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NMRA Ford Drag Racing Series - Gear Jammin' In GeorgiaWhile Most Of The Eastern Seaboard Was Swamped With Foul Weather, The NMRA Battled On In Reynolds, Georgia. From the August, 2007 issue of Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords
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Chris Escobar's Jake LaMotta-tuned... Chris Escobar's Jake LaMotta-tuned twin-turbo SVO looked awful hard to beat. His string of low 9-second passes left him a 9.29 average with the entire field in tail. Escobar chose to drop in a '98 Cobra motor with twin 35mm turbos. Aside from the three days of shopping and tech searching in the endless manufacturers' midway, a weekend pass for an NMRA race offers spectators a full qualifying session on Friday and two on Saturday, leaving the elimination rounds for Sunday. All those in attendance enjoyed a sunny start to the race weekend but conditions worsened with the rain settling in by midafternoon Sunday. The good news was that the NMRA and Silver Dollar crew worked feverishly to get the racetrack ready early on Sunday. A continuous flow of anxious racers in the staging lanes whittled down most of the classes to the final pair of race cars. We also saw the completion of the MM&FF/Hedman Hedders True Street competition. Due to the inclement weather, the finals from this event will be contested at the Toyo Tires NMRA Ford Nationals at Milan Dragway in June. At Reynolds, some of the class finalists chose to flip a coin to award the top trophy because they couldn't make it to the next race for a continuance. It's also common in a case like this for the racers to agree to bucket the purse for the top two spots and split it, as it offers a fair closure to an event.  Here's A real Georgia pea...  Here's A real Georgia peach.  The NMRA True Street class...  The NMRA True Street class has a new sponsor-Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords magazine, joining forces with cosponsor Hedman Headers. We crowned now-four-time champ Chris Escobar at the Reynolds stop after he conquered all comers. He won the first two events of the season for the past two years, which just happens to be the only two events he visits, making him 4-0.  When Kevin Coy isn't on the...  When Kevin Coy isn't on the road hauling goods, he's racing his '93 Mustang. D&D Motorsports built the Airflow Research 185-headed 342 powerplant. The carbureted combo gets a little boost from an NOS nitrous plate system. Kevin claimed the 10-oh award by knocking a half second off his personal best, settling in at a 10.17 average.  It's Guys like Larry Waters...  It's Guys like Larry Waters Sr. and his son Larry Jr. that help keep the True Street Class alive. Nearly every weekend is filled with fast fun as they both have 10-second Mustangs. Unfortunately, Larry Jr.'s nitrous-oxide-injected sister coupe didn't survive the first run, prompting Pop to run his 408-powered coupe just on the motor. They still had fun and finished a respectable 11th with an 11.71 average.  Justin Burcham retired his...  Justin Burcham retired his Factory Stock and Real Street racing shoes to boost his JPC race shop support of numerous racers, from the top-running Super Street Outlaw class down the Factory Stock street-car warriors. He does, however, take time during race weekends to play in True Street. His RGR Race Engines-prepped Three-Valve powerplant utilizes an F1-C ProCharger and a tricked-out Hanlon Motorsports TKO-600 manual transmission to row to e.t.'s in the 9.70s. it was good for the runner-up in the class.  Matt Leetch's little black...  Matt Leetch's little black coupe has a deceivingly stock appearance. It doesn't have skinnies or big, wide aftermarket lightweights on the rear, but his mechanic, Sammy Pangle, assembled a stroked 347 that is topped with a set of AFR heads and a pair of Garrett turbochargers. Matt rowed his TKO slapstick through the Ram 900 long-style clutch to claim the 11-oh award via his 11.008 3-run average.  Jeff Wells and his crew of...  