Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational—29th Annual RYNO Classifieds NMRA Spring Break Shootout Presented by Nitto Tire
Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events
NMRA launched its silver-anniversary season with a host of special features
Written by Steve Turner
Photography by the FSC staff
As the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals series kicked off its silver-anniversary season at Orlando Speed World, there was more than drag racing to behold at the RYNO Classifieds NMRA Spring Break Shootout Presented by Nitto Tire. With a return to OSW, NMRA leveraged the full capabilities of the facility, including a drift pad and an expansive car show field.
On the OSW Drift Pad, more than 40 drivers slayed tires in Ford-bodied and Ford-powered drift machines in the Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational. On Saturday Funhavers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea Denofa joined the fun in their RTR Fox Mustangs. The duo drifted tandem occasionally sync’d up with drivers from the invitational to put smiles on faces. The RTR Vehicles drivers also brought their Foxes over to the drag strip for a best-two-out-of-three grudge battle on the quarter mile.
That wasn’t the only Fox fun on the property, however. On the show field, rows of Fox-platform machines lined up in the new Transtec Fox-Body Reunion in Orlando supported by Foxy Events, the promoter behind the popular Chocolate Fox and Foxtoberfest events. The first of two such events, the Orlando event welcomedFox-platform vehicles of all model years, shapes, and sizes in the car show, drag racing, and other special events, but it was certainly dominated by the ’79-’93 Mustangs.
“NMRA came onto the scene at the same point in time when Foxes, the first heavily modified Mustangs, were dominating at the tracks. I’m excited for the Fox Reunion at the NMRA events because it will feel like we’re recreating an important piece of Fox history,” Jennifer told us before the event. “The LX coupe, which is the base model, has become the most sought-after Fox models and I believe the drag strips had a large hand in that.”
Both events within the event had strong first-year showings at OSW, setting the stage for bigger and better things to come in the future. Until then, let’s look back at some of the extracurricular fun at NMRA’s silver-anniversary season opener.
Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational
The tires were on fire on the OSW Drift Pad as Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea Denofa joined the Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational fun at the NMRA season opener. The Funhavers from Team RTR turned up the action a notch by drifting around the Sheer Insanity Monster Truck as it rumbled around the drift pad.
The drifting action, particularly Vaughn and Chelsea shredding tires around the Sheer Insanity monster truck, drew a huge crowd to the OSW drift pad on Saturday afternoon.
Funhavers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea Denofa also put their RTR Fox Mustangs to the test on the drag strip. After a redlight start in the first battle, Denofa seemed to want another chance to beat the boss, which he did, but then he rubbed it in by flashing the hazards during their last trip down the strip. While Gittin’s Fox is small-block powered, Denofa’s Fox coupe gets it done with an EcoBoost swap under the hood.
The Gittin and Denofa also hosted an autograph signing on the Manufacturer's Midway which drew a big crowd of like-minded Funhavers.
Just two years into his drifting career, Cash Staub is having a blast at the Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational as he slays tires in his 1988 Mustang LX coupe. Cash started slaying tires at 14 and now he’s old enough to drive on the streets legally in the Fox he built up from a shell into a drift machine in just two months. He took the crown in the Australian-style Burnout Contest behind the wheel of his 1988 Mustang. For his efforts, he scored a fresh set of four Nitto tires.
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Getting slideways isn’t just for the young. Kenneth Sween is 65 years young and in his third year of drifting. He picked up this 1996 Mustang GT and swapped in an ’04 Mach 1 Four-Valve engine before bringing it out to slay tires. He used to barrel-race horses and he has always said the one animal would like to ride is a cheetah, hence the graphic theme of his Senior Citizen Drifting machine. He travels all over the Southeast drifting and he is loving it.
As the sun set on the OSW Drift Pad the action closed down with an Australian-Style Burnout contest, which even saw Chelsea Denofa get in on the action.
The inaugural Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational wrapped up with an awards ceremony. While it was just an exhibition, several participants earned hardware for their on-track efforts, including Davey Peeples (Funhaver RTR Favorite), Miles Flick (Hard Charger), Chris Shuman (Most Improved), and Alex Dubois (Best Entry). The Last-Minute Motorsports crew, made up of Tim Wallace, Amber Berryman, Chris Allen, and Austin Bates, slide away with the Best Tandem award.
Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events
Best of Show
With so many examples on the property, choosing the top Fox was a challenge for the judges. However, Gregory Jones ’90 Mustang LX stood out from the crowd on the merits of its shimmering white paint and matching five-spoke wheels. Rounded out by a custom interior and a nicely detailed turbo small-block framed by a clean engine compartment, it powered to Best of Show honors in the Transtec Fox-Body Reunion at Orlando Speed World.
Few things look better than a black Mustang — at least when it was clean. Lonnie McDaniel’s 1993 Mustang was mean and clean coming off a fresh restoration. Contrasting with those classic chrome Pony wheels, the glossy black paint on his coupe earned Best Paint & Body honors at the Fox-Body Reunion in Orlando.
