Team owner Mel Bush returned to the track this weekend after health problems forced him to miss
eliminations at the Hardee's Georgia Drags. Heading into this event Bush had yet to see his famous
62' Bel Air take a round win; driver Tommy D'Aprile and crew were determined to make that change.
After struggling early on they came through for their owner, but not without some excitement along
the way.
After the team's aborted first qualifier the crew was towing back to the pits when "Big Money"
Bil Clanton crashed and was on his side on fire. Without thinking the Mel Bush crew and driver
jumped the barrier and opened the door. With the car was laying on it's driver side, D'Aprile, in
his fire suit sans helmet and gloves, reached in to pull out a struggling Clanton while Jake Fahy
untangled his legs. (Fahy was only wearing a crew shirt and shorts when he reached into the
flames.)
"You just act. You see a guys in trouble and you don't think you just do what it takes to help
him," said Jake Fahy. "I'm glad he's OK."
While the team struggled early in qualifying they where able to put it to the pavement when it
counted, posting a 3.87 at 192 on their last attempt, good enough for twelfth on the ADRL
Quarter-Max qualifying sheet.
"We lost the blower belt just before the finish line," said D'Aprile. "We lost some speed and
elapsed time but I'm pleased with the run. I'm sure Kevin (Crew Chief Kevin Peters) will have her
ready for first round."
Peters and crew did have her ready for round one when D'Aprile squared off with recent PX event
winner, Jason Hamstra. In what many considered an upset, D'Aprile took a big win for team owner Mel
Bush. D'Aprile led from start to finish with a .050 reaction time to Hamstra's .077. The margin of
victory was four hundredths of a second, with D'Aprile's quicker 3.803 at 197 taking the light. The
3.803 is a personal best for D'Aprile.
In round two D'Aprile was again paired with a 2009 event champion, Todd Tutterow, winner of the
ADRL Saftey-Kleen Drags in Houston. It was over at the hit with Tutterow taking the starting line
advantage and D'Aprile being forced to peddle with traction problems. Tutterow posted a 3.877 at
200 miles per hour to D'Aprile's slower 4.426 at 181.84.
"We had a great time this weekend. The car is coming around and I know we'll be even better next
race. The crew has really gelled and we're having a lot of fun together. The practical jokes have
already started. (See attached photo) Just ask our crew member Michael Bush," said D'Aprile.
