go out there and get after it. We’re not leaving anything on the table.”
Qualifying for Round 3 of the Arabian Drag Racing League series at the Qatar Race Club begins at 7:00 PM AST on Thursday, January 7th, with a second round scheduled for 9:00 PM. A final round of qualifying will take place at 5:00 PM AST on Friday the 8th, with eliminations getting underway at 7:00 PM AST.
SHEIKH
KHALID EARNS FIRST PRO EXTREME VICTORY
IN RECORD-SETTING FASHION AT QATAR RACE CLUB
(12-6-09) DOHA, Qatar –
Sheikh Khalid Al Thani came into the Qatar Race
Club for this weekend’s Round 2 of the Arabian
Drag Racing League series with nothing less than
high expectations and bad intentions; looking
to put the Al-Anabi Racing Pro Extreme ’68
Camaro in the winner’s circle – regardless
of the fact that it was only his second race at
the controls of the near 4,000 horsepower hot
rod.
“We
had made such great gains in testing,” said
Sheikh Khalid, “ that I knew a victory wasn’t
out of the question; it wasn’t too much
to expect.”
And his assertation was on the money, as the
rookie driver earned his first Pro Extreme victory
in the Arabian Gulf Region-based ADRL over Bader
Ahli in an exciting final round confrontation.
While Ahli was able to take a slight advantage
off the starting line (.044 to .056), it wouldn’t
be nearly enough to hold off the Frank Manzo tune-up
that had Shiekh Khalid’s Camaro acting more
like a freight train than a racecar. Sheikh Khalid
blistered through the eighth-mile clocks at a
stunning 207.02mph (327.49kph) in 3.677-seconds
– resetting both ends of the Arabian Drag
Racing League world records and taking the win
over Ahli’s respectable 3.899-second effort.
“I’m
your huckleberry,” an enthusiastic Sheikh
Khalid said as he rolled his Tim McAmis Race Cars
built Camaro into victory lane. “I suppose
we bought that one, too?”
Crew chief Frank “Ace” Manzo, responsible
for 101 Lucas Oil NHRA Drag Racing Series wins
and 12 season titles as a driver himself, has
seamlessly transferred into the tuner capacity
with the Al-Anabi Racing super power, and has
very similar expectations for Sheikh Khalid’s
Pro Extreme effort.
“First and foremost, I have to say that
it’s because of great people like Sheikh
Khalid, Howard Moon and Tim McAmis that I have
this opportunity,” said Manzo, checking
in via cell phone from the Qatar Race Club outside
the nation’s capitol city of Doha. “Just
like football, where the quarterback gets most
the credit, I tend to get most the glory for the
success and performance we’re seeing with
this Al-Anabi Racing program, but I want to say
that I’ve got a great team here, I’ve
got 5 guys out front blocking for me that make
days like today possible.”
The
veteran Top Alcohol Funny Car driver continued,
“We are very satisfied with our performance
here today, but we know there is still more in
this combination. The car has been perfect and
Sheikh Khalid has done a great job driving, making
all the adjustments that we need him to make,
adapting and learning a lot with every lap down
the track.”
“This facility that Sheikh Khalid has created,
the Qatar Race Club, is easily in the top three
best racing surfaces in the world. The opportunity
we’ve been given here is unbelievable, and
I’m truly honored to have the opportunity
to race at this level, on this scale, and do it
on an international level.”
As for the world record-setting performance of
the Al-Anabi Racing ’68 Camaro, which will
go down in the history books as the second quickest
and third fastest pass of all time for a door
slammer, Manzo was obviously content, but didn’t
hesitate to say that there is a lot left.
“It might not happen this season, but I
don’t think it’s out of the question
for these cars to run 3.50s at over 210mph within
the next year to 18 months. The power is there.”
While the Arabian Drag Racing League is still
in the early stages of development, the talent
and performance of the cars, drivers and crew
chiefs competing is second to none. With three
back-to-back events slated for January and then
two more races in February and March, it’s
still anybody’s game when it comes to the
Pro Extreme world championship.
“I can’t say enough about this team
and this car,” said Sheikh Khalid. “it’s
been a dream weekend and we’re looking forward
to a few weeks off so that we can prepare for
three straight races in January.”
Drivers from all points of the globe are scheduled
to converge on the Qatar Race Club’s eighth-mile
for Round 3 of the ADRL on January 7th and 8th.
Sheikh
Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani scored his career-first
Pro Extreme win
(Dec. 4, 2009) DOHA, QATAR —
In spectacular fashion His Highness Sheikh Khalid
bin Hamad Al-Thani scored his career-first Pro
Extreme win in Round 2 of the 2009-10 Arabian
Drag Racing League season at the Qatar Race Club.
With
his Tim McAmis-built ‘68 Camaro lined up
beside the Tommy Mauney-created ‘06 Mustang
of Bader Ahli for the final round, the Sheikh
made the second-quickest Pro Extreme pass in the
world, going 3.677 seconds at 207.02 miles per
hour to reset both of his own Arabian Drag Racing
League records set earlier in the event. Only
two-time American Drag Racing League champion
Jason Scruggs has been quicker with a 3.66 pass
this summer at Memphis, Tennessee.