To bring the Fox-Body Reunions to life for NMRA’s 25th Anniversary, the series partnered with Foxy Events, the promoter behind the wildly successful Chocolate Fox and Foxtoberfest Events. In addition to helping organize the gathering of Fox-platform machines, the Foxy Events team also bestowed a vehicle with the
Foxy Events Choice Award. In Orlando, that honor went to Paul Vanhalst’s bubble-hatch, T-top Capri. His nicely modified ride is a beautiful example of the less common Mustang cousin built on the Fox platform.
Your author was also charged with giving away a couple of awards at the RYNO Classifieds NMRA Spring Break Shootout Presented by Nitto Tire. On Saturday, the NMRA Editor’s Choice award went to Keith Duda’s 1993 Mustang. Not only is it a sinister ’93 Cobra, but you just can’t ignore the polished Vortech blower and big Igloo aftercooler poking through the hood.
A real-time machine, Dave Burns’ lightly modified 1985 Mustang took us right back to the neon era, and sitting in it would have been a trip. It earned Best Interior honors at the Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events at OSW.
During the ’79-’93 era, Ford produced many specialty Mustangs based on the Fox platform. Arguably, none were more iconic than the run of 1979 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replicas built during the first year of the Fox Mustang. Mark Brooks’ nicely preserved ’79 Pace Car took home the Best Specialty Fox Body award.
Speaking of specialty models, Saleen Mustangs ruled the Fox era, and Darin Lewis’ 1983 Mercury Capri, dolled up with the signature bodywork of the era, rolled away with the Best Saleen Mustang honors at the Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events.
Friday’s turnout was small but mighty and we checked out all the cars on site before bestowing Otniel Cruz’s sharp 1992 Mustang LX with the NMRA Editor’s Choice honors on the first day of the Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events. Sporting a Kenne Bell-boosted Two-Valve 4.6-liter engine underhood and riding just right on those Weld five-spokes. It checked all the performance boxes.
There were Foxes from every era on the property, but not all of them were heavily modified. That made the competition fierce for those categories, but Michael Taylor’s brightly hued 1982 Mustang shone above the others to nab the ’79-’86 Best Modified honors.
Representing the newer Fox crowd, Lester Rodriguez’s black 1993 Mustang LX coupe rumbled away with the ’87-’93 Best Modified award.
Fitting for an event held in sunny Florida, there was also a Best Convertible Fox Body Mustang award. Bobby Peters’ 1990 Mustang GT convertible looked brand new and it scored the award at the Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events.
Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events
NMRA launched its silver-anniversary season with a host of special features
Written by Steve Turner
Photography by the FSC staff
As the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals series kicked off its silver-anniversary season at Orlando Speed World, there was more than drag racing to behold at the RYNO Classifieds NMRA Spring Break Shootout Presented by Nitto Tire. With a return to OSW, NMRA leveraged the full capabilities of the facility, including a drift pad and an expansive car show field.
On the OSW Drift Pad, more than 40 drivers slayed tires in Ford-bodied and Ford-powered drift machines in the Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational. On Saturday Funhavers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea Denofa joined the fun in their RTR Fox Mustangs. The duo drifted tandem occasionally sync’d up with drivers from the invitational to put smiles on faces. The RTR Vehicles drivers also brought their Foxes over to the drag strip for a best-two-out-of-three grudge battle on the quarter mile.
That wasn’t the only Fox fun on the property, however. On the show field, rows of Fox-platform machines lined up in the new Transtec Fox-Body Reunion in Orlando supported by Foxy Events, the promoter behind the popular Chocolate Fox and Foxtoberfest events. The first of two such events, the Orlando event welcomedFox-platform vehicles of all model years, shapes, and sizes in the car show, drag racing, and other special events, but it was certainly dominated by the ’79-’93 Mustangs.
“NMRA came onto the scene at the same point in time when Foxes, the first heavily modified Mustangs, were dominating at the tracks. I’m excited for the Fox Reunion at the NMRA events because it will feel like we’re recreating an important piece of Fox history,” Jennifer told us before the event. “The LX coupe, which is the base model, has become the most sought-after Fox models and I believe the drag strips had a large hand in that.”
Both events within the event had strong first-year showings at OSW, setting the stage for bigger and better things to come in the future. Until then, let’s look back at some of the extracurricular fun at NMRA’s silver-anniversary season opener.
Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational
The tires were on fire on the OSW Drift Pad as Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea Denofa joined the Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational fun at the NMRA season opener. The Funhavers from Team RTR turned up the action a notch by drifting around the Sheer Insanity Monster Truck as it rumbled around the drift pad.
The drifting action, particularly Vaughn and Chelsea shredding tires around the Sheer Insanity monster truck, drew a huge crowd to the OSW drift pad on Saturday afternoon.
Funhavers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea Denofa also put their RTR Fox Mustangs to the test on the drag strip. After a redlight start in the first battle, Denofa seemed to want another chance to beat the boss, which he did, but then he rubbed it in by flashing the hazards during their last trip down the strip. While Gittin’s Fox is small-block powered, Denofa’s Fox coupe gets it done with an EcoBoost swap under the hood.
