Arabian Drag Racing League round 5
when: February 13-14, 2014
where: Qatar Racing Club in Doha, Qatar
story by Tim Hailey, photos courtesy of Khalid Saif Al-Mesalam
Round 5 Raceday Replay from Qatar
Local hero Mohammed Al-Darwish scored an emotional Pro Bike win with Scott Gray tuning
This picture tells the story, as performance leader Terry Schweigert went -.218 red against Darwish in the final
Darwish celebrating with his son YoYo, Gray, Ronnie Mitchell, Baybay Yarbrough, and TT and Angelia Jones among others
Despite losing the final, Schweigert locked up the championship and ran a record 4.008
Super Streetbike
Mishari Alturki took the tree .025 to .076 and ran a world record 4.35 to take the Super Streetbike win over Misfer al-Misfer and the DME/Q80 Hayabusa
The Saudi team of rider Mishari Alturki (in leathers with trophy), tuner Fahad Al Hamoud (in loud jacket) pose in the winners circle with Azoz Albahr in the seat and a happy host of others
al-Misfer and the DME/Q80 Hayabusa will be without the on-site tuning of Andy Sawyer. “I would love to stay but I can’t,” said Sawyer. “I’m already about a month behind (back at the shop). There’s a guy here I’ve been teaching that will do fine, and with some remote tuning over the net. All in all not bad for two weeks on a new combo. Mishari is a tough dude to beat and we were in his sandbox.”
Streetbike
al-Misfer may have lost the Super Streetbike final, but he nailed a light on MRB’s Mohammed Bourashid (winner of Round 4) for the Streetbike win
al-Misfer and the Q80 team rock the winners circle
This guy’s smokin’ and standing it up at the same time
Pro Extreme
Von Smith (far lane) redlit the Pro Extreme final away to Alex Hossler
Hossler (right) and tuner Frank Manzo in the QRC winners circle
Pro Nitrous
Khalid Mohammed (near lane) came through with the Pro Nitrous win over Mike Castellana
Driving Rickie Smith’s champion Camaro, runner-up Mahana Al-Naemi is winless so far
Pro Modified
Castellana rebounded from the PN loss for a Pro Modified win
Master spray tuner Shannon Jenkins (left) and Castellana
4.5 Index
Fadi Tamour and family after his second straight 4.5 Index win
Al-Anabi Dragster
Jaber Al Maghrib (near lane) nailed an .012 light for the Al-Anabi Dragster win
Outlaw 10.5
Abdullan Al Soori (near lane) pops the wheels on his way to the Outlaw 10.5 win
Super Street 8
Steve Jackson took the Super Street 8 win in this ’92 ‘Stang
Super Street 6
Mohammed Haji won another Super Street 6 race in this sweet GTR
Schweigert, Alturki lead QRC qualifying
Replay of Round 5 qualifying in Qatar
Super Streetbike qualifying after 3 rounds, with Mishari Alturki running a 4.37 and the DME bike running a 4.40. “We have had the front half to do a .37 but not the back,” said DME tuner Andy Sawyer. “And we have had the back half to go a .37 with out the front. Just gotta put it all together. 1/8 mile racing is though.” Indeed, it’s a shame to see these thoroughbreds cut cut short the eighth mile. “Tell me about it,” said Sawyer. “Makes me sick.” Damned ADRL….
Pro Bike qualifying after 3 rounds….in case you can’t read it, that’s a 4.008 that Terry Schweigert ran for #1 by a large margin
DME tests with a 4.41 at 183.8
Misfer al-Misfer launches the DME/Q80 Hayabusa down the QRC towards the 1/8th mile stripe in Wednesday testing
Joe Taranto is already patting DME tuner Andy Sawyer on the back as Sawyer squints to read the scoreboard
And this is what he saw—the bike is in the hunt for the world record
Here’s the incrementals. “Still some first gear spinning, but then that bitch gets busy,” said Sawyer, who must get back State-side before next week’s Round 6. “Got a new tire on there for tomorrow (today’s qualifying) and should be all good.”
The bike ran a .48 at 176 on Tuesday. “We are getting closer with the setup,” Sawyer said then.
Terry Schweigert’s scoreboard show’s his personal best
Mohammed Al-Darwish is dialed in with a 4.06 on the Scott Gray tuned bike