ProStockCars.com

MONTECALVO/MAXAM EQUIPMENT CHEVY LOOKING FORWARD TO TOPEKA - Thursday, July 02, 2009

CENTER MORICHES, N.Y. July 2, 2009: John Montecalvo won’t be flying solo at this weekend’s ADRL Hardees Independence Drags III. The racer, who for the last couple of seasons has been a self-sponsored entry, is joined by Maxam Equipment for the ADRL event in Topeka, Kan. in a one-race partnership. Maxam Equipment is a leader in asphalt engineering and plant design. The company, based out of Kansas City, Mo. will be proudly displayed on the side of Montecalvo’s Chevrolet Cobalt during a two-in-one weekend for the ADRL.

Due to an unfortunate visit from Mother Nature at the last ADRL event, the Ford Summer Drags was unable to be completed and will wrap up on Friday at Topeka. Montecalvo ousted Robert Patrick in round one of the Summer Drags before rain stole the show. Now, he is set for a busy weekend with the completion of that event on Friday and the running of the Independence Drags on Saturday.

“I’m looking forward to this two race weekend,” says Montecalvo. “It will be hard work, but I think we’re up for it. We’ve been to three finals this year, and have yet to win. Our time is coming. The motor has been updated and shows good power; at the last we participated in we were number one qualifier and went to the final. We’re ready to put this thing down the eighth mile and see if we can’t repeat that, but this time take home the trophy.

“I’m very excited to have Maxam Equipment on board this weekend. Many competitors and fans of drag racing are in the construction industry so I’m sure they recognize the name. My company uses Maxam exclusively on all our asphalt plant projects, and I’m proud to be associated with such a great company for this race. Maxam has been the frontrunner in warm mix asphalt, which is the latest in green technology. Hopefully this weekend we will be frontrunners in Extreme Pro Stock.”

This holiday weekend is a special one for many who look forward to celebrating our country’s birth and independence. “If I’m going to be racing on Independence Day,” Montecalvo continues, “what better place to do it than with the organization sponsored by the National Guard. I hope our fans and competitors will take that into consideration as we honor our country and celebrate the freedoms our military fights to give us. We have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for.”

With Maxam Equipment on board and winning on his mind, Montecalvo hopes to chalk up one more reason to celebrate this weekend.

For more information on Maxam Equipment visit www.MaxamEquipment.com.

BERNER HOPING TO MAKE HIS OWN FIREWORKS THIS WEEKEND - Wednesday, July 01, 2009

CRETE, Ill. July 1, 2009: As we roll into the holiday commemorating our country’s birth, many expect to see Independence Day fireworks. Pete Berner is no different, although he’s looking to make his own fireworks as he heads into the ADRL Hardees Independence Drags III. The last time Berner was on the ADRL scene, he was fighting a few gremlins and suffered a first round loss. But now things are looking up for Berner, and he’s hoping to cause some excitement in Topeka.

“We’re starting to hit our stride,” says Berner. “We had some issues that we had to work through, but I think we’re over the problems we had in Martin [the ADRL Ford Summer Drags]. We won the last event we went to, so I’m hoping we can keep that momentum going in Topeka. We’re getting closer to that perfect eighth mile combination, and I’m thinking we’re not too far away from an ADRL win.

“There are a lot of hard working people behind this Quarter-Max.com GXP. I feel fortunate to work with some of the best in the industry to continually push ourselves and improve our game. The level of competition is constantly increasing, and it’s our goal to be frontrunners in that race. I really can’t say enough about my team of sponsors, manufacturers and crew that stand behind this program. Their hard work is what makes this thing succeed.”

Berner currently stands seventh in the ADRL Battle of the Belts points standings, but hopes to make some moves this weekend to keep in good standing for the championship race at the end of the year. As the celebration weekend approaches, Berner is readying to build some excitement of his own.

