Speedworld Dragstrip, Wittmann, AZ

January 21, 2012             

Speedworld Dragstrip in Wittmann, Arizona hosted on January 21, 2012 the second of ten ADRA points races. Race number two was sponsored by “The Water Heater Man” Mr Mike Powell.  The 2011 Super Pro champion Mike Zimmerman picked up his first win of the 2012 season when Phil Dion turned on the red light by a narrow -.007.  Mike dialed the multicolored Mustang to an 8.86 with a .014 light and then ran an equipment saving 12.605 at 67.39 MPH.  Phil also saved the '64 Belvedere and ran a 21.416 at 47.97 MPH for the second spot after the red bulb came on.

Jason Oteri put together a nice package to be the Pro event winner.  Jason driving the borrowed ’70 Dodge Dart Swinger, owned by Kim Zimmerman, dialed an 11.61 and with a .021 reaction time ran an 11.639 at 104.24 MPH.  Steve Watkins dialed the big Ford pickup truck to a 15.61, but left a little over six hundredths at the tree to be the runner-up.  Cole Briggs, in his big block Dodge Van was the Speedworld trophy winner and Bob Atken the runner­­­­­-up in a short box Ford.  

Mike Zimmerman in Super Pro and Jason Oteri in Pro received the Zimmerman $100.00 in-house labor certificate along with the Speedway Race Fuels gift certificate for their wins.  Phil Dion and Steve Watkins were given the Zimmerman $50.00 in-house labor for their runner-up spots.  Butch Warner ran an 8.303 on his 8.30 dial in Super Pro and Richard Church in Pro ran a 9.905 on his 9.90 dial to garner the Affordable Powder coating “One Shot” cash in each class.  Ron Davis Racing Products “Bounty” in Super Pro was placed on Rob Papineau, but Brandon Gant took it away in round number one.  Ray Bondy took the “Bounty” away from Jack Dyer, but not until round number three in Pro. 

“Best Reaction Time in Eliminations” sponsored by Lease America Homes handed Chris Munson in Super Pro and Rich Lash in Pro the prize when both drivers had a beautiful .001 reaction during eliminations.  For the second points race in a row John Schurr won his sponsors (Magoos Automotive) money in Super Pro for the “Best Package”.  The Magoos Automotive money in Pro went to Rich Lash with a ten thousandths package.  The BART or “Best Average Reaction Time” sponsored by Broadbent Speed Specialties in Super Pro went to Austin Downing with a .021 average while Tim Hinton had a .031 average to be the Pro winner.  Stephanie Warner was the lucky 50/50 winner and Steve Akey received the coveted Starbucks certificate from Diane Dyer.

The next ADRA points race is Feb. 4, 2012 with gates at 9 AM at Speedworld Dragstrip.

Bruce Mabry, ADRA announcer

-|***|-

Speedworld Dragstrip, Wittmann, AZ

January 7, 2012           

Arizona Drag Racing Association kicked off their 40th anniversary year at Speedworld in Wittmann, AZ on January 7th 2012.  The racer gates opened at 9 AM to a record car count.  Almost fifty Pro category cars and about twenty Super Pro drivers waited to race the first ADRA event of the new season.

Butch Warner, driving his rear engine dragster, topped Marv Davis’ 1963 Chevy pickup truck to win Super Pro.  Butch started a tradition by winning the first ADRA Super Pro points race of 2012 just as he did by winning the first points race in 2011.  Warner dialed an 8.30 and ran an 8.322 at 156.20 MPH after his .10 reaction time.  Marv towed up from Casa Grande and went under his 11.57 dial by almost 9 thousandths of a second to be the runner-up in race number one. 

Kim Zimmerman picked up a couple of runner-up spots in the 2011 season, but a win had eluded her until the first race of 2012.  Kim dialed her big black T-Bird to a 9.49.  She had a beautiful .002 light and then ran a 9.502 at 137.28 MPH for the number one spot in Pro.  Tibor Kadar, the 2011 ADRA Pro champion, won the first 2011 ADRA points race, but was the runner-up in the first race of 2012.  Tibor dialed his GTO to a 10.69, but left about twelve hundredths at the tree and then ran a 10.701 at 124.17 MPH. 

