NMRA Bowling Green Finals 2011 Same Day Coverage

It’s that time of the year again for the always popular NMRA finals in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Virtually any class that is being led by 1000 points or less is still up for grabs. Also, Saturday will be the make up final eliminations for the NMRA Columbus rain out. Keep it tuned to Stang TV all weekend for the updates and videos from Bowling Green.

Special thanks to our event coverage sponsor SCT Performance, check their fine line of flash tuners out at www.sctflash.com.

Sunday Morning Pit Notes

Super Stang racer Beefcake Reeves went out in the first round of eliminations, and to keep racing, he joined into the bracket racing class for the day. Reeves has gone as fast as a 10.08, but in a quest for a 9 second pass in his 2011 Mustang, caught him installing a smaller pulley on his Vortech supercharger.

We had assumed that Sam Vincent had broken something in the rear end yesterday since they needed a jack to get the car out of the beams yesterday, but it actually ended up being a planetary in the transmission. The crew had the Mustang fixed and ready last night. Vincent faces Phil Hines in the first rounf of Super Street Outlaw today.

Don Bowles Maverick looks like a fighter in the ring getting ready for the first round of boxing. Bowles ended up second on the qualifying ladder with a 8.469 @ 161.42 mph pass and faces Rick Riccardi in the first round of Hot Street.

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Eliminations ladders - click them for a larger version

Image/s missing.

Eliminations ladders - click them for a larger version

Eliminations Notes

Dwyane James took a broken bye win in the first round of Pro Outlaw 10.5W since Jim Brown suffered from massive valvetrain failure yesterday. Tim Essick would barely nudge out Edgar Rice with a 6.749 to a 6.846. Mike Murillo would take a single.

In the semi finals, Dwyane James would tree Mike Murillo with a .006 light, but would have a hard time keeping the car pointed straight. Murillo went on with the semi final win with a 6.624 @ 205.79. Mike unofficially has won the NMRA Pro Outlaw 10.5 championship

Sam Vincent, who has been running a bit off pace this race, kept the consistency up during the first round of SSO to beat out Phil Hines, who went up in smoke at the 60 foot cone. Joel Greathouse would go red against John Urist who ran a 7.06 and unofficially secured his seventh championship. Tuten would narrowly beat out Kenjo Kelley at the stripe by .08.

Unfortunately for Chris Tuten his Elimination round passes have been slowing since yesterday and Terry Elam was able to take advantage of that, beating Tuten with a 7.244 to a 7.288. Urist would keep up with the super consistent and fast passes against Sam Vincent on a 7.040 to a 7.429

Dan Baumann would not make the first round call in Real Street and give the win to Craig Baldwin. Bruce Hemminger would get the top qualifier bye run. Matherly would still battle drivetrain problems against Jay Marr while Jim Breese would take out Michael Bell who broke partially down the track.

Jim Breese would win on an upset final where Craig Baldwin would go -.025 red and run a faster 9.402. Hemminger would struggle with traction issues against Jay Marr where Marr picked up the win with a 9.473 to Hemminger's 9.614. Hemminger is your 2011 Real Street champion.

It was a red light first round for Renegade where Keller red lit against Tobner and Allmandinger red lit against Clements. Bob Cook would run low ET of the round against Bryan Muth with a 8.396 to a 8.487 and Howard would win over a broken Victor Nieblas. Bob Cook would take the bye to the finals against Howard, though your 2011 Renegade champion would be semi-final round looser Brian Mitchell.

It was a full house in Pure Street this weekend with 11 cars in eliminations. Though Brandon Alsept was eliminated in the first round, he had enough points to secure the 2011 Pure Street championship.

Robbie Blankenship would be the only Hot Street Mustang in the 30s during the first two rounds. Don Bowles quick .009 of the first round would come back to cost him the semi final round against Robbie Blankenship by being a little too quick on the tree and going red. Charlie Booze would also capitalize on a red Mike DeMayo to setup a Booze and Blankenship final for the championship.

The hottest battle for the championship is in Factory Stock where Louis Sylvester, Brian Campbell, and Carlos Sobrino all had a chance at taking it. That chase became thinned down in the second round where Carlos Sobrino took out Leslie Jr. on a 10.917 to a 11.123.

