 In Vortech Superchargers Xtreme Street, Bob Kurgan had a bumper |
he 7th Annual NOS Muscle Car Nationals held at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Ky., was said to be “off the chain” by many fans and competitors this past weekend. With an exciting first race in Bradenton already completed last month, rumors of another full 20+ Scorpion Pro Street car count were flying around the Internet before Bowling Green, and although a few racers failed to show up, 17 total Pro Streeters made the haul to show who had the baddest machine.
A couple of former Nitto Super Street 10.5W champions made a showing at Beech Bend, Billy Glidden (2006 champ) and Jim Blair (2007 champ) made their 2008 debut. Combine the full fields in both heads-up and index muscle car classes, and beautiful weather on Saturday and Sunday made for a highly anticipated drag racing event that definitely lived up to the hype, despite a Friday of hellacious thunderstorms.
Some of the highlights of the weekend included Chicago’s Spiro Pappas busting a wicked “pot-stirring” 6.83 qualifying hit, which eventually led to an all-out 1320 war between Glidden and Pappas in the second round. After a nail-biting burnout and staging session, Glidden put a holeshot (and a 1.04 60-ft time) on the turbo car, running a 6.99 to Pappas’s 6.95, just barely edging out Pappas by .02 of a second. Vinny Budano was able to run a killer 6.28 at 221 mph in the first round of eliminations, showing the nitrous big-blocks can run with the quicker blower cars of the event, Mark Micke, Steve King, and Jerod Wenrick. In other highlights, two Ty-Tech Racing Engines cars shattered records this weekend, Cameron Coble ran a 7.96 in the Vortech Superchargers Xtreme Street final and Jeff Knox was able to lower the three run average in Tremec True Street to 8.35. John “Fearless” Macaluso was also haulin’ the mail, running a series of 8.90 passes on a 9-inch BFG Drag Radial during the weekend.
Vinny Budano