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Nowicki Uses Experience to Capture Super Stock Championship

Posted By: Mary Lendzion
Written by Mary Lendzion
Photos by the NMCA Staff


Mark Nowicki has worked on and wheeled some wicked Mopars through the years.

He has also won a lot of races in them, and the one that is attracting so much attention these days in the 1998 Dodge Avenger that he campaigns in NMCA FSC Super Stock.

The car with the front wheel drive conversion built by Mike Pustelny Racing is currently powered by a fuel-injected Drag Pak 360 engine built by Mike LaLonde in the shop at Nowicki’s company, M&M Excavating in Gaylord, Michigan. It is backed by a Chrysler 904 transmission built by Joel’s on Joy, and Nowicki, a strong contender in NMCA, NHRA and IHRA, relies on Big Stuff 3 to dial in his combination.

Ready to roll into the 2022 NMCA season, Nowicki headed to the NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem presented by Holbrook Racing Engines in March at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida, where he qualified in the second spot with a 9.52 on a 10.80. He won the first round of eliminations with a 9.56 on a 9.56, and the second round of eliminations, a double breakout, with a 9.50 on a 9.51. He then recorded a 9.54 on a solo pass in the third round of eliminations and won the fourth round of eliminations with a 9.56 on a 9.55. From there, he went to the NMCA Winner’s Circle with an off-the-gas pass after Steven Hall had an issue.

“Winning the first race of the year was a great jumpstart to the season,” said Nowicki. “Racers understand what happens once that hook is set and racing becomes a part of you.”



A few weeks later, he was off to the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in April at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina. He led qualifying with a 9.45 on a  10.80, and ran a 9.51 on a solo pass in the first round of eliminations. He followed that with a 9.57 on a 9.54 to win the second round of eliminations, and he exited in the third round of eliminations with a 9.56 on a 9.54.

“Drag racing is much more than those few seconds down the track,” said Nowicki. “It’s amazing how each 9-second run takes so much preparation, but goes by so fast.”

Nowicki was strong going into the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing presented by Fuelab in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois. He qualified in the second spot with a 9.66 on a 10.80, won the first round of eliminations with a dead-on 9.67, got by the second round of eliminations when his opponent went red and gunned to a 9.68 on a solo pass in the third round of eliminations. Nowicki ended the weekend with a 9.72 on a 9.69 against Steven Hall to wrap up another event win.

“Staying focused every race day can be challenging,” said Nowicki. “When you have to operate at peak performance for every run, there really is no margin for error.”

Ready to race in his home state, he qualified in the third spot with a 9.62 on a 10.80 at the Arrington Performance NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by TorqStorm Superchargers in July at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan. As it turned out, it wasn’t quite his weekend, as he exited eliminations in the first round with a breakout time of 9.65 on a 9.66.

Getting closer to the conclusion of the season, Nowicki gunned to a 9.41 on a 10.80 to qualify in the third spot at the NMCA All-American Nationals presented by Sick the Magazine in August at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio. He won the first round of eliminations with a 9.64 on a 9.59, the second round of eliminations with a dead-on 9.61, the third round of eliminations with a 9.65 on 9.63 and the fourth round of eliminations despite a breakout time of 9.65 on a 9.67 as his opponent also broke out. He was 9.65 on a solo pass in the semifinal round of eliminations, and wonderfully wrapped up another event win, this time with a 9.67 on a 9.65 over Jeff Ross.



At one of the most important races of the season, Nowicki qualified in the second spot with a 9.39 on a 10.80 at the NMCA World Street Finals presented by Chevrolet Performance in September at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indiana. While he didn’t advance to the final round of eliminations, he did advance to the 2022 FSC Super Stock championship.

“It's an honor to be the 2022 FSC Super Stock world champion,” said Nowicki. “I’ve been racing for a long time, and the camaraderie among racers is unlike anything you’ll find in any other sport. We’re truly a family, and I like to think we bring out the best in each other when we compete, and congratulate each other when the race is over. Those friendships and that kinship makes being this year’s FSC Super Stock world champion truly special. I would like to thank God, my angel in heaven, Elaine, my family, which includes my girlfriend, Jen Lyons and her family, my daughter, Brandie Meisner and her family and Bobby and Carolyn Howald. I would also like to thank sponsors M&M Excavating, including Mike LaLonde, Mark Donald and Mike Zoll, who make it all happen, and Chris Osman at Mickey Thompson Tires, John Meaney at Big Stuff, Bob Kobylski at Modern Cylinder Head and Jeff Kundratic at Lucas Oil. I would also like to thank my extended drag racing family, including Jim and MaryJo Bailey, Allen and Marilyn Wade, Joe and Alice Tysinger, Mike and Emily Volkman, Dan and Edna Walcott, Howard Comstock, Tom Cunningham and so many others.”

The NMCA is proud to celebrate Nowicki and his fellow champions at the Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals Awards Ceremony, held during the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Dec. 9, 2022, at the Indiana Convention Center, and in the upcoming Champions Issue of Fastest Street Car.


 
 

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