During the first round of Drag Radial Jason Lee would take a broke bye win against Andy Manson while Brad Medlock would win over a limping Brian Tuten, and finally a quickening Orson Johnson would fall victim to Sean Lyon's fastest pass of the round, a 7.477 to a 7.713. In the next round, Lee would be quick on the tree with a .001 light and a 7.597 to 7.645 win over Brad Medlock.

Final Round Updates

It would be a McDonalds-colored final with Jason Lee battling Sean Lyon. In the end it would be Lee who took home the victory and yet another Drag Radial championship and race win, defeating Lyon on a 7.518 to a 7.806.

In the Renegade final, it was Bob Cook and Joel Howard facing off for the event win, and Cook cut the tree down with a .008 light, and carded an 8.38 to Howard’s 8.58 for the win.

Louis Sylvester's appearance in the final round of Factory Stock ensured his Factory Stock ring, but it would be Brian Campell who would win the Bowling Green race with a 10.943 to a 11.007

In Hot Street as the tree came down on the pair of champions, Booze got the holeshot, but Blankenship powered around Boose and took the win light, 8.39 to 8.44, for the event win and the 2011 Hot Street championship.

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Click the photos for a larger version

Image/s missing.

Click the photos for a larger version

Special thanks to our event coverage sponsor SCT Performance, check their fine line of flash tuners out at www.sctflash.com.

Morning Pit Notes

John Kolivas is here this weekend but surprisingly not competing in any classes. Kolivas is here testing for this month's ORTC race at SGMP.

Robbie Blankenship is in a heated battle against 2011 (and multi-time) champion Charlie Booze. Blankenship won his first Hot Street championship in 2008, finished second in 2009 and third in 2010.

On board with Joel Greathouse’s SSO Mustang

Qualifying Round 2 and 3 Notes

Don't count out Tim Essick out of the 2011 Pro Outlaw 10.5 championship, who is within striking distance of defending champion Mike Murillo. Essick laid down his fastest pass of the weekend on his last qualiying attempt with a 6.781, putting him about a tenth slower than Murillo's number one spot.

On car with Bart Tobner

Sam Vincent suffered from rear end failure as soon as he released the transbrake on his final qualifying attempt. Vincent has been struggling with consistency this weekend and sit in 7th with a 7.322

Playing around with my new fish eye lens, I took a shot of Race Pages Associate Editor Greg Acosta.

Chris Tuten talks about a tough year that is finally paying off

Chris Tuten said 'Don't forget about me', with his stellar 7.036 pass in the final round of qualifying this weekend, putting him .011 behind John Urist.

Multi-time champion Chris Parisi talks about how he uses SCT tunes in his Super Stang Mustang

It was Bob Cook with the top honors in Renegade until the last qualifying session where Brian Mitchell laid down a 8.315 @ 162.92 mph, besting Cook's 8.346. Mitchell currently sits number one in the Renegade points.

Mike DeMayo got DQed on his last qualifying pass by the starter for leaking fluids at the line. DeMayo sits in the third qualifying spot with a 8.478 @ 157.74 mph.

As it normally is, Hot Street's naturally aspirated class holds the tightest margin in qualifying, separating first to fourth by .06 of a second. On top of that list is Charlie Booze Jr. with a 8.435 @ 163.14 mph.

Heads up qualifying round 2

Here is one epically twisted driveshaft that we spotted walking around the pits. Apparently this racer had previously broken an aluminum driveshaft as well.

Nothing changed much in the final round of qualifying in Drag Radial where Sean Lyon retained the number one spot with a 7.520 @ 189.44. Brad Medlock sit second, while defending champion Jason Lee sits in third. Lee has been having a hard time keeping the front wheels of his four eyed Fox body Mustang on the pavement.

Bruce Hemminger backed up his first round qualifying record in round two with a 9.166 @ 147.42. Dan Baumann rode out a huge wheel stand that almost resulted in a collision with the retaining wall. We will have that one up later in our video coverage.

Tim Matherly doesn't seem to have much luck at the Bowling Green finals in recent years. This time around Matherly has been struggling with horrible clutch slip problems during every round.

