Written by Mary Lendzion
Photos by NMRA
The NMRA is home to some of finest racers in the country.
In their Ford cars and trucks with Ford powerplants, they are passionate and persevering, and they are eager to excel. At each and every race, they prove that they have what it takes to push to a season championship.
Whether fans see them at one race or all six races on the series’ annual tour, they are witness to their celebrations as well as their tribulations, and unbreakable bonds are formed as they root for their favorite racers through the years.
As we gear up for the 16th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals and Top of the Rock Thrill Festival.presented by Sipple's Speed & Performance, April 11-14, 2024 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina, we present below just a few reasons to love the 10 NMRA championship categories.
In VP Racing Madditives Renegade, racers go incredibly quick and fast to the eighth-mile in their cars with small-block or big-block engines with nitrous, turbos or superchargers. Martin Connelley is the 2023 category champion, and the hardworking racer will do everything he can to back up his championship in 2024 against a roster full of fierce racers, including Bob Cook, who won and set a class record with a 4.768 at the first NMRA race of 2024, the 30th Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout and Saturday Thrill Festival in February at Gainesville Raceway in Florida.
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Racers with naturally aspirated sealed Coyote engines under the hood of their cars will be nose-to-nose as they fly toward the finish line in Vengeance Clutch Coyote Stock. These racers have their combinations running consistently and competitively, so fans will see some extremely tight racing, and Charlie Booze Jr. and reigning class champion Ed Bennett III showed just how tight in the final round of eliminations at Gainesville Raceway, where Booze Jr. won with a 9.63 to Bennett’s close 9.62.
Get ready for wheels-up and wild action as racers in Richmond Gear Factory Stock push their naturally aspirated 4.6L, 5.0L, 5.0L Gen I and Gen II Coyote and 7.3L Godzilla engines to the limit. 2023 category champion Mike Bowen got off to a good start by leading qualifying with a 9.93 and winning in Gainesville, but there are plenty of other racers in the category capable to cruising to the winner’s circle.
Racers with nitrous, turbo or supercharger combinations will run as close as they can to the 8.60 index in SunCoast Performance 8.60 Street Race, and that is easier said than done. There were nearly 20 competitors in the category in Gainesville, and Gavin Black got the win with an 8.65. All eyes will be on Gavin Black to see if he can hold onto the points lead after the race at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.
Whatever It Takes Transmission Street Bandit 10.10, an index category for 9- and 10-second race street-legal cars that are not built specifically for an existing class, debuted at the final NMRA race of 2023, and nearly 20 racers competed in Gainesville. Mike Winters pulled off the win with a dead-on 10.10, and we will see if he can repeat at Rockingham Dragway.
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Fords with 4.6L, 5.4L, Coyote and V10 engines will be showcased in Exedy Clutch Modular Muscle, where the talented group of racers can hit the tree and judge the finish line with the best of them. That certainly includes 2023 category champion Susan Roush-McClenaghan, as well as Charlie McCulloch, who won in Gainesville. Fans will want to keep an eye on all of the racers in the category, as literally each is capable of winning.
Because of the large amount of racers who show up to compete in ARP Open Comp, it takes several rounds to win, and the rounds are hard-fought. They have to be, because the racers have their cars and combinations so well dialed in that they routinely run their numbers with a .00. Reigning champion Dennis Corn will be working hard to keep his title, and Taylor Dietsch will be working hard to earn a second win in a row.
It is always exciting to see who will go all the way in HP Tuners Super Stang, which is for 2005-2014 Mustangs known as S197 Mustangs, and 2015 and later model Mustangs known as S550 Mustangs. Kevin McKenna earned the 2023 category championship in his street-driven Mustang, and his fellow racers are just as tough as he is. Among them is Chris Parisi, who won in Gainesville and will try as hard as he can to hold onto his lead in points.
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The former Truck and Lightning category is now the Truck and SUV category, and it will see even more racers this year. Fans are often awestruck by the wheels-up action in the category, and it is always something to see trucks pour on the power and push to the finish line in fine form. Three-time and reigning category champion, Johnny Lightning, will pull out all of the stop stops to secure another championship, but he will have to get around a host of equally talented racers, including Gregory Collins, who won in Gainesville.
CJ Pony Parts Ford Muscle is an index category for racers who footbrake rather than use a transbrake. Amazingly, Danny Towe drove to his fourth championship in the category in 2023, but to the surprise of many, he announced soon after that he was selling his classic championship-winning Mustang. Bill Worstell, who won in Gainseville, has shown his capabilities, but his fellow racers are also chasing a championship in the fun-to-watch category.
“In addition to all of the great NMRA racing, this event will feature Jet Cars, BMX Stunt Shows, BIGFOOT Monster Truck, a car show and much more,” said Rollie Miller, General Manager and National Event Director for NMRA and NMCA. “Rockingham Dragway is as enthusiastic about this event as we are, and we can’t wait for showtime.”
