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| The NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals in Detroit showcased the best in musclecar performance. |
NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals Rocks the Motor City at Milan Dragway
The NMCA Flowmaster Muscle Car Nationals rolled into the Motor City August 26–28 showcasing the best in musclecar performance. The 5th Annual JE Pistons NMCA Muscle Car Nationals at Milan Dragway in Milan, Michigan, saw huge fan attendance as well as strong racer and show car participation. Detroit-area fans got their money's worth with great racing, an incredible display of cars in the show and a 300+ mph jet car exhibition.
As usual, all the cars and all the stars of NMCA were in attendance with strong showings from the fastest classes, such as Kooks Custom Headers Pro Street and Mickey Thompson Super Street to nostalgia race classes, such as Indy Cylinder Head Nostalgia Super Stock and FSC Nostalgia Muscle Car. NMCA fans came to see all the wild heads-up and wheels-up classes. Supercharged, nitrous-assisted, turbocharged, and naturally aspirated—the NMCA Michigan event had it all.
This NMCA event featured a special Cobra Jet Showdown, sponsored by Ford Racing, that featured more than 40 blue oval musclecars. Cobra Jet racers competed in three classes for big money and then the winners raced each other for an overall champion. This year's champion was Rev'n Evan Smith, editor of Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine.
The TREMEC NMCA Car Show once again showcased some of the finest hot rods and musclecars in the United States. Car show director Ron Fetter and announcer Dave Farley entertained the NMCA car show crowd at NMCA car show central, where more than 100 awards were given away throughout the weekend.
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| Mike "Junior" Johnson accepts the Solo Driver of Eminence Award. |
SCCA Solo Drivers Earn Prestigious Awards
Some of the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) top awards for solo competition were presented last week at the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska, including the Solo Cup, Driver of Eminence and the Johnson Spirit of the Sport Awards. On the course, nine drivers earned the Triad Award and saw its first winner of the McClintock Berry Cup for young drivers.
Each year, the Solo Events Board selects a recipient for the Solo Cup Award from nominations made by the membership at large. The award goes to the SCCA member who has made outstanding contributions to the Solo Events Program. Jeff Jacobs, from Philadelphia, was given the award and joined a list of winners dating back to 1978. Jacobs was the 2010 ProSolo H Stock Champion and finished 11th in the class at this year’s Solo National Championship.
The Solo Driver of Eminence Award goes to the solo driver who has consistently demonstrated excellence behind the wheel and an exemplary degree of sportsmanship, dedication and unselfishness. This year, Mike “Junior” Johnson, from Glen Allen, Virginia, was recognized as the winner. Johnson finished second in A Street Prepared, with his co-driver, Courtney Cormier, taking the class win.
The Johnson Spirit of the Sport award has been awarded to the SCCA Solo Community member that brings the spirit of fun to their fellow members. The honor is symbolized by the message engraved on the perpetual award that reads “Johnson Spirit of the Sport Award, presented annually by the Royal Order of the Sheep to a member of the flock that upholds the spirited virtues of fun, comaradarie and tomfoolery.” The award is named in honor of the inaugural recipient Roger E. Johnson, and is selected annually by the previous three recipients. This year, the award went to the “Atlanta Brotherhood,” a group of soloists based in the Atlanta area.
On the track, 32 drivers entered then Solo National Championship event eligible for the Solo Triad award—the highest award a solo competitor can earn. The Triad recognizes those drivers that win championships at three levels of National Solo competition: a Divisional Championship, States Championship National Tour and National Championship, all in the same class.
Nine of the eligible drivers claimed the Triad Award by winning a National Championship.
Two drivers became repeat winners of the award. Mark Madarash, from Red Oak, Texas, earned his second Triad Award (following one in 2009) in E Street Prepared after winning a Southwest Divisional and Southern States Championship in a Pontiac Trans-Am. Bartek Borowski, of Elmwood Park, Illinois, earned the honor in E Stock for the second-straight year after winning the Central Divisional, Southern States and Northern States Championship events in a Mazda Miata.
