Grand Finale

Words and photos by Jake Amatisto

The final stop of the 2011 NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals drew the largest field of racecars the NMCA has seen in over ten years, and many compared the overall feel and size of this event to some of the original Fastest Street Car Shootouts that started it all at Memphis Motorsports Park in the 1990s.

In association with the NHRA Unleashed Series, class winners at this event also received the coveted NHRA Wally trophy along with all the contingency and class purses that come with winning a National Muscle Car Association event. Over 460 racecars in competition, as well as 225 show cars on the Lucas Oil Raceway premises made the weekend of October 6-9 one that will go down in the drag racing history books as one of the most exciting muscle car meets to date. The event was such a success that NMCA officials say there's a definite possibility of making Lucas Oil Raceway the new home of the NMCA World Street Finals and LSX Shootout for years to come.

Pro Street

In Kooks Custom Headers Pro Street, sixteen racers showed up to Lucas Oil Raceway to compete for a pile of cash, glory, and as of this year, an NHRA Wally trophy. Topping the field was Chris Rini, who broke down “door number five” with a 5.98 at 236, becoming the first NMCA Pro Street racer to run that quick in the history of the class. Bill Lutz also broke into the fives in qualifying, running a 5.99, but he broke in the first round. When it came to eliminations, Joe Dunne was the one to get the gold in Indy.

In the final round, Dunne met Randy Adler, who had to switch engines in between the semi-finals and finals. Unfortunately the race was over as soon as it began, because Adler left a wee bit too early, handing the win to Dunne who powered a 6.03 to end the NMCA season.