Fabulous Fords Flock to the 2022 NMRA Spring Break Shootout

Posted By: Steve Baur

Apr 07, 2022

2022 NMRA Spring Break Shootout

UPR Products Car Show

Showing Out
Blue Oval enthusiasts flocked to Bradenton Motorsports Park to flaunt their Fords
Written by Steve Turner
Photography by the author

Thanks to a dream forecast that followed through with truly glorious weekend weather, the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals series kicked off its season in grand style. While there was action all over the facility over the course of several days, the UPR Products Car Show made its mark, particularly on Saturday, as the allotted show space filled with a wide variety of Blue Oval muscle machines ranging from classic Fords to the latest Mustangs.

Of course, many of the owners in attendance hoped to drive away with well-deserved awards for their special rides. Having so many quality machines on the property made the task of selecting the winners challenging, but in the end, the judges pulled it off.

With any luck, the remaining shows on the schedule will draw out the same level of participants across the country. Until then, we are hitting a few of the highlights from the first show of the season on these pages.

Best of Show
Though the competition was tough, it was clear that local resident Larry Brunatti rolled into Bradenton Motorsports Park with something special. Looking fresher and cleaner than the day it rolled off the assembly line, his 390-powered 1968 Mustang cruised away with the Director’s Choice Award for Best Early Mustang.

You can’t go wrong with Ford’s elusive Mystichrome paint. In the case of local resident Kimberly Smoot’s 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra, that paint remains immaculate and just as striking as when Ford debuted it 18 years ago. As a result, her snake slithered away with the award for Best Paint & Body on Sunday. Hers is just one of 1,010 Terminators sprayed in the light-refracting hue, and her ride benefits from a choice selection of upgrades, including a 2.3-liter Whipple supercharger and a set of Maximum Motorsports subframe connectors.

All the way from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Keith Duda’s 1993 Mustang Cobra gives off all the retro vibes thanks to the towering Vortech Mondo Cooler, a.k.a. The Igloo— fed by a matching Vortech centrifugal blower — poking out through its hood. It nabbed the Directors Choice Modified award.

Though its exterior was low-key enough to earn the Directors Choice Conservative award at the 2022 NMRA Spring Break Shootout, Thom Van Tuinen’s 1967 Cyclone has a secret under its hood. The Palm City, Florida, resident’s ride is powered by a Coyote swap under the hood.

The allure of the 2020 Shelby GT500 is undeniable. Case in point, Frank Scheffel’s Predator-powered ’Stang earned the Best Modern Mustang award.

At the end of each day, the Saturday and Sunday winners gathered to collect their hardware.

SATURDAY CAR SHOW AWARDS:

Special Recognition Awards:

1. Kimberly Wood    Uniontown, OH    2014 Mustang
2. Derek Hall   Mango Island, FL    1986 Ford LX
3. Chip Haberkam   Sarasota, FL   1969 Fairlane Cobra
4.  RJ Munson    Sarasota, FL    1965 Mustang
5. Scott Goodwin    Oldsmar, FL    2020 Mustang
6. Alicia Collins   Parrish, FL   1965 Mustang
7. Michelle Scott    Kissimmee, FL    2017 Mustang
8. Philip Macchiol     Port Richey, FL   2016 Mustang
9. Bruce Norris   Portland, IN    1968 Mustang
10. Ewan Brown   Seminole, FL   2013 Mustang
11. Rick Carr   Cape Coral, FL    1980 Fairmont
12. George Echevarria       Charlotte, NC   1987 Mustang
13. Richard Watjen   Venice, FL    1993 Mustang
14. Richard      New Boston, MI    1999 Cobra Mustang
15. Denny Sullivan   Port ST. Lucie, FL   1999 Mustang
16. Scott Cunningham   St.Petersburg, FL   2007 Mustang
17. W. Casteel    Valrico, FL   1967 Mercury Cougar
18. Scott Gruoner     Beverly Hills, FL   2009 Mustang
19. Scott Villeneuve     Orlando, FL   2013 Mustang
20. Christina Z.   Parrish, FL   2016 Mustang

Director’s Choice Awards:

·    Best Early Mustang
·    Winner :  Ray Baker   Sarasota, FL   1964 ½  Mustang
·    Best Modern Mustang
·    Winner:  Frank Scheffel     Bradenton, FL   2020 Mustang
·    Best Ford Truck
·    Winner:  Gary Armitage    Port Richey, FL   2004 Lightning
·    Best Race Car/Pro Street
·    Winner:   Richard Bakan     Parrish, FL
·    Directors Choice Conservative
·    Winner:  Thom Van Tuinen     Palm City, FL   1967 Cyclone
·    Directors Choice Modified
·    Winner:   Keith Duda    Colorado Springs, CO    1993 Mustang
SUNDAY CAR SHOW CLASSES & AWARDS: