Race Wrap | TorqStorm Billet Superchargers NMRA/NMCA Power Festival Presented by Paul’s High Performance
The 2023 NMRA Holley Drag Racing Series entered the homestretch with the successful completion of the TorqStorm Billet Superchargers NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance at U.S. 131 Dragway in Martin, Mich. The event was highlighted by huge fields and intense points battles with numerous championships on the line. The NMRA series has now completed five of six scheduled events this season.
In addition to the on-track action, the event featured something for everyone including the UPR Products Car Show, and an appearance by BIGFOOT, the original 4x4 monster truck.
Martin Connelley, and Terry Wilson the top two drivers in the popular VP Racing Madditives Renegade class, met to decide the title and the two veterans put on a show with a great side-by-side race. Connelley was nearly perfect off the starting line and drove to a 4.450 at 155.71 mph on the eighth-mile track to barely edge Wilson, who was slightly quicker with a 4.537 at 155.33 mph. Since the Martin event is a combo race featuring drivers from both the NMRA and NMCA Series, the Renegade class is combined with Xtreme Street, with 26 cars appearing for the first round of eliminations. Connelley was extremely consistent throughout eliminations with five runs between 4.608 and 4.540 during eliminations.
The championship was also settled in Whatever it Takes Transmission Limited Street after Samantha Moore, the reigning champ, won for the fourth time in five races. Moore has dominated this season and that extended to the Martin event where she qualified No. 1 and ran a 7.978 at 174.35 mph in the final round to cover Stacey Roby’s 8.051 at 168.16 mph.
With his third win in five events, Ed Bennett III has officially locked up the championship in the FSC Coyote Stock class. Bennett III, a winner in Rockingham, St. Louis, and Norwalk, stretched his unbeaten streak to 16 rounds with a final round win against Shane Stymiest. The final was perhaps the best race of the day as Bennett III drove his Clair Stewart-owned Stiffler’s entry to a 9.812 to hold off Stymiest’s 9.815.
The final round in Richmond Gear Factory Stock was decided on the starting line after incoming leader Mike Bowen fouled by .012-second, allowing Justin Fogelsonger to earn the title. Fogelsonger was quicker to the finish line in the heads-up category, running a 10.086 to cover Bowen’s 10.1416. Mark Anderson, Bowen’s closest competition for the Factory Stock class title, suffered a rare early defeat
Coming off a victory at the Sick Summer drag and drive event, Tim Flanders put his ’86 Mustang in the winner’s circle in the Suncoast Performance 8.60 Street Race category. Flanders spent a considerable amount of time working on his turbocharged entry, but also managed to pull off a final round win over Paul Sienkiewicz. Flanders won with an 8.614 to an 8.694 for Sienkiewicz. Flanders missed the first two races of the season, but his recent string of success has given him a spot in the top ten in the championship standings.
The Exedy Racing Clutch Modular Muscle class often features some of the closest competition in the NMRA Holley Drag Racing Series and this event was no exception. Peter Blosser came into the event solidly in the top ten and helped himself with a final round victory against Chris Hammon. Both drivers were solid off the starting line with Blosser claiming a slight reaction time advantage with a .018 light. Blosser finished the job by running an 8.682 against his 8.69 dial while Hammon broke out by a greater amount with a 10.097 against his 10.11 dial. The championship battle took an unexpected turn when incoming leader and multi-time champ Susan Roush-McClenaghan lost in round one.
The ARP Open Comp category featured a robust 38 car field meaning that eventual champ Dennis Corn had to win five rounds of eliminations with his Thunderbird before hoisting the trophy. Corn came into the Martin event as the No. 4 ranked driver in the class, and remains in title contention after stopping Robert Motycka in the final. Corn’s consistent performances included a 9.205 on his 9.20 dial in the final round that was just enough to hold off Motycka, who broke out at the finish line by just three thousandths of a second with a 10.257 on his 10.26 dial. Gordon Harlow and Jon M. Pickering Jr. came into the event tied for the lead in Open Comp. Harlow went out in round one while Pickering made a round three exit, further tightening the championship battle.
