Interview by Mary Lendzion Photos by Kevin DiOssi As though it were yesterday, Eric Bardekoff can recall how he spent much of his childhood watching his father, Jeff Bardekoff, work on his very fit and very fine 1964 Plymouth Fury. He can also recall how fired up he felt every time he traveled with his father from their Long Island, New York home over the Throgs Neck Bridge and the George Washi...

As the gates opened for the 25th annual Nitto Tire Spring Break Shootout there was a new category among the regular line-up of small-tire madness that makes up the NMRA Ford Nationals. This past winter NMRA tech officials reorganized the Coyote Modified into a new class and it was dubbed Modified Street. ProCharger quickly signed up for the fresh new class as it combines elements of the modern and...

After a long off-season, racers headed south to burn rubber and take names at the 25th Annual Nitto Tire Spring Break Shootout held at the historic Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida. Through four days of beautiful weather and tight competition, the racing came to a close on Sunday with the victors heading to celebrate in the exclusive Aerospace Components Winner's Circle. Racing in...

Under the warm rays of the Florida sunshine, Ford racers from across the country gathered at Bradenton Motorsports Park for the 25th Annual Nitto NMRA Spring Break Shootout. While one of the quickest fields of QA1 True Street racers in NMRA history and the Blue Oval battle that is the Watson Racing Cobra Jet Showdown were settled on Saturday, most classes wrapped up qualifying to set the stage for...

New for the 2019 NMRA drag racing season is the ProCharger Modified Street class and as a new class, everyone has been watching the scoreboards during testing to see who is going to set the bar for the weekend. Charlie Booze with his naturally aspirated combination clicked off an 8.09 run during testing on Thursday, but it was the ProCharged GT of Bob Cook that really got everyone's attention afte...

Canadian Jeff Bloem had a pretty good outing at last year's NMRA Spring Break Shootout event, collecting runners up finishes in QA1 True Street, IDIDIT Performance Outlaw True Street, and the JLT Performance Spring Break Shootout classes. Over the winter, his Mustang received a 25.5 chassis update and the turbocharged machine has ben as quick as 7.70 in the quarter-mile. There are several high-7-s...

By Mary Lendzion Photos by NMRA and courtesy of Dom DiDonato As a fierce competitor with finely-tuned cars, Dom DiDonato has been a force in NMRA Edelbrock Renegade. Most recently, he finished seventh in points in 2018 in the 2004 Mustang Cobra belonging to C&D Auto Tech and fifth in points in 2017 in his 2008 Mustang GT500. In the Mustang Cobra packing a 5.8 liter Modular engine ...

By Ainsley Jacobs Photos Courtesy of Tony Hobson Be warned, NMRA VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw crew: Tony Hobson is coming. The fabricator from Moscow Mills, Missouri, is on a mission to move up to the big time for 2019 and he's already done all the legwork to make his Mustang run the number. Just one and a half months ago, Hobson's 2014 Ford Mustang was sitting up o...

ProMedia Events is pleased to announce that Weldon Pump will sponsor a special Racer Appreciation Happy Hour at the Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout season opener at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, February 28-March 3. This Weldon Pump sponsored Happy Hour will take place on Thursday, February 28th, from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm and all racers, family, crew, sponsors, medi...

By Ainsley Jacobs If something's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Gary Hollywood Parker has decided to chase another NMRA championship title for 2019, so he's stepped up with a new combination and has brought several new sponsors on board for the NMRA Exedy Racing Clutch Modular Muscle season. Back in 2015, Parker was running in NMRA Factory Stock with his 02 Musta...

We have a huge update this tie around for 2019 Contingency Sponsors. As often happens, we get a rush right before the season begins, and this year is no exception. To see the list please click >>HERE<< and scroll to the bottom of the page where you will see a link to a pdf file. Keep in mind that this is the renewal season, which means the list will be updated often so check...

Precision Turbo is proud to continue its successful Trifecta Bonus program in NMRA for 2019. It gives racers the ability to collect a bonus check for utilizing three Precision Turbo & Engine products on their racecar in VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw, Edelbrock Renegade, ProCharger Modified Street, and Limited Street. Racers eligible must utilize a Precision turbo, wastegate, and blow-off ...

