NMRA
NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals Postponed Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
ProMedia Events and Publishing, parent company of the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals and NMCA Muscle Car 
Nationals, in association with Atlanta Dragway’s parent company NHRA, have decided to postpone the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals in response to growing restrictions on group gatherings and travel due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Effective today the NHRA has suspended all drag racing operations for 30 days at NHRA-owned facilities and events. The NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals is hosted by an NHRA-owned facility.
“We’re disappointed but fully support NHRA officials in their decision while agreeing with the local, state, and federal guidelines regarding large group gatherings,” said Steve Wolcott, CEO and founder of ProMedia Events and Publishing. “The COVID-19 pandemic has gripped our nation and disrupted everyday life but we are excited to continue the 2020 racing season for both sanctioning bodies in May. Our next two events are in St. Louis with the first one scheduled after the CDC’s eight week recommended restrictions for the pandemic and we are confident the crisis will work itself out by then.”
The Holley NMRA Ford Nationals returns May 14-16 and NMCA jumps back to action May 28-31 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison Illinois.
At the time of this writing a new date has not been made for the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals due to the quickly evolving Coronavirus pandemic. NMRA/NMCA racing officials are working diligently with the Atlanta Dragway staff to determine an appropriate date that fits both group’s schedules and one that will be convenient for the racers, fans, and sponsors.
26th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout Results
Bradenton, FL – Kicking off the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals season in fine style, the 26th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA 
Spring Break Shootout roared into Bradenton Motorsports Park, drawing a crowd of fans and a horde of racers. All in attendance enjoyed cool weather, fast race cars and everything an NMRA event has to offer, including a huge car show and a manufacturer’s midway brimming with performance parts. Racers established a foothold in the season’s championship points chase and an elite group headed for the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle to celebrate the spoils of victory.
Familiar foes paired up in the VP Racing Madditives Street Outlaw final as Dominic DiDonato squared off against reigning champion Vinny Palazzolo. After qualifying second, Palazollo cruised to the finals in his 2009 Mustang thanks to two broke-bye runs and another bye run. Meanwhile, DiDonato slugged his way through the rounds to reach the clash. When the tree came down, Palazzolo smoked the rear tires and DiDonato cruised to the crown with a 5.09 at 132 mph.
With the top 11 cars qualifying in the 4-second range, Edelbrock Renegade looked to be a tightly contested affair, and it was. However, when Jason Spina’s 1990 Mustang met up with Joel Greathouse’s 1993 Mustang in the final round, a 4-second pass would not take the win. Instead, both racers ran off-pace, but Spina did just enough in his 427ci Fox to win (5.76 vs. 5.97).
Race Wrap: 21st Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals & Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival
Santa Ana CA – Wrapping up another incredible season of NMRA Keystone Automotive Drag Racing Series, the 21st 
Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, was made even more epic as it was run in conjunction with the Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival. The weather was hot and so was the competition as the NMRA racers battled it out for crucial last-minute points as championships were won and lost, records were set, and priceless photos were taken in the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle.
Attendees also enjoyed a massive manufacturer’s midway, robust swap meet, and UPR Products Car Show. On the Holley Performance Products side of things, YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland was on site with his Clickbait Patrol car, there was a mind-blowing drift exhibition by Formula Drift superstars Vaughn Gittin Jr, Chelsea DeNofa, and others, and was a huge hit with spectators. A tricky, all-Ford corner-carving autocross course was contested all weekend long, and a mobile dyno from Redline Performance allowed participants to make free pulls. The fun didn’t stop there, though, as the event also hosted the world-famous, first-ever monster truck Bigfoot as well as two of the hero cars from the John Wick movie, a wild burnout contest, and so much more.
14th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing
Santa Ana CA – Arguably the most exciting event of the year, the NMRA vs NMCA race held at historic Route 66 
Raceway in Joliet, Illinois, always adds an extra element of excitement as the two series battle head-to-head to capture coveted, exclusive Nitto Tire Diamond Tree Rings. The 14th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street legal Drag Racing presented by FST Carburetors kicked off with a perfect forecast and conditions ideal for record-setting runs, new personal bests, and well-deserved wins. As the action on track heated up, so did the car show and QA1 True Street cruise which took participants onto the NASCAR oval at Route 66 Raceway/Chicagoland Speedway for a truly unique experience. After several days of truly memorable action, it all came down to the Bob Curran Memorial Super Bowl Shootouts where the winners from each series’ class faced off against one another. It came down to the final matchup, but team NMRA came out on top once again (for the tenth time in history) and everyone involved celebrated in the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle.
