NMRA Whatever it Takes Transmission Parts Street Bandit 10.10 Class Set for Dynamic Debut in Gainesville
By Evan J. Smith
Given the tremendous success of the Suncoast Performance 8.60 Street Race class during the 2023 Holley NMRA Drag Racing season, it’s easy to understand why anticipation runs high for the upcoming debut of Whatever It Takes Transmission Parts Street Bandit 10.10 eliminator.
WIT Transmission Parts Street Bandit is scheduled to make its official debut as a full championship category next month at the season-opening NMRA Spring Break Shootout in Gainesville, Fla. With an index of 10.10, it’s expected to feature strong car counts, thrilling side-by-side racing and a wide variety of combinations that showcase all types of Ford powertrains.
The rules package for the 10.10 class is similar to that of its quicker 8.60 sibling, with a format that includes a fixed 10.10 index, a .400 Pro Tree, chip draw for pairings, and a rules package that allows for driveline flexibility. It also assures that entries will indeed be street cars including a license plate, proof of registration, and insurance, and DOT tires required.
“From the thriving True Street class to the red-hot 8.60 Street Race category, blazing-fast street machines are among the hottest race cars in our series,” said Steve Wolcott, co-Founder of NMRA. “With that in mind, we’re offering a fresh class open to the large group of racers with 9- and 10-second cars that aren’t built specifically for an existing category. That class is Street Bandit 10.10.”
Last season, the Street Bandit 10.10 class was a showcase eliminator at the Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals + Holley Ford Fest in Bowling Green, Ky. It attracted a respectable field of 17 cars for its kick-off, and when the dust settled on Sunday evening, Shawn Olson of Vienna, Ohio was the last man standing.
Olson, driving a vintage Mustang with a naturally aspirated 5.0 Coyote, was the low qualifier with a 10.105 on the 10.10 index and then he carried that momentum into race day where he wheeled his beautiful green ‘66 Mustang through five tough rounds to face Cary Shotwell in the final. There, Olson came from behind to score a 10.26 to 10.42 victory.
Paired by chip draw for eliminations, Street Bandit 10.10 competitors will run for a range of payouts, including $1,000 to the winner, $400 to the runner-up, $125 to semifinalists, and $50 to quarterfinalists. This season, the winner and runner-up in each event will also be able to reap the benefits of the generous NMRA manufacturer contingency payout, which always boosts racer winnings.
And speaking of possible combinations, at any given NMRA event, there are a large number of True Street competitors who are capable of running high-9- or low-10-second elapsed times and they will now have the opportunity to race for an NMRA season championship. In fact, reaching the 10.10 elapsed time is relatively easy with a boosted 2011-up Coyote-powered Mustang or F150, and it’s just a few bolt-ons away in a Shelby GT500. Not to mention the bevy of fast Foxbodies and classic Fords we typically see at NMRA events.
“We’ve seen a surge in the popularity of our street-oriented classes in NMRA,” added Rollie Miller, General Manager and National Event Director of NMRA. “This new Street Bandit 10.10 class caters to a large group of street-legal Ford racers where the potential for participants is strong bringing even more excitement to NMRA.”
So tighten your belts and we hope to see you at the NMRA season-opener, that’s just about a month away.
For more information click the link: https://www.nmradigital.com/gainesville-fl/c1165
By Evan J. Smith
Given the tremendous success of the Suncoast Performance 8.60 Street Race class during the 2023 Holley NMRA Drag Racing season, it’s easy to understand why anticipation runs high for the upcoming debut of Whatever It Takes Transmission Parts Street Bandit 10.10 eliminator.
WIT Transmission Parts Street Bandit is scheduled to make its official debut as a full championship category next month at the season-opening NMRA Spring Break Shootout in Gainesville, Fla. With an index of 10.10, it’s expected to feature strong car counts, thrilling side-by-side racing and a wide variety of combinations that showcase all types of Ford powertrains.
The rules package for the 10.10 class is similar to that of its quicker 8.60 sibling, with a format that includes a fixed 10.10 index, a .400 Pro Tree, chip draw for pairings, and a rules package that allows for driveline flexibility. It also assures that entries will indeed be street cars including a license plate, proof of registration, and insurance, and DOT tires required.
“From the thriving True Street class to the red-hot 8.60 Street Race category, blazing-fast street machines are among the hottest race cars in our series,” said Steve Wolcott, co-Founder of NMRA. “With that in mind, we’re offering a fresh class open to the large group of racers with 9- and 10-second cars that aren’t built specifically for an existing category. That class is Street Bandit 10.10.”
Last season, the Street Bandit 10.10 class was a showcase eliminator at the Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals + Holley Ford Fest in Bowling Green, Ky. It attracted a respectable field of 17 cars for its kick-off, and when the dust settled on Sunday evening, Shawn Olson of Vienna, Ohio was the last man standing.
Olson, driving a vintage Mustang with a naturally aspirated 5.0 Coyote, was the low qualifier with a 10.105 on the 10.10 index and then he carried that momentum into race day where he wheeled his beautiful green ‘66 Mustang through five tough rounds to face Cary Shotwell in the final. There, Olson came from behind to score a 10.26 to 10.42 victory.
Paired by chip draw for eliminations, Street Bandit 10.10 competitors will run for a range of payouts, including $1,000 to the winner, $400 to the runner-up, $125 to semifinalists, and $50 to quarterfinalists. This season, the winner and runner-up in each event will also be able to reap the benefits of the generous NMRA manufacturer contingency payout, which always boosts racer winnings.
And speaking of possible combinations, at any given NMRA event, there are a large number of True Street competitors who are capable of running high-9- or low-10-second elapsed times and they will now have the opportunity to race for an NMRA season championship. In fact, reaching the 10.10 elapsed time is relatively easy with a boosted 2011-up Coyote-powered Mustang or F150, and it’s just a few bolt-ons away in a Shelby GT500. Not to mention the bevy of fast Foxbodies and classic Fords we typically see at NMRA events.
“We’ve seen a surge in the popularity of our street-oriented classes in NMRA,” added Rollie Miller, General Manager and National Event Director of NMRA. “This new Street Bandit 10.10 class caters to a large group of street-legal Ford racers where the potential for participants is strong bringing even more excitement to NMRA.”
So tighten your belts and we hope to see you at the NMRA season-opener, that’s just about a month away.
For more information click the link: https://www.nmradigital.com/gainesville-fl/c1165
