"We ran good all weekend and posted a number two qualifying effort but we continue to try and improve on our performance with every round to keep this National Guard Pro Extreme on top.

National Guard Pro Extreme driver Josh Hernandez maintained his position atop the ADRL points board with a semifinal exit in the Gatorz Ohio Drags at Norwalk, Ohio's Summit Motorsports Park.

After qualifying No. 2 with a 3.855/195.25 blast, Hernandez dispatched Brandon Snider in round one after an impressive staging dual, and then the Texas-native delivered a monster run against Tommy Gray to earn lane choice over defending champion Bubba Stanton in the semifinals. In their duel, Hernandez smoked the tires early and gave the champ the line, putting the National Guard on the trailer early.

"I was a little disappointed not to be wearing my new Gatorz sunglasses in the winner's circle this weekend, but the fact is we had just a little too much of that Oddy tuned Critchley horsepower for the starting line today," Hernandez said.

"We ran good all weekend and posted a number two qualifying effort but we continue to try and improve on our performance with every round to keep this National Guard Pro Extreme on top.

"I was a little pumped up for the former-world champ there in the semis,
and all it takes is one little bobble to make the difference between goin' fast or goin' home, and luck just wasn't on my side that round. Jim and Dave Oddy really had the car tuned so well all weekend, and it was disappointing for all of us not making another final round, but in all it was a good showing," he said.

"I've got a few more notes for the 'what-not-to-do book' and now we're just packing things up and getting ready for Rockingham in a couple of weeks," Hernandez said.

Hernandez goes on to say, " I can't give enough thanks to all the people that made this possible. first of all is my team members, Jim, Dave, Troy, Ray, Frank & Justin. Then all our sponsors, Redline Oil, NGK, Permatex, Hoosier Tires, Mechanix, VP Racing fuels, Richmond Gears, Interlinc Mortgage, Dave
& Tommy".

Photo courtesy of Roger Richards