Sheikh
Khalid left with a .056 reaction time to Ahli’s
.044, but had already overcome the .012 holeshot
by the 60-foot point with a .926 short time to
Ahli’s .973. Ahli made a strong pass, too,
until suffering a major engine explosion as he
approached the eighth-mile finish line and slowed
somewhat to a 3.89 pass.
Al-Anabi Racing teammates Mike Castellana and
reigning American Drag Racing League World Champ
Khalid Al-Balooshi squared off in the Pro Nitrous
final with both again experiencing the vexing
tire shake that plagued them all weekend. Al-Balooshi
was able to recover a little quicker, though,
and powered his ‘68 Camaro to the win in
4.422 seconds at 186.36 mph while Castellana posted
a traction-troubled 5.436 at 100.52 mph.
Al-Anabi
Racing
CASTELLANA
& BALOOSHI READY FOR BATTLE IN ROUND 2 AT
QATAR RACE CLUB
(12-1-09)
DOHA, Qatar – Two of Al-Anabi Racing’s
in-house world champions, recently crowned ADRL
Pro Nitrous champ Khalid Al-Balooshi and former
IHRA Pro Modified world champion Mike Castellana,
are prepared to once again do battle on the outlaw
eighth-mile and look to create a second straight
all Al-Anabi Racing final during Round 2 of the
Arabian Drag Racing League series at the Qatar
Race Club.
After a pair of stunning performances
out of the Al-Anabi Racing Pro Nitrous hot rods,
including a mind-blowing 3.82-second, 196.24mph
blast out of Balooshi’s trusty ’68
Camaro to take the No. 1 spot in qualifying and
a 3.93/191.75mph effort from Castellana, the duo
met in the final round for all the marbles, with
no one being more satisfied than His Highness
Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani.
“To have our two Pro Nitrous
cars in the final,” said Sheikh Khalid,
“is exactly the result we were looking for
from this incredible team that we’ve put
together. With the horsepower provided by Shannon
Jenkins and David Reher and the addition of Jeff
Perley and Justin Elkes, we’ve got a program
here that is going to be very hard to beat.”
With nearly two weeks between
Round 1 and 2 of the ADRL series, the Al-Anabi
Racing Pro Nitrous team has maximized the downtime,
compiling parts and reviewing data to elevate
the performance and consistency of their nitrous
oxide-assisted doorslammers.
“We came home with a laundry
list of things we wanted to bring over, RacePak
sensors and various other items that we’ve
seen success with in Pro Stock, that we think
will be beneficial to this program,” said
Justin Elkes, a data acquisition specialist. “With
an abundance of horsepower, which is something
new to us Pro Stock guys, we’re really excited
to be working closely with Shannon [Jenkins] to
put apply this power to the racetrack.”
Elkes continued, “We’ve
got more than enough power to get these nitrous
cars well into the 3.70s and that’s what
we’re looking to do, but we also want to
be able to do it consistently.”
With one round of racing and
a victory already under their belt, the Al-Anabi
Racing Pro Nitrous team is well positioned to
make a run at the first-ever Arabian Drag Racing
League Pro Nitrous world championship in 2009/2010,
but know that it won’t be an easy task,
especially with the influx of competition from
the surrounding Arabian Gulf Region countries.
Jeff Perley, best known for
his time spent as crew chief for the Greg Anderson/Jason
Line NHRA Pro Stock program that netted four world
championships, referred to his first trip to Doha
and the Qatar Race Club as an eye-opening experience,
and has high expectations for the entire Al-Anabi
Racing organization in the future.
“It’s almost been
hard to grasp,” said Perley before boarding
the Qatar Airways flight to Doha on Sunday. “It’s
been an incredible experience and to see the Qatar
Race Club, which is undeniably one of the best
racing surfaces I’ve ever been on, and all
the resources that we have to work with –
it’s amazing.”
“I’ve got a lot
of confidence in what we can do with these cars
in terms of performance, and running well is at
the forefront of our minds, but I’m equally
excited about the opportunity to be a part of
the Pro Modified movement. We’ve seen this
class explode in popularity over the course of
the last few years and we’re hoping to help
usher this category into the top tier of the sport.”
Qualifying for Round 2 of the
Arabian Drag Racing League series at the Qatar
Race Club begins at 7:00 PM AST on Thursday, December
3rd, with a second round scheduled for 9:00 PM.
A final round of qualifying will take place at
5:00 PM AST on Thursday the 4th, with eliminations
getting underway at 7:00 PM AST.
For more information on the
Qatar Race Club and the Arabian Drag Racing League’s
season-opener, log onto www.qrczone.com
SHEIKH
KHALID READY FOR ROUND 2 AT QATAR RACE CLUB
(12-1-09)
DOHA, Qatar – Fresh off a most
impressive debut in the ferocious world of Pro
Extreme drag racing that saw the rookie driver
earn runner-up honors, His Highness Sheikh Khalid
bin Hamad Al Thani is anxiously awaiting the second
round of action during the Arabian Drag Racing
League series event at the Qatar Race Club this
week.