Despite second-round exit, Anderson sees positives - Monday, June 29, 2009

From NHRA.com

Norwalk, Sunday: Greg Anderson had good reason to be cautiously optimistic entering Sunday’s final eliminations of the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. He entered the day as the No. 1 qualifier for the 72^nd time in his career, and his Summit Racing GXP seemed to have regained his class-leading form after two weeks of preparation that included two long days of testing in 90 degree temperatures. He carried this strong performance into race day recording the second quickest pass of the opening stanza at 6.681-seconds to defeat rookie Ryan Ondrejko.

This set the stage for a second-round encounter with Greg Stanfield, a veteran driver who is well known for his starting line prowess, which he used to gain the advantage on Anderson. Although the three-time cham pion was able to record a solid 6.705-second elapsed time with a top speed of 206.10, it fell shy of overtaking his opponent at the finish line, putting a premature end to his day.

Although naturally displeased with the day’s results Anderson preferred instead to focus on the many positives from the weekend, including his teammate Jason Line’s stirring win in his Summit Racing Pontiac (which, ironically, is the car Anderson campaigned in 2008).

“I definitely had my downs today, but this is a team sport, and I have a great KB Racing team,” said Anderson. “It’s no secret that I’m struggling a little bit right now at the starting line, but I have a great Summit Racing Pontiac that qualified No. 1 here in Norwalk, and Jason also has a great car that he is driving the wheels off of. He=2 0has not had one race when he hasn’t driven well. He’s in the game right now, and I need to learn from him how to get in the state of mind that he’s in, and I will.

“We have two fast hot rods now, and made a lot of ground up this week. We can run with Mike Edwards and Allen Johnson, which we haven’t been able to do for a few weeks. We’re a lot closer to the top of the pack, which is where we believe we belong, and we need to learn how to start winning races again. There’s one thing that we have to fix, and that’s me, but seeing Jason perform as well as he is gives me great confidence. I just have to get back to that. All the ingredients are there – it’s up to me to figure out how to put them together, and I will. Still, I’m very happy for Summit, for Ken (team owner Black), and for Jason and the team – it’s been a goo d day.”

NHRA Norwalk Pro Stock Eliminations Summary - Monday, June 29, 2009

NORWALK, Ohio - Summary of eliminations in Pro Stock at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Third annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals:

Round 1:

Greg Stanfield, Bossier City LA, '09 GXP, Left lane, (0.034) 6.741 204.79 def. Kurt Johnson, Sugar Hill GA, '09 Cobalt, (0.070)
6.735 205.47

Ron Krisher, Warren OH, '09 Cobalt, Right lane, (0.063) 6.733 205.57 def. David Beckley, Wildomar CA, '06 Stratus, (0.108) 6.718
204.85

Warren Johnson, Sugar Hill GA, '09 GXP, Right lane, (0.070) 6.726 205.98 def. Rodger Brogdon, Tomball TX, '09 GXP, (0.073) 6.726
205.26

Jeg Coughlin, Delaware OH, '09 Cobalt, Right lane, (0.038) 6.693 206.04 def. Rickie Jones, Galesburg IL, '06 Stratus, (0.035) 6.759
204.35

Jason Line, Troutman NC, '09 GXP, Left lane, (0.054) 6.682 206.35 def. Johnny Gray, Artesia NM, '06 Stratus, (0.047) 6.737 204.85

Mike Edwards, Coweta OK, '09 GXP, Right lane, (0.045) 6.659 207.34 def. Justin Humphreys, Monrovia MD, '09 GXP, (0.030) 6.736 204.91

Greg Anderson, Concord NC, '09 GXP, Left lane, (0.085) 6.681 206.83 def. Ryan Ondrejko, Roslindale MA, '08 GXP, (0.051) 6.744 203.86

Allen Johnson, Greeneville TN, '06 Stratus, Right lane, (0.077) 6.692 205.66 def. Larry Morgan, Newark OH, '06 Stratus, (0.036)
6.740 204.91

Round 2:

