The '08 NMRA season got off to a great start this past March with its opener in Bradenton, Florida. The weather was great (though a bit windy), and there was nary a hitch as the event played host to a huge car-show field on Saturday and Sunday.
Once again, we're happy to work with Paul Rosner for coverage of the NMRA events that the MM&F staff aren't able to attend, and he was on hand for the 8th Annual Bassani Xhaust NMRA Ford Nationals at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, Georgia, the first weekend in April. Unfortunately, this time Mother Nature didn't cooperate, and Saturday was pretty much a loss for both the racing and car show. Sunday fared better, with the NMRA staff able to get through to the final rounds of all classes, except for the Nitto Tire Shootout featuring ProCharger Super Street Outlaw.
Here's to hoping the weather holds out for the rest of the '08 NMRA season.
Modified Mustangs & Fords Editor's Choice
Lisa Wall's '01 Mustang GT Convertible
This black Mustang GT is one special car. Known as "Danni" all over the Internet, Lisa's black '01 GT is one of the reasons she started the Black Mustang Club in 2003. With well over 7,000 members, the club is open to all black Mustangs and has a huge forum at www.bmcforums.com.
As you'd expect, Danni is far from stock. The 4.6 Two-Valve has been given an infusion of displacement and is now a 5.0 modular wearing a Vortech YSi blower, an NOS intercooler spray bar, and a water-meth injection system. Before the YSi upgrade, Danni was good for 690 to the tire with the old T-Trim, so you can imagine what it must put down now. Lisa runs a PA Performance 4R70W AODE with a manual control valvebody and 3,800-stall converter, while the 8.8-inch rear is bolstered with 3.73 gears. Lisa's BMC Performance did almost all of the performance work, including the engine build and supercharger system.
Believe it or not, the car has its own Web site. Check out www.mustangdanni.com to see more of Lisa's ride.
Jim Pennington drove five...
Jim Pennington drove five hours from Franklin, North Carolina, to display his super-clean '95 GT at the Bassani Xhaust NMRA Nationals car show. Jim's '95 has a built 302 with Summit Racing parts, Edelbrock aluminum heads and induction, and MSD ignition that puts out 500 pavement-shredding, naturally aspirated horsepower. We're sure the five-hour drive in this beast must have been fun.
As big fans of the Fox-era...
As big fans of the Fox-era Mustangs, we're always excited to see sharp combinations utilizing the Fox chassis as a basis. Jerome Shumate's '92 notch is no exception. This Pony has been resprayed in Dark Shadow Gray (one of our favorite colors), and squeezed inside is one of SVT's top engines-the Terminator 4.6 four-cam from an '03 Cobra. Topped with a Kenne Bell in place of the original Eaton and further enhanced with a Nitrous Express hit of the juice, Jerome's LX coupe easily tackles the 1,320 at 10.20 at 130 mph. When it's time to come down from warp speed, the '03 Cobra brakes and a combination of Bennett and Steeda suspension components help control the descent.
The NMRA's Laurel Mountain...
The NMRA's Laurel Mountain All-Ford Auto Show wouldn't get far if it didn't have a car club to help with judging and awards at each event. For the 8th Annual Bassani Xhaust NMRA Nationals, it was the Black Mustang Club of Royal Palm Beach, Florida (www.black mustangclub.com), that dug in and handled the event with aplomb. Guess we have to ship the NMRA new banners, huh?
We didn't get the owner information...
We didn't get the owner information on this early Ford street rod, but we couldn't help taking a photo of the bees going crazy for the paint job. It must have looked like one big flower to these little buggers.
As if owning one of the hottest...
As if owning one of the hottest S197 Mustangs doesn't make us jealous enough, Dan Schoneck's Shelby GT500 has been lowered, blinged up with some 18-inch polished wheels wrapped in Nittos, and upgraded to a ProCharger centrifugal blower. Man, Dan's car must pull like a freight train.
This Windveil Blue '05 V-6...
This Windveil Blue '05 V-6 convertible, owned by Lisa Weigert of Fort Benning, Georgia, sits on lowering springs for now, with more upgrades planned in the future. Lisa has certainly been collecting her share of awards, as seen here.
If there's one class where...
If there's one class where you're guaranteed to see some interesting Ford iron, it's Steeda's Open Comp. Michael Olencheck knows what we mean, as his '82 Fairmont Futura is a regular in Open Comp, and he's been able to take his Dart block 427 Windsor built by D.S.S. to a best of 9.96 at 138 mph. In Reynolds, Michael worked a full 32-car field in Open Comp through four rounds to get into the finals against local Danny Towe. Danny redlit (only a 0.003) to give Michael the win-though Michael's 10.262 on a 10.26 dial with a 0.070 light was still something to be proud of.
Here's the man himself, Daryl...
Here's the man himself, Daryl Bassani, pumping up the crowd during the event. Some sponsors like to just have their name on the sign, and sit back and enjoy the event from afar, but Daryl is the complete opposite and loves to get involved and be one of the more visible sponsors.