The NMRA, the premier all-Ford drag racing series in the country, will have some new blood during the 2012 season, or at least some new blood in a new category as Ruskin, Florida native Fred Ferrante climbs a few rungs on proverbial the ladder up to the series’ ultimate class: Pro Outlaw 10.5.

Ferrante made his only showing of the 2011 season at the NMRA opener in Bradenton, Florida in the popular Hot Street category with his 365 cubic inch Ferrante Racing 1990 Mustang.

In a class that’s been mostly ruled by the single and twin turbocharger combinations over the years, Ferrante is planning to make a go of it with a relatively unpopular and uncompetitive – at least on paper anyway – small block nitrous combination, utilizing a 430-inch small block Ford with Yates heads.

Ferrante is in the midst of finishing construction of the chassis that will comprise his new Pro Outlaw 10.5 ride, where he’ll do battle with the likes of 2011 NMRA champion Mike Murillo, Tim Essick, Dwayne James, Edgar Rice, Jim Brown, and a number of other six-second, Ford-powered machines. We’ll bring you more on this continuing project as additional information and photos become available.