Kevin McKenna not only won his second race of the season in the HP Tuners Super Stang class but he managed to wrap up his second championship in the process. McKenna wheeled his 2014 Mustang to a perfect 10.967 on his 10.96 dial to secure the title over Chris Rusch, who made it to the final round with his stick-shift Mustang. The championship was settled in the semifinals when reigning champ Marvin Knack lost to Rusch in spite of a perfect .000 reaction time.
Randy Conway has run just two events in the Truck and Lightning class this season, but he’s made his presence known at both of them. Conway was a semifinalist at the recent event in Norwalk, and he’s now got a victory in Martin. Conway won the final in a double-breakout with a 10.258 on his 10.27 dial, scoring an upset over class leader Johnny Lightning, who drove his supercharged Ford Lightning truck to an 8.731 against his 8.75 dial. Despite the loss, Lightning had plenty to celebrate as he locked up the class championship thanks to a season that has included two wins in four final rounds.
Although he missed the first event of the season, reigning class champion Danny Towe is in a prime position to win the title in Ford Muscle following his second-straight victory. Towe won the recent event in Norwalk, Ohio, and then went to the final in Martin, where he defeated Clyde Dunphy in a battle of vintage Mustangs. Towe got off the starting line first and made the advantage stand up at the finish line with an 11.787 against his 11.75 index. Dunphy broke out at the finish line with a 10.479 against his 10.50 index. Towe is also in the running for a second-straight NMCA Nostalgia Muscle title, which could bring his total to six championships across both series.
TorqStorm Billett Superchargers/Circle D Specalties True Street was intense with nearly 70 competitors taking to the streets and track. Amazingly, 12 states were represented and it was the Tennesee-bsed entry of Alleny Hurley who took home the crown. Hurley posed a seriously quick 7.83-second average with his Coyote-powered twin-turbo 1967 Ford Fairlane. Other fast Fords included the 9-second winner Will Lujan (9.186); NJ's Bill Unkel (11.14) with his 1988 Mustang; Elaine Moistner (12.01); Katie Clark (14.08); and Dani Lee (15.10).
The NMRA Holley Drag Racing Series will now take a short break before heading to historic Bowling Green, Ky. For the Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals and the Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival, Sept. 28-Oct. 1.
The 2023 NMRA Holley Drag Racing Series entered the homestretch with the successful completion of the TorqStorm Billet Superchargers NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance at U.S. 131 Dragway in Martin, Mich. The event was highlighted by huge fields and intense points battles with numerous championships on the line. The NMRA series has now completed five of six scheduled events this season.
In addition to the on-track action, the event featured something for everyone including the UPR Products Car Show, and an appearance by BIGFOOT, the original 4x4 monster truck.
Martin Connelley, and Terry Wilson the top two drivers in the popular VP Racing Madditives Renegade class, met to decide the title and the two veterans put on a show with a great side-by-side race. Connelley was nearly perfect off the starting line and drove to a 4.450 at 155.71 mph on the eighth-mile track to barely edge Wilson, who was slightly quicker with a 4.537 at 155.33 mph. Since the Martin event is a combo race featuring drivers from both the NMRA and NMCA Series, the Renegade class is combined with Xtreme Street, with 26 cars appearing for the first round of eliminations. Connelley was extremely consistent throughout eliminations with five runs between 4.608 and 4.540 during eliminations.
The championship was also settled in Whatever it Takes Transmission Limited Street after Samantha Moore, the reigning champ, won for the fourth time in five races. Moore has dominated this season and that extended to the Martin event where she qualified No. 1 and ran a 7.978 at 174.35 mph in the final round to cover Stacey Roby’s 8.051 at 168.16 mph.
With his third win in five events, Ed Bennett III has officially locked up the championship in the FSC Coyote Stock class. Bennett III, a winner in Rockingham, St. Louis, and Norwalk, stretched his unbeaten streak to 16 rounds with a final round win against Shane Stymiest. The final was perhaps the best race of the day as Bennett III drove his Clair Stewart-owned Stiffler’s entry to a 9.812 to hold off Stymiest’s 9.815.
