NMCA Final at Indianapolis

An Endurance Run

Words by Scott Sparrow
Photos by Donna Bistran and courtesy NMCA

The National Muscle Car Association wrapped up its 2012 season with a marathon event at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. With a severe weather forecast for Sunday, Oct. 14, officials made the decision to hold only one of two scheduled qualifying sessions on Saturday and then begin eliminations; running the entire event as weather permitted, pushing the final rounds for most classes into the predawn hours.

“With the ominous forecast, we felt it was in the best interests of the racers to get the event completed so we didn’t have to carry over eliminations until Monday,” said NMCA President Charlie Harmon. “We knew it was hard on everyone running into the morning like we did, but given the forecast concerns, it was the only practical decision to be made.

“I really appreciate all the racers who stuck in there with us. If nothing else, it will give everyone there a race to remember,” Harmon joked.

Even with the painful reality of a race lasting nearly 24 hours, as the hours dragged on, most racers remained upbeat. “We come here to race, not sit around,” said Open Comp racer Frankie Radake, who unofficially earned his first class championship.

For those brave enough to stay awake, or for those who had no choice, the atmosphere was more akin to a party than the apparent misery, which made the entire event take on an odd life of its own as the hours ticked by.

“It’s become somewhat of party more than anything else,” Radake said sometime around 3 a.m.

Billy Adams, who wrenched driver Phil Smith to his first championship in Aeromotive Xtreme Street echoed Radake’s statement. “Hey, this is old school right here. Get to the track worn out, work all day, work all night, and race into the next morning. I kind of like this idea.”

While these statements were made in the punchy, sleep-deprived early morning hours of Sunday, one truism remains clear: If you and your crew pushed your car into the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle to claim your NHRA Unleashed Wally at the 11th Annual FueLab NMCA World Street Finals featuring the Sixth Annual Chevrolet Performance LSX Shootout, you earned it probably like no other.

At the top of that list of the winners of the final event of this year’s Flowmaster Drag Racing Series event was Clint Hairston (shown) in Kooks Custom Headers Pro Street. He qualified third, beat Eric Burnett in the first round, Jim Widener in the second, and then topped number one qualifier Jeff Lutz by running an incredible 5.97 at 251 mph in his turbocharged GTO to face Randy Adler in the final round. Hairston defeated Adler in a 6.00 to 6.09 affair at nearly 5 a.m. (Donna Bistran photo)