While Andy Manson took time off last year to focus on making his car and combination even more fierce, he returned to NMRA VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw competition this year and proved his prominence in the category. He led qualifying with a 4.30 and won with a 4.31 in his Mustang over multi-time champion Manny Buginga and his Mustang at the season-opener, the 24^th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout presented by Steeda Autosports in March at Bradenton Motorsports Park, and he followed that with a 4.28 to lead qualifying and a runner-up finish with an off-the-throttle 5.52 against Shawn Ayers and the Gold Dust Mustang at the 10th Annual NMCA/NMRA All-Star Nationals in April at Atlanta Dragway. He set the pace in qualifying again with a 4.32 and finished as runner-up with a 4.29 against Buginga at the 18^th Annual NMRA Ford Motorsport Nationals in May at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania, and in the season's first very hot and humid conditions, he won with a 4.43 over Buginga at the 15^th Annual NMRA Ford Supernationals in June at National Trail Raceway in Ohio. On a roll, he rocketed to a 4.28 to lead qualifying and a 4.33 to runner-up at the final race of the season, the 20^th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals in September at Beech Bend Raceway in Kentucky, and when it was all said and done, Manson motored to the 2018 NMRA VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw championship. It's his first championship in the highly-competitive category, where he also holds the top-speed record with a 176.24 mph from his Mustang built by Chris Acors of Acors Performance and powered by a small block Ford by Disomma Racing Engines, ProCharger F-1X-12, Proformance Racing Transmissions' Turbo 400 and Neal Chance Racing converter. Not racing in 2017 gave me time to completely prepare my car for 2018, and that definitely helped us going into the first race of the season in Florida, said Manson, whose crew includes his crew chief, Chris Acors, his dad, Bill Manson, Ken Burns, tuners Jason Lee and Patrick Barnhill of PTP Racing, wife, Stacey Manson, and daughters, Madison and Makenzie. We didn't have any serious struggles or any serious breakage, and the car was great. All the stars lined up, and that's how we were able to earn the championship. Manson and his fellow champions will be celebrated at the NMRA presented by Keystone Awards Ceremony presented by Aerospace Components, Dec. 7 at the Indiana Convention Center. (Please watch for stories on all champions to be posted on the website and in Fastest Street Car in the days to come.)