Led by Top Alcohol Funny Car
legend Frank Manzo, who was listed as one of the
National Hot Rod Association’s Top 50 drivers
of all time during their 50 year anniversary in
2001, the Al-Anabi Racing team is ready to take
on all comers in their second appearance together
after having spent ample time testing after the
season-opener.
“I’m very satisfied
with the progress we’ve made in such a short
amount of time,” said Sheikh Khalid, speaking
from the Al-Anabi Racing shop on the grounds of
the Qatar Race Club. “We continue to make
big strides and we’re only going to go quicker
and faster, and do so even more consistently,
as we gain data with every lap we make in testing.”
Despite still getting comfortable
in the driving role, Sheikh Khalid has proven
his prowess behind the wheel with a string of
3.8-second, near 200mph eighth-mile passes in
his new Tim McAmis Race Cars-built ’68 Camaro
and looks to build on the success of his first
outing in his sophomore appearance.
“I anticipate another positive
outing this weekend,” said Sheikh Khalid.
“This new team continues to jell and with
the tuning expertise of Frank Manzo, I’ve
got all the confidence in the world that we’ve
got a race-winning program. With a month off between
Round 2 and 3, I’m looking forward to spending
even more time testing to prepare for the three
back-to-back events. This week, though, our goal
as always will be to win, and based off our performance
in testing – I’m confident we can
find the winner’s circle on Friday night.”
Qualifying for Round 2 of the
Arabian Drag Racing League series at the Qatar
Race Club begins at 7:00 PM AST on Thursday, December
3rd, with a second round scheduled for 9:00 PM.
A final round of qualifying will take place at
5:00 PM AST on Thursday the 4th, with eliminations
getting underway at 7:00 PM AST.
TUTTEROW
AND BADER PREPARED TO PUT QATAR RACE CLUB MUSTANG
IN WINNER’S CIRCLE
(12-1-09)
DOHA, Qatar – When you have a history
with a racecar like Todd Tutterow and the Qatar
Race Club-backed Pro Extreme ’06 Ford Mustang,
it’s only a matter of time when big things
start to happen, and even though the man and machine
combination have only known each other for a few
months – the results have spoken for themselves.
After a strong debut in the Arabian
Drag Racing League Round 1 event at the Qatar
Race Club that saw Arabian Gulf Region standout
Bader Alhi earn a semifinal round finish after
qualifying second for the show with a 3.825-second
pass and his first 200mph eighth-mile speed, the
Pro Extreme tag-team’s second trip to the
QRC has been highly anticipated.
“We have the QRC Ford Mustang
moving in the right direction,” said Tutterow
as he prepared to make the near 15-hour flight
to Doha, Qatar from his home in the United States.
“No question, we would have liked to win
that first race, and I believe we had a car capable
of doing it, but it doesn’t always happen
quite like you want it to when you’re heads
up drag racing.
“Bader [Alhi] has done
a fine job driving and we’ve just got to
put it all together on race day if we’re
going to put this hot rod in the winner’s
circle. We’ll probably make a few hits Wednesday
before the race to be ready to go for qualifying
for Round 2.”
Tutterow, who has traversed more
drag strips than most in his years as a professional
driver, continues to be impressed by the state-of-the-art
Qatar Race Club, deeming the racing surface “one
of the best in the world”.
Make no mistake, after earning
the American Drag Racing League Pro Extreme world
championship just over a month ago in Dallas,
Texas, Todd Tutterow, would love nothing more
than to earn a second world championship in 2009/2010,
and it will start with a win at Round 2 of the
Doha, Qatar-based ADRL this week.
Qualifying for Round 2 of the
Arabian Drag Racing League series at the Qatar
Race Club begins at 7:00 PM AST on Thursday, December
3rd, with a second round scheduled for 9:00 PM.
A final round of qualifying will take place at
5:00 PM AST on Thursday the 4th, with eliminations
getting underway at 7:00 PM AST.
MOON
& SMITH LOOKING FOR CONSECUTIVE WINS IN ROUND
2 AT QATAR RACE CLUB
(12-1-09)
DOHA, Qatar – As if they never
stopped calling the cars back to the staging lanes
last year, Von Smith and the Barwa Racing ’68
Camaro tuned by Howard Moon didn’t miss
a step in their return to the Qatar Race Club
for Round 1 of the Arabian Drag Racing League,
debuting the brand-new Barwa sponsorship and taking
the win over His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad
Al Thani in the final round.
After their world championship-earning
efforts last season, the team has set a standard
that they have every intention of maintaining
through 2009 and into 2010.
“That’s exactly how
we wanted to start the season,” said the
team’s veteran driver, Von Smith, from the
team’s villa in Doha, Qatar. “It was
a neat and somewhat unnerving situation to race
Sheikh Khalid in the final, but he made it clear
before we ran that he wanted to race – no
funny business. It was a good race, too, he left
on me, but Howard [Moon, crew chief] has this
Barwa Camaro hauling the mail and we got the win.
For his first time in one of these Pro Extreme
cars, I can’t say enough about Sheikh Khalid
– a seriously impressive driving debut.”
Smith continued, “We’re
geared up for Round 2, we’ve got everything
ready to go, and it’s just a matter of heading
out to the track and getting after it at this
point.”
With representatives from Barwa
Real Estate on hand for the second round of action,
Smith, Moon and crew are even more amped than
usual.
“A few of the guys from
Barwa were able to come out to the awards ceremony
two weeks ago, but they haven’t been able
to join us on race day yet,” said Smith.
“We’re excited to have them and we’re
anticipating a similar performance.”
The competition will certainly
continue to intensify on the luxurious Qatar Race
Club’s eighth-mile, as more and more top-tier
race teams are slated to enter the fray.
“It’s going to get
serious in the coming weeks,” Smith continued.
“There are three teams from Australia’s
Top Doorslammer ranks that will be here starting
with Round 3 and we’re expecting the teams
from the neighboring Arabian Gulf Region countries
to jump into the mix as well.”
Qualifying for Round 2 of the
Arabian Drag Racing League series at the Qatar
Race Club begins at 7:00 PM AST on Thursday, December
3rd, with a second round scheduled for 9:00 PM.
A final round of qualifying will take place at
5:00 PM AST on Thursday the 4th, with eliminations
getting underway at 7:00 PM AST.
For more information on the Al-Anabi
Racing Pro Extreme Team please log onto www.qrczone.com.
Details and further information regarding BARWA
Real Estate Company can be found at www.barwa.com.qa
Please visit Al-Anabi Racing Pro
Extreme’s sponsors at: www.bradanderson.com,
www.bandjtransmission.com,
www.electrimotion.com,
www.hoosiertire.com
(11-20-09)
DOHA, Qatar – Having only the four
allotted qualifying sessions for Round 1 of the
Arabian Drag Racing League at the Qatar Race Club
to get comfortable in his new Pro Extreme ’68
Camaro, HH Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani put
on a tremendous driving display during the elimination
rounds of the season-opening event.
Sheikh Khalid, who qualified
3rd in the field with a 3.859-second blast at
199.75mph, had to face the Qatar Race Club’s
own Bader Alhi in the Todd Tutterow-tuned ’06
Ford Mustang in the opening round of action. Despite
the game opponent in the other lane, the Sheikh
maintained a level of collectiveness and composure
that is rarely seen in a rookie driver and took
out his veteran counterpart, setting up a final
round against the Barwa Racing ’68 Camaro
driven by 2008 Arabian Drag Racing League world
champion, Von Smith.
Smith, who put the Howard Moon-tuned
Pro Extreme Camaro on the pole with a 3.735 at
205.22mph, is undeniably the man to beat when
it comes to drag racing in the Arabian Gulf Region,
but Sheikh Khalid remained confident that his
first outing as a Pro Extreme driver could very
well result in his first career victory.
“Frank [Manzo, crew chief]
has made me so comfortable over the course of
the race, that it was easy to be confident going
into our first final round together,” said
Sheikh Khalid, checking in from his home in Doha.
“He has such an easy going personality,
and he is always teaching, so we continued to
make big progress every time we took to the track.”
He continued, “With Tim
[McAmis] taking care of the car and Frank the
motor, it’s just been a dream to drive.
These guys have this Al-Anabi Racing Camaro dialed-in,
and it’s let me really focus on cutting
a light and doing my job as the driver.”
No questioning his concentration,
as Sheikh Khalid used a 19-thousands-of-a-second
starting line advantage to hold Smith off until
about half-track when the hard charging Barwa
Camaro slipped by, taking the win with a 3.758/205.69mph
combination to His Highness’ 3.860-second,
198.06mph effort.
“I really wanted to leave
on Von,” said Sheikh Khalid. “I managed
to pull it off, but they got the best of us on
the other end. It was a great showing for this
entire organization, though, and I couldn’t
be happier to see Von and Howard win Round 1 at
the QRC. This was a stellar weekend, and for our
newest sponsor, Barwa, to see the winner’s
circle in their first outing is incredible.”
Frank Manzo, who has earned almost
innumerable wins in the NHRA Top Alcohol Funny
Car category, had nothing but good things to say
about his new driver.
“Sheikh is a tuner’s
driver,” said Manzo, direct from the pits
of the state-of-the-art Qatar Race Club. “He
listens and makes the adjustments that need to
be made. I couldn’t ask for more. We would
have loved to get this first win together, but
we’ll give it another shot here in a few
weeks during Round 2.”
AL-ANABI
RACING GEARED UP FOR ROUND 1 AT QATAR RACE CLUB;
PERLEY AND ELKES ENTER THE FOLD
(11-14-09)
DOHA, Qatar – With Round 1 of the
Arabian Drag Racing League only days away, anticipation
continues to build as the world’s foremost
Pro Modified drag racing team, the Al-Anabi Racing
conglomerate, is welcomed back to the state-of-the-art
Qatar Race Club in the nation’s capital
city of Doha. Leading the charge for Al-Anabi
Racing will be the 2009 American Drag Racing League
Pro Nitrous world champion and record holder,
Khalid Al-Balooshi, and the veteran wheelman from
New York City, Mike Castellana.
