NMCA Drag Racing Event - Street Fighters

People love to quote chapter and verse about how fast their street cars are. You know 'em-and you may even be one of them. These Internet jockeys whip out handy dyno numbers and e.t.'s at the slightest provocation, clogging up message boards with enough virtual hot air to launch a Saturn V rocket. This story isn't about those people, it's about a class of racer-the street fighter-who practices what he preaches. He does it on the street, at the track, and with just one machine. This is NMCATrue Street.

Sponsored by Popular Hot Rodding, MSD Ignition, and now Hedman Hedders, NMCA True Street is exclusively for licensed, registered, and insured street cars. And unlike the "street car" drag race run by another well-known magazine-the race you have to kiss butt to get into-this one is for anybody, as long as he or she has the stomach for hardcore racing, real street miles, and a kinship with like-minded street fighters.

True Street kicks off with a 30-mile driving loop that puts all cars through a grueling cruise that simulates city and highway driving. Drop out or break, and you're done. After returning to the track from the cruise, all cars are sequestered in a special pit area, where they are not allowed to pop hoods, tune, or perform work of any kind. We allow tire pressure checks, refueling, and hooking up nitrous bottles, but that's it. Then all cars are brought to the staging area, where they must complete three drag-strip passes back to back. If your car pukes, overheats, throws a belt, deflates a tire, or otherwise requires repair, it's out of competition with a "DNF." When all runs are completed, the e.t.'s of competitors are averaged, and ranked from quickest to slowest. The guy with the quickest three-run average is crowned the king, and the cars averaging closest to, but not exceeding, the 10-, 11-, 12-, 13-, 14-, and 15-second index breaks are also awarded $100 prizes.

At the Superbowl of Drag Racing in Joliet, Illinois, this past July, Paul Ferrucci of Waterbury, Connecticut, bested a field of 77 fellow competitors to win the 6-foot trophy, a $250 cash prize, and a gold and diamond Nitto Tires "Superbowl" ring from the NMCA. Paul's average was a blistering 8.643 seconds-absolutely amazing for a street car. In Joliet, we selected nine cars to profile in this story. When we chose them, we didn't know who would win, or even finish, but there was something about each one we were drawn to. Some were obvious ones, like Paul's Malibu, but we also wanted a broad cross-section of typical street cars. Many of these street fighters are cars like yours, or otherwise might be within reach with more time and money. Here are their stories, along with the results of the Joliet race.

Paul Ferrucci's '81 Malibu isn't what you'd call a typical street car, but it started out typically enough. Paul purchased it in 1989 as a teenager, and used it as a daily driver and weekend warrior. It went through a variety of iterations including a naturally aspirated small-block for bracket racing, then nitrous, and even an 8-71 blower for the sheer shock factor. The current combination features an F2 Procharger, about which Paul emphatically says, "There's nothing like it!" Most of the work was done by Paul at home, including the magenta paint job, which has now been replaced by a more professional coat. Some of the heavy lifting, such as the rollcage, rear anti-sway bar, mini-tub job, and notched framerails was performed by Miller Racecars, to which Paul gives major credit. The air-to-water intercooled mill boasts 1,011 rear-wheel horsepower on 20 lbs of boost with 112 octane, as measured on Jannetty Racing's chassis dyno. For those with similar carbureted blow-through setups, Paul says the belt-driven fuel pump was the key to making it all work properly. How good is it? Paul ran his best e.t. during time trials at Joliet with an 8.28 at 165 mph. Paul also gives credit to Carlquist Competition Engines, who did much of the machine work.

1981 Chevy Malibu
Paul Ferrucci
Occupation: Helicopter mechanic
Hometown: Waterbury, CT
Best Prior e.t.: 8.52/163
True Street e.t. Average: 8.643

With all the Doug Herbertvalvetrain gear in Terry Herbert's nitrous-fed '84 Monte Carlo SS, you'd think he was related, but he's not. Terry does, nonetheless, share a voracious appetite for winning with his more-famous namesake. In 2006, Terry secured six True Street index wins, and in 2005, he managed three. At Joliet, Terry was unfazed by the 78-car field, and dove right in, finishing tenth overall. This Monte Carlo SS is a true driver, in the sense that it's so well known in Terry's hometown that he can't get a race. ("It runs on a blend of pump gas and avgas. They know me well down at the airport.") The only exception to this is when a new batch of soldiers hits the army base. "A new soldier will move into town and run across me," the M1 tank mechanic says, "and I make him feel bad." At Joliet, Terry's Monte had inexplicable traction problems in the left lane, holding it to a 9.95. On top of that, the number-two piston broke a ring and damaged the piston. Still, Terry's 10.0 performance rings impressive. Terry also gives credit to his racing partner, Mark Gosslin, who he bought out a year and a half ago.

