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2012 NMRA Maryland - Inaugural BrawlNMRA Brings Mustang Madness to Maryland’s Mecca for Speed From the October, 2012 issue of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords By KJ Jones Photography by Paul Rosner
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The sight and sound of a pair of Mustangs blasting down the quarter-mile in the heat of NMRA competition is a spectacle that every hard-core enthusiast needs to experience in their lifetime. When said Ponies are the wild, crazy and wickedly fast rides that star in the sanction's premier heads-up classes, you really don't want to miss it. Each year, Ford racers, fans, media, and supporters are on the road between March and November, headed to some of the nation's premier dragstrips to compete in or witness the unique brand of grassroots drag racing. While all of the stops on the tour are important, the season's third event has always been somewhat special. This particular race is a sentimental fave because it traditionally was held at Atco, New Jersey's, Atco Raceway until recently. Atco is one of two East Coast dragstrips that contributed to the start of organized Mustang racing. In 2012, race three relocated to another fine Eastern facility, this one located just a few hundred miles south of Atco, in the appropriately named (for car guys and a race track) town of Mechanicsville, Maryland. Yes, Maryland International Raceway, referred to by locals as Budds Creek, is the newest venue for NMRA racing. Based on the record-breaking performances that went down at MIR, it appears change is good. The following photos and captions offer highlights from NMRA's inaugural brawl at MIR. Although competitor and spectator numbers were somewhat low at this first venture, we think the future looks good for the all-Ford series to have a long run at the Southern Maryland facility, which is without question one of the finest tracks we've visited for NMRA action. Horse Sense: We're going racin'! Actually, tech editor KJ Jones' commitment to racing in ProMedia's entire 2012 NMCA West series isn't the first time 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords is competing in ProMedia-sanctioned race events. However, 2012 does mark the first time we've earnestly pursued winning a championship in any of the sanctioning groups' events. Those of you in the West, keep an eye out for KJ's T-top coupe (running in the Mustang Madness class) and signature 5.0 bucket hat at the tracks NMCA West visits in 2012, and stay abreast of results through all of our online outlets.  Tim Essick (far lane), Miguel...  Tim Essick (far lane), Miguel (that's what Mike wrote on his tech card) Murillo, and the rest of NMRA's traveling squad took a serious shine to their newest race surroundings. The 12th Annual NMRA Ford Nationals at MIR closed with new class records set, and racers and fans already looking forward to the series' return to Budds Creek in 2013.  This is what we love about...  This is what we love about 'Stangbanging--race Mustangs that are set to kill, and dragstrips that are capable of taking whatever the hard-hitting Ponies of the NMRA dish out. After replacing a shelled clutch, Factory Stock (yes, we said Factory Stock) standout Matt Amrine showed that his '98 GT was ready to get down. With a bumper-dragging moonshot that left everyone with their jaws dropped, he left the crowd wondering about the top-secret traction compound that the staff of MIR sprays so liberally on its starting line.  An inside tipster gave us...  An inside tipster gave us early notice that King of the Street winner Chris Cruz would be on the property at MIR, attempting to put his 4.0-liter, boosted '11 GT in the 8-Second Club. After knocking on the door throughout qualifying, Chris made The Pass (8.99/153) in the second round of Modular Muscle eliminations, making the KOTS champ's ride the quickest, fastest stock-automatic-transmission, fully equipped street '11-'13 GT (seriously, this thing still has cold A/C) in the country. Props go out to Chris, Jon Lund, L&M Engines, and, of course, the crew at Evolution Performance for achieving the impressive milestone.  An inside tipster gave us...  An inside tipster gave us early notice that King of the Street winner Chris Cruz would be on the property at MIR, attempting to put his 4.0-liter, boosted '11 GT in the 8-Second Club. After knocking on the door throughout qualifying, Chris made The Pass (8.99/153) in the second round of Modular Muscle eliminations, making the KOTS champ's ride the quickest, fastest stock-automatic-transmission, fully equipped street '11-'13 GT (seriously, this thing still has cold A/C) in the country. Props go out to Chris, Jon Lund, L&M Engines, and, of course, the crew at Evolution Performance for achieving the impressive milestone.  Open Comp racer Tom Brown...  Open Comp racer Tom Brown Jr.'s clean '91 LX is a crowd-pleasing leaver (right rear slick wrinkled down and left front wheel kicked high) that reminds us of the good ol' days of Mustang racing. While an antiroll bar is today's preferred component for evening out, we appreciate Tom's throwback to the times when launching like this was sure to earn a Pony "violent" status.  Pro Outlaw 10.5 | Tim Essick...  