Just to ask since we are on the topic........ and I'm merely asking because I don't know. Did Sal get a video of his 10.78 pass? I ask because, everytime we go to the track I have my wife video the run in case I break a personal best or something. It would be great to see, thats all.

Paul

 

No Flamers allowed here!

 

Can we get back on topic ??

Pictures and discussion of the NMRA finals ??

Doug

 

Isn't that exactly what they are doing?? Discussing one of the trucks that was racing that weekend.

--Joe

 

Courtesy of NMRA:

October 2nd, 2002
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NMRA World Finals
Beech Bend Raceway
Bowling Green, KY
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View Final Round Results
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The 2002 NMRA Holley Ford Drag Racing series has come to a thrilling end here in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with some of the best racing the Ford world has ever seen. An enormous crowd of spectators filled the gates to watch 320 heads-up cars go at it for the last time in 2002, many of them looking to win a coveted NMRA class championship and go into he 2003 season with a big number 1 on their windows.
Let¹s start with the top dog class, Mr. Gasket Pro 5.0. Billy Glidden had already sewn up the championship prior to this race, but that didn¹t stop 5 other racers from trying to take him down. Glidden qualified on top, and proved to be unstoppable once again. The final came down to him and "teammate" Derrick Smith, and Glidden took the win light with a 6.900 at 202.73mph to put a big stamp on his 2002 Mr. Gasket Pro 5.0 championship.

MSD Super Street Outlaw had 22 insane 10-inch-tire freak shows gunning for the glory, and the championship was up for grabs. Mike Murillo came into Bowling Green leading the points, with Mike Smith and Vic Williams hot on his heels. A good finish by Smith could have theoretically turned the tide and earned him the championship, but Smith and his partner Jason Cohen lined up against each other in the semifinals so only one was going to the final. Cohen was having a fantastic weekend, running consistent 7-second e.t.s, so he wasn¹t about to hand his partner an easy win. When the lights came down, it was all Cohen, who streaked to a 7.93 at 180mph to Smith¹s 8.01 at 175. In the other semi, John Urist had a bye run, setting up a turbo versus blower final round. Urist got a slight holeshot but drifted toward the wall in the left lane, while Cohen was on another straight-as-a-string pass. Cohen lit up the boards with a 7.844 at 180 to Urist¹s slowing 10.76 at only 87. It was Cohen¹s first-ever NMRA victory, and a very sweet way for him to end the year.

Edelbrock Hot Street had one of the closest and wildest finals of any class this year, when Kurt Neighbor faced off against Kenny Compton. Neighbor has Glidden power, Compton carries the Livernois colors. At the flash of yellow, both cars left hard with the advantage going to Compton. Both cars carried the wheels to about 100 feet out, and Compton maintained his lead. But at the top end, Neighbor inched ahead and took the win with a 9.347 at 145mph to Compton¹s 9.429 at 142.

ProCharger EFI Renegade should have seen a great final round, but Bart Tobener broke in his semifinal victory over Mike Post and couldn¹t make the call, giving Jimmy LaRocca a single in the final. Looking for the 8-second run that everyone was hoping for, LaRocca let it all hang out in the cool night air, but could only muster a 9.14 at 151mph. The points are still being tallied as we write this, so we don¹t who the champion is yet. Stay tuned!

Tremec Pure Street had the most intense race of the year, bar none. Gene Hindman and John McGowan have traded wins and seats atop the points all year long, and when they both won their semifinal races, that meant the entire year would come down to one round, the final at Bowling Green. After doing their burnouts, both racers inched up to the tree and prestaged. Then began the burndown! Both racers sat in the prestage bulbs, refusing to bump in. Hindman even shut his car off! As the crowd roared and tensions built, McGowan finally bumped in. In one deft move, Hindman started his car, bumped in, and left, all in the span of about one second! The pressue must have been too much for McGowan, as he redlit with a .112-second reaction time, handing the win, and the championship, to Hindman.

BFGoodrich Factory Stock also had determined its champion before Bowling Green. Justin Burcham came to Beech Bend with "2002 Factory Stock Champion" on his windows, but was still hungry to win. He proved that in the semifinals when he lined up against his wife, Melanie and showed no mercy. His win sent him to the final to face arch-rival Robin Lawrence. Looking to avenge his second place finish in the points, Lawrence was set on kill and put a light on his rival with a .525 to Burcham¹s .565. But the champ got around the veteran and won with an 11.832 to Lawrence¹s 11.964. The speeds were identical, at 113.64mph!

Vortech Modular Muscle had a huge field of 53 cars, but one name stood out when it counted, the same name that took all the glory in the 2000 season. Jim Breese took the win in the final at Bowling Green, beating Lupe Davila and sealing up his second NMRA Vortech Modular Muscle championship!

5.0 Mustang & Super Fords Real Street had 25 cars entered, the biggest turnout yet for this first-year class. The finals came down to Bruce Hemminger and Steve Torkelson, which Hemminger won with a 10.28 at 130mph to Torkelson¹s 10.31 at 132. The champion, however, appears to be Fred Felt. The numbers have not all been crunched yet, but it looks like Felt is your 2002 5.0 Mustang Real Street champion.

