Sunday Coverage | TorqStorm Superchargers NMRA/NMCA Power Festival

Jul 23, 2023

Every round counts today. Yesterday qualifying ended and the racers who survived the first round of eliminations battle it out for a chance at a trip to the Winner’s Circle at the TorqStorm Superchargers NMRA/NMCA Power Festival Presented by Paul's High Performance. With only two more races left this season, the margin for error is narrowing, and racers need every round win and record-setting pass to gain an edge in the season’s championship points chase.

While many of the specialty classes like the TorqStorm SuperChargers True Street and Dodge // Mopar Hemi Shootout wrapped yesterday, the eight quickest modern Hemi machines from the latter class moved on to today’s HHP Racing Hemi Quick 8 shootout today.

The excitement is high at US 131 Motorsports Park, so stay tuned to this page and our social channels for updates throughout the day.

Paul Svinicki of Paul’s High Performance signed up as presenting sponsor of the event as a celebration for his friends, family, and customers. He invited them out for lunch and a day of beautiful weather and fast race cars at US 131 Motorsports Park. That doesn’t mean he isn’t racing, however. He is still campaigning his Godzilla-powered Cobra Jet in the MagnaFuel Open Comp class. The car is rock steady. He hasn’t touched the combination since last year in Norwalk, so he is enjoying the race in his backyard.

VP Racing Lubricants Xtreme Pro Mod racer Bob Glenn ran into trouble as he shifted into high gear on a qualifying pass. His engine broke a valve and took out a couple of pistons, but the team scrambled to make the necessary repairs to get it up and running in time for the first round of eliminations.

It’s not often that you see a hot rod milk truck rolling down the street or blasting down the racetrack, but as part of the Sick the Mag Drag & Drive Invitational presented by Gear Vendors this father and son duo brought out a hauler that hauls. Mark Cryer and his son Nick spent six years on and off turning this 1963 Divco into a high-10-second drag and drive machine. Powered by a 565-cube big-block boosted by a no-name turbo kit bought from an online auction. The power travels through a Turbo 400 auto and a Ford 9-inch rear and is planted by a custom ladder-bar rear suspension. Mark says they know they have to stay next to the truck after a run because people love to learn more about this unique ride.

Speaking of unique, Ron Bochenek fabricated a really trick parachute mount for his 1962 Ranchero. Once his ride, which is powered by a PER-built, 427-cube Windsor, started running fast enough, he had to have a parachute installed, so he created this setup. The 80-pound tailgate is a nice counterweight for traction and it provides the foundation for the mount, but the tether to the frame bears the load if he drops the laundry. However, Bochenek says he never uses the parachute because he would rather change the brake pads in his Strange stoppers every couple of years than pack the ’chute after every round. He qualified in MagnaFuel Open Comp with a 8.64 so he plans to dial in the car’s nitrous system to run the number in eliminations.

VP Racing Madditives Xtreme Street racer Tony Orts wasn’t happy that he was only qualified in the middle of the 26-car field, but he is still having a great time this weekend because he brought friends along to race with him this weekend. “We brought a knife to a gunfight,” he said of his car’s small-block nitrous combo. Knowing building an all-new engine would cost a mint, Orts keeps trying different tactics with his long-running combo.

Another cool ride in the Sick the Mag Drag & Drive Invitational is Brian Crane’s real 2003 SVT Mustang Cobra. Formerly factory black, his car now wears a wrap that is easier to keep clean. Running a Modular Head Shop-prepped 4.6-liter with forged internals, ported heads, big MHS turbo cams, and a Sullivan intake ported by 1320 Junkie Performance, it receives plenty of boost from a Precision 94-104 Pro Mod turbo operating as part of a custom system by Jeff Chandler. Tuned up on a Holley EFI System and funneling 1,400-plus horsepower through a D&D Performance face-plated T-56 six-speed manual to a Team Z suspension.

Randy Running scored a win for the Great Lakes Super Stock Association as their star drivers took on the best racers in the NMCA Micro Strategies Stock and Super Stock classes on Friday in Martin. Running, the son of veteran class racing Rock Running, won the special 32-car event, which has become a staple of the TorqStorm Superchargers NMRA/NMCA Power Festival in Michigan.

Running won the final round after his scheduled opponent, Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer Paul Mecure, was unable to stage for the final. Running, the current leader in the Great Lakes series, made his way to the final using a combination of solid reaction times and consistent performances from his Olds Cutlass.

Running’s best performance came in the semifinal round where he used a perfect 9.355 on his 9.35 dial to stop Michigan neighbor Charlie Downing, who broke out.

The Great Lakes Stock-Super Stock Association brought eight Stock racers and eight Super Stock drivers to the event to take on the best NMCA drivers. For the win, Running received $1,200, while Mecure collected $600 for his runner-up finish. There was also a team bonus for the Great Lakes Association drivers.

This event marks a perfect opportunity for class racers to participate in two separate events on the same weekend as Great Lakes Stock-Super Stock Association racers can also race in either Micro Strategies Stock or Super Stock for the remainder of the weekend.