On the heels of an utterly dominating
season within the close competition of the ADRL’s
Pro Nitrous category as well as the NHRA Pro Modified
ranks, Al-Anabi Racing looks to extend their success
in the United States of America to the Arabian
Gulf Region with a win at the season-opening event.
With championship-caliber drivers and the world’s
foremost nitrous tuner Shannon “The Iceman”
Jenkins providing the horsepower, expectations
couldn’t be higher for the second season
of action at the QRC.
Looking to offer its fans and
competitors the best heads up racing possible,
the Qatar Race Club split the Pro Modified category
into two eliminators for 2009; one for the nitrous
oxide-injected cars and their supercharged, alcohol
burning counterparts – both to compete on
the eighth-mile.
With the level of competition
ever increasing, His Highness Sheikh Khalid Bin
Hamad Al Thani, always looking to expand his racing
empire, enlisted Pro Stock racing tacticians Jeff
Perley and Justin Elkes to add to the performance
of his Pro Nitrous operation both in the pits
and on the drag strip.
"Jeff Perley is a great
addition to our arsenal and will add to the solid
foundation we have established, building the core
structure of our team that has already produced
two world championships,” says Sheikh Khalid,
checking in via phone from his office in Doha.
“His track record in NHRA Pro Stock as a
multi-time world championship crew chief speaks
for itself, and combining his tuning expertise
with the horsepower provided by Shannon Jenkins
and David Reher - we are continually adding to
our entire program.
Sheikh Khalid continues, “Our
immediate goal with Jeff and Justin are to have
them in Doha for Round 1 at the QRC to help the
“Iceman” put Mike and K.A. Balooshi
in the final round together.”
Perley, perhaps best known for
his efforts at KB Racing, home of former NHRA
Pro Stock champions Greg Anderson and Jason Line,
brings to the table a degree of technical thoroughness
that promotes top-tier performance.
While aware of the volatile cars
that are modern day Pro Modifieds, Perley is eager
to take on the challenge, but knows that success
may not come overnight – even though that
is the plan. “For me, a car guy, this is
a dream opportunity,” he says.
“With Shannon Jenkins
and David Reher, we’ll never be without
power, and that’s something that we aren’t
used to in the Pro Stock world. Now, I don’t
think for a minute that everything we have learned
in Pro Stock will seamlessly translate into Pro
Modified, but the same basic tuning principles
apply – we’re trying to accelerate
a car from a standing stop as quickly as possible.”
Perley, whose experience ranges
from turbocharged front wheel-drive cars to Pro
Stock, continues, “Our short term goal here,
especially this coming weekend in Doha, is to
win. The wealth of knowledge and race day experience
that Sheikh Khalid has compiled here at Al-Anabi
Racing should yield immediate results, and we
are both honored to be involved.”
Justin Elkes, whose experience
as a world champion mountain motor Pro Stock crew
chief will prove extremely valuable as the multi-car
Al-Anabi Racing team moves into the future.
“Jeff and I couldn’t
be more proud to be involved in a program such
as this,” said Elkes. “As Jeff said,
we’re on our way to Qatar, and our plan
is to help continue to put these Al-Anabi Racing
cars in the winner’s circle for Sheikh Khalid.
We also hope to bring some of the available Pro
Stock technology to the team and take what has
already been a championship winning combination
even further.”
With Pro Modified serving as
the highest level of professional drag racing
in the Arabian Gulf Region, it’s only logical
for the Al-Anabi Racing Pro Nitrous team to take
on the look and feel of a Top Fuel team in the
United States.
Elkes went on to say that their
intentions were to help continue the establishment
of Al-Anabi Racing’s Pro Modified effort
as a true racing organization, especially considering
the recent announcement from drag racing’s
foremost sanctioning body, the National Hot Rod
Association, that Pro Modified would be recognized
as a professional category in 2010 and beyond.
“This is a exciting time
for the sport,” said Perley. “We’re
anxious to get started and excited to be a part
of Al-Anabi Racing.”
This potent combination of talent
currently possessed by Al-Anabi Racing is unparalleled
in Pro Modified racing, and starting in Doha this
weekend during Round 1 of the Arabian Drag Racing
League series at the Qatar Race Club, this racing
superpower will look to establish early dominance.
BARWA
CAMARO SET TO DEBUT AT QATAR RACE CLUB; MOON &
SMITH SET SIGHTS ON CONSECUTIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS
(11-14-09)
DOHA, Qatar – Von Smith, who last
year became the first Qatar Race Club Pro Modified
world champion, will return to the incredible
facility this week for the first race of the Arabian
Drag Racing League series, but at the controls
of the brand-new Barwa ’68 Chevy Camaro.
