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2008 NMRA Nitto Tires Spring Nationals Bradenton - Wind ShearThe Red-Hot NMRA-Keystone Event Series Sprung Into Action At Bradenton Motorsports Park During The Nitto Tires Spring Nationals, Presented By Steeda Autosports. From the July, 2008 issue of Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords By Michael Galimi Photography by Evan J. Smith, Michael Galimi, Steve Baur
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 Hellion's John Urist was the...  Hellion's John Urist was the talk of the town as he rolled out a brand-new race car. Although he faced his share of new-car bugs, he managed to grab a win in the highly competitive Super Street Outlaw category.  The highly anticipated return...  The highly anticipated return of Mustang racing legend Mike Murillo happened at the NMRA Spring Nationals. Murillo unleashed 7-oh, 200-plus-mph runs in his Pro Outlaw 10.5 coupe. A broken flexplate prevented him from competing in the semifinal match-up against Conrad Scarry.  Race cars, people, and more...  Race cars, people, and more people--that was the theme of the weekend at Bradenton. Here we see a Pro Outlaw 10.5 traffic jam when the six-second show was called to the staging lanes.  There were smokin' deals in...  There were smokin' deals in the manufacturers' midway. Vickery's Speed Shop offered an assortment of custom-painted helmets for $350, plus the cost of the helmet. You could buy one right there or drop off your helmet and have Vickery's paint it and ship it.  Bob Kurgan (near lane) squared...  Bob Kurgan (near lane) squared off against John Kolivas in the final of BFGoodrich Drag Radial. Both cars ran into traction troubles with their 1,200-plus-horsepower engines and BFG Drag Radial tires. Kolivas won the event with an 8.46, but he ran as quick as 8.06 at 179 mph during eliminations. Kurgan was equally impressive with his Vortech-blown ride and 8.10 performances. As the sun rose over the Florida horizon, we rolled through the gates at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Rays of light glistened on the sides of race-car trailers housing some of the wildest heads-up Mustangs. It was almost go-time for the '08 racing season, yet all we could hear were the birds chirping and smell that familiar fragrance in the air-not the whiff of warm spring air, but rather VHT. The track crew prepped the 1,320 in anticipation of hundreds of nitrous-gulping, turbo-stuffed, and supercharged muscle Mustangs and fast Fords from around the country. As the track was conditioned to perfection, the rest of the Bradenton Motorsport Park property was sectioned off for the show grounds, swap meet, and manufacturers' midway. The event marked the start of the NMRA-Keystone Ford National's 10th Anniversary tour, with seven events total. The racing would be hot as competitors battled it out in a variety of categories-heads-up racing, open comp-style competition, the True Street Challenge, bracket racing, and the show 'n' shine. It was time to go racing, and the MM&FF staff was ready with nearly 100 pounds of camera and video gear. Be sure to check our Web site for expanded NMRA coverage. As does every NMRA event, the Spring Nationals includes a host of activities for all types of enthusiasts. Naturally, the heads-up racing on-track headlines the festivities and grabs most of the attention. Off-track, 60 companies set up shop to sell parts, cut smoking deals (which saves you money on shipping, too), and show off the latest gadgets and widgets. Fans could walk further downtrack, past the heads-up pits, and enjoy the show field with over 200 of the finest Mustangs and Fords that Florida has to offer. Across the way, a huge swap meet was set up, and we saw some unbelievable steals on used parts and rare pieces. The heads-up racing action was exciting as usual, and the new Turbonetics Pro Outlaw 10.5 category was a welcome addition to the show. Pro Outlaw 10.5 replaced Pro 5.0 as the NMRA's top-dog class. It consists of back-half Mustangs with 2,000-plus-horsepower engines under the hood. Turbocharged combinations were the dominant combination, but nitrous was represented, as was the supercharged contingent. Top qualifier Brian Carpenter wheeled a twin-turbo '03 Cobra that was built by Skinny Kid Race Cars and powered by a Pro Line Racing engine-the same guys who build Tim Lynch's world record-setting engines. Carpenter topped the list with an outstanding 6.88 at 212 mph. He got too aggressive with the tune-up in the semifinals and lost a close match with Livernois Motorsports' Dan Millen. The final round featured FFW's '06 Street Outlaw champ, Conrad Scarry, and Millen to duke it out at over 200 mph. The Livernois Motorsports-backed ride ran into problems, and Scarry scored his first NMRA victory. Three-time