We're on track and ready to take in today's action. Here's the schedule.
TorqStorm Superchargers True Street racers spent time on the NASCAR oval next to World Wide Technology Raceway, before making three back-to-back passes down the drag strip. Randy Thomas was the overall winner with an 8.72 average in his Shelby GT500, and Daniel Rosner was the runner-up with an 8.97 runner-up in his Mustang GT. Also successful were Matt Caldwell, 9-second winner in his Mustang, Jason Wagoner, 10-second winner in his Mustang GT, Keith Lankheet, 11-second winner in his Challenger, Danny Tellman, 12-second winner in his Chevelle, Rodney Ward, 13-second winner in his Mustang GT, Paul Rosner, 14-second winner in his F150 and Mike Baker, 15-second winner in his Mustang GT.
If you are worried about the future of our hobby, this story should help put your mind at ease. Abby Kluesner from Solon, Iowa is here at the SuperBowl racing her dad Paul’s 1987 Mustang GT in True Street. Abby has been racing it for roughly 3 years now, and she’s only 17. Paul won a refrigerator through his work, but he already had a fully-operational fridge so he sold it and bought the GT. It has just 53,000 miles on it, and is mostly stock, save for 3.73 gears and a Pypes Performance exhaust. Abby was consistently in the high-14s, averaging a 14.896 over her three True Street passes.
Drag racing is a tradition in the Ciborowski family. Kyle Ciborowski raced this 1994 Cobra in TorqStorm True Street, and before you cry foul about the color. It is a true 1994 Cobra, but its painted Bright Atlantic blue by Hughes Auto Body, accented by export side mirrors and taillights. The engine is a 306 built by Mike Ciborowski using a Steeda Autosports #19 cam, AFR 165 heads and a Cobra intake. The big boost in horsepower comes from a Vortech S-Trim supercharger augmented by a Wagon Wheel Performance fuel system, while an STL Mustangs AOD-E resides in the tunnel. Kyle says the car has been together for many years, and even though it will run 10.90s in good air, in the torture test that is True Street it was in the low-11s.
There aren’t many racers who compete using a car they bought off the showroom floor, but GForce Racing Transmissions Coyote Stock racer Greg Creamer is one who can claim that distinction. The Floyds Knob, Indiana racer bought this 1989 Mustang LX brand new, and spent many days and nights, mostly nights after a few adult beverages, doing donuts in random parking lots. The LX has been a dedicated race car since the late ‘90s. Tin Soldier performed much of the chassis work on the car, installing a UPR front suspension and a Team Z Motorsports rear suspension with Strange Engineering double adjustable shocks and struts at each corner. Creamer uses a Ford Performance sealed Gen3 Coyote engine with a Ram clutch, a GForce G101A transmission and a 9-inch rear end. Creamer’s LX could be the cleanest car on the property, and equates that to being, as he puts it, “OCD as hell.” During Saturday night’s first round of Coyote Stock eliminations, Creamer was able to get past Ed Bennett with a 9.97 at 134.93 mph. Creamer has Shiftin’ Shane Stymiest in second round this morning.
This year marks the 17th annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing, and while the combined event and classes that make up the event are exciting enough, the winners all receive the cherished Nitto Tire Diamond Tree Ring.
John Cole started out with a 2004 Cobra roller, to which he added a Terminator engine that was originally destined for his Fox Mustang. He paired that engine with a Mach 1 ECU to run a 4R75 transmission. The car was originally put together for his wife, and she can drive stick, but she preferred an automatic so that is what Cole put in the car. He used a Maximum Motorsports K-member with UPR control arms up front, and Maximum lower control arms out back with Menscer shocks. Using Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial Pro 275/60R15s, on 12 pounds of boost, Cole averaged a 12.397 for his three passes in TorqStorm Superchargers. Cole runs The RC Shack Hobby Shop in his hometown of Decatur, Illinois, specializing in remote control cars and trucks, and the parts that make them go.
Taking a stroll through the UPR Products car show area, we ran into Ryan Johnston and his 1993 Cobra. We’re not sure if he left any stone unturned on the car, but even as modified as the car is, he has saved all the original parts in case he ever goes back to stock. To make it into the stunner it is, Johnston added a D.S.S. Level 20 block, assembling the 331 stroker engine himself, adding a Paxton Novi 2000 supercharger in the process. Behind the stroker is a Tremec TKO 600 transmission and an 8.8 rear with Moser axles and Ford Performance 3.55 gears. The build all started when Johnston removed the stock engine to take care of a few leaks. One thing lead to another, and here he is. Johnston has owned the car roughly 10 years, and the paint is original, save for the hood. Once he gets on the dyno, he’ll be looking to make 600-650 horsepower at the wheels.