Jeff Wells and his crew of midnight bandits built his '86 Stang in just 14 days. They chose old-school horsepower, utilizing the stock block and heads, although they did stroke it out to 347 cubes. The simplicity of the combination resulted in a 12.09 average and conquering all of the 12-second contestants-all motor style.  What Does it take to shave...  What Does it take to shave close to a second off your e.t.? Ask Matthew Cowan. He used set of 3.90 gears, a $400 Nitrous Express kit, and a set of BFGs to help him claim the 13-flat award money in the MM&FF/ Hedman Headers True Street class. | True Street Winners | | Order | Name | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 3 | AVG. | Award | | 1 | Chris Escobar | 9.25 | 9.33 | 9.30 | 9.294 | Winner | | 2 | Justin Burcham | 9.76 | 9.78 | 9.70 | 9.747 | Runner-Up | | 3 | Kevin Coy | 10.14 | 10.19 | 10.20 | 10.176 | 10 Sec Winner | | 4 | Robert Watson | 10.36 | 10.42 | 10.45 | 10.411 | | | 5 | David Bradford | 10.37 | 10.49 | 10.44 | 10.435 | | | 6 | Kenny Kipple | 10.45 | 10.50 | 10.52 | 10.491 | | | 7 | Chris Lancaster | 11.19 | 10.68 | 10.86 | 10.906 | | | 8 | Matt Leetch | 10.76 | 11.48 | 10.79 | 11.008 | 11 Sec Winner | | 9 | Damon Rice | 11.19 | 11.01 | 10.98 | 11.061 | | | 10 | Zane Owen | 11.51 | 11.26 | 11.31 | 11.361 | | | 11 | Larry Waters | 11.74 | 11.90 | 11.50 | 11.712 | | | 12 | David Harbin | 12.73 | 11.32 | 11.77 | 11.940 | | | 13 | Jeff Wells | 11.61 | 11.85 | 12.82 | 12.092 | 12 Sec Winner | | 14 | Chris Statton | 11.81 | 12.06 | 12.64 | 12.169 | | | 15 | Brent McIntosh | 14.39 | 11.53 | 11.34 | 12.418 | | | 16 | Michael Davis | 12.45 | 12.90 | 12.11 | 12.488 | | | 17 | Bernard Wifcciams | 12.99 | 12.54 | 12.31 | 12.614 | | | 18 | Wayne Davis | 12.74 | 12.83 | 12.80 | 12.790 | | | 19 | Stephen Clements | 12.77 | 13.54 | 12.43 | 12.913 | | | 20 | Angela Zamboni | 12.52 | 12.91 | 13.36 | 12.931 | | | 21 | Matthew Cowan | 12.86 | 13.27 | 13.16 | 13.098 | 13 Sec Winner | | 22 | Kevin Hardison | 13.27 | 13.25 | 13.16 | 13.227 | | | 23 | Kevin Fleming | 13.16 | 13.36 | 13.30 | 13.271 | | | 24 | Chip Leetch | 13.24 | 13.67 | 13.06 | 13.321 | | | 27 | Dorinda Blaney | 13.99 | 13.92 | 14.80 | 14.236 | 14 Sec Winner |
 Dorinda Blaney put the pedal...  Dorinda Blaney put the pedal to the metal in her three qualifying passes in the True Street Showdown. Some careful coaching from Open Comp hotdog Rick Doern had her slowing a full second in her final pass to collect the 14-second prize.  Proud Winners of the MM&FF/Hedman...  Proud Winners of the MM&FF/Hedman Headers True Street classes; (left to right) Justin Burcham, Kevin Coy, Matt Leech, Jeff Wells, Matthew Cowan. Al that testosterone must have scared away Dorinda Blaney as she was unavailable for the photo.  The Gamaco Company-sponsored...  The Gamaco Company-sponsored crew vowed to portray the hard work it takes to become a champion in the NMRA Ford Drag Racing Series fastest and quickest class-DiabloSport Pro 5.0 reigning class champ Michael Hauf came with all 814 candles lit, qualifying number-one and running a career-best 6.58 in the first round of competition.  Edelbrock Tech expert Steve...  Edelbrock Tech expert Steve Johnson was on top of the world as the Edelbrock racing sponsored-Pro 5.0 team, piloted by Joe Morgan, enjoyed their quickest weekend ever with consistent e.t.'s in the low 6.60s. Here, new Outlaw 10.5W racer Jim Brown (right) receives some basics from Steve Johnson.  Keith Neal says he has some...  Keith Neal says he has some of the strongest Powerglide transmissions available, and his new 454-cube Proline Engines-powered, Brad Brand-tuned, twin-turbo test mule is finished and ready to torture the products he offers to solidify his claims.  Sammy Vincent's Nitrous Express-powered...  Sammy Vincent's Nitrous Express-powered bandit dove repeatedly into the 7.40s thanks to some recent chassis tweaks complements of Matukas Motorsports. He reset the MSD Super Street Outlaw record in qualifying, then lowered it to a 7.450 in Round 1, with a pair of 7.46s on the books to back it up.  Crew Chief Big Mike Wilson...  