Pro Outlaw 10.5 | Tim Essick continues to prove that good things can and do come in small packages, when it comes to winning events in NMRA's Pro Outlaw 10.5 class. After breaking a valvespring in his '03 'Stang's dual-boosted small-block (only 430 cubes) during qualifying, Tim had his steed repaired for eliminations and stormed through the short field for win number two in 2012.  Super Street Outlaw | For...  Super Street Outlaw | For those of you who gamble, betting that John Urist would be one of the two Super Street Outlaw finalists at an NMRA race has always been a pretty safe wager. Putting your money on John to win has been equally as safe, as the seven-time class champion usually accomplishes that feat, too. With the unofficial race to the sixes (6-second e.t.) being the newest point of performance interest in the 10-Inch-Tire Freak Show, all eyes once again were on John, who rewrote the record books at MIR with the lowest e.t. (7.015) and highest speed (203.31) ever recorded by an NMRA Pony on True 10.5s. It was a romp to another win, this time over Andrew DeMarco.  Drag Radial | They say good...  Drag Radial | They say good things come to those who wait, and perserverance pays. These and other popular inspiring quotes are appropriate for Brian Tuten's upset win in Drag Radial. With big-brother Chris making tuning calls and crew hand Brent Weston doing any necessary heavy lifting, Brian's only job was to drive the car--and indeed, he did it well. Brian beat two local competitors (Keith McLaughlin and Andrew Willingham, somewhat ironically, are both from Mechanicsville) in Rounds 1 and 2, and then stayed in front of Jason Lee's top-end charge to take his first win in NMRA's Drag Radial class.  Renegade | Alton Clements...  Renegade | Alton Clements continued to flex the steller reaction skills he's shown all season, leaving ahead of every Renegade driver he faced at MIR. Our crude math shows that the 2010 class champ maintained a reaction-time average of 0.041 in three rounds on race day, including a lightning-quick 0.026 light in the final, although he could have relaxed as Tim Matherly was unable to make the call.  Hot Street | While the Hot...  Hot Street | While the Hot Street car count was clearly disappointing (only two cars were on hand at MIR), the event marked the 2012 return of multi-time champion Charlie Booze Jr. and his thundering red Fox GT. In addition to taking the win, Charlie's comeback was highlighted by a super-quick (and record-setting) 8.38/160.12 in his semifinal pairing with Max Gross, which for all intents and purposes, was the only race during Hot Street eliminations.  Coyote Stock | Despite the...  Coyote Stock | Despite the addition of two new players in the Coyote Stock conflict (Shane Stymiest and Justin Burcham), Hi-Po Joe Charles continued his dominance in the all-new category, chalking up a third-straight victory at MIR. Along with wins, Joe continues to rack up class records as well, clicking off a phenomenal 10.82 at 123.35 mph in the hazards-flashing final over Justin.  Factory Stock | Maybe its...  Factory Stock | Maybe its the dizzying graphics that make '11 Factory Stock champion Carlos Sobrino's Pony such a killer in the limited and competitive class. Carlos's LX, dubbed Joker based on its frenetic appearance, scurried to a class-low 10.82 early in eliminations, and knocked down the Leslie family (Sondra and brother John), as well Matt Amrine to record his second-straight win for 2012.  Modular Muscle | Susan McClenaghan...  Modular Muscle | Susan McClenaghan took propane power to the front in Modular Muscle, defeating teammate Donnie Bowles, who also pilots a propane-propelled Pony. Susan's fight went the distance of five rounds, including knockout reaction times when it counted--0.008 in the semifinals and 0.009 in the final against Donnie.  Super 'Stang | The late rounds...  Super 'Stang | The late rounds of Super 'Stang were exciting to watch, as by the semis it was clear two 5.0-powered Ponies would square off for all the marbles in the final round. When the dust settled, Miles Wagoner and his '13 GT got the better of Pete Espeut's Boss at MIR, but we have a feeling this matchup could be one to watch for the rest of the season.  Open Comp | Open Comp winner...  Open Comp | Open Comp winner Mike Buczynski's '88 LX packs a 532ci big-block and always leaves on the wheelie bars. Mike started his march at MIR by scoring a red-light win over reigning champion Jon M. Pickering in the first round, and secured the title with a final-round victory over Randy Conway (a former O/C champ), who redlit.  Truck | Fred Wade appears...  Truck | Fred Wade appears to be on a strong roll in the truck class. The Key West, Florida-based trucker picked up his second-consecutive win at the 12th Annual Downs Motorsport NMRA Ford Nationals at MIR.  Terminator/GT500 Shootout...  Terminator/GT500 Shootout | Our friends at VMP Tuning welcomed nine wicked '03-'04 Cobras and Shelby GT500s to Maryland International Raceway to square off against each other in the Terminator/GT500 Shootout. Joe Logan (near lane) proved to have the dominant horse in this particular race, qualifying on the pole with an 8.64 at 164.53 mph. He literally ran away from everything it was paired with--both Termi and Shelby--throughout each round of eliminations, with Joe's e.t. plummeting to the high-8.30s in Rounds 1 and 2.
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