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Mid-Season Review—Red Line Synthetic Oil NMCA Titles on the Line with Michigan, Norwalk and Indy to Go.

Posted By: Evan J. Smith
Mid-Season Review—Red Line Synthetic Oil NMCA Titles on the Line with Michigan, Norwalk and Indy to Go.
 
By NMCA Staff
 
When the annual Red Line Synthetic Oil NMCA Drag Racing awards banquet is held in Indianapolis in early December, there will be 13 champions crowned. But there is much work to be done before anyone can script their acceptance speech. The first three events of the season, contested in Orlando, Rockingham, and St. Louis, produced some of the most competitive racing in recent memory and that certainly bodes well for the final three stops on the tour. 
 
With a short break before the next event, the TorqStorm NMCA/NMRA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance in Martin, Mich., this is a perfect time to take stock of the title fights in each class.


In VP Racing Lubricants Pro Mod, Ty Tutterow and Craig Sullivan traded punches at the first three races. Tutterow won in Orlando and was a runner-up to Sullivan’s wild ’53 Merc at the next two races. The net result is a 175-point lead for Tutterow, who has boosted his score by qualifying No. 1 at the last two events. Sullivan and Tutterow will likely race head-to-head at least a couple more times this season and the outcome of those events will almost certainly determine the champion. It’s also worth noting that Sullivan finished No. 2 during the 2021 season, even though he missed a race.


As a testament to the parity in the Holley EFI Factory Supercars class, the top three spots are occupied by a Dodge, a Ford, and a Chevrolet. Jonathan Allegrucci, who drives a Cobra Jet Ford Mustang, is holding on to a slim lead over fellow CJ pilot Chuck Watson II, with Tony Scott holding steady in third. Allegrucci has won two races, which gives him a score of 1,545 points, just 175 points in front of Watson and he’s 385 points ahead of Scott. Dodge driver AJ Berge missed the Rockingham round, but he remains in contention thanks to his win at the season-opener in Orlando. That win was big as it gained him the $10,000 bonus from Dodge! Watson, the defending champ, also helped himself with a 50 point bonus for a new record at the last event.
 
With two wins, a runner-up and three-straight low qualifying efforts, Joe Clemente is a threat to run away with the Dart N/A 10.5 title. Clemente, who finished second last year by less than a round to multi-time champ Leonard Long, is 665 points in front of Dwight Ausmus, giving him the biggest lead in any class in NMCA or NMRA competition. Clemente’s one misstep for the season came in Orlando where he lost the final round to Robbie Blankenship. 


David Fallon Jr. is intent on defending his title in ARP Nitrous Pro Street and he’s off to a great start with two wins and a runner-up. Fallon is far from safe though as his lead is currently just 285 points over Rockingham winner Kyle Salminen. Fallon also boosted his score with a record performance to start the season in Orlando.
 
There is a robust field of 27 drivers who have earned points in Edelbrock Xtreme Street. And all of them are chasing Martin Connely, who is off to a great start with wins at the first two races. Connolly took an early loss in St. Louis, which allowed the rest of the field to play catch-up. As a result, there are just 625 points separating the top five drivers including Connely, Bill Travato, Terry Wilson, Ray Cox, and Becki Cram. Steven Wardlow is also in the mix following a runner-up finish in St. Louis.


With three races under his belt in 2023, Kevin Lumsden has had his way with the field in SCPC Chevrolet Performance Stock. Lumsden scored two victories and a semifinal finish and that accounts for a 1,470 point total, a full 600 points clear of second place Shawn Calabrese. Lumsden has also been the low qualifier at each race, and he’s gained valuable bonus points for setting multiple records, which has contributed to his hardy score.
 
It's still anyone’s championship in Micro Strategies Super Stock, but the road to the title will go through defending champion Mark Nowicki who is the leader at mid-season. Nowicki has 992 points and is just 100 ahead of second place Dennis Breden. Amy Faulk, Joe Ewing, and Augustus Adkins round out the top five. Quite honestly, anyone in the top 15 slots is very much alive for the title in what is easily one of NMCA’s most competitive classes.
 
Bruce Boyle driving his Chevrolet Camaro kicked off the season with a win in Micro Strategies Stock and has managed to hold the lead to mid-season with two more respectable outings. Boyle currently has a 400-point advantage over George Cox, while defending class champ Dave Swanson holds down the No. 3 position. Randy Eakins and Doug Duell round out the top five in Stock, where more than 30 drivers have already claimed points at least one event.
 
There is quite a battle raging in Quick Fuel Technology Nostalgia Super Stock as the top six drivers are all very much in contention for the 2023 title. Jim Netherland had a runner-up in Orlando and a win in St. Louis to boost his total to 1,570 points, which gives him a 160-point lead against David Horton. Doug Duell remains a contender in two classes as he’s currently No. 3 in Nostalgia Super Stock with a win in Orlando. Duell is just 370 points behind Netherland at the break.
 
This should surprise no one, but one of the most competitive battles in NMCA is happening in Magnafuel Open Comp, where 520 points separate the top four drivers. Leader Scott Williams faces a tough task in trying to hold off multi-time champ Susan Roush McClenaghan who is just 95 markers out of first. Williams combined a win in Orlando with a semifinal in St. Louis, but a round one loss in Rockingham will most likely be his throwaway score as the top five of six events are tabulated toward the title. 


Danny Towe is serious about defending his championship in Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle as he’s built an enormous 800-point lead over his friend and rival, David Mormann. Towe, who also won the NMRA Ford Muscle title last season, was a runner-up at the first two stops on the tour before striking gold at the recent NMCA/NMRA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing in St. Louis. Towe’s record on the season in the Nostalgia Muscle class is an impressive 10-2 in elimination rounds.
 
Reigning LME Street King champ Cody Poston is once again the leader at mid-season thanks to a hot start that includes a win in Orlando, a runner-up in St. Louis, and three solid qualifying performances. Poston holds the top spot by 135 points over Rockingham champ Steve Satchell, who finished No. 5 last season. A pair of semifinals has Kurt Anderson in third place, but he is well within striking distance with just a 340-point deficit with three races left. 
 
After a second-place finish last year, LME Street King leader Cody Poston is in a prime position to double-up with a second title in Proform Rumble, but there is still much work to be done. Following a tough loss at the season opener, Poston has quickly bounced back with a pair of wins in Rockingham and St. Louis to stake a 150-point lead over Orlando champ Keith Vaughn, while Nick Massengale is third, but 650 points back.

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