Saturday afternoon at the NMCA Bluegrass Nationals was a blur, readers. I can’t lie…between shooting photos and doubling back to get the Chrysler ready for another pass where I was hoping on a miracle, it was no surprise that the first thing I did when I got home was to pass out so fast that my wife took notice. Once the heads-up classes, which included the Dodge/Mopar Hemi Shootout, the Chevrolet Performance Street Car Challenge and the True Street category, got down to business the afternoon seemed to fly by as it was race, hope to cool the engine down a little, race again, repeat. By the time that was over I was seeing double and needed to walk for a bit.
Saturday was the end of the event for me, as not only was the Hemi Shootout over but because I had other ventures I needed to attend to on Sunday, when the heavier hitters would go into eliminations. Jackie Sloan, Jr. took the VP Racing Fuels Xtreme Pro Mod category in his nitrous 1969 Camaro to the tune of [email protected]. James Lawrence had to overcome a blown engine in his Mickey Thompson Radial Wars Corvette, but after a full thrash got lucky when Marty Stinnett had to pedal, winning with a [email protected]. Daniel Pharris got an emotional win in Vortech Superchargers Street Outlaw in a 1995 Mustang, Scott Libersher’s 2015 COPO Camaro took Holley EFI Factory Super Cars, and ARP Nitrous Pro Street saw a showdown between Matt Salminen’s 1969 Camaro and Tricia Musi in father Pat’s old Popeye 2000 Pontiac Firebird. After an pedalfest from both drivers, Salminen took the stripe but Musi won, becoming engaged at the event. Other winners included:
- Dwight Ausmus in ARP N/A 10.5
- Jessie Coulter got Edelbrock Xtreme Street
- Jesse Wilson nailed Chevrolet Performance Stock presented by Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center
- Ricky Pennington in Coan Engineering Stock/Super Stock
- Doug Wright in ATI Performance Products Nostalgia Super Stock
- Ken Weilbrenner in Detroit True Trac Nostalgia Muscle Car
- William Jones in MagnaFuel Open Comp
- Doug Wright, Randy Standsbury, Shawn Johnston, and Butch Cassary in Dave Duell Nostalgia Super Stock
- Jeff Knox, Casey Flora, John Combs, Chris Cowles and Matt Johnson in Gear Vendors True Street
- Steve Best, Jay “Speedy” Orrand, Jenny McClain, Trenton Smith, Travis McKenne, Michael Oellrich and Don Fielder for Dodge/Mopar Hemi Shootout
That’s all from Beech Bend for now! Until the next round…