Butch in Super Pro and Kim in Pro received the $100.00 Zimmerman in-house labor for their wins, while Marv and Tibor received the $50.00 Zimmerman certificates for the runner-up positions. 

The Affordable Powder Coating “One Shot” in Super Pro went to Tom Nickels when he ran a 10.332 on his 10.32 dial.  Steve Johns was the Pro “One Shot” winner when he ran a 10.023 on his 10.02 dial.  Marv Davis had a .037 average in Super Pro and Larry Pittenger had an average of .016 in pro to receive the Broadbent Speed Specialties “BART”.  Scott Hess only kept the Ron Davis Racing Products “Bounty” money in Super Pro through the second round losing it to John Schurr.  Dana Irvin held on to his “Bounty” money just one round longer when Mike DeGregorio took it away in round three.

John Schurr picked up his own Magoos Automotive “Best Package” in Super Pro with his .012 reaction time and a 10.875 run on his 10.87 dial.  The Magoos “Best Package” in Pro went to Kim Zimmerman with a .002 reaction time on a 9.49 dial and a 9.50 ET.  “Best Reaction Time in Eliminations” was hosted by Lease America Homes, ADRA’s newest contingency sponsor. The first Super Pro win went to Tom Nickels with a .000 and the Pro cash went to Ray Bondy with a .002.  Tom Nickels also got the “Who Got the Light Award” sponsored by Mr. Marv Davis.  Tom had a perfect .000 reaction time in round #2 eliminations.

The two category winners in Super Pro and Pro, Warner and Zimmerman, both ran Sunoco Race Fuel and received the $100.00 Sunoco Fuel Gift certificates.  Jeff Thompson bought the lucky 50/50 ticket and Ron Savely took home the coveted Starbucks “Wake-Up” certificate sponsored by Diane Dyer.

Speedworld Dragstrip will host the next ADRA points race on Jan 21st with gates at 9 AM.

Bruce Mabry, ADRA announcer

~XoXoX~

Speedworld Dragstrip, Wittmann, AZ

November 19, 2011      

The Arizona Drag Racing Association (ADRA) completed the 2011 season with their annual Memorial Race on Nov. 19th. Speedworld Dragstrip in Wittmann, Arizona is the host each year to honor our past NHRA racers and key people who shaped drag racing in Arizona and across the country. Several sponsors including but not limited to: Pete's Fish and Chips, Arizona Differential Specialists, Primerica Financial Services, Zimmerman Racing Engines, Wallace Motorsports, and Broadbent Speed Specialties helped make the guaranteed payouts possible. One hundred plus race cars, trucks and motorcycles came to compete for the $1,500 Super Pro prize and the $1,000 to win in Pro.

Larry Pittenger, driving his beautiful black and gray Camaro, fought through seven rounds of tough competition to take home the Pro money. Runner-up was Dan Olszewski when he left too much at the tree, then could not make it up at the stripe. Several racers made the tow from long distances to race including Gary Hillabolt from Des Moines, Iowa. Gary put his flamed '69 Camaro into the Super Pro winner circle on a 9.29 dial and ran a 9.279 at 141.91 MPH looking at the win light on in his lane. The Runner-up spot went to Bryan Downing from Glendale, when he dialed his Bill Luke sponsored race car to a 9.77, but turned on the red light by -.010 of a second.

The final race of the day was for the huge, much sought after, five foot tall traveling trophy. The Pro and Super Pro winners pulled into the water box just as the warm AZ sun was setting. Larry Pittenger put a 10.42 on his window and Gary Hillabolt dialed a 9.27. Gary left over five hundredths at the starting line with a .067 reaction time, while Larry had a nice .011. Larry carried the head start all the way through the 1320 for the win when he ran a 10.438 on the 10.42 dial at 127.80 MPH. Gary ran a 9.343 on his 9.27 dial at 141.87 MPH for the number two spot.

ADRA would like to thank all of their contingency sponsors for their support throughout the 2011 season. ADRA will begin the 2012 season on Jan. 7th at Speedworld with a 9AM gate to kick-off ADRA's 40th anniversary season.

Bruce Mabry, ADRA  announcer

~~~