Daniel Watts Claims NMRA Bowling Green TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout Title
By RPD Staff
Photos by RPD Staff
Daniel Watts, of Madison, Ohio, drove his ’03 Cobra to the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout title with a string of low nine-second runs at the season-ending Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals in Bowling Green, Ky.
Watts won the final round with a 9.247, a big improvement over the 9.51 three-run average he compiled during Saturday’s True Street competition.
After qualifying No. 4, Watts had a tough draw in the opening round as he faced multi-time Stick Shift Shootout winner Jeff Smith. Watts won with a 9.570 after Smith missed the Tree. In the semifinal round, Watts was paired against Robert Thompson, and once again gained a sizable starting line advantage to help secure a 9.43 to 9.64 victory.
In the final, Watts took out Mike Niehaus, of Grove City, Ohio, who was the low qualifier in the event with an 8.71 and ran an 8.722 to secure the runner-up spot. For the win, Watts received $1,300, plus a McLeod clutch and flywheel with the total value being upwards of $3,500! Runner-up Niehaus received $500 and a McLeod product certificate. And, each of the eight qualifiers gets a Tremec jacket!
“I was really happy with the turnout, it was probably the fastest shootout that’s we’ve ever had and I’m excited that someone that we sponsor actually won,” said Mike Kidd, aftermarket manager Tremec.
The TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout, has become a welcome addition to Holley NMRA Drag Racing Series events as it features the quickest manually shifted cars from the Circle D Specialties True Street class.
The TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout takes the eight quickest manual transmission-equipped cars from True Street who battle it out for the championship. To qualify for the Stick Shift Shootout, the car or truck must have an H-pattern shifted manual transmission and meet the True Street rules. The pairings for eliminations are selected by random chip draw, with a staggered start based on the entry’s True Street average. There are no break-out rules, but normal red-light rules are in effect along with eliminations being run on a pro-tree.
The event, which features some of the most talented drivers in the series, continues to progress in both terms of performance and competitiveness. In Bowling Green, each of the eight qualifiers ran in the nine-second zone, or quicker, with only one driver having a 10-second average.
Earlier this year at the season-opener in Orlando, Jeff Smith earned the win over Karl Goin, and when the series visited Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, Scott Triolo defeated Smith in the final round.
By RPD Staff
Photos by RPD Staff
Daniel Watts, of Madison, Ohio, drove his ’03 Cobra to the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout title with a string of low nine-second runs at the season-ending Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals in Bowling Green, Ky.
Watts won the final round with a 9.247, a big improvement over the 9.51 three-run average he compiled during Saturday’s True Street competition.
After qualifying No. 4, Watts had a tough draw in the opening round as he faced multi-time Stick Shift Shootout winner Jeff Smith. Watts won with a 9.570 after Smith missed the Tree. In the semifinal round, Watts was paired against Robert Thompson, and once again gained a sizable starting line advantage to help secure a 9.43 to 9.64 victory.
In the final, Watts took out Mike Niehaus, of Grove City, Ohio, who was the low qualifier in the event with an 8.71 and ran an 8.722 to secure the runner-up spot. For the win, Watts received $1,300, plus a McLeod clutch and flywheel with the total value being upwards of $3,500! Runner-up Niehaus received $500 and a McLeod product certificate. And, each of the eight qualifiers gets a Tremec jacket!
“I was really happy with the turnout, it was probably the fastest shootout that’s we’ve ever had and I’m excited that someone that we sponsor actually won,” said Mike Kidd, aftermarket manager Tremec.
The TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout, has become a welcome addition to Holley NMRA Drag Racing Series events as it features the quickest manually shifted cars from the Circle D Specialties True Street class.
The TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout takes the eight quickest manual transmission-equipped cars from True Street who battle it out for the championship. To qualify for the Stick Shift Shootout, the car or truck must have an H-pattern shifted manual transmission and meet the True Street rules. The pairings for eliminations are selected by random chip draw, with a staggered start based on the entry’s True Street average. There are no break-out rules, but normal red-light rules are in effect along with eliminations being run on a pro-tree.
The event, which features some of the most talented drivers in the series, continues to progress in both terms of performance and competitiveness. In Bowling Green, each of the eight qualifiers ran in the nine-second zone, or quicker, with only one driver having a 10-second average.
Earlier this year at the season-opener in Orlando, Jeff Smith earned the win over Karl Goin, and when the series visited Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, Scott Triolo defeated Smith in the final round.