Carlos Sobrino's Milk-Powered, dairy cow Mustang charged into the number one qualifying spot during round two, with a 10.908 @ 122.71 mph pass. It made for an unprecedented weekend of qualifying with four Factory Stock Mustangs in the 10s.

In the Pits with Carlos Sobrino

Final Qualifying Order

Compulink StarTrak TURBOSMART PRO OUTLAW 10.5 Qualifying for 5 entries
Low ET 6.656 2 MIKE MURRILLO
Top Speed 255.00 1003 TIM ESSICK
2   PRO   93 MUSTANG   FORD 549   MIKE MURRILLO   SAN ANTONIO TX 6.656   217.11   217.11
1003   PRO   03 MUSTANG   FORD 430   TIM ESSICK BRANDYWINE MD 6.781   255   255
3   PRO   03 COBRA   FORD 440   DWAYNE JAMES   ALBEQURQUE NM   7.165   164.13   194.69
1023   PRO   03 MUSTANG   FORD 550   JIM BROWN OFALLON MO 7.317   139.63   161.13
1001   95 MUSTANG   FORD 446   EDGAR RICE   SPRINGFIELD TN 9.293   157.17   157.17

Compulink StarTrak PROCHARGER SUPER STREET Qualifying for 8 entries
1   SSO   JOHN URIST   ALBUQUERQUE NM 7.025   203.68   208.71
2023   SSO   87 MUSTANG   FORD 363   CHRIS TUTEN PELION SC   7.036   199.94   210.9
4   SSO   01 MUSTANG   FORD 423   PHIL HINES LEBANON OH 7.136   199.88   204.91
2554   SSO   03 COBRA   FORD 412   TERRY ELAM   PROSPERITY SC 7.137   196.04   196.04
2020   SSO   FORD 434   JOEL GREATHOUSE OAKLAND KY 7.228   203   203
2000   SSO   98 MUSTANG   FORD 427   KENJO KELLEY BRAZORIA TX 7.278   197.33   197.33
2077   SSO   88 MUSTANG   FORD 454   SAM VINCENT   CENTRAL CITY KY 7.322   190.97   190.97
2015   SSO   82 FAIRMONT FORD 323   KURT BORTON ST LOUIS MO 10.014   96.21   96.21

Compulink StarTrak BLOW-BY RACING EFI REN Qualifying for 9 entries
2   REN   03 COBRA   310   BRIAN MITCHELL   CHADDS FORD PA   8.315   162.92   162.92
3   REN   90 MUSTANG   FORD 311   BOB COOK CHICAGO HEIGHTS IL 8.346   167.74   167.74
4126   REN   89 MUSTANG   FORD 310   ALTON CLEMENTS   CENTRAL SC 8.433   160.75   160.88
4214   REN   92 MUSTANG   336   BART TOBENER   WINDER GA   8.45   161.52   163.31
4124   REN   04 COBRA FORD 358   VICTOR WIEBLAS   MIAMI FL 8.456   160.48   160.48
7   REN   00 COBRA   FORD 308   BRYAN MUTH   WALNUTPORT PA   8.465   163.87   163.87
4049   REN   80 CAPRI   FORD 310   CHAD ALLMANDINGER DECATUR IN 8.474   160.63   161.59
4084   REN   95 MUSTANG   FORD 309   JOHN KELLER HUBBARD OH 9.589   122.28   122.28
4077   REN   86 MUSTANG   FORD 353   JOEL HOWARD   COLUMBUS OH 9.593   108.49   108.49

Compulink StarTrak EDELBROCK HOT STREET Qualifying for 7 entries
3398   HS   92 MUSTANG GT   419   CHARLIE BOOZE JR.   MARION PA   8.435   163.14   163.14
2   HS   72 MAVERICK   FORD 400   DON BOWLES   MADISONVILLE KY   8.469   161.42   161.42
3117   HS   89 MUSTANG   FORD 347   MICHAEL DEMAYO   BUTLER PA 8.478   157.74   157.74
3   HS   04 MUSTANG   FORD 400   ROBBIE BLANKENSHIP   HUDSON FL   8.495   160.06   160.06
3707   HS   81 CAPRI   FORD 400   RICK RICCARDI   TOMS RIVER NJ   8.573   144.69   144.69
3339   HS   88 MUSTANG   FORD 399   SHANE LONG   ODELL IL 8.656   156.75   156.75
3139   HS   00 MUSTANG   FORD 399   KEITH COURTNEY MADISON IN 8.7   155.63   158.07