ProCharger Super Street Outlaw champion, John Urist, debuted a brand-new race car at Bradenton. While some claim he's on the decline, he was anything but in his '08 debut. It took the champ a few runs to get things right, but in the end he ran 7.50s and won the event. It wasn't the quickest car in the field, but the new hot rod performed well for Urist when the money was on the line. He prevailed in the finals over Richard Lelsz's turbocharged '03 Cobra out of the Strictly Performance shop. The sunny skies brought out 70 willing and able participants to the True Street Challenge. The NMRA officials paraded the field of fast Fords, not just Mustangs, around the streets of Bradenton for 30 miles. The participants were then brought into the staging lanes where they remained, with the hoods closed for a 30-minute rest period. The racing commenced, and each competitor ran three consecutive runs. Winners were crowned in a variety of indexes that ranged from the 9s to the 15s, with an overall winner and runner-up spot as well. Racing, buying, showing, or selling-good times and fast action were all part of the MM&FF trip to Bradenton for the NMRA season opener. It was a rocking start to the '08 racing season. True Street Invasion in Bradenton  Mike Dibiaggio was back to...  Mike Dibiaggio was back to True Street action at Bradenton. He hauled his new '03 Cobra clone from Connecticut to Florida, and we think he might have had the unofficial Long Distance Award for his efforts. DiBiaggio has long been a True Street enthusiast and took some time off before coming back in 2008.  He officially nicknamed the...  He officially nicknamed the car Full Anarchy II when it ran in the 8s.  He ran a best of 8.72 during...  He ran a best of 8.72 during T/S competition and was the overall winner with an 8.91 average.  Stephen Posenau gets the award...  Stephen Posenau gets the award for the Best Wheelie of True Street. His ProCharger-powered Stang features a Two-Valve engine and has graced the pages of this magazine many times, including once as a feature car when it was running 10s and had nitrous for a power adder. Posenau finished Fourth overall and won the 10-second bracket with a 10.001 average.  Lethal Performance's Derek...  Lethal Performance's Derek Perez had a 10.89 average. The Shelby has mostly bolt-on parts, along with a Whipple 3.4L blower and tuning from VMP Tuning. The car ran a best of a 10.65 on Mickey Thompson 18-inch drag radials. The overall average was a 10.89. We were amazed with how few parts it took to get this Shelby to run in the 10s and achieve speeds in the 135-mph range.  Cory Penton ran 10.16 in the...  Cory Penton ran 10.16 in the first round and got progressively slower. It wasn't because his wild '03 Cobra was broken; it was that the car was too fast and he needed to have an NHRA 9-second license. Penton runs a Four-Valve Cobra engine, built by MV Performance, with a ProCharger F1R blower. A chain broke on Friday during test and tune, so the guys at All-Stock Performance in Fort Meyers, Florida, fixed the problem and got him back to Bradenton in time for True Street on Saturday. The car is said to be 8-second capable--it made over 1,000 hp at the tires.  T.J. Fox had a 13.43 average,...  T.J. Fox had a 13.43 average, but the real story is that the car normally runs high-10s/low-11s on the bottle. The juice system was malfunctioning, so he ran the his final two runs on straight motor. The car ran 12.80-12.90s without the bottle.  Scott Boda of Steeda won the...  Scott Boda of Steeda won the nine-second category. You can read all about this sweet nitrous-injected LX on page 96 of the July 2008 issue.  The NMRA allows Fords of all...  The NMRA allows Fords of all makes and years to participate in True Street.  The road tour is one of the...  The road tour is one of the best parts of True Street. Participants go on a 30-mile parade to prove the streetworthiness of their hot rod. Then they're cooled down, without lifting the hood, in the staging lanes. All contestants must make three consecutive runs down the track in order to complete the True Street Challenge.  Robert Abney ran 9.66 in Round...  Robert Abney ran 9.66 in Round 2 but was unable to make a third run.  Brian Blake would've had a...  Brian Blake would've had a 9-second average if he hadn't had problems during the first run. He recorded a 32-second run but then came back with a 9.79 and a 9.82--without using any nitrous. This is a certifiable 8-second street car once he hits the juice.  Seeing 70 cars on the road...  Seeing 70 cars on the road is cool. The locals were digging it, too, as people stopped to watch everyone cruise through the 'hood.  Aramis Lugo of New Jersey...  Aramis Lugo of New Jersey made the long haul with his turbocharged SN-95 racer. The car features a 331ci engine with a huge turbo. It helped propel Lugo to a 9.45 average and Overall Runner-Up finish.  