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NMCA’ s new Pro Stock class offers alternative to“ EFI era” NHRA Pro Stock By Brandon W. Mudd
It’ s no secret NHRA’ s Pro Stock class is hurting. The switch to electronic fuel injection prior to last season’ s kickoff in Pomona left nearly all the teams scrambling to catch up. While the Summit Racing teams of KB Racing— eventual champion Jason Line and runner-up Greg Anderson— were able to beat the curve and dominate their competitors, Anderson said even team owner Ken Black was disgusted enough with the plan, he left Pomona early last February. Although teams slowly made headway over the course of 2016, there are many ready to write off that class for NHRA. Not so for NMCA, however. Doorslammers are incredibly popular and in recent years, the shows in which they’ re featured have been among the biggest motorsports draws in the country. Nitro may always be a fan favorite, but there are nearly as many diehards in places like Tulsa, South Georgia, Darlington, and Orlando who line the fences and pack the stands to see small-tire machines do their thing. With this understanding, NMCA is planning to roll out a Pro Stock class this season. Series General Manager and Event Director Rollie Miller said a discussion regarding the need for a smallblock class led to the decision.
“ About a year and a half ago,( Book Racing Enterprise owner) Bob Book approached us, and my then-tech director Dave Werremeyer had a big part of that. Those two started talking about a naturally-aspirated small-block class.
“ Number one, Bob had to have the vision of it, and number two, Dave and I saw a need for the Comp Eliminator, Pro Stock-type cars that are small block. I don’ t wanna pick on anyone that had nothing to do with it; we just saw a need there. Four or five racers actually approached us, but the main one was Bob Book.”
Book, one of the top engine builders in the sport in addition to being a pretty good driver,
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said his idea of a Pro Stock class within NMCA began with the issues NHRA and its Pro Stock teams had with that class and minced no words when discussing it.
“ I would say the single biggest reason is the current state of affairs in naturally aspirated drag racing,” Book said.“ You know, as time has gone by here with the ADS and the turbos and nitrous
and all that, naturally aspirated drag racing has taken kind of a beating here lately with the emasculating that they did to NHRA Pro Stock this last off season with the EFI and the other rule changes they made there.”
A top-of-the-list reason for the change was
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also the desire to return drag racing back to a time when the cars were recognizable and had to be muscled down the track. Fewer rules, less tech, and faster cars are what Book foresees with the new class.
“ To me, and a lot of people of my generation,” he said,“ the thing that most symbolizes real drag racing is a small block with clutch. I think back
to when I was young, you know, a four-speed Camaro with a 327 or something like that, that’ s really drag racing at its roots.”
KB Racing is one of the very few NHRA Pro Stock teams who race full-time for a living, explaining why Line and Anderson were the only competitors with a legitimate shot at the title last season. Several parttime and journeyman teams either waited until late in the season when they were finally able to get a grasp of the new rules package or just didn’ t race at all. NHRA Pro Stock veteran Larry Morgan didn’ t race due to both health and sponsorship issues, but it’ s very telling to see him on the entry list for the Pro Mod season opener in Gainesville.
In NASCAR, whenever the Cup Series moves to a new body style, sanctions such as ARCA allows those bodies to be used within their races. Miller said NMCA could provide the same opportunity for Pro Stock racers unable or unwilling to modify their race cars to satisfy NHRA rules.
“ It’ s definitely a possibility,” he said.“ It was
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