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Many fascinating moments have been spotlighted at the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing over the years.
At this legendary event, racers from both series overcame obstacles and set personal bests, loving and inspiring everyone in the process.
This year’s event, the 18th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing, took place May 5-7, 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois and will go down in history as one of the most action-packed and amazing.
In the wild and evil world of VP Racing Lubricants Xtreme Pro Mod, where cars are fast and wild, current championship leader Ty Tutterow drove his Buick to an exciting 3.64 to lead qualifying. On race day, however, Billy Banaka pounded the tree with a .018 reaction time and dragged his Camaro to 3.72 to anger Craig Sullivan, who ran a red light in his 1949 Mercury-bodied car.
Watson Racing’s Chuck Watson II ripped off a 7.594 in Jim Betz’ Mustang Cobra Jet to set the pace in qualifying and secure the fastest pass ever in Holley EFI Factory Super Cars. He was on point and on the move all weekend, but the tires on his car spun when he scored in the final round of the eliminations against Jonathan Allegrucci, who clocked a 7.83 to win in his Mustang Cobra Jet.
With a win and a second place finish this year, ARP Nitrous Pro Street racer David Fallon Jr. was focused on another finale in the finals despite suffering engine trouble just racing in Outlaw 632 at Michigan’s Milan Dragway and had to scramble to make it to this race. He rode his Camaro to the qualifying leader with a 4.26, which was about a tenth faster than number two qualifier Kyle Salminen, and followed that up with his second win of the season with a 4.28 after Joe Bucaro’s an insane -.003 red in its cobalt.
NMCA Edelbrock Xtreme Street and NMRA VP Racing Madditives racers put down a double dose of horsepower together at the event, and Terry Wilson took the qualifying lead with a 4.53 in his Mustang. He kept his eye on the prize as he pulled up alongside Steven Wardlow and his super cool El Camino for the final round of eliminations, and while they were close to the tree, Wilson pulled away at the top end and took the win with a 4.61 Wardlow’s 4.73.
Joe Clemente, who came into this race as the Dart NA 10.5 points leader, closely followed by Dwight Ausmus and Don Baskin in second and third place, will continue to hold that lead after this weekend. After being forced to swap the rear end under his Mustang for a new one in qualifying, Clemente set the pace with a 7.72 and the New Jersey driver stayed strong through several elimination rounds before claiming victory with a 7.88 against Ryan Bell, who drove to an 8.05.
“We worked hard to get to this point and I couldn’t have done it without my team,” said Clemente. “We are all tireless in our pursuit of wins and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
It was Kevin Lumsden’s turn to lead qualifying in Chevrolet Performance Stock presented by Scoggin Dickey Parts Center and he did it with a nice 9.68 in his Camaro. Lumsden, who had traveled all the way from Texas for this race, faced multiple winner Ronnie Hackelton in the final round of eliminations, and Lumsden clinched the win with a 9.83 to Hackelton’s 10.34.
Micro Strategies Stock Eliminator saw Keith Wells and Morgan Hixon take to the stage in a Libersher Racing Camaro for the final elimination round. Wells entered the winners’ circle with a 10.54 on a 10.53 while Hixon ducked with a 9.73 on a 9.74.
Accomplished racer Amy Faulk recently installed a new Coan gearbox, converter, shifter and transbrake and in addition to having all the new items dialed in she said early over the weekend that she was still feeling the change from the Foot brake switched to the transmission -brakes. Later in the weekend, however, the Tennessee was part of a very close final round of eliminations in the Micro Strategies Super Stock Eliminator. There, she and Brody Daughterty recorded comparable reaction times before Faulk flew a 9.55 to a 9.57 and claimed victory in her wheeled Firebird over Daughterty, who dived under his dial with a 8.60 on an 8.62.
Quick Fuel Technology Nostalgia Super Stock continues to fascinate with its old-school muscles, and among the nostalgic car racers are Jim Netherland and Danny Whitford, who met in the last round of eliminations. Netherland jumped off the line with a .003 reaction time and won with a 10.11 on a 10.00 in his Buick over Whitford, who took his Chevelle straight to the 9.75 index, but he wasn’t quite as quick as Netherland on the tree.