More 2019 contingency sponsors have been added to the rapidly growing list this week, so you may want to check it out as the season closes in. Remember, the list is being updated constantly.    To see the list please click >>HERE<< and scroll to the bottom of the page where you will see a link to a pdf file. Keep in mind that this is the renewal season, which means...

The much-anticipated 2019 NMRA season will open with the 25th Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout, March 1-3, at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida. Granted there will be a lot of time spent at the racetrack, but we also know racers and their families are looking for other things to do as well. The Bradenton area has plenty offer families. From the sandy beaches and calm waters or the...

The question of the ages has always been Who is the King (or Queen) of the Street and the NMRA Ford Nationals is looking to find out. New-for-2019 is the IDIDIT Performance King of the Street and the winner will be crowned during the Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals in a special 8-car heads-up eliminator at Beech Bend Raceway (Bowling Green, KY) the weekend of September 26-29, 2019. ...

If you have spent any time racing heads-up in any form of street-legal drag racing then you've heard the same tune turbos mess up everything! Well, NMRA is fixing that problem by creating a category that is strictly for turbocharged Fords, we are calling the Turbo Battle, and Hellion Turbo is sponsoring it. The category is very simple, bring a Ford vehicle that is powered by a small...

More 2019 Contingency Sponsors have been added to the list this week as we get closer to the start of the new season. Keep in mind the list is being updated constantly.    To see the list please click >>HERE<< and scroll to the bottom of the page where you will see a link to a pdf file. Keep in mind that this is the renewal season, which means the list will be upda...

By Mary Lendzion Photos by NMRA and courtesy of Frank Varela  There's no denying that Frank Varela has the dedication, determination and drive to win. He earned the NMRA ProCharger Coyote Modified championship in 2014, and the NMRA Edelbrock Renegade championship in 2015 and 2018, and was applauded for the latter at the NMRA presented by Keystone Awards Ceremony pre...

The NMRA Ford Nationals and NMCA Muscle Car Nationals is proud to announce Roger Conley as the National Tech Director, overseeing technical and safety operations for the leading street-legal drag racing organization. Conley comes to ProMedia Events & Publishing with extensive experience in data acquisition and power adder segments along with a high-level of motorsports background that spa...

Aeromotive Inc. is upping the ante for the winner of the Mickey Thompson Cobra/Terminator vs. GT500 Shootout at the NMRA Spring Break Shootout February 28-March 3, 2019 at Bradenton Motorsports Park. The Kansas-based fuel system manufacturer, who recently received the prestigious SEMA Manufacturer of the Year award for 2018, is providing a $1,000 Product Certificate to the victor in th...

The NMRA is excited to announce that Race Star Wheels and QA1 are continuing their sponsorships of NMRA classes in 2019. Race Star, which manufactures high performance alloy wheels for cars, trucks and a variety of racing vehicles, will once again be sponsoring the highly competitive NMRA Ford Muscle class in 2019. QA1, which produces a full line of suspension components for all types o...

The battle rages on in the biggest sibling rivalry in drag racing with specialty Mustangs facing off in the Mickey Thompson Cobra/Terminator vs. GT500 Shootout at two NMRA events in 2019! The first showdown happens during the 25th Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout February 28 - March 3, 2019 at Bradenton Motorsports Park (Bradenton, FL). The second competition happens during the biggest Musta...

By Mary Lendzion Photos by NMRA and courtesy of Chad Wendel After crushing it in NMRA ROUSH Performance Super Stang for several years, Chad Wendel decided that he wanted to make the move to NMRA Steeda Limited Street in 2018. To prepare his Mustang for the series hot new heads-up category, he replaced his 4.6 3-Valve engine with a Coyote engine topped with a Boss 302 intake, and he fron...

By Ainsley Jacobs Haley James is not the kind of person to back down from a challenge. So, when the NMRA announced that her beloved ProCharger Coyote Modified class one in which she earned championship titles in both 2015 and 2018 would not be returning for 2019, James made the easy decision to start cutting on her car to ready it to run in NMRA Edelbrock Renegade instead. In betw...

The NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals is proud to announce that Watson Racing will once again host a special Ford Performance Cobra Jet Showdown that will run at the Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout event at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, FL, the weekend of March 2-5, 2017. Watch as Cobra Jets from all around the U.S. converge on Bradenton Motorsports Park and set their combi...

