Sun, 17 Dec 2006, 10:15 AM ADRL Announces 10-Event Schedule, New Pro 10.5 Class

Courtesy of Duke Ritenhouse

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Flowmaster American Drag Racing League unveiled its plans for the 2007 season today at the annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, announcing a 10-event racing schedule, the addition of a third points-earning class, and an unprecedented level of television coverage for the series.

The ADRL, entering its third full season as the nation's premier eighth-mile drag racing sanctioning body, will hold 10 events in 2007, up from seven last season. In addition to continuing a number of established national events such as the season-opening SpeedTech Winter Drags and the Eastern Race Fuels DRAGSTOCK event - the ADRL's biggest and oldest race - the ADRL will make its first appearance at a number of venues, including Norwalk, Ohio, and Radford, Va.

The series will also introduce the Pro 10.5 class in 2007, increasing its points-earning classes from two to three. The new class will join the ADRL's established classes in Pro Extreme and Pro Nitrous, giving the series a presence throughout the entire spectrum of doorslammer racing.

"We are very pleased to be able to offer a larger and more complete series in 2007," said ADRL President Kenny Nowling. "With the help of Flowmaster and our other marketing partners, the ADRL is continuing to grow and reach more racing fans than ever before. In just a few short years, we have gone from a single event with an eight-car Pro Extreme field to a 10-event series that features 16-car fields and unprecedented payouts for doorslammer racing. We are also coming off a season that saw the ADRL set single-day attendance records at both Rockingham (N.C.) and Kennedale (Texas), and we are looking forward to setting new standards throughout the 2007 season."

After appearing as a non-points exhibition event at two races in 2006, the ADRL's new Pro 10.5 class will debut in February as a full points-earning competition. The class, which limits its entries to having 10.5-inch tires, will be overseen by William "Quick" Vandiver.

"I'm excited to be able to help bring 10.5 racing into the ADRL family for 2007 and beyond," said Vandiver. "This class will be a great addition to the ADRL and will make what is already the premier doorslammer racing organization in the world even better."

Also on Friday, the ADRL announced the framework of its 2007 television package, which will feature hour-long broadcasts in primetime slots. The final details of the ADRL's television presence in 2007 will be announced at a later date.

Bubba Stanton (Pro Extreme) and Keith Baker (Pro Nitrous) are the defending ADRL champions, having claimed titles in their respective Battle for the Belts eliminators at the season-ending ADRL World Finals. They will open defense of their championships on Feb. 16 at the third annual SpeedTech Winter Drags in Montgomery, Ala., an event which will also feature the conclusion of the rain-delayed eliminations from the World Finals.

2007 Flowmaster American Drag Racing League schedule

February 16-18 3rd Annual ADRL SpeedTech Winter Drags
Montgomery, AL (Birmingham)

March 2-3 ADRL RacingJunk.com Dragpalooza III
Houston, TX

April 13-14 2nd Annual ADRL Fatheadz.com Gateway Drags
Madison, IL (St. Louis)

May 4-5 3rd Annual ADRL Georgia Drags
Valdosta, GA

June 1-2 3rd Annual ADRL AMS Staff Leasing Summer Drags
Huntsville, AL

July 6-7 Inaugural ADRL Independence Drags
Radford, VA (Roanoke)

July 27-28 Inaugural ADRL U.S. Drags
TBD

August 24-26 Inaugural ADRL Chevy High Performance Drags
Norwalk, OH (Cleveland)

September 14-15 ADRL Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV
Rockingham, NC ( Charlotte)

October 12-13 3rd Annual ADRL GetWorkComp.com World Finals
Ennis, TX (Dallas)