Mel Bush Motorsports has hired Billy Gibson as the new tuner. Tommy D'Aprile is very excited at the prospect of working with Billy. Billy and I have spent some time getting to know each other and I feel like we are really on the same page in our driving styles. I look forward to running ADRL Pro Extreme next season, and setting some records.
DINWIDDIE, VA -The Mel Bush Motorsports team entered the ADRL NATIONALGUARD.com U.S. Drags II 12th in points and was looking to make a big move up the ladder but lady luck had other ideas.
With qualifying shortened to only two sessions teams struggled to get a handle on the Virginia Motorsports Park surface; Mel Bush Motorsports was one of the teams. Crew Chief Kevin Peters took a conservative approach on the team's first hit.
"I just wanted to get her down the track. I needed the data and knew our soft setup would give us that," said Peters.
Luckily their "soft" setup netted a 3.923 elapsed time and placed him10th in the provisional field.
ELMA, NY - After not qualifying at the last ADRL event in Topeka the Mel Bush Motorsports team too stock of the situation and chalked it up as a lesson learned.
"Topeka is behind us and the only thing good that came from it is we learned what NOT to do. Other than that we're moving forward," said team owner Mel Bush. "We're still in the hunt to make the top eight and from here on out we need to eliminate anything that can hurt us."
Team Driver Tommy D'Aprile echoed the boss' sentiments. "We have four races left before Dallas and the "Battle for the Belts"; I know we have the right combination of equipment and people to get the job done. We just need to set a goal, focus on it, and not look back," said D'Aprile.
ELMA, NY - For Mel Bush Motorsports and Driver Tommy D'Aprile the rain delayed ADRL's Ford Drive One event will be known as "The one that got away".
When Friday's test sessions at the ADRL'S Hardee's Independence Drags III were over it was clear that Tommy D was at the wheel of the car to beat. Posting high 3.80 runs near 200 miles per hour when no other team had made a full pass made it clear that the Red '62 of Mel Bush was on a mission.
When the ADRL's Ford Drive One event re-started D'Aprile was in the second round with lane choice over veteran outlaw racer, Todd Tutterow. Tutterow took an early lead due to his reaction time but was no match for the hard charging D'Aprile. D'Aprile took the win with the quickest elapsed time of the round, 3.812 at 196.33 to Tutterow's 3.917 at 197.31.