These two cars are complete...  These two cars are complete sleepers. Justin Lohnes knocked down a 12.03 average with the ProCharger-blown Lincoln. Lohnes took home the 12-second index title.  Tom Archambault ran 10.90...  Tom Archambault ran 10.90 on his first run in his wild Marauder. Tech officials told him to slow it down due to lack of NHRA safety gear. He obliged and finished with a 12.07 average.  Charlie Booze Jr. served notice...  Charlie Booze Jr. served notice that he was back on top in Edelbrock Hot Street with the class win and a record-setting performance. He was quick to thank his wife, Kate, and newborn daughter, Anne, for letting him get away for the weekend. Booze was first to run in the 8.60 range with an 8.62 at 162 mph. A naturally aspirated 400ci engine by Kuntz and Company powers the red GT.  Ford Racing Performance Parts...  Ford Racing Performance Parts had its 18-wheeler display, which included the company's crate engine line and other hard-core engine parts. However, the FRPP team, led by Jesse Kershaw, didn't have a car to put on display. The team had the great idea of renting a Shelby GT-H from Hertz. They cleaned it up and popped the hood. The Shelby GT-H has FRPP's Handling and Power Packs.  It wasn't a good weekend for...  It wasn't a good weekend for Drag Radial racer Enzo Pecchini, as he lost control of his low eight-second ride and hit both retaining walls--hard.  Thanks to the safety equipment,...  Thanks to the safety equipment, he walked away without injury.  A familiar face was among...  A familiar face was among the Drag Radial entries. The original Spring Break Shootout winner, Shawn Lyons, was on the property with a gorgeous yellow coupe built by Team Z Motorsports.  The Panhandle Performance-built...  The Panhandle Performance-built 358ci engine wears a Precision 85mm turbocharger. We'd love to say this was the same car Lyons used to win the inaugural event, but it wasn't.  Conrad Scarry went 3-0 this...  Conrad Scarry went 3-0 this year in Kenny Seeger's New Edge Mustang by winning the NMRA event. The team won the U.S. Street Nationals, the FFW opener, and the NMRA Bradenton event. Keith and Randy Auwarter are credited with keeping the 2,200hp, twin-turbocharged small-block Ford running in tip-top shape. The team qualified with an easy 7.23 but then showed off consistent 6-second runs at 208 mph to head to the finals. In the final round, the track went away, but Scarry still managed to run a 7.07 at 203 mph to take the win.  Steve Gifford (far lane) outran...  Steve Gifford (far lane) outran John Leslie Jr. (near lane) in the final round of ACT Factory Stock. Gifford relies on a potent Two-Valve modular engine, maintained and tuned by Modular Depot, to run in the 11.20 zone. Factory Stock is the NMRA's version of NHRA Stock Eliminator, mostly consisting of stock and street-oriented aftermarket parts, which are pushed to the limits.  Reggie Burnette Jr. (near...  Reggie Burnette Jr. (near lane) got the best of Susan McClenaghan in Roush Performance Modular Muscle. Burnette added a new engine over the winter, as well as a cage, to get his '00 Mustang GT to run on an 11.24 index. McClenaghan broke out of her 10.51 index with a 10.49, handing the win to Burnette.  Urist's new Super Street Outlaw...  Urist's new Super Street Outlaw ride was built by Behind Bars Race Cars and carries major sponsorship from Nitto Tire. The coupe has a lot of unique features that Urist designed thanks to having 10 years of experience in the category. One neat trick we saw was the blower-mounting position, which uses a short belt--requiring less horsepower to turn it, and that means more power at the crank.  Lucas Oil stepped up with...  Lucas Oil stepped up with major sponsorship on Ben Mens' Hot Street entry. The Roush Engine Shop foreman is the defending class champion. He made it to the finals thanks to a barrage of 8.70 performances but got loose in the final-round match-up with Charlie Booze Jr.  MV Performance's Tim Matherly...  MV Performance's Tim Matherly goes wheels up with his ProCharger-blown Real Street entry. He ran the class' quickest run to date, a 9.62 at 142 mph. Matherly beat Jim Breese in the final round.  Robby Blankenship showed up...  Robby Blankenship showed up with a brand-new Hot Street ride, built by Matukas Motorsport Race Cars. It sported a controversial K-member and A-arm assembly, one that was deemed illegal by the rule book. Blankenship and chassis-builder Steve Matukas headed to a local fab shop and rebuilt the frontend to meet the NMRA rules. The car ran 8.70s and went to the semifinals.  The Jet car ran 280 mph and...  The Jet car ran 280 mph and dazzled fans, old and young.  Number-one qualifier in Pro...  