NMCA/NMRA IS BACK! Atlanta handed them everything they could handle.

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I am not normally one to talk about how something is a new norm or and old norm, but damn was it good to see the NMRA & NMCA back in action for the first time since early March. The action certainly did not disappoint either.

For those of you that don’t know or didn’t realize it, this was the first action that either series has seen since the beginning of March when they both had their season openers in Bradenton, FL. The NMRA and NMCA have been around for more than two decades now, and they continue to provide great drag racing action for its racers and fans.

The showcase class when it comes to the combined events is and always has been the Pro Mod class. While there were plenty of reasons happening in the world to create a smaller than usual entry list, that didn’t mean there wasn’t some exciting action. At the end of the day, it was two of the most recognizable drivers in all of Pro Mod facing off against each other. Adam Flamholc and his sexy silver Vette facing off against the Barnburner of Indiana native Craig Sullivan. We were all sure that Adam would take the left lane, as it had been the superior lane all weekend, but leave it to Adam to do it his way, and in the final, he was in the right, while Craig in the left. At the boards, it was Adam that took home the win though.

While I can’t go over every single class that was contested at the event, I am going to highlight some more of them for you. A class like Street Outlaw, which is a very close version of what everyone knows as X275. A majority of the players in this class are all X275 racers also. Names like Alan Felts, Charles Hull, and Phil Hines. By the end of the weekend it was Tony Hobson and Phil Hines in the final. Phil was the one that got to the stripe first with a 4.50 to Hobson’s 4.51.

NMRA Renegade and NMCA Xtreme Street were two other classes that combined during the Atlanta event. This class features a lot of drivers that also compete across the country in Ultra Street. Mike Freeman, Bob Zelenak, Bart Tobener, Brian Keep, and others were battling to claim victory. When it came down to it on early Sunday evening it was Bob Zelenak taking the win over Scott Grove. Bob ran a 4.83 to Scott’s 5.10.

Rolling into NMRA Limited Street, and as luck would have it for Bill Putnam, sometimes being the #2 qualifier has its perks. Bill qualifier #2 in the UPR Products backed Mustang right behind Samantha Moore. Unfortunately Samantha had mechanical issues with the transmission and at the end of the day this left Bill in the finals running uncontested for the win.

Factory Stock, a class that is about as limited as it comes within the NMRA beside Coyote Stock. And this was a weekend on redemption. For years and years John Leslie Jr. has been a staple and one of the faces of this class. Through the ups and downs, the accolades and disappointments, John has never taken his eye off the prize. None of us were sure when John’s last NMRA victory was, but none of us cared at the end of the day on Sunday when he was in the winner circle. It was a bittersweet victory though, as earlier in the weekend, a freak slip and fall sent his biggest supporter, his mom Barb Leslie to the hospital with a broken ankle. While she wasn’t able to be at the track to witness the victory, I have known Barb for plenty of years, and I imagine that the nurses had to come rushing in to check on her when she received the news that John won.

Coyote Stock (disclaimer: one of my favorite classes in all of drag racing) was as usual a hotly contested class. It also seemed to be the class filled with upsets. The finals is where the upsets were put to bed though. Frank Paultanis, who is usually a favorite to win faced off against another class staple in Nathan Stymiest. It was Frank in his ‘04 Mustang that took the victory and headed off for winner circle photos before rolling back to Michigan to get ready for the next event in St. Louis.

Other Class winners included:

James Meredith - Modular Muscle

David Mormann - Ford Muscle

Lloyd Mikeska - Super Stang

Bill Jones - NMRA Open Comp

Keith Chobirko - Truck & Lightning

Tripp Carter - Factory Super Cars

Randy Dolensek - Nitrous Pro Street

Leonard Long - NA 10.5

Gary Duncan - Chevrolet Performance Stock

Al Wilson - Stock/Super Stock

Kevin Gass - Nostalgia Super Stock

Andy Warren - Nostalgia Muscle Car

Dan Caissie - NMCA Open Comp