R Krisher, Left lane, (0.072) 6.964 202.70 def. A Johnson, (0.064) 16.440 50.07

J Line, Right lane, (0.036) 6.702 206.13 def. W Johnson, (0.093) 6.708 206.73

G Stanfield, Left lane, (0.049) 6.742 205.16 def. G Anderson, (0.090) 6.705 206.10

M Edwards, Right lane, (0.061) 6.666 207.15 def. J Coughlin, (0.033) 10.141 91.38

Round 3:

J Line, Right lane, (0.041) 6.697 206.16 def. R Krisher, (0.054) 6.730 205.66

M Edwards, Right lane, (0.070) 6.702 207.21 def. G Stanfield, (0.042) 6.742 205.07

Round 4:

J Line, Right lane, (0.018) 6.665 207.30 def. M Edwards, (0.055) 6.747 203.71

Low ET: Greg Anderson 6.644 seconds
Top Speed: Mike Edwards 207.75 MPH

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink and DRC

Kurt Johnson/ACDelco Racing - Monday, June 29, 2009

NORWALK, Ohio, June 28, 2009 – The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals was completed today at Summit Racing Motorsports Park, and it marked the halfway point of the 24-event Full Throttle Season. Kurt Johnson came into today's eliminator with his ACDelco Chevrolet qualified in the No. 8 spot after posting a 6.688-second run at 207.15 mph on Saturday. It was the ninth time in the first 12 races of 2009 that Johnson had qualified in the top half of the field.

In round one against Greg Stanfield, though, the Attitude Apparel Pontiac driver took a starting-line advantage over Johnson, and then triggered the win light with a 6.741 e.t. at 204.79 mph to Johnson's 6.735 second run at 205.47 mph.

"The ACDelco Chevrolet made a pretty good run in the final qualifying session on Saturday," Johnson said, "so I felt pretty good about our chances today. It's not like we don't know how to win races. We have to beat it, that's all there is to it."

With Sunday's results, Johnson leaves this event in eighth place in the Pro Stock standings and with less than 12 days to prepare for the upcoming, three-race Western Swing that begins in Denver on July 10.

"We've got a lot of work to do before Denver and the Western Swing, and we're not wasting any time getting started."

The next stop on the schedule is the 30^th annual Mile-High Nationals on July 10 -12 at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Col. It is the 13^th race on the 24-event NHRA Full Throttle Series tour.

Tire shake sidelines point leader Coughlin in quarterfinals - Monday, June 29, 2009

NORWALK, Ohio (June 28) -- For the first time since mid-March, point leader Jeg Coughlin Jr. exited an NHRA national event in the quarterfinal round, losing to Mike Edwards Sunday in the second session of the season's 12th race.

Bouts of heavy rain overnight and early Sunday morning made the newly-resurfaced racetrack in Northern Ohio tough to manage for many teams and Coughlin's JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt went into severe tire shake just a few hundred feet into his race, resulting in an easy win for Edwards.

"We got a little too aggressive for what the track could hold and just shook the tires," Coughlin said. "You know Mike's going to be tough and he posted low elapsed time of the first round so we were getting after it. The track needed just a little more rubber and bite. Hat's off to Mike, though, he got it down through there."

Edwards has become a familiar foe for Coughlin as the two have halved their six races this year. In fact, Coughlin had won the last two national events coming into this weekend by beating Edwards in the final round. This time, Edwards got the round win with a 6.666 at 207.15 mph to Coughlin's surrendering 10.141 at 91.38 mph.

"It would have been a great race at the other end," Coughlin noted. "We got three hundredths on him at the starting line (.033 to .061 seconds) so if we had matched our opening pass it would have been very interesting."

Earlier in the day, Coughlin pushed his career record against Rickie Jones to 4-0 with his fairly routine 6.693 at 206.04 mph more than enough for Jones' 6.759 at 204.35 mph.

Despite Sunday's result, the weekend was a memorable one for Coughlin as he won the $50,000 top prize in Saturday's 25th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge. The special event invites the top eight qualifiers from the last 12 months to battle for the category's largest cash payout. It was Coughlin's third win in the prestigious race (1999, '00, and '09).

