As much as we try, the BangShift machine just can’t be everywher. But thanks to guys like John Fusco and Mike Galimi, we can still bring you results and highlights from the NMRA World Finals in Bowling Green Kentucky. Big thanks to John and Mike for helping us get you great photos and all the dirt on the best Mustang Racing in the World from one of the coolest drag strips in the country.
Racers, show cars, and fans pack Beech Bend Raceway for NMRA World Finals.
By John Fusco
Photos by Mike Galimi
If you are Mustang fan and can attend just one event a year then it should be the NMRA World Finals. The tiny town of Bowling Green, KY becomes the center of the Mustang Universe the first weekend of every October as Mustang enthusiasts flood it for the NMRA-Keystone World Finals. This year was the 13th running of the annual event and its stellar health is quite apparent. And when we say it was taken over by Mustang folks, we aren’t kidding. From the drag strip of Beech Bend Raceway to the strip called Scottsville Road, there were Mustangs cruising, racing, and hanging out at nearly all hours of the day. The euphoric Mustang event is the culmination of the six prior NMRA races as the heads-up racers fight to be champions and battle one more time before hibernating for the winter. The heads-up racing excitement paves the way for the other segments that make up the NMRA culture like the UPR Car Show, Tremec True Street Challenge, Manufacturers Midway, Swap Meet, and Bracket Showdown.
Some fans might be there for the action-packed heads-up racing but one couldn’t ignore the strength of the car show that boasts 321 entries for Saturday. It was so big that NMRA officials had to start clearing more property to handle the extra volume of entries. The True Street Challenge is a unique street car experience that is more of a lifestyle in the Mustang world than a shootout. There are some who take the competition seriously but participation doesn’t require purpose built cars. Simply show-up on Saturday, enter True Street, perform the 30-mile cruise, and then perform the three consecutive runs down the track. NMRA officials then tally up all three runs and create an average, which then determines the final rundown. Running True Street on Saturday includes an entry for Sunday’s bracket race. It is a class that has been around since 1992 and this year the NMRA World Finals saw a record number of entries with 107 participants.
In the heads-up world, the championship efforts were tight as not one racer had clinched a title heading into the final event of the season. That was partly because the NMRA-Columbus event was rained out and the final rounds were being run during qualifying. But on Sunday, the crowd watched intensely as Jason Lee (275 Drag Radial), Mike Murillo (Pro Outlaw 10.5), and Robbie Blankenship (Hot Street) each had to make it to the final round before being declared a champion. In fact, Robbie Blankenship and Jason Lee made the final round but the NMRA officials had to go to the tie-breaker rules in order to declare the point’s winner. The other highlight was John Urist capturing an unprecedented 7th NMRA world title in Super Street Outlaw.
If you are a Mustang fan or racer, especially a late-model kind of guy (or gal), then the NMRA World Finals is a must-see event. The hottest speed shops in the late-model market were on hand with show specials and showing off the their shop cars on the streets and track. It is also a great opportunity to talk one-on-one with tuners, fellow enthusiasts, and manufacturers. There is something for everyone to buy too from bolt-ons to supercharger systems on the Manufacturer’s Midway. The NMRA World Finals isn’t a race; it is a full-fledged lifestyle event for the true enthusiast and the casual fan.
NMRA-Keystone Drag Racing Series Results
Turbosmart Pro Outlaw 10.5
Winner: Mike Murillo
Runner-Up: Tim Essick
ProCharger Super Street Outlaw
Winner: John Urist
Runner-Up: Terry Elam
Blow-By Racing EFI/Renegade
Winner: Bob Cook
Runner-Up: Joel Howard
Edelbrock Hot Street
Winner: Robbie Blankenship
Runner-Up: Charlie Booze Jr.
Afco Drag Radial
Winner: Sean Lyon
Runner-Up: Jason Lee
Steeda Real Street
Winner: Jay Meagher
Runner-Up: Jim Breese
Eibach Springs Pure Street
Winner: Shawn Johnson
Runner-Up: Steve Gifford
BF Goodrich Factory Stock
Winner: Brian Campbell
Runner-Up: Louis Sylvester
Exedy Modular Muscle
Winner: Randy Mounce
Runner-Up: Reggie Burnette Jr.
Trick Flow Open Comp
Winner: Jon M. Pickering
Runner-Up: Wade Vincent
Detroit Locker Truck & Lightning
Winner: Dave Cole
Runner-Up: Mike Motycka
JDM Engineering Super Stang
Winner: Al Miller
Runner-Up: George Dockery
Posi Performance Terminator/GT500 Shootout
Winner: Joe Logan
Runner-Up: Tim Oswalt
Tremec True Street
Winner: Pete Ricart
Runner-Up: Chris Gish
9-Second Zone: Karl Blasi
10-Second Zone: Jason Rilay
11-Second Zone: Dan Schell
12-Second Zone: Steven Dale
13-Second Zone: Teresa Gibson
14-Second Zone: James Gallimore
15-Second Zone: Belinda Moore