For more information about the event, and tickets, click https://www.nmradigital.com/rockingham-nc/c1174
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Photos by NMRA
The NMRA is home to some of finest racers in the country.
In their Ford cars and trucks with Ford powerplants, they are passionate and persevering, and they are eager to excel. At each and every race, they prove that they have what it takes to push to a season championship.
Whether fans see them at one race or all six races on the series’ annual tour, they are witness to their celebrations as well as their tribulations, and unbreakable bonds are formed as they root for their favorite racers through the years.
As we gear up for the 16th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals and Top of the Rock Thrill Festival.presented by Sipple's Speed & Performance, April 11-14, 2024 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina, we present below just a few reasons to love the 10 NMRA championship categories.
In VP Racing Madditives Renegade, racers go incredibly quick and fast to the eighth-mile in their cars with small-block or big-block engines with nitrous, turbos or superchargers. Martin Connelley is the 2023 category champion, and the hardworking racer will do everything he can to back up his championship in 2024 against a roster full of fierce racers, including Bob Cook, who won and set a class record with a 4.768 at the first NMRA race of 2024, the 30th Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout and Saturday Thrill Festival in February at Gainesville Raceway in Florida.
Racers with naturally aspirated sealed Coyote engines under the hood of their cars will be nose-to-nose as they fly toward the finish line in Vengeance Clutch Coyote Stock. These racers have their combinations running consistently and competitively, so fans will see some extremely tight racing, and Charlie Booze Jr. and reigning class champion Ed Bennett III showed just how tight in the final round of eliminations at Gainesville Raceway, where Booze Jr. won with a 9.63 to Bennett’s close 9.62.
Get ready for wheels-up and wild action as racers in Richmond Gear Factory Stock push their naturally aspirated 4.6L, 5.0L, 5.0L Gen I and Gen II Coyote and 7.3L Godzilla engines to the limit. 2023 category champion Mike Bowen got off to a good start by leading qualifying with a 9.93 and winning in Gainesville, but there are plenty of other racers in the category capable to cruising to the winner’s circle.
Racers with nitrous, turbo or supercharger combinations will run as close as they can to the 8.60 index in SunCoast Performance 8.60 Street Race, and that is easier said than done. There were nearly 20 competitors in the category in Gainesville, and Gavin Black got the win with an 8.65. All eyes will be on Gavin Black to see if he can hold onto the points lead after the race at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.
Whatever It Takes Transmission Street Bandit 10.10, an index category for 9- and 10-second race street-legal cars that are not built specifically for an existing class, debuted at the final NMRA race of 2023, and nearly 20 racers competed in Gainesville. Mike Winters pulled off the win with a dead-on 10.10, and we will see if he can repeat at Rockingham Dragway.
Fords with 4.6L, 5.4L, Coyote and V10 engines will be showcased in Exedy Clutch Modular Muscle, where the talented group of racers can hit the tree and judge the finish line with the best of them. That certainly includes 2023 category champion Susan Roush-McClenaghan, as well as Charlie McCulloch, who won in Gainesville. Fans will want to keep an eye on all of the racers in the category, as literally each is capable of winning.
Because of the large amount of racers who show up to compete in ARP Open Comp, it takes several rounds to win, and the rounds are hard-fought. They have to be, because the racers have their cars and combinations so well dialed in that they routinely run their numbers with a .00. Reigning champion Dennis Corn will be working hard to keep his title, and Taylor Dietsch will be working hard to earn a second win in a row.
It is always exciting to see who will go all the way in HP Tuners Super Stang, which is for 2005-2014 Mustangs known as S197 Mustangs, and 2015 and later model Mustangs known as S550 Mustangs. Kevin McKenna earned the 2023 category championship in his street-driven Mustang, and his fellow racers are just as tough as he is. Among them is Chris Parisi, who won in Gainesville and will try as hard as he can to hold onto his lead in points.
The former Truck and Lightning category is now the Truck and SUV category, and it will see even more racers this year. Fans are often awestruck by the wheels-up action in the category, and it is always something to see trucks pour on the power and push to the finish line in fine form. Three-time and reigning category champion, Johnny Lightning, will pull out all of the stop stops to secure another championship, but he will have to get around a host of equally talented racers, including Gregory Collins, who won in Gainesville.
CJ Pony Parts Ford Muscle is an index category for racers who footbrake rather than use a transbrake. Amazingly, Danny Towe drove to his fourth championship in the category in 2023, but to the surprise of many, he announced soon after that he was selling his classic championship-winning Mustang. Bill Worstell, who won in Gainseville, has shown his capabilities, but his fellow racers are also chasing a championship in the fun-to-watch category.
“In addition to all of the great NMRA racing, this event will feature Jet Cars, BMX Stunt Shows, BIGFOOT Monster Truck, a car show and much more,” said Rollie Miller, General Manager and National Event Director for NMRA and NMCA. “Rockingham Dragway is as enthusiastic about this event as we are, and we can’t wait for showtime.”
For more information about the event, and tickets, click https://www.nmradigital.com/rockingham-nc/c1174