Words and Photos by Bret Kepner
2/23/06
No less than 51 cars made multiple runs during the "test day"
which, had qualifying been in effect, would have produced its own 4.07
bump spot for a 16- car Pro Extreme field. Ironically, two of Friday's
eleven three-second runners failed to make the cut during the official
sessions, trouncing what could have been an astounding 3.997-second bubble
for the blown cars had Friday runs been included.
Although much history resulted from runs during the weekend, the Friday program produced a multitude of all-time performance marks. While the media, (and even ADRL itself), overlooked the fact that ADRL's Pro Extreme National Speed Record was eclipsed by no less than six drivers and resulted in two new marks, a myriad of cars and runs went overlooked by many fans during the weekend. Here, then, is "The Rest of the Story".
Prior to the ADRL Winter Drags, three doorslammer
drivers had recorded 3.89-second eighth-mile ETs beginning with Bill Kuhlmann
in September of 2000, Mitch Stott in February, 2003, and Jason Scruggs
with his infamous blown smallblock Stingray in June, 2004. Although Scruggs
left Valdosta as the only human with TWO 3.89s, (in two different cars),
his Friday performances were simply astonishing. An opening 3.933 at 192.91
eclipsed Kuhlmann's five-year-old 192.61 mph North American eighth-mile
speed record and the following 3.907 at an ungodly 194.74 mph erased Australian
John Zappia's recent 193.95 effort to become the fastest passenger car
ever.