Bumper time for Jay Mingolelli!...
Bumper time for Jay Mingolelli! This EFI Renegade car reached for the sky during qualifying. Normally, Mingolelli runs in the 8.80s with his ProCharger-blown, Mod Motor-equipped ride. Big wheelies like this one kept him in the low-9s at Bradenton.
The second weekend of March marked the NMRA season opener in Bradenton, Florida, and racers came out of their winter hibernation to set the ol' 1,320 on fire with fast times and record performances.
Bradenton '06 also saw the rebirth of NMRA Pro 5.0, as attendance reached a stout 14 entries-all tube-chassis cars capable of running in the 6s. The field was tight, as less than a tenth of a second separated the top five qualifiers. Mike Hauf ran 6.64 to take the UPR Top Qualifier money, but it was Don Walsh Jr. who grabbed the class win on Sunday. Walsh wasn't the quickest in the field, but his prowess on the Tree earned him the victory.
The other classes were equally competitive, with Super Street Outlaw turning into a dogfight that rivaled something out of the early days of Pro Modified. You just never knew what was going to happen as 17 overpowered race cars hit the track in mid-7-second form. Drama ran high on the track and in the pits as 16 Drag Radial competitors fought for supremacy in that DOT street tire class. The rest of the classes took their cue from the top categories. Renegade and Hot Street proved to be a wheelie competition, while Real Street, Pure Street, and Factory Stock had record-setting sessions during qualifying and eliminations.
Heads-up racing wasn't the only thing going on at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Fords of all generations were on hand at the Laurel Mountain Mustang Car Show. And if bracket racing is your pleasure, three different categories made up the Superchips Racing Bracket Showdown.
Brian Meyer was unstoppable...
Brian Meyer was unstoppable in the Real Street category with his Anderson Ford-backed, Vortech-blown coupe. He entertained the crowd with wild wheelies like this one and a best run of 9.99.
Michael Hauf laid down the...
Michael Hauf laid down the gauntlet in DiabloSport Pro 5.0 with his ex-IHRA Pro Stock Mustang. The team found big power over the winter, and they apparently know how to use it- Hauf qualified number one with a 6.64. He also ran sick 60-foot times that were always less than 1 second-the best 60-foot was clocked at 0.975 second. He'll hang with a nitro Funny Car for 60 feet. Hauf lost to Walsh on a holeshot in the finals.
Sam Vincent did his homework...
Sam Vincent did his homework over the winter. He came to town with more horsepower and a better working and safer race car, thanks to Matukas Motorsports. Vincent swept the MSD Ignition Super Street Outlaw field by grabbing the UPR top qualifier spot, set the e.t. record, and won the race. His best performance was a 7.55 at 183 mph.
Roush Racing made its presence...
Roush Racing made its presence felt by entering five cars in competition. Included in the fleet were three Roush development cars (an '07 Drag Pack and two Stangs that had new Roush crate modular engines). Don Bowles' '05 Roush Stage 3 prototype Stang was also in competition, along with a '68 Cougar the team pulled out of Jack Roush's garage.
Crew Chief Chris Tumpkin latches...
Crew Chief Chris Tumpkin latches the door on Don Walsh Jr.'s class-winning Pro 5.0 entry. Walsh showed his prowess on the Tree by grabbing the final-round victory on a holeshot over Hauf. The ProCharger-blown ride ran in the 6.60s.
Jenna from Nitto Tire poses...
Jenna from Nitto Tire poses with an '06 Steeda Mustang. Subtle changes were made to the Steeda Q, including a new front fascia and these new wheels.
Ben Hopko and Bill Weiner...
Ben Hopko and Bill Weiner brought their Probe to the Pro 5.0 field. The 400ci Duttweiler engine was packing a pair of 76mm turbochargers. It was the first time out with these turbos, and they ran 6.80s. Expect more from these guys when they sort out everything.
Outlaw 10.5 champion Jim Briante...
Outlaw 10.5 champion Jim Briante was behind the wheel of the Sorby Brothers' SSO ride. The nitrous-inhaling small-block cranked out 7.60s at 180 mph. Briante advanced to the semifinals in the 17-car field before going down to event winner Sam Vincent. Briante will be back behind the wheel of his 200-mph Stang in the Outlaw 10.5 ranks at the next event.
The Swill Racing team returned...
The Swill Racing team returned to EFI-Renegade competition to defend their championship. With backing from Sticker Dude Designs, Vortech, Stang Gear, and Advanced Airflow Engineering, the team snagged top qualifying honors and drove to victory on Sunday.
One of the more unique cars...
One of the more unique cars in the Vortech Modular Muscle field was Al Papitto's '98 Cobra. He has made a name for himself by running in the mid-10s with a naturally aspirated 5.4-liter engine. Over the winter, he went inside of the mod motor and found even more horsepower. The red Stang covered the quarter-mile in the 9.90 range-still sans power adder.
Our May '06 cover car, owned...
Our May '06 cover car, owned by Manny Buginga, did not start the weekend off well. During Thursday's test and tune, Buginga lost the engine in the SSO ride. Thanks to Nelson Racing Engines and Buginga's crew, the 362 was rebuilt in time for Saturday's qualifying sessions. The team overcame adversity and went to the final round. Buginga lost when he got loose in the middle of the track, but he did a miraculous job of keeping the car off the guardrails.