The final round in Richmond Gear Factory Stock was decided on the starting line after incoming leader Mike Bowen fouled by .012-second, allowing Justin Fogelsonger to earn the title. Fogelsonger was quicker to the finish line in the heads-up category, running a 10.086 to cover Bowen’s 10.1416. Mark Anderson, Bowen’s closest competition for the Factory Stock class title, suffered a rare early defeat
Coming off a victory at the Sick Summer drag and drive event, Tim Flanders put his ’86 Mustang in the winner’s circle in the Suncoast Performance 8.60 Street Race category. Flanders spent a considerable amount of time working on his turbocharged entry, but also managed to pull off a final round win over Paul Sienkiewicz. Flanders won with an 8.614 to an 8.694 for Sienkiewicz. Flanders missed the first two races of the season, but his recent string of success has given him a spot in the top ten in the championship standings.
The Exedy Racing Clutch Modular Muscle class often features some of the closest competition in the NMRA Holley Drag Racing Series and this event was no exception. Peter Blosser came into the event solidly in the top ten and helped himself with a final round victory against Chris Hammon. Both drivers were solid off the starting line with Blosser claiming a slight reaction time advantage with a .018 light. Blosser finished the job by running an 8.682 against his 8.69 dial while Hammon broke out by a greater amount with a 10.097 against his 10.11 dial. The championship battle took an unexpected turn when incoming leader and multi-time champ Susan Roush-McClenaghan lost in round one.
The ARP Open Comp category featured a robust 38 car field meaning that eventual champ Dennis Corn had to win five rounds of eliminations with his Thunderbird before hoisting the trophy. Corn came into the Martin event as the No. 4 ranked driver in the class, and remains in title contention after stopping Robert Motycka in the final. Corn’s consistent performances included a 9.205 on his 9.20 dial in the final round that was just enough to hold off Motycka, who broke out at the finish line by just three thousandths of a second with a 10.257 on his 10.26 dial. Gordon Harlow and Jon M. Pickering Jr. came into the event tied for the lead in Open Comp. Harlow went out in round one while Pickering made a round three exit, further tightening the championship battle.
Kevin McKenna not only won his second race of the season in the HP Tuners Super Stang class but he managed to wrap up his second championship in the process. McKenna wheeled his 2014 Mustang to a perfect 10.967 on his 10.96 dial to secure the title over Chris Rusch, who made it to the final round with his stick-shift Mustang. The championship was settled in the semifinals when reigning champ Marvin Knack lost to Rusch in spite of a perfect .000 reaction time.
Randy Conway has run just two events in the Truck and Lightning class this season, but he’s made his presence known at both of them. Conway was a semifinalist at the recent event in Norwalk, and he’s now got a victory in Martin. Conway won the final in a double-breakout with a 10.258 on his 10.27 dial, scoring an upset over class leader Johnny Lightning, who drove his supercharged Ford Lightning truck to an 8.731 against his 8.75 dial. Despite the loss, Lightning had plenty to celebrate as he locked up the class championship thanks to a season that has included two wins in four final rounds.
Although he missed the first event of the season, reigning class champion Danny Towe is in a prime position to win the title in Ford Muscle following his second-straight victory. Towe won the recent event in Norwalk, Ohio, and then went to the final in Martin, where he defeated Clyde Dunphy in a battle of vintage Mustangs. Towe got off the starting line first and made the advantage stand up at the finish line with an 11.787 against his 11.75 index. Dunphy broke out at the finish line with a 10.479 against his 10.50 index. Towe is also in the running for a second-straight NMCA Nostalgia Muscle title, which could bring his total to six championships across both series.
TorqStorm Billett Superchargers/Circle D Specalties True Street was intense with nearly 70 competitors taking to the streets and track. Amazingly, 12 states were represented and it was the Tennesee-bsed entry of Alleny Hurley who took home the crown. Hurley posed a seriously quick 7.83-second average with his Coyote-powered twin-turbo 1967 Ford Fairlane. Other fast Fords included the 9-second winner Will Lujan (9.186); NJ's Bill Unkel (11.14) with his 1988 Mustang; Elaine Moistner (12.01); Katie Clark (14.08); and Dani Lee (15.10).
The NMRA Holley Drag Racing Series will now take a short break before heading to historic Bowling Green, Ky. For the Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals and the Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival, Sept. 28-Oct. 1.