Number-one qualifier in Pro Outlaw 10.5, Brian Carpenter, ran a 6.88 at 212 mph. He smoked the tires in the semis against Dan Millen, however, and lost. Carpenter told us he got a little aggressive with the tune-up because he knew Millen was a force to be reckoned with.  Sutton High Performance hired...  Sutton High Performance hired perennial EFI Renegade racer Bob Cook to drive the company's mid-eight-second S197 Mustang. A 4.6L Four-Valve engine using Ford Racing Performance Parts' Boss block powers the car. It inhales boost via a Vortech YSi-Trim blower.  Blow By Racing had lots of...  Blow By Racing had lots of parts on display in the manufacturers' midway, however none was cooler than this glass radiator hose. It's con-structed of a high-impact glass material, so there are no worries about cracking it. The company also displayed its new turbo systems for S197 Mustangs.  Racing events are a great...  Racing events are a great place for rival companies to mix it up. Here, the DiabloSport-backed truck of Kevin MacDonald sits next to the one sponsored by SCT. The two Lightnings competed in the Detroit Locker Truck and Lightning category, an Open Comp-style competition.  Justin Burcham of JPC Racing...  Justin Burcham of JPC Racing is smiling because the NMRA tech department allowed Real Street racers to upgrade from the pulley on the right to the smaller one on the left. Mike Washington piloted the JPC-backed, Vortech-blown entry to a best of 9.85 at 141 mph.  Filthy Phil Hines grabbed...  Filthy Phil Hines grabbed the top qualifier position in Super Street Outlaw. His ProCharger-powered Stang ran 7.46 at 191 mph, which was the low e.t. of the weekend in the small-tire freak show.  Defending Factory Stock champion...  Defending Factory Stock champion Tommy Godfrey hangs the hoops as he ran an 11.23 to take the top qualifying position. He lost in the semifi nals to eventual winner Steve Gifford.  Jimmy Keen handled the driving...  Jimmy Keen handled the driving chores in the Tom Moore Motorsports' Pro Outlaw 10.5 Mustang, and Vic Keen handled the crewchief duties on the 2,100hp ride. They ran into an electrical gremlin and chose to run only during qualifying. Parts' Boss block powers the car. It inhales boost via a Vortech YSi-Trim blower.  This was an interesting-looking...  This was an interesting-looking Modular Muscle entry. A 4.6L engine with Four-Valve heads and a twin-screw blower powers the tube-chassis Mustang.  UPR Products was selling a...  UPR Products was selling a lot of Mickey Thompson tires at the show. It saves buyers lots of money on shipping. This is a collection of 28x10.5-inch slicks in one of the Super Street Outlaw competitor's trailer.  Bennett Racing built a 5.4L...  Bennett Racing built a 5.4L engine for John Kolivas' record-setting Drag Radial Cobra. Kolivas ran a best of 8.05 at 179 mph to take the class win.  Victor Downs (near lane) and...  Victor Downs (near lane) and Teddy Weaver (far lane) go wheels up in the TTC Tremec Pure Street finale. Downs scored the win over Weaver thanks to the holeshot launch, 10.36 to Weaver's 10.34.  Brian McCormick stands it...  Brian McCormick stands it on the bumper in qualifying with his Vortech-blown Real Street ride. The coupe ran a best of 9.75 at 139 mph.  The Blow By Racing Girls dig...  The Blow By Racing Girls dig fast Mustangs.  Dan Millen of Livernois Motorsports...  Dan Millen of Livernois Motorsports finished as the runner-up in Pro Outlaw 10.5. He relies on a 385ci engine from Livernois with a single Precision 106mm turbocharger. Millen slams the gears of a Liberty clutchless five-speed transmission.  Keith Neil of Sid Neil Transmissions...  Keith Neil of Sid Neil Transmissions came loaded for bear with his Pro Outlaw 10.5 entry. Over the winter, the car was updated with a sharp two-tone paint job, a new 449ci engine, and a new pair of Garrett 88mm turbochargers.  Manny Buginga came to Bradenton...  Manny Buginga came to Bradenton with a car we barely recognized. His mid-seven-second coupe wore a brand-new white paint job, a new interior, a new Kooks turbo header setup, longer wheelie bars, a front-mounted fuel system, and a center-mounted turbo, all courtesy of DMC Racing. Josh Deeds of Deeds Performance was also onhand, tuning the Big Stuff 3 fuel-injection system.  Ken Zidlick entered his daily...  Ken Zidlick entered his daily driven '91 Mustang LX in the show 'n' shine event. The fluorescent-green LX packs a potent 351W with a shot of nitrous. Zidlick built the entire car under his car port, except for the paint job, which he farmed out to a local body shop.  Hundreds of Fords of all years...  Hundreds of Fords of all years showed up for the show 'n' shine at the NMRA Bradenton event. Awards were presented on Saturday and Sunday.
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