Toyo Tires Open Comp rocked the house with 83 Fords entered! Other than some of the brackets, this was the biggest class of the year in the NMRA, and the final round came down to two racers who had not made it to a final all year. Ron Cates and Rob Marvin faced off, and Cates came out the winner with an 11.166 on an 11.14 dial-in, to Marvin¹s 12.155 on a 12.06. Again, the champion has not been determined, but Cates has a good shot at the title.

BFGoodrich Drag Radial saw the emergence of two unexpected people at the top of the tree, when Peter Champani qualified number one with an 8.77 at 163mph, and Jimmy Byrne went to the final round. Byrne faced off with Dwayne "Big Daddy" Gutridge, the pioneer of this class. Byrne put a huge holeshot on Gutridge, but lost the hook a few hundred feet out, while Gutridge threw down an 8.89 at 156 to take the win. The championship goes to Chris Little, however, who dominated the first three-quarters of the season.

Nitto Tires Truck & Lightning had a huge field of 27 trucks entered for the last race of the season, and they were led by Paul Dackett who qualified with a 9.926 at 135mph pass. After four rounds of racing, the finals came down to Keith Kohlman¹s Ranger taking on the bad black Lightning of Johnny Lightning Wiker. Kohlman got a tiny holeshot and ran an 11.254 on his 11.22 dial-in, while Johnny Lightning broke out with an 11.398 on his 11.42 dial-in.

The Denso Top Qualifier awards went to Billy Glidden for Mr. Gasket Pro 5.0 and Jason Cohen of MSD Super Street Outlaw. Glidden ripped to a 6.933 at 201mph to top his class, while Cohen ran a 7.913 at 180 in Outlaw. Both racers also went on to win their classes!

Centerforce Clutches Burnout Contest

An NMRA Thank You to the Centerforce Burnout Entrants:

Brad Norsworthy, Murray, KY, ¹98 Escort ZX2
Clark Proctor, Joelton, TN ¹93 Mustang
Kevin Digott, Nashville, TN ¹92 Mustang LX
Jeff Rigor, Taylor Mill, KY ¹89 Mustang LX
Craig Scott, Kentucky ¹90 Mustang LX
Kerry Humphrey, Paducah, KY
Bruce Parker, Browns Mills, NJ ¹82 Mercury Capri
Judy Staton, Frankfort, IL, ¹64 Fairlane
Randy Massie, Wellington, OH ¹81 Mustang
Bill Feckley, Murray, KY ¹89 Mustang

 

I wonder why JL was the only Lightning tuner in the finals?

 

 

We trying Boss ...

 

Let me clarify a bit. I've met Sal and I think he is a nice guy. I really do. I've taken up probably a couple hours of his just talking to him on the phone and he has given me some good advice. So take that as you like. I like Sal as much as I like Johnny or Jim. I don't hate any of them and I don't love any of them either.
Feel free to email me if you wish to discuss this further.
leonard@etoppers.com

 

Easter,

Here is the nuts and bolts of the weekend. Sals truck was only getting 7 degrees of timing. Was not running n2o, running heads that flow ENTIRELY too much air for the stock blower...those are amoung just a few reasons you saw it going low 13's all weekend. He just put it back together a few days before bowling green with teh stock blower, he started it up, checked for leaks and put it on the trailor for BG.

SOOOOOOoooo now lets factor in that sal and beefcake are both participating in the MMFF shootout. What would you race it broken? and chance missing the MMFF shootout, which has MUCH more press than NMRA? or would you just try to make it through the weekend, and hopefully finish out a very good points season, then get truck working properly and run it hard for the MMFF?? Just some things to think about.

Well ya see there is a small differance between sals' wife and yours, she maintains the PSP booth while he is running. Obviously pretty difficult to monitor your tent and videotape the runs. I sat with lisa all weekend, and she was never out of the tent. SHe only watched the times, and cheered froma distance. SOO there is my off-topic post...

Brandon

 

Umm redlights my friend, redlights. Happens to all of us. Now look at the final standings and make that comment.

1 Peter Rogowski 1050
2 Terry Reeves 850
3 Larry Gilstrap 650
4 Aaron Kincaid 600
5 Mark Morales 550
6 Randy Morrison 550
7 Sal Mennella 450
8 Johnny Lightning 450

Now see here, both sal and johnny were tied going into NMRA finals, and johnny had attended one more event than sal. Soo mr why is JL the only tuner in the finals. Ya gotta look at the big picture, not just one race. Notice, terry(beefcake) at # 2 there...soo feel free to ask him why/how he was beating johnny lightning going into NMRA... What i am saying is look at the SEASON not one race...

Brandon (ps this is on topic and about NMRA Finals)

Brandon

 

[Well ya see there is a small differance between sals' wife and yours]

I didn't realize they were the only two people at the track when he made the pass. I thought maybe a spectator with the group may have caught it on tape. Sorry. And don't compare my wife again.

 

so you can mention somebody else's wife, but nobody can mention yours??? WTF?

let me just give my .02 and that is you guys are freaks, the whole lot of ya!!! (oops, me too. nevermind )

seriously, though what is the arguement about? I don't understand all of the anger over what?

P.S. I think easterisland is just mad because he drives a lightning with a CAMPER SHELL

otherwise I can't explain it

later,
chris

 

A camper shell? Well that says it all.

 

Yeah that must be it ... LOL

Plus the fact that Sal's truck is the fastest?