The New Jersey resident who has admired Mustangs for a long time, stands out in his, and is fresh off a second-place finish in 2023 in the high-winding NMRA Richmond Gear Factory Stock.

Since it’s inception in 1964, the Ford Mustang has been a sports car that suits the needs of many enthusiasts. From daily drivers to track super stars, Mustang is capable, and often a winning, performer.

Although Stainless Works now manufactures its industry-leading stainless steel exhaust systems and headers for many different makes and models, the Ohio-based company was founded with a focus on Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet Corvette applications.
 

The performance racing industry is bigger than ever, but it is also more competitive than anyone ever imagined.

Take a quick look at the most consistent winners in the Red Line Oil NMCA Drag Racing series and the Holley NMRA Drag Racing series and a common thread begins to emerge; many of the most successful racers in both series rely on Manley parts to help find the winner’s circle. 

Rising to the occasion and overcoming challenges has been a lifelong source of inspiration for Tripp Carter, better known as the “Chicken Man.” After conquering the NMCA Holley EFI Factory Super Car category, Carter turned his attention to NMRA Coyote Stock and quickly made his presence known.

Daniel Watts, of Madison, Ohio, drove his ’03 Cobra to the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout title with a string of low nine-second runs at the season-ending Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals in Bowling Green, Ky.

It was with grand fashion that the Holley NMRA All Ford Nationals concluded its 25^th Anniversary season in Bowling Green, Kentucky with a spectacle like no other in the Blue Oval universe.

To suggest that the Tremec All-Female True Street class was a success in 2023 would be a huge understatement. The AFTS, contested at select events in the Holley NMRA Drag Racing Series, not only showed steady growth throughout the year, but the quality of the competition improved dramatically as the season progressed. 

Hot on the heels of its successful 25th Anniversary season, the NMRA Ford Nationals series is slated for another exciting run of events in 2024, which kicks off at a historic new track and runs through to its storied World Finals. Along the way, NMRA plans a host of special features celebrating the 60^th birthday of the Ford Mustang.

Racer Stacking and Parking Information Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals

As we get older it seems like time moves at a quicker pace. Whether it is because we already have a lot of years in the rear-view mirror or the distractions are more numerous as we age, there is no doubt that the years pass by like a race car hitting the third kit past mid-track.

Along with the 5.0L Coyote V8, Ford’s EcoBoost has made waves with enthusiasts. And with that, the Ford Ranger was a surprise success, too.

Originating in 1999, Whatever It Takes Transmission Parts, Inc. became a leader in transmission parts solutions for both automatics and manual gearboxes, primarily thanks to its expert team of dedicated employee-owners.

Car enthusiasts often talk about epic events and they are quick to state bucket-list items. And depending on your preference, this can range from the Spring Break Shootout, to Mustang Week, to the Daytona 500, Indy 500, Le Mans or Bonneville to name a few. In our opinion, a can’t-miss event is the Woodward Dream Cruise.
 

When Mike Roberts lets the clutch out on his Performance Blue 1970 Mercury, big things happen.

Introduced to drag racing as a child, Chad Stephens always immediately had an interest, but gravitated heavily toward aspects of it that challenged him both intellectually and creatively. Now, Stephens is putting both sides of his brain to work in NMRA Fastest Street Car Coyote Stock as he campaigns his “Dirty Bird” 1987 Ford Thunderbird in the highly competitive class.

After halting his drag racing program due to debt, Adam Cox promised himself that he would get back to the sport he loved.

Continuing to give Bronco owners new choices, Ford is adding new options to the flagship Bronco Raptor for 2024, just in time for Broncos 58^th birthday. These new aesthetic options mean Bronco Raptor is more customizable than ever before. 

The TorqStorm Billet Superchargers NMRA/NMCA Power Festival Presented by Paul’s High Performance has become a favorite on stop for both NMRA and NMCA racers who enjoy the cooler Michigan air and the great traction at US 131 Motorsports Park.

For the first time in 21 years, Ford created a new nameplate within the Mustang lineup—it’s called Dark Horse—and everyone wants to know if it will live up to the hype. Rather than go with Boss, Mach 1 or Shelby, Ford decided to create a new name for a new pony, which alone is controversial in the Mustang community.

Following the successful conclusion of the TorqStorm NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance in Martin, Mi., the Holley NMRA Drag Racing Series championship picture coming into focus.

If ever there was an all-encompassing Blue Oval extravaganza, it’s the Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Final + Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival Presented by Scott's Trailer Sales. The event, which is coming September 28-October 1, features unlimited fun and entertainment for participants and fans.

While most of my time is spent dedicated to these pages, I keep busy with some extracurricular activities as well. Just before I sat down to write this column, I came off a whirlwind two weeks that included a car show, the NMRA/NMCA race in Michigan, and new-vehicle media drives on both coasts. 

Nearly 40 years ago two friends tried their luck by going into business together to sell performance pieces for first-generation Ford Mustangs. Today their company CJ Pony Parts expanded into a comprehensive parts supplier with multiple locations stocking a massive catalog of components.

