We get our fill of Brand X rides at the All-Star Nationals at zMAX Dragway just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, as it hosts both sides of the ProMedia drag racing fence-the NMRA and the NMCA-therefore, we get our quota in one weekend. However, the All-Star Nationals differs from the Joliet NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing as NMRA and NMCA winners don't face-off against its class counterparts. There's still plenty to see at the All-Star Nationals.
Simply entering the zMAX Dragway is a spectacle. Its sheer magnitude dwarfs this event, even with both NMRA and NMCA racers on the grounds, a car show featuring all makes, and a large number of vendors. Moreover, with the NMCA racers in attendance, fans get a chance to see several NMCA Mustang racers face-off against other makes, which is always fun, especially on a four-wide dragstrip.
Naturally, the temps in early August were on the boil, but our cameras didn't melt, so check out the captions for all the details.
Andrew Demarco and his crew...
Andrew Demarco and his crew made the long trek to zMAX to battle in Super Street Outlaw. Andrew was still dialing in the car at zMAX, and a front suspension issue reared its ugly head, almost sending him into the wall first round of qualifying. However, he seems to think he has the problems solved and is regaining his confidence in the car. Recent testing shows the car's going in the right direction, literally.
Factory Stock racer Carlos...
Factory Stock racer Carlos Sobrino toiled in the NMRA for what seems like forever, but he finally put it all together at the All-Star Nationals. We know it's not due to the car's new aero nose replacing the square-light appendage up front. While we're sure it doesn't hurt, his car boasts more power these days thanks to Chris Smith Engines, and better traction off the line thanks to TRZ Motorsports. He's also picked up wisdom from his fellow Factory Stock racers, and his main wrench Carlos "Lil Carlos" Florenca keeps him in check, which is a full-time job. Carlos beat Factory Stock main man Tommy Godfrey in Round 1, then Jay Dold in the final with a scant 0.001-second margin of victory. Congrats, Carlos!
Kentucky Sam Vincent left...
Kentucky Sam Vincent left the Super Street Outlaw field in awe after a low 7.30 pass at "only" 172 mph. The last round of qualifying, he made a full pass with a mind-bending 7.26 at 192 mph, the quickest pass ever at that time in Super Street Outlaw. These days, Sam is running a 452ci powerplant on the juice-and lots of it. Even with the 7.26 in his pocket, Sam didn't quite have his mojo working in Round 1 against John Urist. The Fireball tree'd Sam to get into the final against Johnny MacDonald.
Blow-By Racing's Chris Jones...
Blow-By Racing's Chris Jones and his crew installed a Paxton Novi 2200 supercharger on this '10 Mustang GT-at the event! Chris even tuned the car on the property, and Blow-By's Johnny Zeilinga was the lucky one to drive the car around Charlotte for the weekend. Most pre-'11 Mustangs are going to need a blower to keep up with the new 5.0 liters.
We can always count on Justin...
We can always count on Justin Burcham to stay on the cutting edge of Mustang technology. He broke ground in the market with his '05 Mustang GT, but now he's turned his attention to this '11 GT, the first in the 10s. Justin races the car in the NMRA's Super 'Stang class with a DiabloSport tune, Kooks long-tube headers, 4.56 gears, a McLeod twin-disc clutch, and Bogarts at each corner. Kevin MacDonald is doing the tuning on the car, and is now a full-time JPC Racing employee. Justin made it past the first round in Super 'Stang, but in Round 2 the car went into limp-home mode, ending his weekend.