1984 Chevy Monte Carlo SS
Terry Herbert
Occupation: M1 Abrams tank mechanic
Hometown: Elizabethtown, KY
Best Prior e.t.: 9.89/138
True Street e.t. Average: 10.051

There's no question that the Chevy II has become the posterboy for hot rodding-find the lightest body possible, then stuff the biggest motor inside it. Starting with a $700 six-cylinder hulk he bought in 1993, True Street competitor Marc Schankweiler started modestly, initially hoisting a 327 small-block over the fenders. A collection of small-blocks subsequently made a series of guest appearances over the years. Marc has, however, resisted the urge to go over to the dark side-aka a big-block. Instead, his desires focused on the ultimate small-block, a NASCAR SB2.2, which might as well be a big-block, considering the copious airflow made possible by the SB2.2's sewer-pipe ports. As you might suspect, Marc is a longtime competitor in the True Street ranks, regularly bumping into the likes of Paul Ferrucci. "I had to come out to Joliet to keep Paul honest!" Marc chides. In the end, Marc's average score fell short of the top spot by just nine-thousandths. ("I had a bad oil leak I was trying to hide. I was real happy to shut it off at the end of the quarter-mile.") Until he can come out on top again, Marc plans to drive the Chevy II to cruise nights and shows, as well as the occasional street car shootout.

1966 Chevy II
Marc Schankweiler
Occupation: Carpenter
Hometown: Douglassville, PA
Best Prior e.t.: 8.69/161
True Street e.t. Average: 8.652

Larry Bell isn't your run-of-the-mill True Street competitor for a variety of reasons. First, he didn't even know about the class until we told him about it. We first discovered Larry's Corvair a few months before Joliet, and asked him-scratch that, begged him-to participate. If ever there was a car perfect for this class, this is it. Larry built the entire car himself, right down to the body and paint. Starting with a totaled '67 Corvair that belonged to his dad, Larry fixed it up, and dropped the body onto an '85 Monte Carlo chassis. This gave him instant access to plentiful G-body suspension components, and provided plenty of room for the 455 Buick he had waiting in the wings. The Buick-powered beast runs on a steady diet of ordinary pump gas, and knocks down high 10s on motor for a total outlay of $13,000. And beyond Larry's mechanical aptitude, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Larry is just about the kindest soul we've ever met at a racetrack. With kind words, a fun attitude, and a helpful hand to all who seek it, Larry's presence is always felt in a good way. He quickly earned the name "Smilin' Larry" at our photo shoot, which ran well into the wee hours of the morning. Look for a full feature on Larry's Corvair soon.

1967 Chevy Corvair
Larry Bell
Occupation: Operator
Hometown: Moro, IL
Best Prior e.t.: 10.96/123
True Street e.t. Average: 11.041

How is it that a guy who has owned 15 to 20 Chevelles (he's lost count) ends up with a '70 Road Runner? If you're a real car guy and not just a myopic mono-brander, you already know that answer. The '70 Road Runner is one of the best-looking, most iconographic musclecars of all time, and when a nice one pops up, you just can't turn it down. It's true that Blake Highsmith, and his father, Brian, are serious Chevelle freaks, but this Mopar B-body wasn't going to be ignored. Father and son found it in the Oklahoma City newspaper in 1999, and snatched it up for $13K. Previously a show car, it quickly became a "go" car, especially after a Procharger-equipped 383 found its way underhood. We first observed Blake's Road Runner during True Street time trials as it quietly performed a burnout, then launched with all the excitement of groceries on a checkout counter. We did a double-take when the scoreboard lit up with an 11.03 at 124 mph. This was a car we'd have to peek at. Unfortunately, Blake's Road Runner ended the day early with a broken piston ring and some beat-up pistons. ("We had a standard ring end gap of .022, and it needed to be between .024 and .026.") It's still cool, and we're still showing it, so if you don't like it, go heat up the Internet.

1970 Plymouth Road Runner
Blake Highsmith
Occupation: Wyotech graduate, small business owner
Hometown: Lindsay, OK
Best Prior e.t.: 10.89/127
True Street e.t. Average: DNF

The ranks of True Street are swollen with late-model Fox-chassis Mustangs, partly due to the class's origination in the Mustang ranks. Thus, it's really hard to get noticed in a Mustang because there are so many of them around. Fortunately for Mike Biggs, his '88 LX stands out from the crowd, not so much for earth-stopping performance, but for its attention to detail, clean looks, and flawless execution. Yes, Mike takes pride in his work, and this LX is his calling card for a burgeoning performance shop he runs back in Indiana. Looking beyond the fairly common, yet competent nitrous'd fuel-injected 351, the LX employs a bulletproof Liberty face-tooth-gear-shifted Tremec, which allows lightning-fast, effortless, clutchless shifts. Mike, the perennial stickman, swears by the United Manual Transmission Racers (UMTR) association, a loose confederation of racers who run a race series in Ohio strictly for stick cars. Amazing launches, wild wheelstands, and gear-jamming excitement are the main draw, and we confess to having no prior knowledge of the Ohio-based group. If the mayhem continues, we may have to check it out.

