Compiled by SEMA Editors
NMRA Announces New Index Class for 2016
The NMRA competition department has announced a new index class for the 2016 season. With a working title of “Ford Muscle,” this new championship class will debut at the season opener in Bradenton, Florida, March 3–6, at the 22nd Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout presented by Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine. However, the name of the class has not been decided. The NMRA team is asking for help in naming this new class. Suggestions will be accepted until December 13, and NMRA racers and fans will decide with a vote the following week. Name the new NMRA championship index class.
 Kyle Busch |
Kyle Busch Wins 2015 Sprint Cup Championship
Even after a serious crash the day before the February Daytona 500, which required months of rehabilitation and 11 missed races, Kyle Busch won the 2015 Sprint Cup Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup began in September and started with 16 drivers, included 10 races, three elimination rounds and a four-way battle for the NASCAR Championship that included 43 contenders in the final event.
DIESEL Motorsports Partners with Performance Business Media
Performance Business Media, a full-service advertising agency specializing in motorsports, has announced a newly forged partnership with DIESEL Motorsports, as the official advertising agency for the only sanctioning body of diesel drag racing and sled pulling in the United States.
VP Racing Fuels Partners With StayWet to Promote Track Conditioner
VP Racing Fuels has announced an agreement with Dane Miller, developer of StayWet, to produce, market and distribute a track-conditioning product for dirt-track racing. As part of the agreement, Miller will license use of the product name and formula to VP and will be employed by VP for two years to help introduce and promote the product and train VP personnel.
According to Miller, the mission of StayWet track conditioner is “all about the show and improving the experience of drivers and spectators alike.” The mission is accomplished through improved soil compaction, soil adhesion and reduced dust. By improving cohesion of the soil molecules to keep them more compactly grouped and resistant to shearing, StayWet prevents holes and ruts from forming on the track. StayWet’s enhanced adhesion serves to make the track surface sticky so tires can grip the racing surface better. The net effect is a quantum improvement in track performance. VP also intends to promote a second soil treatment product formulated for road construction, cement plant and landfill applications. While keeping dust controlled, this version is designed to keep ground packed for a longer duration for heavy equipment mobility.
2016 International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Dinner Presenters Named
Some of drag racing’s most illustrious personalities have been tabbed to present members of the “Class of 2016” to the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame (IDRHoF). The event will be held at the Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites in Gainesville, Florida, the evening of Thursday, March 17, 2016. Included in the cast of presenters are three Top Fuel dragster World Champions and a Funny Car World Champion.
Ray Goodman will be a co-presenter to his friend and driver Preston Davis and International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) six-time Top Fuel World Champion Clay Millican. Inductee Jack Doyle will be presented by IDRHoF member Roger Gustin. The late Marvin Miller’s presentation will be handled by Steve Gibbs, who will present Miller’s son Steve. Two-time NHRA/Mello Yellow World Top Fuel Champion Antron Brown will present Mark Oswald, who has served as a co-crew chief for both of Brown’s championships. Presenting Briton Dennis Priddle will be Don Garlits—founder/CEO/curator of the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing. Early Funny Car legend Gaspar Ronda will be presented by 2012 NHRA/Mello Yellow World Top Fuel Champion Jack Beckman. The Founder’s Award will be presented by Garlits and long-time nominating committee member Harry Hibler to Rockingham Dragway owner Steve Earwood for his life-long dedication to the sport.
The honorees are selected by a committee of veteran drag-racing and performance industry figures. The selection committee consists of: Gibbs (retired vice president, NHRA), Hibler (president, Zircon Corp.), Ted Jones (Masters Entertainment, retired president, IHRA) and Greg Sharp (curator, Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum). Garlits carries a tie-breaker vote for the selection committee, if required.
Race Your LS for a Chance to Win a ’69 Camaro RS/SS Roller Vehicle
The National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) has announced a partnership with Real Deal Steel to offer LS and modern-LT racers the chance to win a custom-built ’69 Camaro RS/SS roller vehicle. All 2016 Chevrolet Performance Challenge Series class racers who finish the season in the Top-10 in their respective classes will be eligible to win. With five classes to choose from, each eligible racer has a 1:50 chance to take home the ’69 Camaro RS/SS. The Real Deal Steel/NMCA ’69 Camaro RS/SS roller features products from some of the leading performance manufacturers in the United States, including an all-steel GM licensed ’69 Camaro body complete with exterior sheet metal from Auto Metal Direct and prep from All Bare Media Blasting. Chris Alston’s Chassisworks supplied the performance front frame clip, while the shortened rear end was handled by Moser Engineering. Mickey Thompson provided the tires, which are mounted on Weld Racing wheels, which offer a glimpse of the Wilwood Engineering brakes. Steering needs are covered by an ididit column topped off with an AutoPro USA/Volante custom wheel. Finally, a Chevrolet Performance Connect & Cruise 480hp LS3 crate engine system complete with a Super Magnum T56 6-speed transmission was supplied by Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center.
For more information on the Real Deal Steel/NMCA ’69 Camaro RS/SS roller vehicle giveaway, including complete contest rules, sponsor information and more, log on to www.NMCAdigital.com/69camaro.