  The list of 2019 NMRA Contingency Sponsors continues to grow as we've added several more companies who will be supporting your racing efforts this season. As we've done in past years, we will update you as we continue to add more sponsors. To see the list please click >>HERE<< and scroll to the bottom of the page where you will see a link to a pdf file. ...

By Mary Lendzion Photos by Kevin DiOssi and NMRA and courtesy of Gary Windsor While Michael Washington has been piloting his Mustang, Pure Evil, in NMRA Steeda Limited Street, Gary Windsor has been piloting Washington's other Mustang, Somewhat Evil, in NMRA Richmond Gear Factory Stock. At last year's season-opening event, the 24th Annual Nitto NMRA Spring Break Shootout in March at Brade...

Get your right arm and left leg ready as the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout roars back into action during the Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout February 28 - March 3, 2019 at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida. But the gear-bang n madness doesn't stop there as the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout brings together the Quick 8 elimination on Sunday. NMRA officials will select...

By Mary Lendzion Photos courtesy of Ryan Hecox While racing at the Yellow Bullet Nationals last September at Cecil County Dragway in Maryland, Ryan Hecox hurt his engine and thought he was sidelined for the rest of the race season. But as it turned out, the damage was minimal to his small-block Ford topped with cast aluminum Edelbrock heads and fronted by an 88mm Precision Pro Mod turbo,...

As the JLT Performance Spring Break Shootout celebrates 25 years of street car insanity, Baer Brakes wanted to enhance the winner's pot by throwing in a gift certificate for a Deep Stage Drag Racing Brake System kit valued at around $1,000. This means the Quick 16 winner on Sunday could walk away with $1,800 as they celebrate in the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle with an NMRA Vi...

It is one of the longest running categories in street-legal drag racing, the JLT Performance Spring Break Shootout celebrates 25 years during the NMRA Ford Nationals season-opening event at Bradenton Motorsports Park February 28-March 3, 2019. "This is our third year as the sponsor of the Spring Break Shootout and we are happy and excited to be back and part of the NMRA, said Jay and Lisa Tu...

Richmond Gear, Exedy Racing Clutch, and ROUSH Performance Products all will be returning as NMRA class sponsors in 2019.

Richmond Gear will be continuing as the Factory Stock class sponsor, while Exedy retains their long alliance as the Modular Muscle sponsor, and ROUSH Performance extended their long-standing support of the Super Stang class.     

The 2019 racing season is just weeks away, and the NMRA, once again, will have one of the best contingency programs in the drag racing spectrum. As we've done in past years, we will update you as we continue to add more sponsors. To see the list please click >>HERE<<. Keep in mind that this is the renewal season, which means the list will be updated often so check back frequently. Pleas...

Pre-season testing in Florida is underway with two huge track rentals, one at Bradenton Motorsports Park and the other at Orlando Speed World. An army of Pro Mods, Radial racers, and NMCA/NHRA Factory Super Car/Showdown cars have descended upon the state to prepare for a wild season of drag racing. It was the 2016 Cobra Jet of Kevin Skinner that made the most noise in the opening days of pre-...

The NMRA Ford Nationals is proud to announce Kim Kussy, President of Aerospace Components is continuing their long-standing sponsorship of the biggest party of the event weekend with the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle for 2019. The Aerospace Components Winner's Circle, formed in 2015, provides racers, families, and friends a chance to celebrate the monumental moment in sty...

ProMedia Events & Publishing, parent company of NMRA Ford Nationals and NMCA Muscle Car Nationals, is proud to announce that Total Venue Concepts will continue to provide the track preparation services at all NMRA and NMCA events in 2019. The Total Venue Concepts will provide track specialists and industry-leading rotators, scrapers, and other equipment at all ten national events to ensur...

The Ford Performance Parts 2019 Coyote Stock Gen II engine calibration is available immediately to all competitors. The new calibration addresses concerns expressed by the Coyote Stock field and supersedes the ECU tune from 2018. The tune is available directly from Ford Performance Parts and NMRA Tech can upload it to an ECU at all events in 2019, beginning with the Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Bre...

Ford designers worked with engineers to create a 2020 Shelby GT500 that is aerodynamic and functional. Its massive front grille opening and functional hood vents help keep engine temperatures under control on the racetrack. By Steve Turner Photos Courtesy of Ford Motor Company and Steve Turner From the moment the 2020 Shelby GT500 rolled onto the stage at the Cobo Center i...