The Gittin and Denofa also hosted an autograph signing on the Manufacturer's Midway which drew a big crowd of like-minded Funhavers.
Just two years into his drifting career, Cash Staub is having a blast at the Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational as he slays tires in his 1988 Mustang LX coupe. Cash started slaying tires at 14 and now he’s old enough to drive on the streets legally in the Fox he built up from a shell into a drift machine in just two months. He took the crown in the Australian-style Burnout Contest behind the wheel of his 1988 Mustang. For his efforts, he scored a fresh set of four Nitto tires.
Getting slideways isn’t just for the young. Kenneth Sween is 65 years young and in his third year of drifting. He picked up this 1996 Mustang GT and swapped in an ’04 Mach 1 Four-Valve engine before bringing it out to slay tires. He used to barrel-race horses and he has always said the one animal would like to ride is a cheetah, hence the graphic theme of his Senior Citizen Drifting machine. He travels all over the Southeast drifting and he is loving it.
As the sun set on the OSW Drift Pad the action closed down with an Australian-Style Burnout contest, which even saw Chelsea Denofa get in on the action.
The inaugural Competition Clutch Ford Drift Invitational wrapped up with an awards ceremony. While it was just an exhibition, several participants earned hardware for their on-track efforts, including Davey Peeples (Funhaver RTR Favorite), Miles Flick (Hard Charger), Chris Shuman (Most Improved), and Alex Dubois (Best Entry). The Last-Minute Motorsports crew, made up of Tim Wallace, Amber Berryman, Chris Allen, and Austin Bates, slide away with the Best Tandem award.
Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events
Best of Show
With so many examples on the property, choosing the top Fox was a challenge for the judges. However, Gregory Jones ’90 Mustang LX stood out from the crowd on the merits of its shimmering white paint and matching five-spoke wheels. Rounded out by a custom interior and a nicely detailed turbo small-block framed by a clean engine compartment, it powered to Best of Show honors in the Transtec Fox-Body Reunion at Orlando Speed World.
Few things look better than a black Mustang — at least when it was clean. Lonnie McDaniel’s 1993 Mustang was mean and clean coming off a fresh restoration. Contrasting with those classic chrome Pony wheels, the glossy black paint on his coupe earned Best Paint & Body honors at the Fox-Body Reunion in Orlando.
To bring the Fox-Body Reunions to life for NMRA’s 25th Anniversary, the series partnered with Foxy Events, the promoter behind the wildly successful Chocolate Fox and Foxtoberfest Events. In addition to helping organize the gathering of Fox-platform machines, the Foxy Events team also bestowed a vehicle with the
Foxy Events Choice Award. In Orlando, that honor went to Paul Vanhalst’s bubble-hatch, T-top Capri. His nicely modified ride is a beautiful example of the less common Mustang cousin built on the Fox platform.
Your author was also charged with giving away a couple of awards at the RYNO Classifieds NMRA Spring Break Shootout Presented by Nitto Tire. On Saturday, the NMRA Editor’s Choice award went to Keith Duda’s 1993 Mustang. Not only is it a sinister ’93 Cobra, but you just can’t ignore the polished Vortech blower and big Igloo aftercooler poking through the hood.
A real-time machine, Dave Burns’ lightly modified 1985 Mustang took us right back to the neon era, and sitting in it would have been a trip. It earned Best Interior honors at the Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events at OSW.
During the ’79-’93 era, Ford produced many specialty Mustangs based on the Fox platform. Arguably, none were more iconic than the run of 1979 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replicas built during the first year of the Fox Mustang. Mark Brooks’ nicely preserved ’79 Pace Car took home the Best Specialty Fox Body award.
Speaking of specialty models, Saleen Mustangs ruled the Fox era, and Darin Lewis’ 1983 Mercury Capri, dolled up with the signature bodywork of the era, rolled away with the Best Saleen Mustang honors at the Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events.
Friday’s turnout was small but mighty and we checked out all the cars on site before bestowing Otniel Cruz’s sharp 1992 Mustang LX with the NMRA Editor’s Choice honors on the first day of the Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events. Sporting a Kenne Bell-boosted Two-Valve 4.6-liter engine underhood and riding just right on those Weld five-spokes. It checked all the performance boxes.
There were Foxes from every era on the property, but not all of them were heavily modified. That made the competition fierce for those categories, but Michael Taylor’s brightly hued 1982 Mustang shone above the others to nab the ’79-’86 Best Modified honors.
Representing the newer Fox crowd, Lester Rodriguez’s black 1993 Mustang LX coupe rumbled away with the ’87-’93 Best Modified award.
Fitting for an event held in sunny Florida, there was also a Best Convertible Fox Body Mustang award. Bobby Peters’ 1990 Mustang GT convertible looked brand new and it scored the award at the Transtec Fox-Body Reunion powered by Foxy Events.