Crew Chief Big Mike Wilson had Zack Posey's ProCharger-powered Cobra hitting on all eight as they earned a number-two spot on the qualifying grid with a 7.54. Strong runs carried them all the way to the finals in the Nitto Tire SSO Bonus Cash Shootout. Unfortunately, mechanical failure in the shootout semis left them limping to the finale, where they met Don Burton. Darrel Loveless and the rest of the crew thrashed into the evening, repairing the race car. Their efforts were rewarded with a 7.53 win in the first but a loss to Burton in the second.  Nitto Tires invited the top...  Nitto Tires invited the top eight '06 points finishers in Super Street Outlaw to participate in a mini shootout with $4,500 up for grabs. Don Burton claimed the $2,500 top prize in his Fulton 500-inch big-block- powered '80 Mustang. He had his eye on the prize, so he brought his best game, which turned out to be a 7.57 on the boards to Sam Vincent's narrowly quicker 7.56. The race was won at the Tree by Burton scoring a quicker 0.037 to 0.084 to offset the quicker e.t.  John Kolivas headed down to...  John Kolivas headed down to the season opener, along with tuner Job Spetter Jr., a week early for testing. Kolivas put his 302-based Bennett 359 in the top spot with an 8.11 at just over 176 mph.  Chris Tuten flew by the competition...  Chris Tuten flew by the competition at the Bradenton race and seems to be on track in Georgia to reclaim his Drag Radial championship from Kolivas. An 8.12 run for the ladder followed by an 8.11 and 8.10, respectively, in eliminations earned him a repeat date with Kolivas in the final that will be held at the Milan, Michigan, event.  Brian Mitchell is the rabbit...  Brian Mitchell is the rabbit that all the ProCharger EFI Renegade racers have been chasing, and he has collected championships in 2004 and 2006. Mitchell qualified Second with an 8.67 then laid down an event-best 8.61 in Round 1 against Rich Groh, continuing his dominance enroute to the final.  It didn't look good for Bart...  It didn't look good for Bart Tobener when we caught him in the pits with the cherry picker. He assured us everything was OK and that it was strictly routine maintenance.  The EFI Renegade class continues...  The EFI Renegade class continues to be one of the most popular in the NMRA racing arsenal. Longtime UPR-sponsored Renegade racer Bart Tobener has added his Vortech powered 330-cube mod-motor Cobra to the competitive mix. Tobener took out Brian Tuten in Round 1 and top-qualifier Aaron Stapleton in the second, which gave him a bye to the final. He will have a rematch with Brian Mitchell, whom he beat in the Bradenton final when Mitchell put it on the bumper.  Judson Massingill and his...  Judson Massingill and his wife, Linda, run the School of Automotive Machinists (SAM) in Houston, Texas. The students' favorite class is NMRA Race Weekend, where they gather around the race car piloted by Justin Curry in the all-motor Edelbrock Hot Street category. Justin qualified the car in the number-one spot with a record-breaking 8.78; then proved his driving prowess with 0.029 and 0.035 reaction times to go with his 8.83 and 8.81 winning runs to make the final four.  Andy and Matt Schmidt's 400-cube...  Andy and Matt Schmidt's 400-cube BES small-block puts out an undisclosed 900-plus horsepower through a tricked-out Pro Systems 4150-style carburetor-no Dominators are allowed in Edelbrock Hot Street. The Powerglide-powered Pony got by Mike Curcio in the first round and outpowered Mike DeMayo 8.80 to 8.89 in the second. Bangin' Bob Hanlon's five-speed slapstick will be waiting for them in Michigan when eliminations continue.  Ben Mens is at the forefront...  Ben Mens is at the forefront of the Roush engine development movement. He pilots the second car in the DeMayo stable, which is, of course, equipped with one of Roush's newest 360 powerplants. They've had good luck running the small motor with the new Rossler Turbo 400 three-speed transmission, running low 8.8s most of the weekend. Their 8.80 win over Mike Abshagen will give them lane choice over the SAM car's 8.81 when the two meet in the semis at the Milan race, which is Mens' home track.  Bruce Hemminger's '86 JPC,...  