First-Time Winners Laurita and Snyder Savor Success

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Racing in their rookie years in the American Drag Racing League (ADRL), Pro Extreme driver Mick Snyder and Pro Nitrous driver Jim Laurita hoped to finish out 2010 on a good note.Both couldn’t have drawn up a better ending than what took place on the last Saturday in September at Summit Motorsports Park.Both won their first ADRL race at the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV and both did it in exciting fashion. As to be expected, both were also overjoyed with the result.“This caps (the year) off,” Snyder said. “How can you it any better than this? This is pretty amazing.”Laurita was still in disbelief after making all the right calls in an underdog-dominated day in Pro Nitrous.Racing as part of another huge field, Laurita went 3.94 in the finals, beating Terry Housley to cap off a wild and upset-filled day in the class.Afterwards, Laurita was flooded with emotion in the MAVTV Winner’s Circle.“This is just overwhelming,” Laurita said. “It’s a wonderful feeling and I just feel really blessed. The Lord has just blessed me and to accomplish what we’ve done this year has just been remarkable.“This first win, it’s just an unbelievably great feeling. I’ve never experienced something like this in my very first year (with an organization).”Very few in Pro Nitrous could figure out the track in Norwalk, as class standouts like Jenkins, Smith and Burton Auxier didn’t even qualify for eliminations.It wasn’t easy by any stretch for Laurita, either, but he managed to go 4.00 in consecutive rounds, which included a semifinal win against Robert Mathis, who upset No. 1 qualifier Pat Stoken in the first round.“It took a lot of luck today, but I’m just ecstatic,” Laurita said. “We shook on every pass, but we were able to make our way through it.” Laurita chalked it up to perseverance, as well as some meaningful friendships that have been molded the last few years. Those friendships included guys like Tim McAmis and fellow PN driver John Decerbo, who has worked with Laurita most of the year. In an interesting twist, Laurita went 4.00 to beat his close friend in the second round.But all of those friends have stuck with Laurita, and it paid off with Saturday’s win, which was the perfect capper to the season.Laurita had qualified for three races during 2010, but Norwalk’s race only made him anxious for 2011.“We figured some things out the last couple weeks,” Laurita said. “We just gotta get better now.”Snyder, meanwhile, hopes his performance in Norwalk is the first step to being in a championship-chasing position in 2011.The ADRL rookie capped off his strong year with his best performance, as his save the best for last approach led to a win at the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV.Snyder went 3.66 in the first round and then had back-to-back 3.68s to reach the finals - including a victory against points leader Joshua Hernandez - ending his rookie season in PX in thrilling fashion.After a testing session in Charlotte, Snyder and his car really came into its own.He ran well in Rockingham and followed it up with several strong runs in Norwalk, giving Snyder some much-needed results from all the work he has put in all year.“We were having fun, but we weren’t winning,” Snyder said. “This saves the year, really.”The actual championship race against Alex Hossler didn’t disappoint on fireworks or dramatics, either.Snyder gave the capacity crowd at Summit Motorsports Park a thrilling show in the PX final, as he nearly crossed the center line before blowing a header in an electrifying run against Alex Hossler.Snyder went 3.95, but couldn’t celebrate his first ADRL win until replays showed he didn’t move into the right lane.“I wasn’t sure if I crossed or not. I knew I was close and I was waiting for someone to let me know,” Snyder said. “If you’re going to win, you might as well do it in spectacular fashion.”(Photos by ADRL/Richards) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ADRLNews/~4/HLLH9RfDJTA

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