If you weren't fortunate enough to make it to the NMRA World Finals in Bowling Green, Kentucky, you missed a monster season finale that ended with a bang. Really. Benny the Bomb blew himself up in an old GM product right in the middle of the dragstrip. Before the Sunday evening blast, that same historic dragstrip played stage to some of the most exciting racing we've seen all season. That should come as no surprise, 'cause racers are more than willing to pull the pin and risk blowing their junk up to win a championship-or just to place in the top 10 and hit the stage for a jacket at the PRI show.
How could it be that exciting with so many points races already wrapped up? While many of the championship races had long been decided, there were a few still on the line. Our little Real Street championship came down to the hundredth of a second when Chris Tuten set the e.t. record to gain bonus points. Moreover, the upsets were many. First-year challenger Jamie Holten stunted Michael Washington's perfect Factory Stock season. Dave Hopper took out the seemingly unbeatable Chris Little in Drag Radial. And, in the mammoth Outlaw field, Glen Rollinger returned from his World Ford Challenge crash to qualify only 29th, but against all odds he still managed to take the win.
Those are just a few of the incredible stories from the best race of the year, which already has us excited about the Bradenton season opener next March. For the inside scoop, check out the photos and captions.