Earning their first Triad Awards with National Championships during the week were Doug Rowse (Phoenix, D Street Prepared); Geoff Clark (Monroe, Washington, Street Touring Ultra); David White (Chicopee, Massachusetts, Street Modified); Andy McKee (San Jose, California, Super Street Modified); Fred Zust (Tempe, Arizona, X Prepared); Donald Elzinga (Waterford, Michigan, C Modified); and Jeff Kiesel (Poway, California, E Modified).
The McClintock Berry Cup goes to drivers in the Formula Junior program that, while not eligible for a National Championship because the classes run have “supplemental” status, still complete Divisional and States Championships wins and a win at the National Championship event. Tom Regganie, from Joliet, Illinois, captured the McClintock Berry Cup this season with a win in the Central and Great Lakes Divisions, the Northern States Championship, and in Lincoln, all in Formula Junior B.
The Dr. Bob Woods Cup was also awarded to the top finishing student driver in the Formula SAE competition. Trent Strunk, a University of Kansas student from Silver Lake, Kansas, earned the award after finishing second in the class.
More information on the Tire Rack SCCA National Championships or the SCCA Solo program is available at www.scca.com/solo.
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| JaguarRSR is preparing for a six-hour endurance event at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Round Eight of the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrόn. |
JaguarRSR Heads to California After its Best Qualifying of the Season
JaguarRSR is preparing for a six-hour endurance event at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Round Eight of the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrόn.
Two weeks ago, the sophomore team was on the East Coast racing on the streets of Baltimore where it achieved its best qualifying efforts of the season, where the Jaguar XKR qualified in the 7th and 9th positions. This weekend, they head to California to return to road-course racing.
The team will field two XKRs in the 39-car ALMS field—the Series' largest at the track since the first event in 1999. This will be the third start for the XKR at this venue, making its first appearance back in 2009.
Behind the wheel of the #98 JaguarRSR XKR GT will see the continued partnership of Americans Rocky Moran Jr. and PJ Jones. Moran considers Laguna Seca his home track, as he was born in Pasadena, California, and currently resides with his family in Ladera Ranch, California. He essentially began his racing career on the 2.238-mile course. From competition in the Jim Russell Mazda series to Barber Dodge and then Atlantics, he recorded multiple fast laps, podiums and front-row starts, including a victory in Atlantics. Jones is also no stranger to this venue, having won the pole and race while competing in the IMSA GTP Championship and multiple starts in the Champ Car World Series.
Bruno Junqueira and Ken Wilden join forces again in the cockpit of the #99 cat. The Brazilian Junqueira has made four starts there in Champ Car, earning consecutive second-place finishes during his last two visits. The JaguarRSR lineup is complete with Canadian Wilden, who has made seven starts at Laguna. He has a vast experience of machines on the challenging course ranging from open-wheel (Atlantics), Trans-Am, Grand-Am (Prototype and GS class). He has been on the pole twice and won as many times.
Qualifying for the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Tequila Patrón will be aired live on ESPN3.com on Friday, September 16, at 3:30 p.m. (PDT). The green flag is set for 1:30 p.m. (PDT), Saturday, September 17, with live race coverage available on ESPN3.com. ESPN2 will televise the race from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT) on Sunday, September 18. International viewers can see the event live on MotorsTV, Rogers Sports Net, Fox Sports Middle East and Fox Latin America Networks. Live radio broadcasts are available at www.americanlemans.com.
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| Mark Blundell and Zak Brown pilot the United Autosports with Michael Shank Racing #23 Ford-Riley in the EMCO Gears Classic series finale staged at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, September 17. |
Mark Blundell (GB) and Zak Brown (USA) contest the final round of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 race aiming for a top-five finish. Brown and Blundell pilot the United Autosports with Michael Shank Racing #23 Ford-Riley in the EMCO Gears Classic series finale staged at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, September 17.
The United Autosports entry has previously recorded a fourth (Rolex 24 at Daytona), sixth (Grand Prix of Miami) and ninth (Canadian Tire 200 At The Glen) in what is the Anglo-American team’s maiden foray in GRAND-AM. United Autosports is placed 12th in the Teams’ standings with Blundell and Brown 16th and 18th in the Drivers’ championship respectively despite contesting less than 25% or the calendar.
The 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio road course holds a special place for Michael Shank Racing as the track is the site of the team’s original formation. In last year’s corresponding race, MSR finished second and fourth having led 14 laps.