Open Comp's format changed...
Open Comp's format changed this year, and the racers were qualified according to their best reaction time. That didn't matter to defending series champion Bruce Parker-he was number two in the field with a 0.001 reaction time. His red-hot streak from 2006 continued at Bradenton with a runner-up finish to Jim Brown.
Don Burton came loaded for...
Don Burton came loaded for bear with 500 cubes of angry big-block power. Fulton Racing Engines built it and engineered a top-secret nitrous system, one that Burton had covered with a sheetmetal cover. Matukas Motorsports updated the chassis in an effort to harness the sick horsepower under the hoodscoop.
Super Street Outlaw cars are...
Super Street Outlaw cars are temperamental on the tiny 28x10.5-inch slicks. Some racers, like Billy Laskowsky, chose to take it easy on their stuff in Bradenton. With an entire season of racing ahead of them, Laskowsky and crew chief Mark McKeon made only partial passes down the track. They did record a 1.23 60-foot time, which was the quickest short time from the blower contingent that weekend.
John Kolivas of Mississippi...
John Kolivas of Mississippi proved you needn't be the quickest car in the Drag Radial class. But he was in the top five for performances, and relied on his lightning-quick reaction times to win the event. He wheeled the turbocharged Mustang to three holeshot victories-he destroyed the competition in the first round, and each additional round of racing required him to nail the Tree for the victory as he faced some quick competition. He beat Mauro Vitale in the final.
The Motive Gear Pro 5.0 entry,...
The Motive Gear Pro 5.0 entry, driven by Joe Morgan, qualified 10th in Pro 5.0 with a stellar 6.93 on only one of the three stages of Edelbrock nitrous.
Eric Laferriere lit up the...
Eric Laferriere lit up the Drag Radial field with an 8.18, the quickest pass in class history. The 3,300-pound ride rolls on a set of BFGoodrich drag radials and runs a 347 with a ProCharger F1R supercharger under the hood. A little tidbit about this '98 Cobra is that Jimmy LaRocca drove it to the EFI-Renegade championship in 2003. The chassis has since been redone by DMC Racing and carries a 25.2 SFI certification.
Shane Jennings raced a real...
Shane Jennings raced a real '93 Cobra R in Drag Radial. It is one of only 107 ever produced. A 331 with a Vortech X-Trim supercharger helped produce 8.70 performances.
Two-time Hot Street champion...
Two-time Hot Street champion Charlie Booze Jr. had a hard fight in Bradenton. It seemed as if most competitors in the category were breathing down his neck. He faced number-one qualifier Pat Topolinski in the finals. Booze nailed down an 8.91 for the gold. Topolinski lit the red bulb, but still ran an 8.94.
Jim Roberts of Largo, Florida,...
Jim Roberts of Largo, Florida, was awarded the automatic "W" in the Detroit Locker Truck and Lightning class when opponent Keith Kohlmann went red and Roberts cruised to the victory.
Last year, the Sutton High...
Last year, the Sutton High Performance crew laid claim to the first nine-second run with a Three-Valve-equipped, S197 Mustang. This year, they painted the car red, Fast Forward Race Cars updated the chassis, and a new Four-Valve mod motor with a Vortech YSi-Trim blower was dropped into the engine bay. This engine was just used to gain valuable points as the team awaited their new Bennett Racing Four-Valve piece-the new bullet is expected to be in the car by the third NMRA event of the year.
The Laurel Mountain Mustang...
The Laurel Mountain Mustang Car Show had representative iron from almost all generations of Ford cars and trucks. This Mustang is a rare Roush/Boyd Coddington edition. It's one of only two ever built by Roush in this color combination.
Shawn Johnson continued to...
Shawn Johnson continued to dominate K&N Factory Stock like he had done last year, despite many rule changes over the winter. He ran a best of 11.59 and beat fellow Four-Valve racer Jeff Schmell in the finals.
The naturally aspirated eliminator...
The naturally aspirated eliminator Pure Street saw the times dip into the 10.30s, and that's from Mustangs with only 310ci engines. Brad Meadows hung the wheels on each and every run. He lost to Ron Anderson in the finals.
Bangin' Bob Hanlon teamed...
Bangin' Bob Hanlon teamed up with Boccella Performance and enlisted the services of Chris Beningo and Ed Smith to help out. The result was a refurbished Mustang drag racing icon and 8.90 performances in Hot Street competition. That's moving for a naturally aspirated 360.
Pat Topolinski and several...
Pat Topolinski and several students from the School of Automotive Machinists compete in Hot Street with this '95 Cobra. They built the engine in-house as a class project, were the number one qualifier (8.92), and went to the final round.
Ragdoll Racing (owned by Leo...
Ragdoll Racing (owned by Leo Johnson) made a last-minute purchase before the Bradenton event. On the way down, Johnson picked up this Pure Street car and enlisted the driving duties of Ron Anderson-he drove the car last year for the previous owner. The team had little testing under their belts before the big show, but Anderson and Johnson got the car running in the 10.30s and grabbed the event title.
Our cameras were able to catch Jay Mingolelli's outrageous wheelie!