A pair of unlikely combatants settled the Extreme 10.5 final Sep. 8, at Memphis International Raceway, where ADRL rookie Dennis Sugrue defeated Lamar Swindoll Jr. to take the Memphis Drags III title home to Austin, TX; Both Team ProTorque Members Running Our Converters.

“I really don’t know what to say other than it was all about these guys,” Sugrue said in victory lane, gesturing toward crew chief Craig Pullin, chassis specialist Bill Buck and first-time helper Johnny Mueller. “They got me here, it’s all about them.”

Former class champion Billy Glidden clearly was the class of the field in Memphis, qualifying in first place with a track record 3.937-seconds at 188.15 mph in his nitrous-boosted 2010 Mustang.

Swindoll qualified his twin-turboed ’68 Camaro fourth with a 4.118 at 193.16 pass and Sugrue started sixth of just seven entries with a 4.198 at 189.31 in his twin-turbocharged ’04 Cavalier.

Swindoll, from Pasadena, TX, narrowly defeated teammate Todd Moyer with a .014 holeshot in round one, going 4.068 at 200.86 against Moyer’s 4.058 at 200.35 mph, while Sugrue opened with a 7.378 win over California’s Dan Myers, who redlighted away his chances in his supercharged ’57 Chevy.

Glidden opened with a 3.969-seconds solo pass at 187.50 mph, but his day ended with traction woes in round two against Swindoll, who ran 4.075 at 195.82. Sugrue advanced to the final with a 4.410 solo pass after points leader Alan Pittman’s screw-blown ’09 Mustang broke on the line.

In the final, Swindoll left first with a solid .027 light, but slowed to a 5.380 run at just over 95 mph, while Sugrue had a dismal .166 reaction, but made his best run of the weekend at 4.029 seconds and 192.93 mph.

“This is a great feeling. We have to remember it and internalize it,” Sugrue said. “This is the big leagues and to win something like this is amazing for us; really, really special.”