Thu, 27 Dec 2012, 20:43 PM Sonny's Racing Engines Posting Nearly $50,000 In Contingency In New X-treme Drag Racing

Courtesy of X-DRL Communications

League The support for the X-treme Drag Racing League (X-DRL) continues to grow as the new eighth-mile sanctioning body today announced a partnership with drag racing industry leader Sonny's Racing Engines.

The standout company has produced engines for many of the top names in the sport, including multiple world champions in Pro Stock. Its owner, Sonny Leonard, sees a great deal potential in the X-DRL, which begins its nine-race 2013 debut season on April 6-7 in Tulsa.

"I recently met with the three X-DRL owners (Jeff Mitchell, David Hubbard and Larry Pearce) and I was impressed with their credentials and integrity," Leonard said. "That means a lot and to have that in an association means a lot. It gives people incentive to race there and all three of them are successful businessmen, which you need in a sanctioning body. It's pretty exciting to have a sanctioning body you know is going to be strong and that's important.

Sonny's Racing Engines will be heavily involved with the X-DRL's inaugural season, offering a number of exciting incentives and programs.

It will offer contingency in a number of X-DRL professional classes, as well as a No. 1 qualifier bonus in X-treme Pro Stock if the driver uses one of Sonny's popular engines, which are the product of choice for world champions like Cary Goforth and John Montecalvo. In all, Sonny's will post nearly $50,000 in for drivers who use the company's engines or popular cylinder heads.

Additionally, Sonny's Racing Engines will introduce the "Sonny's 3-Second Club," which will honor the first five X-treme Pro Stock drivers to reach the prestigious 3-second mark.

"We are thrilled to have Sonny's Racing Engines as a premier partner for the 2013 season in the X-DRL," X-DRL Account Executive Keith Goolsby said. "The product and support they offer to the talented drivers in the sport speaks for itself and we are excited with the programs they have in place for the X-DRL's 2013 season."

Talented Pro Stock driver and Sonny's customer John DeFlorian nearly posted the first 3-second run in history with an unbelievable pass of 4.01 in 2012.

Leonard is confident the first 3-second place will take place in 2013.

"I'm sure this spring that someone will run a 3.99 and I would say there's 5-6 people capable of doing it, and that's what makes it really good," Leonard said.

"Everyone in this class is so good and there's so many teams who want to be the first to do it. I think it's going to be a really neat deal in 2013."

Operating out of a state-of-the-art 14,000 square-foot facility in Lynchburg, Va., Sonny's Racing Engines has always been at the forefront of technology, thanks in part to a location that features two SuperFlow dynamometers, a porting room, two five axis CNC machining centers, digitizing and laser scan equipment, a fabrication and welding shop, and other racing machinery.

It has embraced EFI technology in the Pro Stock class, and Sonny's Sales Manager Todd Hoerner became the first driver in Pro Stock history to win using an EFI set-up.

"The advantage of EFI is its tunability. It will respond almost immediately," Leonard said. "You can tune it quickly and be happy. You spend your time on a laptop, change cylinders and be ready to go. The bottom line is it costs you less and the younger generation love it." EFI will certainly be prevalent in the X-DRL's X-treme Pro Stock class in 2013, and will be used by talented drivers like Todd Hoerner, Dean Goforth Kevin Bealko and more. Sonny's Racing Heads and Components are also popular in the X-treme Pro Mod class,

The 5-inch and 5.3-inch bore-spacing products are used in the X-treme Pro Mod legal weight class and are the choice of talented drivers like Pat Musi, Rickie Smith, Robert Patrick, Johnny Pilcher and others.

It's yet another reason why Leonard is excited to be working with the new sanctioning body in 2013.

"I feel really positive about the X-DRL and where it is headed in 2013," Leonard said. "It gives people a good place to race and I think a lot of people are going to appreciate the X-DRL.

"The owners are racers, so they know what the fans and the racers want, and I think it's going to be a win-win situation for everyone." For more information about Sonny's Racing Engines, visit www.sonnysracingengines.com or call (434) 239-1009.

For more information on the X-DRL, visit www.X-DRL.com.

Drag News: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Feb 13- ProCharger Joins World Series of Pro Mod as Associate Sponsor
Feb 11- March Meet and Famoso Dragstrip Etched in American Hot Rod History
Feb 05- Famed March Meet Set for Historic 68th Installment March 5-8
Feb 05- Red Line Oil Named Presenting Sponsor of World Series of Pro Mod
Feb 05- $25,000 Wild Card Shootout Added to World Series of Pro Mod
Jan 26- Stevie ‘Fast’ Jackson Wheels ‘Shadow 3.0’ to $75,000 U.S. Street Nationals Pro Mod Victory
Jan 25- Side-By-Side 3.50-Second Races Highlight First Round of Pro Mod Eliminations at U.S. Street Nationals
Jan 24- Jimmy Taylor Stays No. 1 as U.S. Street Nationals Records First All-3.50-Second 32-Car Pro Mod Field
Jan 23- Jimmy Taylor Edges Out Jason Harris for Thursday Provisional No. 1 Spot at U.S. Street Nationals
Jan 22- U.S. Street Nationals Set to Ignite Bradenton as Winter Series, Radial Outlaws Seasons Collide