Bruce Hemminger's '86 JPC, White's Pit Stop-sponsored Mustang utilizes a set of out-of-the-box stock Twisted Wedge heads, the class-required stock camshaft, and an Edelbrock 200hp EFI dry system atop the Bily Glidden-built bulletproof bottom end. Hemminger qualified Third and ousted Richard Karr and Michael Washington from competition. Tim Matherly is the last one standing in Hemminger's way to a Real Street victory.  Jim Breeze is a former champion...  Jim Breeze is a former champion in the Modular Motor Class. His passion for racing had him build an MV Performance sister car to run in the hotly contested Real Street class. His ProCharger-powered, mod-motored Steeda is one of the most consistent bumper draggers in the class. Breeze lost a close contest in the semis to teammate Tim Matherly, 9.91 to 9.84.  Former Real Street class champ...  Former Real Street class champ Tim Matherly posted the best e.t.'s at both Bradenton and Atlanta, setting records at each event. The ProCharger P1SC2 is his power adder of choice. Matherly's 8.836 qualifying pass reset the class record, and he's looking to extend his undefeated streak at the race's continuance.  Modular Performance is a family-owned...  Modular Performance is a family-owned business; its specialty is designing and building high-performance modular engines. Owners John and son Michael Tymensky were some of the first to successfully produce big horsepower numbers from the nearly stock 4.6 modular pieces about 10 years ago. Ken Bjonnes ran a 10.48 in NMRA Pure Street with one of their R&D engines in 2005. Now Mike has loaded up the same engine in his seasoned Skinny Kid-built '01 Cobra and proved they still got it with a number-two qualifying 10.37.  The majority of racers in...  The majority of racers in Tremec Pure Street class utilize the enduring Tremec T5 transmission. Jimmy Wilson exemplifies why the class is not only a blast to compete in, but is definitely becoming one of the crowd favorites.  The Boys at BFGoodrich posted...  The Boys at BFGoodrich posted a $1,740 bonus fund for the top eight Factory Stock points chasers from 2006. Steve Gifford shocked everyone when he marched through consecutive 11.61, 11.51, and 11.42 rounds to decimate the baffled field.  The NMRA car show is always...  The NMRA car show is always a spectacle of horsepower, chrome, and nostalgia. Participants fight it out for dozens of beautiful trophy plaques and enjoy a weekend of heads-up racing as a bonus.  Jonathan Paulk is the other...  Jonathan Paulk is the other half of Team JPC Factory Stock; the same RGR (Chicago) recipe but with an MSD Programmable Digital-7 box. Paulk says that Justin Burcham waved his magic computer mouse over his MSD box and-bam!-an 11.63 to 11.65 win light appeared over Eric Holiday's mod-motored powerhouse.  El Smith's all-motor Danny...  El Smith's all-motor Danny Daughty-built 5.4 is armed with no more than a stock steel crankshaft, Mahle pistons, and a pair of Ford FR500 camshafts. The C4-powered '99 is a pleasant change of tune from all the supercharged mod cars. Consistent 11-second runs earned him a runner-up in the Roush-sponsored Modular Muscle class.  Bill Jones was the man to...  Bill Jones was the man to beat in Crane Cams Open Comp. Not only did he post a 0.001 light to qualify, but consecutive 0.022, 0.011, and 0.002 bulbs decorated his weekend rsum. His 393-cube stroked Cleveland posted two 10.91s and a 10.94 on his 10.90 qualifying time. His amazing weekend was topped off with a 0.002, 10.92 on a 10.90 package against Shane Williams' 0.016, 12.09 on 12.07 package for his spot in the final. Unfortunately, the weather moved in and he and reigning champ Randy Conway had to flip for the win as Jones is being recalled to active duty with the U.S. Air Force, making him unavailable for a continuance. Even though he lost the toss, we can all rest assured that only the sharpest tools in the shed are guarding our skies.  Reggie Burnette Jr. has been...  Reggie Burnette Jr. has been riding high after winning his first race at the FFW season opener. A streak of reaction times low in the teens and near dead-on e.t.'s put him in the semis against the most winning racer in mod-motor history, reigning champ Robert Hindman. An amazing 0.013 bulb and a 12.869 on his 12.86 forced Hindman to break out to catch him.
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