Although golf is his primary passion, Colin Smith needed something to fill the void when he’s not on the fairway. So, the 34-year-old financial advisor from West Chester, Pennsylvania, decided to honor his late father by building a drag car.

I have to laugh at myself because I have become the old (read, experienced) guy that can look back and say the kids don’t know how good they have it.

After months of anticipation, the Mickey Thompson NMRA Ford Homecoming rolled into Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

On the heels of the NMRA Homecoming, Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio played host to its rapidly growing Fast Fords event. Southeast of Norwalk, several of the NMRA regulars made the trek the following week to try their luck, including Norwalk Bracket 1 winner Gary Varney.

Del Holbrook, former NMRA Limited Street racer and son of champion drag racer Chris Holbrook, secured the first No. 1 qualifying position of his career in the driver’s seat of the Varsity Ford / Holbrook Racing Ford Mustang Saturday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

Robert Prilika, who drove a 2022 Shelby GT500SE into history last year in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, will return to compete in a new Shelby F-150 Super Snake Sport under the Robert Prilika Motorsports banner.

If you were a Mustang fan in the 1980s and 1990s, it’s likely you were glued to the pages of magazines like Super Ford, 5.0 Mustangs, Mustangs & Fords, Cars Illustrated and of course Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords magazine. It’s likely you drove a Foxbody and for many, modifying it was a must.

Growing up a dye-in-the-wool Ford guy, I heard the stories and read the books about the “Total Performance” years of the 1960’s. Not being of an age to have lived through those years, I was left experiencing such exploits only through print and the occasional video.

Under a humid spring morning in March of 1974, Wayne Gapp and Jack Roush relaunched their fresh Mustang II Pro Stock machine for a weekend of match races during Gatornationals. The Mustang II only debuted six months prior, and the duo was quick to pick one up on the rumor that it was slipperier in the wind than even the venerable Pintos. Roush would pilot the new Mustang II, while Gapp drove his P...

The NMRA 25^th Anniversary Ford Homecoming was quite the show, with Blue Oval power on display including the incredible performance from the slew of 2020-present Shelby GT500 Mustangs that ate up the Norwalk quarter-mile quicker than we ate the $3-per pint ice cream.

Growing up just outside of Detroit, it was inevitable that Matt Harget would one day find his way onto the drag strip.

Diversity has never been a problem for drag racing, as people from all walks of life are able to experience the thrill of straight-line racing. And that was evident at Summit Motorsports Park where 34 women drivers took part in the Tremec All Female True Street class.

Two months ago, Autumn Schwalbe experienced every racer’s worst nightmare when she was involved in a high-speed crash during qualifying for the NMRA/NMCA Allstar Nationals in Rockingham, N.C.
 

The first weekend of June means only one thing if your blood runs blue, Fords At Carlisle! The annual event draws the Ford faithful from all over the world, and the mass of Fordnatics converge on the 82-acre fairgrounds in central Pennsylvania to celebrate all things Ford.

Ford fans are all aware of the iconic Shelby Cobra, which includes the 289 FIA, 427 S/C and even a drag racing version called the Dragonsnake.

Since its introduction in 1968, Cobra Jet Mustangs have played an important role in telling Ford's racing story. The record books date back to Al Joniec’s groundbreaking victory at the '68 NHRA Winternationals and history repeated itself with John Calvert’s equally historic triumph in Pomona four decades later. Amazingly, next week, NMRA fans will get a rare opportunity, June 8...

At just 18 years of age, NMRA racer Brayden Creamer has big goals. The Vincennes University freshman has set his path on becoming an airline pilot and he’s already accumulated 80 hours flying a Cirrus SR 20 aircraft as a student pilot.

During the event season, there is plenty of excitement to behold. With each race the stakes get higher in the championship points chase, the records matter more, and on the NMRA side of things, we creep closer to the epic season finale in picturesque Bowling Green.

Perched on a rooftop in Orlando, Florida, Mustang and car enthusiasts gathered for a fun night of music, food and to watch Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his team unveil the latest RTR creation, the 2024 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 2.
 

If there’s one thing our NMRA/NMCA staff came away with from the Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing

Following the successful completion of the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing in St. Louis, the 2023 NMRA Holley Drag Racing Series has officially hit the halfway point.

While most NMRA and NMCA action takes place in the Eastern half of the United States, once a year both series converge at the Gateway to the West to race for the rings in the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing.

With strict restrictions on what can and cannot be modified, NMRA’s Richmond Gear Factory Stock class is one of the sanctioning body’s most challenging categories.

One of the most coveted awards in all of drag racing is the Nitto Diamond Tree ring that is awarded to racers in the Holley All-Ford NMRA Series and the Redline Oil NMCA Series. There are only a couple of ways for racers to earn one and none are easy. 

This past weekend racers in the Holley All-Ford NMRA series rolled into to the Gateway to the West and they laid down the horsepower at World Wide Technology Raceway for the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street legal Drag Racing.