By all accounts, Jessie Coulter was super-successful in 2017, as he earned championships in NMCA Edelbrock Xtreme Street and Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series Holley EFI Real Street.
When he wasn't at the first two events on this year's NMCA tour, fans wondered whether he was resting on his laurels, but as it turned out, he was in the process of having built by Brian Tooley a new 388 cubic-inch LSX engine on an aluminum LSX-R block to be fronted by his Garrett turbo massaged by Midwest Turbo/CRT.
"We destroyed an engine at the last race of 2017, so we were starting fresh," said Coulter. "We got a handle on the new setup fairly quick.
Indeed, Coulter led qualifying with a 4.79 and picked up to a 4.76 against Nick McGrath to go to the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle at the 17th Annual Quick Fuel Technology Bluegrass Nationals in May at Beech Bend Raceway in Kentucky, where he also won one of the event's special features, the Brian Tooley Racing Real Street Shootout.
After that, he trapped an even quicker 4.69 to qualify in the second spot and finished as runner-up against Joel Greathouse at the 13th Annual Nitto NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing in July at Route 66 Raceway in Illinois, and a month later, he led qualifying again with a 4.71 and won again with a 4.74 against Tim Knieriem at the very well-attended 17th Annual Honeywell Garrett NMCA All-American Nationals in August at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio.
He popped off a 4.73 to qualify in the second spot and advanced to the semifinal, where he turned on the red light, at the final event of the season, the NMCA World Street Finals in September at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana, and it was all enough to help him lock up his 2018 NMCA Edelbrock Xtreme Street championship.
We noticed after our runner-up finish in Joliet that we still had a shot at (the championship), said Coulter. After winning in Norwalk, it would be down to the wire at Indy to lock it up. We needed three rounds to lock it up, and in the second round, we got a bye from a broke single, and in the third round, we had a competition bye. It was an awesome feeling to take the tree knowing I had just won another championship. I'd like to thank Rick ball, Shawn Riggsbee and Brian Tooley for all the support. It truly takes a strong team to run a successful program. Thanks to my sponsors, RC Components, Brian Tooley Racing, CRT Turbo, RPM Transmissions, Pro Torque Converters and Scoggin Dickey Parts. Thanks to my wife and three girls I leave at home every time we go racing.
Coulter and his accomplishments will be celebrated at the NMCA Muscle Car Nationals presented by E3 Spark Plugs Awards Ceremony presented by Aerospace Components, Dec. 7 at the Indiana Convention Center.
After that, he trapped an even quicker 4.69 to qualify in the second spot and finished as runner-up against Joel Greathouse at the 13th Annual Nitto NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing in July at Route 66 Raceway in Illinois, and a month later, he led qualifying again with a 4.71 and won again with a 4.74 against Tim Knieriem at the very well-attended 17th Annual Honeywell Garrett NMCA All-American Nationals in August at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio.
He popped off a 4.73 to qualify in the second spot and advanced to the semifinal, where he turned on the red light, at the final event of the season, the NMCA World Street Finals in September at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana, and it was all enough to help him lock up his 2018 NMCA Edelbrock Xtreme Street championship.
We noticed after our runner-up finish in Joliet that we still had a shot at (the championship), said Coulter. After winning in Norwalk, it would be down to the wire at Indy to lock it up. We needed three rounds to lock it up, and in the second round, we got a bye from a broke single, and in the third round, we had a competition bye. It was an awesome feeling to take the tree knowing I had just won another championship. I'd like to thank Rick ball, Shawn Riggsbee and Brian Tooley for all the support. It truly takes a strong team to run a successful program. Thanks to my sponsors, RC Components, Brian Tooley Racing, CRT Turbo, RPM Transmissions, Pro Torque Converters and Scoggin Dickey Parts. Thanks to my wife and three girls I leave at home every time we go racing.
Coulter and his accomplishments will be celebrated at the NMCA Muscle Car Nationals presented by E3 Spark Plugs Awards Ceremony presented by Aerospace Components, Dec. 7 at the Indiana Convention Center.