By Mary Lendzion Bruce Lang has one of the most eye-catching cars in Coan Engineering Stock/Super Stock. It's a clean Barracuda powered by a Chrysler 440 Six Pack built by Russ Berens with machine work by W&W Machine and heads by Wegner Automotive, and inscribed on its doors is the phrase The sun will straighten it out. When people ask Lang what the sun will straighten out, he smiles and tells them everything, and he had that positive disposition throughout the year. It served him well, as he qualified in the twenty-seventh spot with a 9.57 on a 10.30 and lost in the first round of eliminations after turning on the red light at the Whipple Superchargers NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem presented by Holbrook Racing Engines in March at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida. He then qualified in the eighteenth spot with a 9.65 on a 10.30 and went to the NMCA Winner's Circle with a 9.67 on a 9.71 at the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in April at Atlanta Dragway. Making that accomplishment even more amazing, Lang also won in his other Barracuda in Quick Fuel Technology Nostalgia Super Stock at that event, and both were first-time wins for him in the categories. It was an unbelievable experience, said Lang. Four years ago to that day, my dad passed away, so to get to the winner's circle was special. Lang went on to qualify in the twenty-fourth spot with a 9.57 on a 10.30 and won again, this time with a 9.62, at the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing presented by HPJ Performance in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois. From there, he qualified in the twenty-sixth spot with a 9.74 on a 10.30 and finished as the runner-up after turning on the red light at the Inaugural Arrington Performance NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Force Engineering in July at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan, and then qualified in the thirty-ninth spot with a 9.73 on a 10.30 and lost in the third round of eliminations with a break out time of 9.74 on a 9.75 at the NMCA All-American Nationals in August at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio. Ready to cross the finish line, Lang qualified in the twenty-eighth spot with a 9.64 on a 10.30, and despite losing in the first round of eliminations with a -.002 reaction time, he locked up the 2021 Coan Engineering Stock/Super Stock championship at the 20th Annual NMCA World Street Finals presented by Chevrolet Performance in September at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana. He also earned a second-place finish in Quick Fuel Technology Nostalgia Super Stock. I went to each race, and I started off by wanting to win rounds, and then I envisioned winning races, and then all of a sudden, it came together, and I had the opportunity to win a championship, said Lang. It got a bit stressful, but I kept thinking that I had a chance to do something many have been wanting to do, and I wanted to keep it going. I want to thank my wife, Deb, whose support makes all the difference. I also want to thank Russ Berens, who has shared a lot of his knowledge while also building my engines and driveline components; our family-owned business, B&K Trucking and employees, Coan Engineering for being the class sponsor and fellow competitors, friends, and sponsors who make the events possible. Never give up on your dreams.
Lang will be lauded at the NMCA Muscle Car Nationals Champions Ceremony, which will be held during the PRI Show on Dec. 10 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, and in the upcoming Champions Issue of Fastest Street Car Magazine.