"No question we had a great weekend," Coughlin said. "We're at the midway point of the season now and we're in first place with five wins so everything is working great for us. Now we'll gear up for the Western Swing (consecutive races in Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma, Calif.) and do our best to keep the momentum going into the playoffs."

Line rewards his team and sponsor with a big win - Monday, June 29, 2009

Line rewards his team and sponsor with a big win

Norwalk, Sunday: Jason Line scored a very popular win on Sunday, capturing the Pro Stock title at his sponsor’s race, the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Starting from the third position, Line defeated Johnny Gray, Warren Johnson and Ron Krisher in the early rounds before squaring off against Mike Edwards, who was appearing in his fifth consecutive final round.

Knowing he would need a near-perfect effort to secure the win, Line used a lightning-quick .018 reaction time to gain the advantage by almost four hundredths of a second and never looked back, with his Summit Racing Pontiac streaking across the finish line in 6.665 seconds with a top speed of 207.30 mph. It was Line’s third win of the season, 18^th of his career, and first at the racetrack bearing his sponsor’s name.

“This is the biggest win of my career by far,” said Line. “We knew Edwards would be tough, and we responded with one of the best runs we have made in a final in a long time. It feels so good to win in front of everyone from Summit Racing, who have done so much for us - I don’t know how to describe it other tha n I just can’t stop grinning.”

An unusual aspect of Line’s winning performance was that he accomplished it in what was essentially a borrowed car. Prior to the race, Line and his team had decided to park the car they had used in the first eleven races of the 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing season, opting instead to compete with the Summit Racing Pontiac teammate Greg Anderson had driven in 2008. Although some might have questioned parking a race car that had won two races, the strategy paid immediate dividends.

“I have to give Rob (crew chief Downing) credit for making the call to change cars,” said Line. “It’s not that there was anything wrong with the other car, it’s just that we needed to do something to get us back on track. It performed well during the two days of testing, and got us the win today. We’re not about to get off this winning horse, and they’re going to have a hard time prying this Summit Racing GXP away from me.”

From the start of qualifying, it was apparent that the team had made significant gains, as they were consistently among the best in their category, securing the third starting position, while Anderson captured the top starting spot. This success carried into Sunday, as Line combined a strong race car with consistent driving, culminating with the winning pass in the final.

“I hope the run we made against Mike in the final today is a sign of things to come,” said Line. “We had struggled a little in finals over the last year and a half, but I think our Summit Racing crew has learned a little something from the experience, and we put it to good use today. As well as he has been running, it’s an accomplishment any time you beat him. I said last night that we were going to win the race, even though I didn’t have the best car. Perhaps it was that confidence that helped us end the day in the winner’s circle with everyone from Summit. In any case, this has been a great day.”

Team Mopar(R)'s Allen Johnson Dealt Quarterfinals Defeat at Norwalk - Monday, June 29, 2009

Mopar(R)/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson saw an abrupt end to his day in the quarterfinals of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio on Sunday, June 28.

Johnson qualified his Mopar HEMI(R)-powered Dodge No. 2 after holding the provisional No. 1 Qualifier spot through Friday qualifying. The Team Mopar veteran drew fellow Mopar Pro Stocker Larry Morgan in the first round. Johnson was last off the line with a reaction time of .077 (.000 is perfect) but was able to run down Morgan with a pass of 6.692/205.66 to Morgan's 6.740/204.91 run, thanks to Mopar horsepower provided by his father and engine builder, Roy Johnson.

Johnson had lane choice in his second-round match up with Ron Krisher and posted a better reaction time than his competitor, but his Mopar Dodge shook the tires shortly after take off, forcing A.J. to watch Krisher motor away for the round win. Also taking part in Sunday eliminations were Mopar-powered drivers David Beckley, Rickie Jones and Johnny Gray. The trio bowed out in the opening round at Norwalk.

