Maple Grove Wrap-up

[NMCA Scott]

After rain affected most of the weekend in Maple Grove, racers of the NMCA caught a break Sunday at the Seventh Annual Kooks Custom Headers NMCA Muscle Car Nationals.
With Friday washed out entirely and Saturday’s action forced to be contested on the eighth-mile due to residual moisture seeping up from the track it’s any wonder racers and fans alike we happy to be greeted by fantastic weather conditions on Sunday.
No one was happier than Scorpion Performance Pro Street Racer Joe Dunne who, only a few days ago, received a new Camaro from Jerry Bickle Race Cars, entered his first NMCA race and won it. His victory didn’t come easily either as he beat two of the best in the business after disposing of Vinny Budano in the semis and Troy Coughlin in one of the closest finals in recent history. Dunne took both wins on holeshots.
“That was one close drag race,” said the victorious Dunne who, along with engine builder Pat Musi, celebrated his first win. “He’s a good kid and a great driver as he proved here this weekend,” Musi said.
In Mickey Thompson Super Street, Bill Lutz (who qualified 6th on the ladder with a 4.36 to the 8th), managed to hack his way through a tough field of Outlaws to make it to the finals to face Dave Laurer. The finals went down with Lutz chopping the tree with a safe .167 to Laurer’s .232. Lutz’ turbo Chevy was too strong for the Ford, and he was able to pass him by with a winning 7.22 at 205 mph. This was Lutz’ first NMCA victory.
ARP Nostalgia Pro Street had ten racers this weekend who were all aiming for the Maple Grove crown. Racing the only small-block in the class, Joe Bucaro bookended the weekend with a number one qualifier and a win in the finals against Barb Nesbitt in his Duncan Racecars-built Mustang. He busted a .132 reaction, and ran a nice 7.53 to take out the class veteran. The question now is, will we start seeing more small-blocks in NPS sometime soon? Only time will tell.
Vortech Xtreme Street hosted and even eight true ten five racers looking to get the gold in Maple Grove. There were three blower small-block cars in the mix this weekend (Chuck Bartholme, Jason Lee and Chris Singleton) versus three big-block Chevy’s on nitrous (Fred Brunn, Steve Cagle, and Jaime Stanton) a sprayed big-block Mopar from Adam Sailor, and the crazy Olds of Bill Trovato. After a successful month of testing, Singleton was the one who came out on top. After taking down Stanton in the first, then a redlighting Brunn in the second, it came down to a battle of the ProChargers (a crank-drive on Singleton’s and a “side slinger” on Bartholme’s). In possibly one of the coolest races of the weekend, Singleton was able to knock the tree down with a .032 (to Bartholme’s .074) and stay just ahead of Bartholme the whole 1320, enough to win with an 8.15.
In the naturally-aspirated heads-up class, Comp Cams Pro Stock, eight racers showed up, but it was Charlie Booze who was on a tear this weekend. After taking out Max Gross, getting a bye run in the second round, then outrunning John Langer’s Pontiac in the semis, Booze faced class newcomer Mike Konigshofer in the finals. Booze busted a .047 to Konigshofer’s .112 reaction and was able to stay ahead for the event win.
BFGoodrich Tires Street Radial class champion John Macaluso beat Brad Schehr in a cool nitrous versus blower race. Schehr knocked the tree down with a .030 light to Macaluso’s .057. Schehr got there first with a winning, but slower, 8.80 at 155 mph. The margin of victory was .004.
In Drag Racer Magazine Mean Street, Don Baskin won both the Bradenton finals (which was finally ran at this race after a delay due to weather) as well the race this weekend in Maple Grove. He had a bye straight to the final where he took out Alan Von Ahnen after a heartbreaking redlight loss.
In the ShopHEMI.com Late Model Hemi Shootout Dan White and his Magnum beat Gene Hatfield and his Challenger in the Diablosport Hemi Rumble class and Chris Dufresne got the automatic win in his Magnum after Eddie Rosa’s Charger left before the tree activated.
In the nostalgia classes, Doug Duell, who was also racing in the HEMI Shootout in his Challenger, beat Stephanie DeMino who was making her second consecutive final round appearance in Hedman Hedders Nostalgia Super Stock. In Nostalgia Muscle Car, Andy Warren beat John Zombeck in the final but more importantly, beat last year’s champion Ralph Seran in the semis. Warren, had previously lost to Seran the previous three times they raced.
In the index classes, Dan Walleigh bested Joseph Laino in McLeod Open Comp while Doug Winters won beat Bobby Barrick in the final of Eaton-Posi Late Model EFI.