Written by Mary Lendzion
Photos by NMRA
There was a lot of interest in Whatever It Takes Transmission Parts Street Bandit 10.10 when it debuted at the Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals + Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival last fall at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Kentucky.
Many racers committed to competing in the fixed index, .400 Pro Tree category for streets cars with license plates and DOT tires that are registered and insured.
Mike Winters, the 2021 NMCA MagnaFuel Open Comp champion, was among the racers eager to join the new category at the 30th Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout and Saturday Thrill Festival, February 22-25, 2024 at Gainesville Raceway in Florida. The race was the first of six for racers giving it their all to be the first-ever champion in the category.
Out of 17 racers, Winters qualified in the seventh spot with a 10.12 in his Mustang rolling with a 347 cubic-inch small-block Ford by Uratchko Racing Engines, C4 by Joel’s On Joy, AJE front suspension and UPR rear suspension.
He won the first through semifinal rounds with a pair of 10.11s and a 10.17, and ran right on the 10.10 index to defeat tough opponent Gary Parker in the final round of eliminations.
“Larry Geddes kept telling me last year that Street Bandit 10.10 would be a great category for me, and after thinking about it, I decided that my car would indeed be a perfect fit for it,” said Winters. “It was very exciting to win, but it was also exciting to race at Gainesville, where Bob Glidden and many other big guys raced.”
Winters’ win was made more memorable by the fact that the event saw record-breaking attendance and offered a variety of features and entertainers, including the CJ Pony Parts Ford Drift Invitational, BIGFOOT monster truck, Larsen Motorsports Jet Dragsters, FMX Freestyle Motocross stunts, UPR Products All-Ford Car Show, RTR Pro Drifters Vaughn Gittin Jr., and Chelsea DeNofa, and TV personality and DJ Clarence Barnes.
Leading points in Whatever It Takes Transmission Parts Street Bandit 10.10, Winters will soon make the trip from his home in Michigan to the 16th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by Sipple’s Speed and Performance, April 11-14, 2024 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.
“I think the category is really going to take off, and the competition is going to be really tight,” said Winters, whose brother, Doug, and nephews, Noah and Jacob, are also accomplished racers. “Each round, I could look over and see my opponent right next to me, so it was really exciting door-to-door racing, and the wins came right at the stripe. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Photos by NMRA
There was a lot of interest in Whatever It Takes Transmission Parts Street Bandit 10.10 when it debuted at the Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals + Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival last fall at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Kentucky.
Many racers committed to competing in the fixed index, .400 Pro Tree category for streets cars with license plates and DOT tires that are registered and insured.
Mike Winters, the 2021 NMCA MagnaFuel Open Comp champion, was among the racers eager to join the new category at the 30th Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout and Saturday Thrill Festival, February 22-25, 2024 at Gainesville Raceway in Florida. The race was the first of six for racers giving it their all to be the first-ever champion in the category.
Out of 17 racers, Winters qualified in the seventh spot with a 10.12 in his Mustang rolling with a 347 cubic-inch small-block Ford by Uratchko Racing Engines, C4 by Joel’s On Joy, AJE front suspension and UPR rear suspension.
He won the first through semifinal rounds with a pair of 10.11s and a 10.17, and ran right on the 10.10 index to defeat tough opponent Gary Parker in the final round of eliminations.
“Larry Geddes kept telling me last year that Street Bandit 10.10 would be a great category for me, and after thinking about it, I decided that my car would indeed be a perfect fit for it,” said Winters. “It was very exciting to win, but it was also exciting to race at Gainesville, where Bob Glidden and many other big guys raced.”
Winters’ win was made more memorable by the fact that the event saw record-breaking attendance and offered a variety of features and entertainers, including the CJ Pony Parts Ford Drift Invitational, BIGFOOT monster truck, Larsen Motorsports Jet Dragsters, FMX Freestyle Motocross stunts, UPR Products All-Ford Car Show, RTR Pro Drifters Vaughn Gittin Jr., and Chelsea DeNofa, and TV personality and DJ Clarence Barnes.
Leading points in Whatever It Takes Transmission Parts Street Bandit 10.10, Winters will soon make the trip from his home in Michigan to the 16th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by Sipple’s Speed and Performance, April 11-14, 2024 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.
“I think the category is really going to take off, and the competition is going to be really tight,” said Winters, whose brother, Doug, and nephews, Noah and Jacob, are also accomplished racers. “Each round, I could look over and see my opponent right next to me, so it was really exciting door-to-door racing, and the wins came right at the stripe. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”