With bright blue skies and moderate temperatures in the forecast, the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals series and Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals join forces this weekend for the second race of the season, the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport.
This season marks the first stop for each series at the storied Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, North Carolina. The track has a rich history that includes a long streak of hosting national drag racing events and other entertainment, including a Metallica concert, which is appropriate for a track known as "The Rock."
There will definitely be plenty of heavy metal blasting down the track this weekend, as both series run their full heads-up and index programs. Additionally, the Mickey Thompson X275 and SunCoast Performance 8.60 Street Race classes run this weekend.
Today’s action is all about testing and tuning to prepare for tomorrow’s initial qualifying runs. Stay tuned to this page and our social channels for all the action this weekend.
Here’s a look at how the action will go down today at the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in Rockingham, North Carolina.
Today’s festivities conclude with the Innovation Performance Technologies Racer Appreciation Happy Hour from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. After test and tune runs conclude, sponsors, media, and vendors enjoy ice-cold beer, music, and an assortment of other beverages and snacks.
Eric Bardekoff’s refreshed Mustang suffered engine problems during recent testing at Cecil County Dragway, but he managed to procure fellow VP Racing Madditives Renegade racer Chris Holbrook’s engine to use this weekend. Nicky Notch is getting a handle the engine tuneup this morning, as the engine is a bit different internally than Bardekoff’s bullet. Holbrook will focus on his son Dell’s JDM Engineering Limited Street machine and are feeling good after testing recently.
Today’s festivities conclude with the Innovation Performance Technologies Racer Appreciation Happy Hour from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. After test and tune runs conclude, sponsors, media, and vendors enjoy ice-cold beer, music, and an assortment of other beverages and snacks.
Eric Bardekoff’s refreshed Mustang suffered engine problems during recent testing at Cecil County Dragway, but he managed to procure fellow VP Racing Madditives Renegade racer Chris Holbrook’s engine to use this weekend. Nicky Notch is getting a handle the engine tuneup this morning, as the engine is a bit different internally than Bardekoff’s bullet. Holbrook will focus on his son Dell’s JDM Engineering Limited Street machine and are feeling good after testing recently.
Since the season opener, BHP Racing's Becky Moldenhauer made several changes in hopes of improving her SN-95’s performance in G-Force Racing Transmissions Coyote Stock. She and her husband Adam, who left his ARP Open Comp ride back in Florida this weekend, changed clutches and dropped 20 pounds of rotational weight from her car courtesy of a brake upgrade. They also added a brake pressure gauge to help with staging, but they didn’t have any time for testing in advance of the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport, so they have some spare parts just in case.
There’s a preview of a cool project on the Manufacturer’s Midway this weekend at Rockingham Dragway. Crimson Sanders, Shop Manager at Innovation Performance Technologies (which builds new classic Mustangs and Camaro with modern powertrains) detailed this Fox Mustang’s mission to prove that a car with an internal-combustion engine can have a smaller footprint than an electric vehicle. To do so they are fusing a wrecked 2019 Mustang with a Fox chassis. The Fox will feature the Ecoboost engine, dash, floorpan, fuel tank, and more from the newer Mustang. When the Fox is complete IPT will drive this car and a Tesla to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas and compare the experience and data on social media.
After skipping the season opener, Tim Donathen is back in action with his fab Fairmont wagon in G-Force Racing Transmissions Coyote Stock. In addition to changing up the gear ratios in his transmission, Donathen constructed a custom ram air scoop with an integral air straightener to directly feed air into his sealed crate engine. He’s not totally confident it will work, but he knows that you have to try new things to keep pace with the rest of the class.
TorqStorm Superchargers True Street and HP Tuners Super Stang racer Anthony Jager made a bunch of changes to his S550 Mustang over the winter, most notably the Ford Performance Cobra Jet graphics that nicely offset his Gotta Have It Green Paint. Jager also complemented the new styling with a fresh set of wheels and new tires to keep his Mustang planted on track.
NMRA True Street and Limited Street veteran Kevin McCotter has found another class to compete in with the NMRA’s Suncoast Performance 8.60 Street Race category. Fuel distribution problems with his fabricated intake manifold led him to a dual-carburetor setup for his 462ci small-block Ford engine, but that put his outside the Limited Street rules. Now he will try his hand at the 8.60 class, and also compete in TorqStorm Superchargers True Street this weekend as well.
As the action wound down at the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport, many of the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals series and Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals racers, along with their crews and families gathered at the Innovation Performance Technologies Racer Appreciation Happy Hour to enjoy snacks and refreshments.