“After winning the championship
here last season for Al-Anabi Racing and Sheikh
Khalid, we’re excited to be back in Qatar
with the opportunity to race for a second championship,”
said Smith. “Our new partnership with Barwa,
though, takes our excitement to an entirely new
level.”
The veteran driver continued,
“This is a unique opportunity for us to
represent one of Qatar’s foremost real estate
conglomerates on the race track, and to bring
a new company to the sport of drag racing. We’re
honored to have the opportunity and judging by
the success we’ve seen in pre-season testing
in the United States, I think we’ve got
a good shot at putting BARWA and Al-Anabi Racing
in the winner’s circle right out of the
gate.”
Barwa has long believed in the
importance of supporting sport and youth in Qatar,
and reflecting the spirit of responsibility towards
society and their home country, Barwa jumped at
the opportunity to be involved with the sport
of drag racing, the Qatar Race Club and championship-caliber
team of Howard Moon and Von Smith.
Mr. Khaled Al Delaymi, President
of Barwa Business Development, recently stated,
“Barwa is proud of the drag race achievements.
We are delighted to make a real contribution to
accomplishing success for such a prestigious event,
as supporting sports and champions is a major
part of our strategy. We are aware that these
kinds of sports are becoming more popular among
young people.”
Al Delaymi continued, “Barwa
always looks for one clear and determined goal:
raising the name of Qatar in all events, especially
sports. That’s why we have supported many
teams and champions, our support will not stop,
but will continue in the future.”
Along with being proud ambassadors
for Barwa, Moon and Smith are eager to take to
the eighth-mile at the Qatar Race Club for Round
1 of the Arabian Drag Racing League series. The
2008 season presented a number of challenges for
the formidable drag racing tag team, yet their
focus and dedication to success never waivered,
presenting them with the ultimate prize at the
conclusion of the season – the inaugural
QRC Pro Modified world championship.
“We were very happy to
win the championship for Sheikh Khalid,”
said Moon, who has spent the days leading up to
Round 1 at the QRC in testing. “We anticipate
the same level of success this year and with the
performance we have seen from our new ’68
Camaro, we couldn’t be more confident going
into the season-opener.”
Please visit Al-Anabi Racing Pro
Extreme’s sponsors at: www.bradanderson.com,
www.bandjtransmission.com,
www.electrimotion.com,
www.hoosiertire.com
QATAR
RACE CLUB TEAM ANTICIPATE STRONG SHOWING WITH
BADER AHLI AND TODD TUTTEROW
(11-17-09) DOHA, Qatar
– Following a string of incredibly
successful test sessions for the newly formed
Qatar Race Club Pro Extreme team, Todd Tutterow
arrived in Doha, Qatar on Sunday along with the
2006 Ford Mustang Cobra that he drove to the 2009
American Drag Racing League Pro Extreme world
championship; a race won on consistent performance,
which is exactly what Qatar Race Club driver Bader
Ahli has been looking for.
Bader, who was in attendance
for the season-ending LenMar Motorsports ADRL
World Finals V in Dallas, Texas, couldn’t
have been more impressed with the tuning expertise
demonstrated by Tutterow in his quest for the
championship, namely the string of 3.8-second,
200mph passes that put the ADRL Pro Extreme championship
belt around Tutterow’s waist.
“The performance and consistency
displayed by Tutterow is impossible to deny,”
said Ahli, reporting from the pits of the Qatar
Race Club. “I couldn’t be more happy
and excited to have Todd calling the shots on
this Brad Anderson-powered Mustang, and I’m
confident that we’re going to have a shot
at the QRC Pro Extreme championship this season.”
With the support of the Qatar
Race Club, Bader Ahli will take a shot at the
Arabian Drag Racing League Pro Extreme world championship
this season, with Round 1 coming up this week.
“This Mustang is going
straight, and going fast – nothing does
more for a driver’s confidence,” Ahli
concluded.
While the 2008 Arabian Drag Racing
League series at the QRC provided ample entertainment
for race fans in the Gulf Region, the addition
of a Todd Tutterow-tuned hot rod to the mix will
surely take the excitement up a notch.
Qualifying for Round 1 at the
QRC gets underway Thursday with final eliminations
slated for Friday in all of the seven classes
including the headlining Pro Extreme and Pro Nitrous
divisions.
“I’m excited to have
this opportunity to do what I love, drag racing,
on an international scale,” said Tutterow,
who calls Yadkinville, North Carolina home. “We’ve
had this Mustang running hard since the Al-Anabi
Shootout in Virginia, and it carried us through
to the ADRL world championship. The facilities
here in Qatar are comparable to the best in the
world, so we’re looking forward to getting
after it this week in Round 1 of the seven-race
series.”
MOON
AND SMITH TO DEBUT BARWA PRO MOD CAMARO; ANTICIPATE
CONTINUED SUCCESS FOR AL-ANABI RACING
(7-30-09) OAK RIDGE,
Tennessee – Al-Anabi Racing driver
Von Smith said his experience thus far in 2009,
more so than anything else, has been “a
privilege”, and after scoring five event
wins out of eight contested races in the Arabian
Drag Racing League and taking home the series’
championship for Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani
– it’s also been impressive.