Next on tap for Johnson, fifth in the Pro Stock standings, and his fellow Mopar-powered racers is the 30th Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., outside of Denver, July 10–12. Johnson earned the No. 1 Qualifier Award and the victory at the 2007 Mopar Mile-Highs, and added a runner-up showing in 2008.

For more info on the NHRA, visit http://www.nhra.com.

Hardee’s Serves Up National Guard ADRL Event to Topeka Drag Racing Fans - Wednesday, June 10, 2009

O’FALLON, MO (June 4, 2009) — Hardee’s Restaurants is serving up an extra-fast product July 3-4, as the title sponsor of the National Guard American Drag Racing League’s (ADRL’s) Hardee’s Independence Drags III at Heartland Park Topeka. This will mark Hardee’s second title sponsorship of a National Guard ADRL event this year.

Heartland Park Topeka chairman Steve Johnson said the track is “thrilled” to be hosting the National Guard ADRL and looking forward to bringing the Hardee’s Independence Drags III to Topeka drag racing fans on a long-term basis.

“We’re very happy to be offering yet another world-class motorsports event to our local fans,” Johnson said. “The race teams in the National Guard ADRL put on an unbelievable show and we can’t wait to see them blister the eighth mile here at Heartland Park Topeka.”

Reigning National Guard ADRL Pro Extreme world champion Jason Scruggs holds the records for the quickest and fastest eighth-mile passes ever by a full-bodied race car at an incredible 3.66 seconds and more than 207 miles per hour. Other National Guard ADRL classes include Pro Nitrous, Flowmaster Extreme 10.5, Pro Extreme Motorcycle and just added this year, Extreme Pro Stock.

“We couldn’t be happier about racing at Heartland Park Topeka. (Track owner) Raymond Irwin and his staff have put together a beautiful facility here and I know our race teams and fans are going to make this one of their favorite stops on the National Guard ADRL tour,” stated Jeff Fortune, the O’Fallon, Missouri-based series’ executive vice president. “And to have Hardee’s on board for a second national event sponsorship is a great bonus for us and the track. With their help and expertise in distributing complimentary tickets, I think it will ensure we have another record-setting event.”

Currently celebrating its fifth full season, the National Guard ADRL is the world’s premier sanctioning body for eighth-mile drag racing. It features five professional classes with no fillers, making for a very fast-paced and exciting race weekend.

“The National Guard ADRL’s unique complimentary ticket program offers a tremendous added value for our customers and we saw a great response to it in Georgia, both in our stores and at the track,” said Steve Lemley, Hardee’s vice president of marketing. “The stands were packed with happy Hardee’s customers and enthusiastic ADRL fans and we expect to see even more show up at the Hardee’s Independence Drags in Topeka.”

In a well-attended press conference Tuesday morning at the Capital Plaza Hotel in downtown Topeka, Kansas, National Guard American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Executive Vice President Jeff Fortune officially announced the Hardee's Independence Drags III will be held July 3-4, at Heartland Park Topeka, a multi-purpose motorsports facility located about five miles south of the city.

ABOUT HARDEE’S
Celebrating more than 48 years in the quick-service industry, Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: CKR) of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the fourth fiscal quarter ended January 26, 2009, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,116 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 14 countries, including 1,195 Carl’s Jr. restaurants and 1,908 Hardee’s restaurants. For more information, or to find a Hardee’s near you, go to www.ckr.com or www.hardees.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GUARD
The National Guard is the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation’s longest enduring institutions. The National Guard operates in all 50 states, three territories (Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands) and the District of Columbia. For more information on the National Guard, visit www.NationalGuard.com.

ABOUT THE ADRL
Based in O’Fallon, Missouri, the National Guard American Drag Racing League is the nation’s premier sanctioning body for the sport of eighth-mile drag racing. The professional categories featured in the National Guard ADRL are Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Extreme Pro Stock, Extreme 10.5, Pro Nitrous and Pro Extreme, the quickest doorslammer class in all of drag racing. The 2009 National Guard ADRL tour consists of 10 national events run throughout the United States. For more information on the ADRL, visit www.ADRL.us.