1988 Ford Mustang LX 5.0
Mike Biggs
Occupation: Auto shop owner
Hometown: Fortville, IN
Best Prior e.t.: 11.04/128
True Street e.t. Average: 11.120

In the Ford world, it is the Mustang that commands all the attention, and drives the cottage performance industry of the late-model Fox-platform. And while that's good enough to entice most Ford fanatics to modify the millions of Mustangs in existence, it wasn't good enough for James Brand. James knows what has inexplicably escaped the legions of Mustang gang-bangers: the Thunderbird shares virtually all its underpinnings-including its powertrain-with the Mustang. In its heyday, the '83-'87 T-bird was the epitome of style, and in Turbo Coupe guise, was a conveyance of some envy. What the Turbo Coupe didn't have was the Mustang GT's fire-eating (for 1983) small-block V-8. Not to worry, as James has addressed that problem quite nicely, thank you. A late-model hydraulic roller 351 massaged by friend Mike Biggs (see previous page) makes the T-bird a solid 11-second player, thanks in part to a cheater nitrous system by NOS. And because it's a Thunderbird instead of a Mustang, the entire family (son, Tyler; daughter, Madison; and wife, Lori) can get in on the fun for the modest outlay of around $21K total. And James' favorite activity with the car? Taking the family out to the Throttle Stoppers cruise in Indianapolis every Friday night.

1983 Ford Thunderbird
James A. Brand
Occupation: Union pipe fitter and plumber
Hometown: Pendleton, IN
Best Prior e.t.: 11.70/118
True Street e.t. Average: 12.692

When we first noticed Chad Wade's '89 IROC at the True Street Challenge in Columbus, Ohio, last year, we made the same mistake most people do when they first see it. We ignored it. That level of blissful ignorance meant our cameras totally missed Wade's wheels-up launch and follow-on 9-second pass. We did not make that mistake again, but could certainly be forgiven at least once. Wade's IROC looks utterly and completely stock from the outside, right down to its stock 16-inch rims. Built at a time when Chevrolet's top ponycar was the standing joke in performance circles, Chad's IROC has made a career on the streets of Iowa City from such misplaced expectations. It runs 9s, my friend, and that's hauling ass no matter what kind of iron you drive. Wade eschews the simple function of a carburetor in favor of high tech. XFI fuel-injection by FAST feeds a voracious 406-inch small-block topped with a TPIS miniram intake. Two stages of computer-controlled nitrous oxide put the small-block into a drug-induced rage, while an FLP-built 700-R4 trans does a credible job of staying together during the onslaught. Were Genghis Khan alive today, this would no doubt be his daily driver.

1989 Chevy IROC Camaro
Chad Wade
Occupation: Claims adjuster
Hometown: Iowa City, IA
Best Prior e.t.: 9.93/136
True Street e.t. Average: DNF

Joe Rozinek doesn't say much. Ask him a question, and you'll mostly get a simple "yes" or "no" without embellishment. Were this magazine of a celebrity driven ilk, we might be hardpressed to say anything about the sea of calm that is Joe Rozinek. As luck would have it, Joe prefers to speak with his Camaro, and it has a lot to say, like, "I'm gonna hand you a beat down. Would you like it now, or in 1,320 feet?" Joe's Third Gen started out as a $900 heap he bought with help from his dad in 2002. It needed a new front clip, floorpans, fresh doors, and lots of body work before the powertrain was addressed. When it was time for the mojo, a 385-inch stroke small-block with Dart Pro 1 heads and a 150-shot breathed life into the rejuvenated ponycar. That pushed out 11.50s on the sauce. Did we mention Joe is friends with Chad Wade? Did we mention how competitive these two are? Those 11.50s weren't gonna cut it, so in went a new bullet with 434 ci, breezy Brodix-10X heads, and a Brodix manifold larger than some New York apartments. The resulting bottom 10s on the juice keeps Joe within shouting distance of Chad, but something tells us this isn't over yet.

1982 Camaro Z28
Joe Rozinek
Occupation: Service station operator
Hometown: North Liberty, IA
Best Prior e.t.: 10.23/133 (nitrous), 11.08/125 (motor)
True Street e.t. Average: DNF