Just as it seemed John Urist...
Just as it seemed John Urist was going to turn the Super Street Outlaw world on its ear once again, Sam Vincent dropped a 7.28 on the board to announce that the newly lightened nitrous combos would be a threat this season. If Kentucky Sam can click off a 0.28 in the cool air, imagine how well this combo is gonna run in the summer heat.
Season openers are glorious. Every racer starts out on equal ground, while racers and fans alike are geared up to have race cars finally going down the track again after enduring winter. As such, it was no surprise that spring fever was in full effect at the NMRA's 16th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout, held at Bradenton Motorsports Park just outside Bradenton, Florida.
Yet, there was something special in the air. Not only was the air cool and dry, with the highs in the mid-60s to low-70s, but there was something else in the air-a sense of hope. Yes, the economy is still wounded, but it seems the race fans and racers are ready to move onward and upward. NMRA officials report it was the largest event they have ever held at Bradenton Motorsports Park, so the allure of great weather and fast Mustangs is undeniable.
Also undeniable is the drive of the NMRA's contestants. We constantly marvel at their ability to work within the stingy NMRA rulebook and continually improve the performance of their race cars. Sure everyone enjoyed the same great air, but when six records from last season are eclipsed at one event, you know the racers are on their games from the get-go.
Tim Matherly's passion for...
Tim Matherly's passion for the Real Street class is undeniable. Not only did he voluntarily surrender his deadly consistent Bullitt for a brand-new '10 Mustang, he also made the move to the newly legal Three-Valve engine-temporarily. After fighting his way through a broken transmission and struggling to run with the hitters with a sixth-place qualifier (11.970/121.68), Tim switched back to his proven Two-Valve combo for eliminations. It was too little, too late as he fell to longtime teammate Jim Breese in the second round, 9.60 to 9.49. Getting a new car in the groove is always a challenge, but it wouldn't be wise to write off the multi-time champion just yet.
Chad Doyle took some time...
Chad Doyle took some time off to regroup and rebuild his car for faster times. Chad still utilizes ProCharger power, and the car now features a Roush Competition Engines bullet under the hood. Chad settled in with 8.0s during qualifying, but his weekend was short-lived at the hands of Sean Lyon in Round 1.
Max Gross is flying the Team...
Max Gross is flying the Team Powerhead colors and he was flying them high at Bradenton. Bumper shots were the norm for Max at the NMRA opener. Max runs the smaller 360ci combination to carry less weight in Hot Street trim. He was routinely in the 8.50s at Bradenton, but 2009 champ Robbie Blankenship beat him to the stripe in Round 2.
Pro outlaw 10.5
Though reminded...
Pro outlaw 10.5
Though reminded of last year's scary wreck every time he pulled into the burnout box, Conrad Scarry exorcised Bradenton's demons this time around. The Deerfield Beach, Florida, resident put his big-block, twin-turbocharged Mustang at the top of Pro Outlaw, and kept it there all weekend....
....Conrad and the Scarry...
....Conrad and the Scarry crew had an easy time of it for eliminations, even giving our boy Billy Driscoll slight hope in the final with an abysmal 0.823 light. Conrad seemingly gave Billy the leave and then some before reeling him in at half track for the win.
Billy Driscoll damaged his...
Billy Driscoll damaged his SSO-legal 94mm turbo, so he bolted on a 106mm single turbo and stepped up to the Pro Outlaw class. He was able to finally run some laps instead of running into issues. With Jim Blair and Mike Murillo leaving early due to catastrophic damage, and Dwayne James still figuring out his blower/stick combo, Billy was able to go rounds on Sunday. In the final against Conrad Scarry, Billy scored a massive holeshot and was out by a car and a half just past the 60-foot mark. However, that lead evaporated quickly as Conrad flew by for the win.
Laying in wait at the season...
Laying in wait at the season opener was John MacDonald. While Urist and Vincent were trading body blows in qualifying, Johnny Mac quietly qualified in the fourth spot with a 7.450 at 194.17 mph. As we've often seen, it's not only the quickest car that wins the race, but the most consistent that triumphs. John did just that. In the first round he got an easy win when Daniel Pachar's modular Triangle Speed Shop machine faltered.....
....Then he squared off with...
....Then he squared off with top qualifier Sam Vincent for the quickest side-by-side pass in SSO history. John got the jump and held Sam off at the stripe for a dramatic win. After that it was smooth sailing as John took out the off-pace Chip Havemman and Chris Tuten en route to the big win.
A longtime NMRA soldier, Chris...
A longtime NMRA soldier, Chris Tuten started in Real Street, jumped up to Drag Radial, and these days is slugging it out in the brutal ranks of SSO. He's the kind of racer that's always in the mix no matter how the odds are stacked against him. We stopped by and he reported that he'd tested at Bradenton just before the race with great results, but when he showed up the surface was completely different. Thus his struggle was finding traction after qualifying third with a solid 7.407/194.30 pass. As it turned out, Chris didn't really see a real challenge till he met up with Johnny Mac in the finals. We know how that ended, but it was all over at the tree.
We were also able to catch...
We were also able to catch Drag Radial defending champion Jason Lee in testing a week prior, but he had to get the car back into NMRA trim for Bradenton. Once he had the tune-up right, he was once again flying to the tune of high 7s. Also a blower-carrying member of the ProCharger camp, Jason ran a 7.94 to land at the top spot.....
....Jason had a relatively...
....Jason had a relatively easy time of it in eliminations-at least, till the final round, where he ran into problems against Enzo Pecchini. However, Enzo had bigger problems as you'll read, and Jason was able to skate by his buddy for the win.
Enzo Pecchini ran his first...
Enzo Pecchini ran his first 7-second pass at the end of 2009, and 7s should be the norm in 2010 with Tim Lyons turning the wrenches and spinning the tune. Enzo had a single in round, and then ran a 7.98 in Round 2 to get past Sean Lyon. In the final against Jason Lee, Enzo appeared headed for victory, but his car kept drifting toward the wall before he actually hit the wall, which allowed Jason to come around him for the win. Enzo actually wrecked his former Fox GT at Bradenton a couple years ago, so it appears Bradenton may have Enzo's number.