Compulink StarTrak AFCO XTREME DRAG RADIAL Qualifying for 6 entries
Low ET 7.520 4 SEAN LYON
Top Speed 221.38 4 SEAN LYON
4   DR   93 MUSTANG   FORD 353   SEAN LYON   PANAMA CITY FL   7.52   189.44   221.38
10125   DR   04 MUSTANG   FORD 400   BRAD MEDLOCK SHERWOOD AZ 7.655   189.2   189.2
1   DR   86 MUSTANG   FORD 361   JASON LEE   MAUMEE OH   7.704   182.3   211.63
10353   DR   99 COBRA   FORD 283   ORSON JOHNSON HOUSE SPRINGS MO 7.774   212.13   212.13
8   DR   91 MUSTANG   330   BRIAN TUTEN   LEXINGTON SC   7.861   174.57   174.57
10088   DR   96 COBRA   325   ANDY MANSON   WOODBRIDGE VA   18.702   60.43   60.43

Compulink StarTrak STEEDA REAL STREET Qualifying for 7 entries
2   RS   86 MUSTANG   FORD 311   BRUCE HEMMINGER   BURNHAM IL   9.166   147.42   147.42
5   RS   88 MUSTANG   FORD 302   DAN BAUMANN   FORT WASHINGTON WI   9.306   144.66   144.66
8014   RS   93 MUSTANG   FORD 311   JAY MARR   LONGWOOD FL   9.401   145.45   145.45
3   RS   04 MUSTANG   FORD 286   JIM BREESE TRANSFER PA 9.443   153.13   153.13
8062   RS   91 MUSTANG   FORD 306   CRAIG BALDWIN PORT BRYON IL 9.469   144.52   144.52
1   RS   01 MUSTANG   284   TIM MATHERLY   STATHAM GA   10.806   120.89   123.44
8006   RS   92 MUSTANG   FORD 308   MICHAEL BELL DAYTON OH 11.446   84.4   84.4

Compulink StarTrak BF GOODRICH FACTORY STOCK Qualifying for 11 entries
Low ET 10.908 2 CARLOS SOBRINO
Top Speed 130.32 6009 JOHN LESLIE SR
2   FS   86 LX   310   CARLOS SOBRINO   FAIRVIEW NJ   10.908   122.66   122.71
8   FS   91 MUSTANG FORD 309   LOUIS SYLVESTER   MATTESON IL 10.946   121.8   121.8
6001   FS   98 MUSTANG   289   BRIAN CAMPBELL   LOVELAND OH   10.946   120.89   120.89
6   FS   89 MUSTANG   289   JOHN LESLIE JR.   DEMOTTE IN   10.981   121.53   123.33
4   FS   MUSTANG   308   ALAN CANN   RACINE WI   11.179   120.76   120.76
7   FS   90 MUSTANG LX   308   RICK WALSH   LAKE PANASOFFKEE FL   11.405   120.24   120.24
6060   FS   85 MUSTANG   FORD 306   MATTHEW WILLIAMS   LONG BRANCH NJ 11.589   117.66   117.66
6018   FS   88 MUSTANG   FORD 306   CHARLIE RANKIN   MEDIA PA   11.601   115.28   115.34
6572   FS   92 MUSTANG FORD 311   ERIK SHANKLES RISING FAWN GA 11.605   116.56   116.65
6009   FS   89 MUSTANG   FORD 310   JOHN LESLIE SR   MUNSTER IN 11.711   130.32   130.32
10   FS   89 MUSTANG   284   ZANE REED   TRENTON GA   15.691   63.7   63.7

Special thanks to our event coverage sponsor SCT Performance, check their fine line of flash tuners out at www.sctflash.com.

Friday Morning Notes

Mike Murillo has been running both the NMRA and NMCA series this year and has the Super Street championship locked up. Though this weekend will depend solely on what happens in the finals. Second in points Tim Essick still has the ability to snatch the Pro Outlaw 10.5 championship away from Murillo with only a 100 points separating the two.