While Domenic DiDonato was the quickest of the VP Racing Fuels/Mickey Thompson Street Outlaw class in qualifying with a 4.467 at 163.57mph run from his boosted ’08 GT500, the final elimination round belonged to Shane Fisher and Shawn Pevlor who had qualified third and fifth, respectively. Both men were contesting the race with Mustangs, and both had nearly identical 0.06X-second reaction times, but team nitrous Pevlor spun and team turbo Fisher reeled in the victory, capping off the race with a 4.454 at 158.89mph winning time slip he could proudly bring back to his home in DeWitt, Arkansas.
Race Wrap– 19th Annual NMRA Ford Motorsport Nationals | Coverage Presented by Edelbrock
Santa Ana, CA – This year the NMRA Ford Motorsport Nationals, held at the scenic Maple Grove Raceway (Mohnton, 
PA), was moved to the end of the June and the racers and fans were met with the sun shining in the sky and warm weather. The legacy Ford event is the fourth stop on the six-race NMRA Ford Nationals tour.
At the top of the heap is VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw and every team had a battle with track surface temperatures, which reached temps as high as 141 degrees. C&D Autotech thrashed to get Dom DiDonato’s 2008 Shelby GT500 ready for this event and it paid off. He pushed the turbocharged 5.8L engine to the top of the list with a 4.530 at 168.58 mph. The Delaware racer used consistency to prevail against several heavy-hitters and found himself in the finals against Blake Copson, who was driving the MJM Lillian Realty sponsored Mustang. DiDonato took the stripe with a 4.510 at 166.95 mph to Copson’s 4.570 at 156.46 mph. It was DiDonato’s first trip to the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle in nearly five years and his first time in Street Outlaw competition.
There was a fierce battle in Edelbrock Renegade between the nitrous, blower, and turbo camps in the 9-car field, which features rules similar to NMCA Xtreme Street and Ultra Street. Former Drag Radial racer Chip Provenza took the category win over the top qualifier Bob Zelenak, 4.815 at 148.12 mph to a tire-smoking 7.344 at 102.95 mph.
Race Wrap – Inaugural NMRA Gateway Rumble Presented by HPJ Performance | Coverage presented by Edelbrock
Santa Ana CA – The World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway has been host to some storied performances, and 
when the Keystone Automotive NMRA Series arrived for the third stop in its 2019 season at the facility, racers and spectators answered the call, looking for the next chapter to be written in impressive performances. What car and driver combination could negotiate the warm temperatures to stand in the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle to grab the exclusive Edelbrock Victor trophy?
Vinny Palazzolo and his turbocharged 2009 GT500 have been the combination to beat thus far in VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw, and Palazzolo qualified atop the field here with a 4.44 at 166 mph, followed closely by Lebanon, Ohio’s Phil Hines at 4.46 at 160 mph. Those two made their way to the final round, with Palazzolo holding lane choice on the strength of his 4.42 to 4.44 advantage over Hines. The final round started with Hines strapping a sizable .042 to .129 holeshot on Palazzolo, and despite Palazzolo running a quicker 4.41 at 161 mph, he couldn’t catch the 4.48 at 160 mph from Hines’ ProCharger-fed 2001 Mustang before the finish line first, giving Hines the win.
NMRA Race Wrap: 11th Annual Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals | Coverage by Edelbrock
Santa Ana, CA – A wet start to the weekend on Friday threw a wrench in the racing schedule, but the NMRA and 
NMCA staff worked hard to get the track ready as quickly as possible to maximize the racing at the 11th Annual Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport. Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia, hosted the second stop on the NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals tour with traditional southern hospitality and the race was able to be run to completion. Despite the unavoidable delays, winners were crowned, records were set, and new parts wish lists were made as another exciting chapter of NMRA drag racing was officially added to the history books.