The
brand-new team consisting of veteran Top Alcohol
Funny Car tuner and Pro Modified crew chief Howard
Moon, along with the aforementioned wheelman Von
Smith, suffered two major setbacks over the course
of the Middle Eastern racing season. Both incidents
came in the form of high-speed top end accidents,
unfortunately destroying two racecars, but hardly
enough to slow the progress of the consummate
professionals who maintained their composure and
pressed forward.
After securing a car, one which
Moon had a great deal of positive prior experience
with, the team continued their domination of the
Arabian Gulf Region drag racing scene –
even setting the mark for the world’s fastest
Pro Modified pass at 257mph in 5.740 seconds.
“To win the championship
for Sheikh Khalid,” said Smith, reporting
from the Al-Anabi Racing shop in Oak Ridge, Tennessee,
“was as big of an accomplishment as I’ve
had in my racing career, and to be the one appointed
to represent his country in drag racing has been
nothing short of an honor.”
While the racing season is still
in full-swing here in the United States, the
Al-Anabi Racing Pro Extreme team has spent the
latter half of the summer since clinching the
title in off-season mode; enlisting Tim McAmis
Race Cars to construct a state-of-the-art ’68
Chevy Camaro for use this fall and winter during
the Arabian Drag Racing League season. First,
though, the new hot rod will see action at both
Rockingham Dragway and the historic Texas Motorplex
during the final two races of the ADRL season.
A final U.S. outing will come at the 7th annual
Al-Anabi Racing Shakedown at E-Town in New Jersey.
“We had a pretty rough
and tumble season,” Moon said, speaking
primarily of the fact that the team cycled through
four different race cars during the course of
the season, yet hardly missed a step in their
quest for the championship at Sheikh Khalid’s
magnificent Qatar Race Club in Doha.
“Sheikh
Khalid never waivered in his support of this team,
and we kept working hard to make sure we represented
him well. We all knew how much winning the championship
meant to him and it was our first priority. We
got whipped up on a few times, and undeniably,
I’m not a very good loser. I’ll lose
graciously, but I don’t like it, and I’ll
do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn’t
happen often. Despite the chaos, this team stuck
together and delivered when we had to.”
The new ’68 Chevrolet Camaro arrived in
Oak Ridge from McAmis’ Hawk Point, Missouri-based
facility earlier this week and the team immediately
began work on the car; looking to have it test-ready
in the next few weeks.
“The shop hasn’t
been empty up until now, though,” said Moon.
“We’ve been working on a new engine
program that should hurt a lot of feelings in
the coming months. We’ve got five ready,
but I plan to have 8 engines ready to go when
we ship the new car overseas later this year.
There will be a truck and trailer rig going over
on a boat, along with the engines and spare parts,
but the car will be flown to Doha after we’ve
finished up the year here.”
While the new car and engine
program are exciting new developments for the
team in themselves, perhaps the most interesting
part of Al-Anabi Racing’s new deal would
be the marketing partner they’ve teamed
up with for the remainder of the ADRL season and
next year’s Arabian Gulf Region outings–
BARWA Real Estate Company.
A
Qatar-based real estate conglomerate, BARWA has
spent the past four years partnered with its home
nation, developing and constructing new and maintainable
environments in and out of the city of Doha. Local
projects have included the construction of Barwa
Al Khor, considered the “mother city”
of the nation of Qatar, Barwa Financial District,
Barwa City, a one of a kind residential complex,
Barwa Commercial Avenue, and the city of Doha’s
convention center.
“Barwa actually sponsored a couple of events
at Sheikh Khalid’s track earlier this year,”
said Von Smith, who will now represent both Al-Anabi
Racing and BARWA Real Estate Company. “They
were so impressed with the turnout, and the sport
of drag racing itself that they decided they wanted
to further their involvement. A proposal was submitted
to Sheikh Khalid and now we’ve put together
a sponsorship program that will help build awareness
for Barwa and their motto that the ‘Future
is Qatar’. We couldn’t be more proud
to have them as part of this team.”
Smith
continued, “While we’ve enjoyed a
great deal of success in the Arabian Gulf Region,
especially at the Qatar Race Club, I’m very
excited to do a little racing here in the United
States. Hitting up the last few races on the ADRL
tour and running at the Shakedown again will be
a great way to cap this season and get us ready
for the next season overseas. It’s been
an incredible journey up to this point and we
expect continued success.”
For more information on the Al-Anabi Racing Pro
Extreme Team please log onto www.qrczone.com.
Details and further information regarding BARWA
Real Estate Company can be found at www.barwa.com.qa
Please visit Al-Anabi Racing Pro
Extreme’s sponsors at: www.bradanderson.com,
www.bandjtransmission.com,
www.electrimotion.com,
www.hoosiertire.com
Photos courtesy of Wes
Buck/Jason Sharp
US
Drags II
July 29, 2009
DINWIDDIE, VA
There's never
a bad time to hit your stride, but the recently
completed ADRL NATIONALGUARD.com U.S. Drags II
was where it happened for "The Beast from
the Middle East" K.A. Balooshi - even though
it would mean plowing through one of the toughest
fields in the history of Pro Nitrous racing.
