NMRA 2007 Ford Nationals - Where The Big Drags Run -The Official '0.7 NMRA Ford Nationals Fan Guide

Official NMRA Host Hotel Information: Host Hotel: Hampton Inn-Cherry Hill/Voorhees Hotel Address: 121 Laurel Oak Rd. Voorhees, NJ 08043 Phone: (856) 346-4500 Fax: (856) 346-2402 Web site: www.hamptoninn.com Directions: I-295, exit 32, go east on 561 for two miles, turn right on White Horse Rd. Go half a mile to the Olive Garden and turn left. Look for hotel. Special Instructions: Must use Group Code: PM1

Official Host Car Club Information: TBA: Please see www.nmraracing.com for updates!

Edelbrock Hot StreetWhether you're from the old school of horsepower or adore the sound of a small-block wound up to 10,000 rpm while grabbing the first couple of gears with the wheels 3 feet in the air, the NMRA Hot Street class is for you. Just about any 55-and-up, Ford-bodied hot-rod can boast 327-440 ci of small-block Windsor or modular Ford and utilize nearly any stick shift or automatic transmission. There are many weight breaks available for an unlimited choice of transmission, body style, heads, or engine sizes. The single 4150-type carb limitation is about the only guideline, besides the 28.6x10.6-inch slick, in this all-out, motor-only horsepower class that will have no problem breaking into the eight-second zone.

Charlie Booze Jr.Charlie Booze Jr. got his taste of all motor heads-up racing back in the mid '90s when the NMCA first became popular. His mechanic's ability has earned championships in several all-motor cars from his old NMCA Torino to the state-of-the-art Matt Wirt-built, eight-second, ladder bar 'Stang he now races. Charlie has been a regular in the NMRA shootout series for a few years; we stress the word "shootout" because he has the biggest target on his back of any racer in competition. His big Kuntz powerhouse recently claimed a third straight Hot Street Championship by winning six of the eight series races in 2006. Charlie's record-breaking performances make him the rabbit in the field, and it's open season for anybody who thinks they're quick enough to catch him.

2006 Class RecordE.T:Bob Hanlon, 8.803 secondsMPH:Max Gross, 155.10 mph

Ones to Watch* Leo Johnson jumped in the NMRA racing game by forming a three-car team known as Rag Doll Racing. Two of them won their respective class championship. This year his goal is to make it a triple threat.

* Longtime Open Comp racer Robby Blankenship made the switch to Hot Street this season. Renowned as one of the hardest working racers, his powerful Roush powerplant will make him one to contend with.

* Michael Abdalla is an electrical engineer and a tinker. He and his wife, Tammy, travel the series so she can hear him play his favorite instrument-his Jerico transmission- equipped, 9,500-rpm Hot Street engine. Don't be fooled. After 20 years, he's good at playing the old '88.

* Ben Mens is heading up the Windsor Roush Drag Engine Program, and has been offered to drive the second car in the Mike DeMayo racing team where he won his first event.

5.0 Mustang & Super Fords Magazine Real StreetNo lightweight, gutted-out chassis or ported-head, big-camshaft engines race here. The pilots at 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords outlined the strict requirements for the latest racing sensation where only Real Street cars are allowed. Stock camshafts, unported stock-type heads and intakes with 211/42-inch exhaust portray the typical powerplant. Street-legal blowers or small nitrous systems can be used, as long as the stock manual transmission stays intact. Not only does the machine have to perform to perfection, but also the one behind the wheel has to be equally brilliant to prevail in the bumper dragging, gear slamming action featured round after round in this Real Street car spectacle that will dance near the nine-second zone.

Brian MeyerHollywood Brian Meyer always seems to find a way to pull a win out of his show-stopping "Hollywood" bumper-draggin' style. Perhaps it's the formidable Anderson Motorsports PMS-tuned, Vortech-supercharged Kuntz powerplant that always seems to leave with more than enough power to get the job done. One thing is for sure: upon winning the Real Street title for the second year in a row, thumping Brian out of competition early is essential if you are going to post a win in the Real Street class.

2006 Class RecordE.T:Robin Lawrence, 9.872 secondsMPH:Robin Lawrence, 136.68 mph

Ones to Watch* Mark Magnason was lucky enough to land the seat in the competitive JPC-sponsored car, owned by Justin Burcham. The problem is, he likes driving with the rear wheels as much as Justin. If they can keep the frontend down, it might be all taillights for the competition.

* Paul Alfeo's never-give-up attitude has led him to a steady climb up the qualifying ladder. He could surprise many of the unexpecting contenders.

Tremec Transmissions Pure StreetBackyard engine builders are allowed to port and polish factory replacement heads using stock displacement Windsor and modular engines. They are limited to 0.500 maximum lift hydraulic camshafts for Windsors, 0.550-0.480 lift for Two- or Four-Valve mod-motors respectively. Both can run despicable amounts of duration in an attempt to extend rpm ranges to upward of 8,000 rpm, because power adders aren't allowed. The only aftermarket pieces accepted are factory replacement pieces with stock location ports. Five-speed manual and AOD automatics are required. E.t.'s will be in the low-to mid-10-second range as the stock-suspension, '79-and-newer Mustang bad boys engage in wheels-up quarter-mile combat.

Ron AndersonNot many people have a job they enjoy, but Grandpa Ron Anderson has been building and racing carburetors for Marx Carburetors for nearly 30 years and says he enjoys it as much today as he when he started. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your efforts transform a common competitor into a winner.

After winning one of the two races he entered in 2005, a full schedule in 2006 resulted in number-one qualifier in all but one event and five wins. If Grandpa starts telling you a story about his bumper draggin', gear slammin' antics to beat the guy in the other lane, you better believe it's not some exaggeration from the old days. Don't expect to catch Gramps sleepin' at the Tree either. Bring your best game if you see "Grandpa" on the race-car window in the next lane!

2006 Class RecordET:Ron Anderson, 10.228 secondsMPH:Brad Meadows, 131.25 mph

Ones to Watch* Teddy Weaver consistently gets faster, especially at the near-perfect conditions at the Atco event where he and top contender Brad Meadows were the last two standing.

* Jimmy Wilson and Larry Weir have both made several semifinal round appearances. Perseverance could earn either of them a trip to victory lane.

* Watch out for the Modular insurgence of the MD Motorsports' Brandon Alsept and his overhead valve flyer as he tackles the pushrod big wheels.

Factory StockTuesday night test 'n' tune bandits, begin your heads-up racing addiction in the Factory Stock class of the NMRA. If all the talk of seemingly ridiculous e.t.'s for the rules at hand has you shaking your head, this is the beginner's bolt-on class for '79-and-newer Mustang-bodied stock street cars. Long-tube headers, gears, underdrive pulleys, and trick triple-angle valve jobs are about all you're going to get in this 11- to 12-second apprentice heads-up racing class.

Shawn JohnsonThe guys at Modular Performance added the trick job on the stock Four-Valve heads and Ian Mullane of MD Motorsports found just the right tune to overcome all other competitors for the second year in a row.