NMCA Memphis

by Jeff Burk

Corky Markwart’s Dodge Dakota made its debut at Memphis. The Richard Earle built piece had a nitrous oxide injected rat under the hood and the big brute of a race car ran a 7.245/193 on it way to final round run in with Adler’s GTO

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Florida Hot street racer Tony Pirez has two things in common with another famous fast Florida racer. Both Tony and Don Garlits are from Seffner. At the Memphis event Pirez ran an incredible 10.04 to qualify number one in the real street tire Factory Street class. Just like Garlits many thought it was  a fluke until the hard charger took his nondescript Nova to the final round. Pirez nearly got the wheels off the ground on the launch, which is no easy feat with a 3000lb car on K-Mart tires.

Peter Rogowski and his Ford Ranger truck is what the Hot Street class is supposed to be about. The Dallas, Georgia racer drives his 13-second street truck to every NMCA event. He qualifies, races, and drives home. The 302 Ford powered truck runs in the mid thirteen second range.

Outlaw street hitter Brian Robbins had his problems at Memphis. On his Friday night qualifying pass he torched the block, which caused the burst panel to blow which in turn caused a fuel tank explosion. The crew worked all night, qualified the next day with a stout 6.91/205. In the first round of eliminations something gave up in the engine and exploded. Note the debris under the car and the breaking license plate.

Randy Adler all but clinched the NMCA Outlaw street World title at Memphis with his blown GTO. He qualified with a 6.825/208.55 and went through the Outlaw Street field like George Forman cleaning up a slab of Memphis ribs.

Rick Moroso put a new small block in his Hot Street ‘Vette and it really paid off. The 380+ inch single fourbarrel mouse motor pushed the Vette to a best ever 9.021/148.23

Jeff Miller is starting to get his ex Jim Oddy ’37 Chevy sorted out. He had clutch problems at Memphis but did great burnouts and did run a 7.93 at just 131mph.

DRO WORLD’S FASTEST STREET CARS IN AMERICA

Every year at Memphis Hot Rod awards the ten quickest "legal street" cars a jacket, fame and fortune. DRO feels though that since the program is called the World’s Fastest Street cars the fastest cars- as in miles per hour- should get something so we will give the Ten fastest cars out of the Pro Street and Outlaw Street classes one of our groovy shirts. If you made the list all you have to do is email us an address and we will send you a shirt. Congratulations from the staff at DRO! Oh Yeah, no perks, no fortune, no fame just the shirt.

1) Randy Adler ‘66 GTO O/S 208.55
2) Bruce Kimmen ‘69 Camaro O/S 206.01
3) Brian Robbins ‘67 Chevy II O/S 205.01
4) Tony Christian ‘98 Firebird P/S 203.37
5) Bob Rieger ‘99 S-10 P/S 202.12
6) Mike Moran ‘97 Camaro P/S 201.49
7) Annette Summer ’67 Camaro P/S 198.99
8) Joe Culver ’96 T-Bird P/S 198.88
9) Rod Williford ’97 Camaro P/S 198.52
10) Fred Davis ‘95 Corvette O/S 196.36

 

 

Photos by Jeff Burk

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