[coverattach=1]MARTIN, MI (June 6, 2009) — Unfortunately, persistent light rain in Martin, Michigan and forecasts calling for continuing wet weather through Sunday forced National Guard ADRL officials to make the call about 11 p.m. Friday night, to postpone the remainder of the Ford Drive One Summer Drags V to July 3, for completion at the Hardee’s Independence Drags III at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kansas.
“We want to thank you, the tens of thousands of Western Michigan fans who came out to watch the National Guard ADRL,” series president and CEO Kenny Nowling said in announcing the postponement over the track’s public address system. “We were prepared to wait it out and get back to racing, but I’m afraid Mother Nature has other plans.”
The same fate befell the event last year at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, forcing the final rounds to be completed elsewhere when much more violent storms ripped through the region. This time, first-round eliminations for all five National Guard ADRL professional classes and one pair of cars in the quarter-finals of Extreme Pro Stock were in the books, leaving three elimination rounds for each class to be wrapped up in Topeka.
“You’ve proven you love National Guard ADRL racing,” Nowling told the standing-room-only crowd, estimated at more than 45,000 strong over the two-day event. “And we love coming here. We’ll be back next year and I hope you’ll all come back to finally get to experience a complete event.”
On Friday night in Michigan, the National Guard ADRL completed its rain-interrupted event from two weeks earlier in Memphis, Tennessee. Two-time reigning Pro Extreme champion won the delayed Memphis title, as did defending Extreme 10.5 champ Billy Glidden, with Brian Gahm picking up his second-straight win in Extreme Pro Stock and Ashley Owens earning his first Pro extreme Motorcycle win. The Pro Nitrous final, further postponed to Saturday in Michigan, went to points leader Jim Halsey.
“We want to thank you, the tens of thousands of Western Michigan fans who came out to watch the National Guard ADRL,” series president and CEO Kenny Nowling said in announcing the postponement over the track’s public address system. “We were prepared to wait it out and get back to racing, but I’m afraid Mother Nature has other plans.”
The same fate befell the event last year at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, forcing the final rounds to be completed elsewhere when much more violent storms ripped through the region. This time, first-round eliminations for all five National Guard ADRL professional classes and one pair of cars in the quarter-finals of Extreme Pro Stock were in the books, leaving three elimination rounds for each class to be wrapped up in Topeka.
“You’ve proven you love National Guard ADRL racing,” Nowling told the standing-room-only crowd, estimated at more than 45,000 strong over the two-day event. “And we love coming here. We’ll be back next year and I hope you’ll all come back to finally get to experience a complete event.”
On Friday night in Michigan, the National Guard ADRL completed its rain-interrupted event from two weeks earlier in Memphis, Tennessee. Two-time reigning Pro Extreme champion won the delayed Memphis title, as did defending Extreme 10.5 champ Billy Glidden, with Brian Gahm picking up his second-straight win in Extreme Pro Stock and Ashley Owens earning his first Pro extreme Motorcycle win. The Pro Nitrous final, further postponed to Saturday in Michigan, went to points leader Jim Halsey.
