Without a doubt they still have some work ahead of them, but in all fairness to the new owner's I think they are trying. I have a sneaking feeling that we may see more changes comming this year. Not that I have or had any hard feelings toward Sue Moroso, but it was PAST time for some new blood...
I understand that there is a deal pending with the IRL to add the new road course to the Indy Light schedule. It sure would be nice to see them strike a deal this year for the drag strip other than points racing, maybe ADRL...
I had a blast last weekend out there.
Where else can you go on a Sunday afternoon and nose around the pits of proven teams like Schumacher and Kalitta as well as new teams like Al-Anabi Racing "Alan Johnson" who I know we'll see a lot of this comming race season.
Alan's new team brought five cars, one top fuel, one A/fuel, one funny car and two pro-mods. On Saturday His Highness Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani, Alan's new partner made his final license runs in A/fuel, I'm curious to see if he's in the seat this season.
* (1-20-2009) WEST PALM BEACH, FL – Rising drag racing star of the Arabian Gulf Region, KA Balooshi doesn’t seem to be concerned with what kind of car he’s driving so long as it has four-wheels and a clutch pedal he seems to find himself right at home behind the wheel. This weekend in West Palm Beach, though, it was Balooshi’s first opportunity at the controls of an A/Fuel Dragster.
As the sport of drag racing continues to grow in popularity throughout the Arabian Gulf Region, the demand for top-tier racing programs and the necessary driving and tuning talent is ever-increasing. Al Anabi Racing team driver KA Balooshi, who currently competes in the American Drag Racing League’s Pro Nitrous division, is being groomed to drive a Top Fuel Dragster as part of the Al Anabi/Qatar Racing team – so, when the opportunity to get his feet wet in the nitro ranks came about during the Alan Johnson/Al Anabi Racing private test session at Palm Beach International Raceway this past weekend, Balooshi couldn’t pass it up.
With an unparalleled amount of driving and mechanical expertise at his disposal, Balooshi was able to get up to speed as to the handling characteristics and technical aspects of the new A/Fuel Dragster platform quicker than could have ever been expected. The entire Alan Johnson Racing team was on hand to introduce Balooshi to the low-five-second, 270+mph category including NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car superstar drivers Larry Dixon and Del Worsham, along with Alan Johnson himself, Chad Head, veteran injected nitro tuner Tom Conway, and Kimelyn Buff Pesz.
Prior to strapping into the A/Fueler for the first time, Conway and Dixon spent some time with the up-and-coming driver to get him acclimated to the cockpit of the new car and quickly had him readied for his first 330-foot hit.
The first drop of the clutch resulted in a straight-and-true launch, providing the confidence and comfort for KA Balooshi to move onto an eighth-mile and then thousand-foot laps in preparation for his first full quarter-mile blast in the nitro methane burning dragster. On just his second effort in the A/Fueler, Balooshi posted a 3.70-second elapsed time to the 1/8th mile marker and an early shut-off 6.90 in the ¼ mile. Before embarking on his 1,000-foot run, AJR Team Manager Chad Head helped familiarize Balooshi with the new PBIR racing surface and continued to aid in the safety measures involved in the process of licensing a new driver.
Balooshi continued to show great poise as a driver with a strong 5.27-second 1,000-foot lap prior to recording a 5.40 at 260mph on his first full-pass in the A/Fuel car, quickly followed by a very impressive 5.34 at 269mph – which would be more than enough to qualify at any event.
Not wanting to shy away from his doorslammer roots, Balooshi also made a shakedown pass in the new ’68 Firebird that Rickie Smith was preparing for shipping to Doha, Qatar for the Qatar Race Club inaugural event on February 5th, 2009 – posting a stellar 6.07 in the quarter-mile, lifting at 5.31-seconds into the run.
“On behalf of Al Anabi/Qatar Racing, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Alan Johnson, Chad Head and the entire AJR team for making me feel at home this weekend,” said Balooshi. “I was absolutely comfortable for the entire licensing process and it was entirely due to the team, including Larry Dixon, Del Worsham and Alan Johnson, who took the time to thoroughly explain the mechanical aspects of the A/Fuel Dragster to me and help me feel at ease inside the car. The progress I made this weekend as a driver is a testament to the first-class racing organization that Alan and Sheik Khalid have assembled for the next five years in drag racing. The entire AJR and Conway team showed the utmost professionalism and provided me with a lot of fun over the last four days. I must also especially thank Chad Head for handling all my needs this week as well.”
Prior to embarking on his long return flight home, Balooshi made one last note of his exciting weekend, “How many drivers have had Larry Dixon and Del Worsham sign off on their A/Fuel license?”
