The NMRA wanted to add more excitement to their points chase, so they made a change similar to what the NHRA and NASCAR have already done. After the Super Bowl race in Joliet, they tightened up all the classes points, with basically one round win difference between the competitors. In most classes you have a good idea about who will win, but anything can happen in Bowling Green, with new cars showing up and records being set. I know it will be an exciting and great event to attend. Here is a breakdown of where we are at in the Heads Up classes.

Factory Stock

Tommy Godfrey has been the dominant car all year, but the competition has been inching closer and it should make for an exciting finish. It is not likely that second place John Leslie Jr. will be able to catch Godfrey, who holds more than a five hundred point lead. The rumor is that there will still be something exciting to see at the finals, and my guess is it might be the first ten second pass in Factory Stock history. Joy Dold is less then two rounds behind Leslie Jr., so there will be a battle for the number two spot.

Pure Street

Pure Street has had some of the closest wheels up action in the NMRA this year, and the finals should be no different. It will be fairly difficult for anyone to catch Ryan Hecox, given the lead he has built. Mark Anderson has the advantage over Steve Gifford and Brandon Alsept for the second spot. Alsept came out and won the Columbus race with a new modular 2-valve combination, and it should be interesting to see how his car runs in Bowling Green, since it sounds like they were still working out some bugs on the former Factory Stock engine.

Real Street

There are a lot of rumors flying around for this class. Word is there will be several new Vortech blown cars showing up. Teddy Weaver has stated that he will be racing Real Street in BG, but who knows if this is really true. Will Bruce Almighty Hemminger show up with a new modular combo in his white coupe?

Talk on the message boards is that Tim Matherly has the Ring all locked up, but looking at the points I am not so sure. To me it looks like Hemminger still has a very good shot at winning, but it depends on how many cars show up. Other racers rumored to be there racing in Real Street are Jeremy Martorella from UPR, Kevin Scott, and possibly Mike Washington.

Drag Radial

Jason Lee started the year in dominant fashion, by winning the first three races and a runner-up finish in the fourth, but his huge point lead was wiped away after Joliet. Enzo Pecchini has been running very strongly and consistently, and currently he is less than a round behind Lee. Drag Radial newcomer Dave Guy is presently in third, but is a long shot to challenge Lee or Pecchini. This is another class that will depend on both car count and how early they can meet up or get eliminated.

Hot Street

Hot Street appears to be a two-horse race – well, a one Mustang and one Maverick race. Newcomer Don Bowles is one and a half rounds behind Robbie Blankenship for the Ring. Unless something really crazy happens, those are really the only two who have a shot at the title. Each racer has won two events each, and this will come down to who makes the semi-finals and who doesn’t. That’s when the pressure will really be on.

EFI Renegade

Larry Hourcle is making a late charge to win the championship in Renegade, as he closes in on the current points leader Dan Rawls. Rawls has two wins and set the ET record twice this year, and that might just be what wins the Ring for him. Alton Clements has a long shot, but will need a large turn out to make it. Bart Tobner is in fourth, but has not had any good luck in the countdown and has fallen back. Look for Brian Tuten to come out and try to lay down some record numbers to move up from fifth position.

Super Street Outlaw

Super Street Outlaw should be one of the more interesting classes in Bowling Green, and not just because you should see several cars running in the 7.30’s, but also because plenty of cars should be showing up for SSO. John McDonald is about a round behind defending champ John Urist. Don Burton is in the third position, but will have a hard time catching the two guys in front of him. Sam Vincent will be bringing his car out for the first time this year. Vincent has a new combination under the hood and it looks fast. John Kolivas will be making his second race of the year and running on the 275 MT radials. Kolivas will be bringing Brad Medlock with him. AJ Powell is also attempting to get his SSO car ready for this race, but is not sure whether or not he will make it.

Pro Outlaw 10.5

There seemed to be a little controversy in Outlaw this year, however it has since died down and we have a good battle for the points. Mike Murrillo has led the points most of the season, but has been passed by Dan Millen. Although Millen is the current leader, it looks as if there is just about one round of racing separating the two, and while Millen has been on a tear lately, Murillo has been struggling. I would expect both cars to be flying in Bowling Green. Conrad Scarry is another racer to watch out for – we all know that car can run a number any time it goes down the track. He is basically out of the points race, however I expect him to lay down some record numbers after fighting back from the crash they had earlier in the year.