Phil Hines captured the coveted number-one qualifying position in the NMRA and NMCA combo VP Racing Fuels/Mickey Thompson Street Outlaw class, besting the bunch with a 4.373 at 164.49 mph pass out of his ProCharged ’01 Mustang. The final came down to the number-six qualifier, Rob Goss, and the number-two qualifier, Vince Palazzolo, and neither left anything on the table when they left the line. Ultimately, Rob Goss was the quicker contender—both with his 0.008-second reaction time and with his ’09 Dodge Challenger’s 4.38-second eighth-mile trip—to take down Palazzolo’s valiant 4.39 effort in his ’09 Mustang and take a trip to the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle.
Race Wrap–25th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout
Santa Ana CA – After a long off-season, racers headed south to burn rubber and take names at the 25th Annual Nitto 
Tire Spring Break Shootout held at the historic Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida. Through four days of beautiful weather and tight competition, the racing came to a close on Sunday with the victors heading to celebrate in the exclusive Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle.
Racing in VP Racing Fuels Street Outlaw is no easy task, but Vince Palazzolo made it look like a breeze at the season opener. His boosted, 400-cube 2009 Mustang qualified in the top spot courtesy of a 4.47 at 160.62 pass. From there he went door to door, riding a bye round into the finals where he squared off against Dominic Didonato’s 2004 Mustang. Palazzolo got the jump and held the advantage to the stripe to haul in an Edelbrock Victor award on the merit of a 4.47 at 160.54 pass.
After converting her 1993 Mustang LX to run in the Edelbrock Renegade class, Haley James rode into Bradenton from Albuquerque, New Mexico, on a mission to win the race and set the bar for elapsed times in the class. She did both. Her Hellion B-Team machine topped the qualifying sheet with a 4.81 at 146 mph. She cruised through a bye run into the finals, where she squared off with Joe Guertin’s four-eyed Fox. James got the jump at the tree and never looked back as she cruised into the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle with a 4.82 at 146 mph rip.
Fanning the Flames of a Mustang Rivalry
Mickey Thompson sponsors the NMRA’s Cobra Terminator/GT500 Shootout class for 2019
STOW, OH – Knowing the thrill of a good rivalry, Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels has signed on as sponsor of an 
exclusive Mustang drag race showdown, in addition to its continued support of the National Mustang Racers Association.
The NMRA Cobra Terminator/GT500 Shootout class runs at two of the largest NMRA events on the schedule: the NMRA Spring Break Shootout season opener Feb. 28-March 3 at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida; and the NMRA All-Ford World Finals Sept. 26-29 at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
“The Mickey Thompson Cobra Terminator/GT500 Shootout features some of the baddest Ford factory-produced street cars on the planet battling heads-up for national bragging rights,” said Steve Wolcott, NMRA CEO and co-founder. “There has always been a rivalry between the supercharged Cobra segment and the GT500 community, and Mickey Thompson is helping to fan the flames with prize money and bonus tires up for grabs for the winner. Fans can witness this insane battle at the Spring Break Shootout and World Finals events courtesy of Mickey Thompson.
Mickey Thompson is posting valuable racer contingencies on Mickey Thompson tires (all four) in all NMRA championship classes and will also continue to offer onsite trackside support at most events, as well as contingency awards to drivers competing in Pro, Sportsman and various special event classes.
2019 NMRA Ford Nationals Event Schedule
Santa Ana, CA – The NMRA Ford Nationals is proud to announce the 2019 national event schedule. Featuring an 
exciting line-up of all-Ford championship and shootout drag racing classes, Car Shows, and special events, the NMRA Ford Nationals Series looks to continue its growth and bring world-class, enthusiast-driven events to thousands of fans in 2019 at extraordinary facilities and markets across the Midwest and East Coast.
“We’re happy to kick-off our season with the Spring Break Shootout, a legacy event in Bradenton, Florida, that has captured the Mustang market since the mid-1990s. New for 2019 will be a stop at Gateway Motorsports Park for the NMRA Gateway Rumble and the Ford Motorsport Nationals in Pennsylvania moving to late-June,” said General Manager, Rollie Miller. He continued, “in addition to those stops on tour, we will be visiting the usual mainstays on our schedule with Atlanta Dragway, Route 66 Raceway, and then complete the season at Beech Bend Raceway.”
