The NMCA (National Muscle Car Association), just announced that the NMCA West Lucas Oil West Coast Shootout is going to be held at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona in August. Since the closing of Auto Club Dragway at Fontana, the NMCA and PSCA have both scrambled to find a new home for their events, and the NMCA has signed a deal with the Fairplex in Pomona that none of us would have expected. It has been years since any event other than the NHRA Winternationals and NHRA World Finals has been held at Pomona, but the NMCA is changing all that. The news just came down, and the full press release from NMCA is below. Check it out, and we’ll see you in Pomona!

Street Legal Drag Racing & More Returns To Pomona August 17th – 19th

 SANTA ANA, Calif. — The NMCA (National Muscle Car Association) will bring street legal drag racing back to Auto Club Raceway of Pomona when the 2nd Annual Lucas Oil NMCA West Coast Shootout, presented by JE Pistons, takes place at the legendary facility August 17th-19th, 2012.  This event will not only offer the opportunity for street legal vehicles to compete head-to-head on Auto Club Raceway’s fabled quarter-mile, but also feature the awesome heads-up drag racing classes of the Flowmaster NMCA WEST Street Car Series.

The event will be the 2nd NMCA WEST Street Car Series motorsport show featuring Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed. There will be eleven NMCA WEST drag racing classes, including the six-second 240 mph Garrett Turbo Pro Street cars, along with index and bracket eliminators. Participants in each of the racing categories as part of the Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed program will be competing for an NHRA Wally. Fans will see an action-packed line-up of racecars, a giant car show with over fifty different awards presented each day, a huge manufactures midway, and used parts swap meet.   “We are very excited about the tremendous privilege we’ve been afforded by NHRA to bring our style of drag racing and motorsport show to this storied facility,” stated Charlie Harmon, President of the NMCA, referring to Pomona’s famous quarter- mile.

Harmon isn’t the only one excited, Fairplex Vice President, Dale Coleman, offered, “We are thrilled with the opportunity to accomplish multiple objectives with this new partnership with the NMCA.  We will be able to offer a much needed venue for local area racing enthusiasts to compete thus serving the community well, while also offering an action-packed entertainment opportunity for the many drag racing and car show fans here Southern California.”

“With drag racing classes ranging from the ultra-high tech Pro Mod/Pro Street category, to a number of index and bracket categories, and the ever popular TREMEC True Street class, we think this will be a very high-profile event.  The True Street class is specifically designed for licensed and insured street legal vehicles capable of making a 30-mile cruise on the public roadways. Once the cars return to the track, they make multiple runs down the track and the passes are averaged with the overall winner crowned,” Harmon said.  Awards are also given to True Street racers who win different ET categories.   “Demand for this event will most likely require that the drag racing entries be limited,” Harmon added.  “However, we do plan to offer a discounted pre-entry for this event, which would guarantee competitor participation for the event.  Gate entries will be accepted for the event but may have to be cut off when each class meets its quota,” Harmon concluded.

2012 NMCA WEST Street Car Series events, presented by Flowmaster, will feature the Aerospace Components NHRA Unleashed and take place at the following venues:  Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, CA – June 22-24; Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, CA – August 17-19; Speedworld Dragstrip in Phoenix, AZ – September 21-23; and tentatively scheduled for Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, CA – October 19-21.  For event information, as it becomes available, please log onto www.nmcadigital.com or contact the NMCA WEST at (714) 444-2426.