Words by Duke Ritenhouse
10/17/05

ittingly, the final matchup Friday evening for the 2005 FLOWMASTER American Drag Racing League Pro Extreme championship came down to the season's most consistent drivers. And the form chart stayed consistent right until the end, with points leader John Lynam (Lil' Red '63 Corvette) posting his third straight 3-second pass - and adding an .005 light into the mix - to hold off second-place Bil Clanton (Big Money '53 Studebaker), 3.959 to 4.014, and claim the Pro Extreme title on the opening day of the GetWorkComp.com Lonestar Fall Drags presented by Pinnacle Business Solutions.

Friday's other big winner in the ADRL's "Battle for the Belts" competition was Dan Parker, who continued his stellar second half of the season by beating Rex Kelley in an all-'63 Corvette Pro Nitrous final when Kelley left before the Tree was activated. Parker was racing in his third consecutive ADRL Pro Nitrous final, having earlier won the title at the second Valdosta, GA, stop and finishing as runner-up to Shannon Jenkins at the ADRL Fatheadz.com DRAGSTOCK II event.

Dan Parker

The top eight points-earners in each of the two ADRL classes from the first five events of the season were eligible to compete in the "Battle of the Belts" competitions to determine the 2005 FLOWMASTER ADRL world champions. In addition to prize money, Lynam and Parker were awarded championship belts similar to those won in professional boxing's championship bouts.

As he has been for much of the 2005 Outlaw Pro Mod season, Lynam was the man to beat in Friday's three-round championship battle. He was racing in his fourth straight ADRL final and fifth overall, a record of success that began with his eliminations win at last year's inaugural DRAGSTOCK event, which was also the first race sanctioned by the ADRL. Friday at Texas Raceway, Lynam reeled off successive marks of 3.943 at 185.74 mph, 3.962/185.84, and 3.959/185.13 in his wins over Todd Bauknecht, Michael Neal, and Clanton.

Quain Stott