By Mary Lendzion
When the Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series joins the NMCA at events throughout the race season, LME Street King is among the categories in the spotlight.
The competition is close, and among those holding his own round after round is Ricardo LaCosta, whose Malibu is motivated by an LS7 engine.
The Michigan-based driver got things going by qualifying in the fifth spot with a 10.57 on a 10.50 index and exited in the semifinal round of eliminations with a 10.68 against Ricky Pennington at the 11th Annual Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by Mahle Motorsport in April at Atlanta Dragway.
He then qualified in the tenth spot with a 10.54 on a 10.50 index and exited in the first round of eliminations after turning on the red light against Al Corda at the Inaugural Comp Cams NMCA Memphis Homecoming, and exited in the semifinal round of eliminations with a 10.58 on a 10.50 against Corda at the 14th Annual Nitto NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing in July at Route 66 Raceway in Illinois.
Determined to get things done, he led qualifying with a 10.76 on a 10.75 index and went to the Aerospace Components Winner's Circle with a 10.86 over Steven Griswold at the 18th Annual NMCA All-American Nationals in August at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio.
Not finished, he led qualifying again, this time with a 10.75 on a 10.75 index, and made it to the semifinal, where he was .002 on the tree but exited eliminations with a 10.77 against Austin Tewell, who ran right on his number, at the 18th Annual NMCA World Street Finals presented by Chevrolet Performance in September at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana. With that, LaCosta, who has been competing in the category for several years, landed the 2019 Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series LME Street King championship.
The competition in the Street King class was fierce, said LaCosta. There are many great competitors. Some are multi-time national champions in both NMCA and NHRA. To us, it was an honor and a privilege to compete against such a talented group of racers. Most of them are now our friends. Winning the Street King championship is a dream come true, and a dream I could not have achieved alone. My wife, Jennifer, my sons, Rico and Andrew, and my brother, Bernardo, were all very supportive and helpful. Without them, the dream coming true could have never happened.
LaCosta and his fellow champions will be feted at a special Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series event during the Performance Racing Industry show in December in Indiana.