For the first time in her racing career, Audrey Baize led qualifying with an 11.75 on an 11.75 in Erson Cam’s Nostalgia Muscle. After exiting the eliminations in the second round, Danny Towe and Karen Wilson met in the final round of eliminations and Towe, the current champion of the class, won with an 11.98 to 11.75 lift over Wilson, who Baum was not quite as fast and broke out.
At the MagnaFuel Open Comp, where racers dial their cars and themselves down to the last detail, Frankie Radake and Gordon Harlow, who have years of experience in the category, pulled into the bars for the final elimination round. Radake was .015 and Harlow .005, and Radake won with a 9.14 on a 9.11 in his wheel-standing Camaro over Harlow, who was 10.10 on a 10.04 in his sleek Mustang.
Dennis Pearson and 2022 category winner Cody Poston took the starting line for the final round of eliminations in the Chevrolet Performance presented LME Street King and Pearson was pushing for victory with a 10.27 against 10.25 ahead of Poston who 9.03 ran against 9.00.
Tim Poston and Taylor Lumsden competed for the Final Round of Eliminations in Proform LSX Rumble presented by Chevrolet Performance and Poston took the win with a 10.05v10.00 against Lumsden who finished with a 10.14v10, 00 was slightly off pace.
NMCA TorqStorm Superchargers True Street and NMRA Circle D Specialties True Street racers sped off-track for a 30-mile cruise before returning to race three consecutive passes down the quarter-mile. Randy Thomas was the overall winner with an average of 8.64 and Jason Wagoner was second with an average of 8.81. Other winners included Mike Post (10 seconds), Kevin Rowland (11 seconds), Michael White (12 seconds), and Makenna Oshinski (13 seconds).
Challengers, Chargers and other confident cars took the spotlight in the Dodge // Mopar HEMI Shootout, which saw Bryce Rohrs drive to overall victory with a 9.45 average and Jess Richards to second with a 9.61 average. Other standout winners included Matt Morrell (10 seconds), Adam Hicks (11 seconds), Robert Salecki (12 seconds), Josie McClenaghan (13 seconds), Nicole Ratliff (14 seconds), and Christina Nichols (15 seconds). second).
The eight fastest drivers in the Dodge // Mopar HEMI Shootout earned entry into the HHP Racing HEMI Quick 8 on the final day of this event, and Dan Koehne Jr. won with a 10.98 on a 10.64 ahead of Michael Smith and his 10, 43 at a 10.07.
In Bracket Mayhem, Kevin Corzine went after the tree with the tune of .012 and won by 5.90 to 5.87 against Matt Gibbons, who broke out.
The Testo Shootouts added a hugely exciting element to the event and the NMCA winners below earned their Nitto Diamond Tree Rings and the respect of other racers: Ty Tutterow (3.66) via Billy Banaka (3.70) in VP Racing Lubricants Xtreme Pro Mod, Chuck Watson II (7.67) over Jonathan Allegrucci (7.78) in Holley EFI Factory Super Cars, Joe Clemente (7.79) over Leonard Long (7.88) in Dart NA 10.5, David Fallon Jr. (4.27) over Kyle Salminen (4.45) in ARP Nitrous Pro Street, Martin Connelley (4.61) and a holeshot over slightly faster Terry Wilson (4.60) in NMCA Edelbrock Xtreme Street/NMRA VP Racing Madditives Renegade, Kevin Lumsden (9.79) over Ronnie Hackelton (9.80) in Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Chevrolet Performance Stock, Brody Daughtery (8.52) over Joe Ewing (10.50) in Micro Strategies Super Stock , Bruce Boyle (11.63) over Dave Swanson (8.00) in Micro Strategies Stock Eliminator, David Horton (10.80) over Brent Wheeler (9.52) in Quick Fuel Technology Nostalgia Super Stock, Danny Towe (11, 79) over Audrey Baize (11.83) in World Products Nostalgia Muscle, Steve Satchell (9.59) over Susan Roush-McClenaghan (9.32) in MagnaFuel Open Comp, Cody Poston (8.98) over Bryan Williams (10.41 ) at LME Street King and DeWayne Massengale (12.30) via Keith Vaughn (13.18) at Proform Rumble.
Other weekend activities included a major car show and manufacturers fair.
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