Read
more...
Oil
money to burn on the track
July 24, 2009
By Tom FitzGerald, Chronicle
Staff Writer
It takes about
$4 million a year to operate a top drag racing
team. A top fuel car costs about $230,000, a funny
car maybe a little more. A set of tires costs
$1,400 and lasts just three runs. The nitromethane
fuel is $22 a gallon; one run, including warm-ups,
takes 22 gallons. Read
more...
NHRA
teams getting in tune with rough economy
Morrison, CO
July 15, 2009
For 30 years,
Kenny Bernstein, the King of speed, has operated
a dragster sponsored by Budweiser, the King of
beers. All the King's horsepower is now in jeopardy
after this season, when the NHRA driver and team
owner loses his primary sponsor. Read
more...
Janis,
Jenkins, Glidden, Gray & Morton Tops in Topeka
for National Guard ADRL
Topeka, KS
July 5, 2009
ByPromodifieds.us
Veteran racers
dominated victory lane for the National Guard
ADRL July 4, as Mike Janis earned his first Pro
Extreme title, Shannon Jenkins scored his second
Pro Nitrous trophy in as many days, Billy Glidden
returned to winning in Flowmaster Extreme 10.5
after just one day’s absence, Scott Gray
picked up his third career Pro Extreme Motorcycle
win and Elijah Morton joined Janis as a first-time
winner in Extreme Pro Stock at the Hardee’s
Independence Drags III at Heartland Park Topeka.
Read
more...
ADRL
Hardee’s Independence Drags III
Topeka, KS
July 3-4, 2009
The landscape
of Pro Nitrous officially changed Friday afternoon
when Shannon “Iceman” Jenkins made
his triumphant return to the National Guard American
Drag Racing League winner circle not once, but
twice over the course of the July 4th holiday
weekend in Topeka, Kansas. Read
more...
Dixon,
Beckman, Line are winners in NHRA event at Norwalk
June 28, 2009
By Rob Geiger
Larry Dixon claimed
his fourth win of the year Sunday in Norwalk,
Ohio, to move to within two and a half rounds
of the Top Fuel points lead at the midway point
of the NHRA season. "Fast" Jack Beckman
(Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) joined
the two-time world champion in the winner's circle,
while fan favorite Ashley Force Hood assumed the
Funny Car points lead by virtue of her semifinal
finish. Read
more...
Dixon
fastest in Top Fuel qualifying
June 27, 2009
By The Associated Press
NORWALK, Ohio
-- Larry Dixon raced to the provisional No. 1
qualifier in Top Fuel at the NHRA Nationals at
Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park on Friday
night. Read
more...
Smith,
El-Atat win Qatar Racing Club Series Finale &
Championships
May 27, 2009
By Jeff Burk
The Qatar Racing
Club hosted the final race of its five-race season
the weekend of May 15-16 at the Club’s track
located on the outskirts of the capital city of
Doha. About eighty teams from all over the Persian
Gulf made the tow to race at the last event of
the Qatar drag racing season. Read
more...
Drag
Racing's Patron Sheikh
Speed-Crazy Prince From Qatar Spends Millions
in Bid to Dominate Sport; Sushi at the Dragstrip
April 22, 2009
By Matthew Futterman
The most important
figure in drag racing this year isn't some good-ol'
boy who grew up hot-rodding around the sport's
birthplace in southern California. Read
more...
Von
Smith Wins Qatar Racing Club Round 2
April 22, 2009
Those who know
how Von Smith and his Al-Anabi teammates are very
serious about their racing and ever more, Winning!
The team recently competed in the ADRL season
opener and then it was time to travel to Qatar
for round two of the Qatar Racing Club Series.
Once the traveling is done, Von finds in the familiar
confines of his 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air Pro Modified
entry. Read
more...
Johnson,
Sheikh to test drag strip's royal house
February 4, 2009
By Gary Graves
For Alan Johnson,
leaving Don Schumacher Racing to return to ownership
with a start-up team was simply a matter of moving
from one form of royalty to another — literally.
Read
more...
Von
Smith in quest of Qatar race victory
February 2, 2009
When Wally Parks’
persistence paid off in 1951 with the creation
of the NHRA, one of the founder’s primary
objectives was to get that era’s drag racers
off the streets and onto race tracks where they
could compete in a much safer, supervised atmosphere.
Read
more...
Balooshi
plays test pilot; Earns A/Fuel license in the
process
West Palm Beach, FL
January 20, 2009
Rising drag racing
star of the Arabian Gulf Region, KA Balooshi doesn’t
seem to be concerned with what kind of car he’s
driving so long as it has four-wheels and a clutch
pedal he seems to find himself right at home behind
the wheel. This weekend in West Palm Beach, though,
it was Balooshi’s first opportunity at the
controls of an A/Fuel Dragster. Read
more...
