NMRA Bradenton 2011 Same Day Coverage

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The season opener in Bradenton is the undisputed biggest race of the NMRA racing season.  It is where 2010 records fall and new cars are unveiled. Also, this is the place that sets the tone for who will be on top in 2011.  Nearly all the records in every class were broken last year – will it happen again?  Stay tuned all weekend as we bring you updates from the first race of the 2011 NMRA racing season.

Special thanks to our event sponsor SCT Performance.  Check out their great line of tuning products at www.sctflash.com

Friday News From the Pits

Ever seen a Real Street car with a parachute on the back? Neither have we, though this could be a sign of things to come in Real Street this year. Hemminger holds the record from last year with a 9.23 @ 144.88 mph pass, though a parachute is required for cars running faster than 8.90 or 150 mph - we will see if the guys will have a reason to use it.

The talk of Super Street Outlaw is Andrew DeMarco. Fresh out off the track from testing in Palm Beach, DeMarco went a 7.22 @ 198 MPH, which is the unofficial fastest pass ever in SSO. Eric Dillard and tuning wizard Steve Petty of Proline Race Engines, both of whom were instrumental in the enormous turbocharged horsepower being produced from the 414 cubic inch mill under the hood.

Johnny Mac is looking to turn that number two into a number one in SSO with a new engine for 2011. The shiny new powerplant is based upon a World Products block, sporting a set of Edelbrock SC1 aluminum heads and intake massaged by Shaut Heads, along with Victory titanium valves, and Total Seal gapless piston rings wrapped around a set of Diamond Pistons. Smith Brothers push-rods, Jesel rock arms, and a set of Precision Turbo fuel injectors round out the package. The bullet will, of course, be fed once again by a thundering Procharger unit.

Sean Lyon has opted to hold onto the 85mm turbo and take the weight break with the new X275-style Drag Radial rules. The big talk is the return of the 88mm turbo, which was banned a few years, after champion John Kolivas left the class.

Defending Drag Radial champion Jason Lee is liking the new tire choices in the class. He has been testing between the Hoosiers and Mickey Thompson drag radials. Yesterday Lee blasted off a 7.74 pass, though he feels the number to beat this race will be in the .50s

As you probably know by now, the 2011 Mustang 5.0 has been allowed in Factory Stock. The new 412HP 5.0 puts out twice as much power has the original push rod counter parts. With that in mind, the cars have been kept very tight on weight and power rules. Outside of very basic suspension bolt ons, engine modifications are limited to small tube headers, 2.75" cat-back and an air filter.

In addition to the Evolution Performance Factory Stock above, Blow By Racing has also joined the class.

In the Urist pits we saw Hellion's new 2011 Mustang turbo kit equipped to a BOSS 302 intake manifold. This is the first time we have seen a forced induction combination used with the BOSS intake.

Nothing too exciting going on with Test and Tune so far. Most people have had a hard time hooking up off the line or they have been lifting early

More Test and Tune Photos

Demarco ran a 7.46 during testing on a soft hit - one of the only Super Street Outlaw cars to lay down a decent pass

Andy Manson is a X275 racer from the MIR circuit that is here competing in Xtreme Drag Radial. NMRA XDR only varies slightly from the X275 rules, one rule states that Andy needed to put a core support back into the car to compete in the class. It will be a learning curve for Manson as X275 is a eigth mile only class.

Round 1 Qualifying Notes

Your defending champion in Pro Outlaw 10.5, Conrad Scarry, sits at the top of the three car ladder after the first round of qualifying with a 6.942 @ 215 mph pass. 2010 season runner up Mike Murillo will not make it to the show as he suffered from severe engine failure during a test session on Wednesday.

It is a Tim Matherly and Bruce Hemminger show in Real Street. Matherly had suspension problems with his 2010 Mustang last year at zMax and has not fixed it yet, thus returning to his proven 2-valve New Edge Mustang. There are some rumors that Real Street will be getting the new 5.0 four-valve in 2012 and he will ready his 2010 Mustang for that combination if it is accepted.

The story of the round goes to Chris Tuten for his amazing, record breaking run in Super Street Outlaw. Tuten was the first SSO driver to break the 200 mph barrier with a blistering 7.207 @ 201.38 mph. If he can back it up, it will be good for a new ET and MPH record.

But it hasn't been an easy two weeks for Tuten, who suffered from two massive failures. Two weeks ago during testing, a severe rear end failure sent the driveshaft up and through the tunnel of the car. Once repaired and back on the track this last Wednesday, Tuten suffered another massive failure, this time with the engine. Not even 60 feet out, the engine let go, destroying 80% of the engine, including the entire short block. It shows that determination can pay off, even in the worst circumstances.

Charlie Booze pulled a nice wheel stand during the first round of qualifying. Charlie struggled during testing with wheel spin off the line and some mid-track wiggling, though he dialed it in for qualifying and put down a 8.469 @ 154.18 mph pass. Roush racer Robbie Blankenship was having a hard time getting down the track, suffering from off-the-line wheel spin on his testing and qualifying passes.

Sean Lyon managed to edge out 2010 champion Jason Lee for the number one qualifying spot. With the revised rules, it was obvious that the record would fall during the first round. Lyon made it there with the first .60 pass in Drag Radial - 7.641 @ 187.77 mph.

Number two XDR qualifier Jason Lee road out a nice 250 foot long wheel stand during the first round. Check the gallery for the full sequence.

Qualifying Round 1 Ladders – Click the Pictures for Bigger Versions








The pits were pretty quiet after the first round of qualifying with no major thrashing to report. Stay tuned for two more rounds of qualifying tomorrow!

About the author

Mark Gearhart

In 1995 Mark started photographing drag races at his once local track, Bradenton Motorsports Park. He became hooked and shot virtually every series at the track until 2007 until he moved to California and began working as a writer for Power Automedia. He was the founding editor for its first online magazines, and transitioned into the role of editorial director role in 2014. Retiring from the company in 2016, Mark continues to expand his career as a car builder, automotive enthusiast, and freelance journalist to provide featured content and technical expertise.
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