Joel Greathouse, who had previously been on quarter mile duties for John Kolivas' Mustang, is now campaigning Brad Medlock's old Super Street Outlaw Mustang, as Medlock has made a switch to Drag Radial. Greathouse is no stranger to Mustang drag racing and use to drive Mark VanMeter's beautiful Outlaw 10.5W Mustang dating back in 2005.

If you are looking for a turn key and fast Drag Radial Mustang, then you need to get a hold of Sean Lyon. With his four year old chassis, Lyon has begin to build a new Mustang for the 2012 series. He doesn't know what he plans to do with it yet, but X275 and maybe a little Super Street Outlaw will probably be where he will be racing.

Chris Tuten has a shot to take the Super Street Outlaw number one spot away from multi-time defending champion John Urist. Tuten has been fast all year, breaking the 200 MPH barrier at the Bradenton opener and running 7.08 at Atlanta. But Tuten has been running on old parts and things keep breaking...he even just recently upgraded his 8.8 rear end to a 9-inch. Now he has swapped out the majority of his old parts for new and is going for broke this weekend.

The man with too many cars Don Baskin is campaigning his Pure Street Mustang this weekend, and the last time he raced this car was Bowling Green 2010. Baskin Trucking campaigns a variety of vehicles in almost every NMCA head up class.

Test and Tune Notes

Jim Brown is back out with his freshly rebuilt Pro Outlaw 10.5 Mustang that has been converted from nitrous to supercharged. The team has been trashing to get the car here for the race and the first test hit resulted in some parts coming off after the burn out. For their second test and tune pass, Brown lifted mid track after a strong 60 foot.

One racer we were happy to see here this weekend is Victor Nieblas, who suffered a massive heart attack while preparing for the NMRA Georgia race back in April. We are happy to report that he is healthy enough now to be back behind the wheel.

The test and tune session didn't result in any really fast heads up passes. A head wind mixed with the cool air is keeping the track from holding a lot of heat. Two good wheels up launches went to Jason Lee and Dwyane James.

Qualifying Round 1 Sheets

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Qualifying Round 1 Sheets - Click the Images for a Larger Version

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Qualifying Round 1 Sheets - Click the Images for a Larger Version

Qualifying Round 1 Notes

Mike Murillo is showing that he isn't playing this weekend and wants to secure the Pro Outlaw 10.5 championship as fast as possible. On an arrow-straight pass, Murillo nearly eclipsed his ET and MPH record with a 6.656 @ 217.11 mph. The rest of the four car field had a hard time getting down the track.

John Urist showed why he has six championship rings by posting a solid 7.060 @ 207 mph - huge mile per hour for a true 10.5 tire. I asked Urist if it's possible that we could see the first Super Street Outlaw 6-second pass this weekend, and he responded "...it's a possibility."

Could this possibly be foreshadowing the matchup for Sunday's final round?

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Sean Lyon's team were creeping up on the tune up during the test and tune session and unloaded it all during qualifying round one, lighting up a 7.569 ET, though the 221 mph trap speed doesn't seem to be right. Jason Lee sits in the second spot, riding out a huge wheel stand to a 7.704 @ 182 mph.

Bruce Hemminger stunned the crowd in Real Street when he posted up the second ever (Dan Baumann did it before but could not back it up) 9-teen pass with a 9.194 @ a mile per hour record 144.66 mph. Hemminger has clinched the NMRA 2012 Real Street championship.

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Kenjo Kelley won the 'butt pucker of the round' award whenh is Super Street Outlaw New Edge pitched violently to the left about 500 feet out, where Kenjo counter steered, slid it back right with two wheels off the ground, and then straightened out...when the crowd erupted in applause.

Notes From The Pits

Zane Reed has had a string of bad luck in Factory Stock lately, which got worse today when Reed rolled the modular-powered Fox body off the trailer...and spun a bearing. They are hoping to get the motor fixed in time for tomorrow's qualifying session.

We talk with Mike Murillo about capturing the NMRA and NMCA 2011 championships

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Brandon Alsept went out for his first qualifying session where his Mustang had a great launch, but when he went to hit second, nothing was there. Brandon worked on the Mustang and couldn't find any reason why it didn't want to go in gear.