The NMRA is pleased to announce that partnerships with G-Force Racing Transmissions, ARP and Detroit Locker will continue in 2019.

G-Force Racing Transmissions continues this season as sponsor of the Coyote Stock class.  ARP will continue as the Open Comp sponsor while Detroit Locker extends its longtime sponsorship of the Truck and Lightning class.

Nitto Tire, a long time partner of the NMRA, will continue that support in 2019 as they remain the title sponsor of three of the largest events of the season. Their sponsorship begins with the season-opening 25th Annual Spring Break Shootout Feb.28-March 3rd at Bradenton Motorsports Park, followed by the 14th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing held at Route 66 Raceway the fina...

Lead Photo by Jason Reiss If you've followed the latest happenings NMRA VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw then you are quite familiar with Big Red, a 2003 Mustang Cobra that is sponsored by MJM Construction and campaigned by Manny Buginga. He captured the title in 2017, his second championship with the first one coming back in 2005. The turbocharged Mustang is fast, like high 4.20s quick in old S...

For the past eight years Miller has given away two welders by randomly selecting NMRA and NMCA racers at the annual awards ceremony at the PRI Show. This year, Miller chose to give a Millermatic 211 welder to a couple of lucky racers. It is a lightweight, inverter MIG welder with up to 230 amps of power and runs on either 120V or 240V input power. The unit also includes AutoSet, making the unit qu...

While Gordon Harlow earned an enviable eighth place finish in NMRA ARP Open Comp points in 2017, he wanted to do even better in 2018. The Kentucky-based racer got started by recording a 10.05 on a 10.14 against Woody Pack, who turned on the red, to take his place in the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle at the 10th Annual NMCA/NMRA All-Star Nationals in April at Atlanta Dragway, and he was ....

Having earned the NMRA ProCharger Coyote Modified championship in 2014 and the NMRA Edelbrock Renegade championship in 2015, Frank Varela proved that he was a potent racer in a powerful race car. And while he finished toward the top in NMRA Edelbrock Renegade points in 2016 and 2017, he was focused on a championship in 2018. His year began with a 7.39 to qualify in the second spot and a runn...

Darin Hendricks has what it takes to lead a points chase, and he proved that by cruising to the NMRA Pure Street championship in 2003. He has been shooting for another championship ever since he made the move to NMRA G-Force Racing Transmissions Coyote Stock in 2013, and he came close with a second place finish in 2014 and a fifth place finish in 2017. He started off the 2018 race season by ...

As the 2016 and 2017 NMRA Roush Performance Super Stang champion, Marvin Knack went into the 2018 race season with a target on his back. But he didn't let that stop him from recoding a perfect 0.000 reaction time in his 2011 Mustang GT to lead qualifying in the category and cruising to the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle with an 11.71 on an 11.67 dial against John Golliday at the 24th Annu...

Having earned a championship in NMRA Detroit Locker Truck and Lightning in 2016 and 2017, Randy Conway had his sights set on earning another one in 2018. He started by going rounds in the Ranger owned by Bruce Lampton at the events in Florida and Georgia, and then he earned a runner-up finish with a 10.19 against Johnny Lightning at the 18th Annual NMRA Ford Motorsport Nationals in May at Maple...

NMRA Advance Ticket Sales are open for purchase for the 25th annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout, held at Bradenton Motorsports Park February 28 through March 3, 2019. https://tickets.thefoat.com/NMRANMCA/25th+Annual+NITTO+NMRA+Spring+Break+Shootout/tickets/event-35264/ NMRA continues their ProPledge customer service initiative making it easier and more streamlined to spectate and p...

From the moment Haley James began competing in NMRA ProCharger Coyote Modified, she has held her own. She has won races, she has wowed fans and she wrapped up her first championship in the very competitive and cutthroat category in 2015. And this year, after rolling her red, white and blue rocket of a Mustang out of her trailer, she recorded a remarkable 7.59 to lead qualifying followed by a...

While Bryan Parker was potent in a Mustang coupe on his way to the 2017 NMRA Race Star Wheels Ford Muscle championship, he pulled a Mustang fastback out of his trailer to chase another championship in 2018. For the car powered by a 347 cubic-inch small-block Ford, he chose an 11.50 index and ran 11.54 to qualify in the third spot at the 24th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout presente...