NMCA PRO STOCK

not what we intended when we started this a year-and-a-half ago. When we started this, we already saw the cars out there, and guys that were interested in it. We saw something where we could grab a pretty good amount of racers that want to build these type engines, but in the process

of doing that, NHRA started making their announcements after we started our discussions.

“ We’ re not going after NHRA or their drivers or cars, but I think that’ s an end result that we’ ll get some of them, especially on the older car side.”

On the other side of the world and a little to the south, drag racing has a massive fan base in Australia, which is where Book picked up the idea

for the new class with some moderations. NMCA Pro Stock would also be more lenient with body styles than NHRA.

“ I modeled it to some degree off of Australian Pro Stock because the 401-cubic-inch maximum and 2,300-pound minimum are the Australian rules,” he said.“ Then I put a bunch of other things in that they don’ t have in Australia, and the first

thing is that you can run EFI or carburetors, which isn’ t the case over there. I’ m allowing any year and any make of body style in, so you could have a’ 55 Chevy or a Studebaker, as long as the chassis is legal underneath the body, if anything is legal.”

While Miller says there’ s no interest from

NMCA in regards to cherry-picking drivers from other series( i. e. NHRA), both he and Book said there has been some interest from some pretty big names, including a certain newly-crowned Pro Stock racer.

In addition to Line, Book said Richard Freeman, owner of the Elite Motorsports team that fields Pro Stock entries for champions Jeg Coughlin Jr., and Erica Enders, has expressed interest in getting a car built specifically for the new NMCA class. Plus, some of those Aussies plan to leave the Land Down Under and give American drag racing a try.

“ I’ ve got several Australian teams that are already gonna’ come over,” Book said.“ They’ re gonna leave Australia and they’ re gonna’ race over here. Nino Cavallo, who raced with us last year, is gonna’ stay over here and race here fulltime. Jason Grima, who was the 2013 world champion in Australia, he’ s gonna’ have two cars over here in the class next year. Rick Skelton’ s gonna’ have a car in the class; he’ s from Australia.

“ That’ s another thing that we’ re hoping: we’ re hoping there’ ll be enough Australians, that that will start off immediately, you know, a rivalry between countries.”

NMCA made three exhibition runs with the new class in 2016 and were happy with what they saw. Thanks to some sponsorship, racers have an incentive to be a part of the class’ s kickoff this year.

“ Dick Maskin stepped up huge this year with the sponsorship for the three exhibition races that we ran in 2016,” Miller said.“ And he has all the intention of stepping up again in’ 17. Bob’ s also looking into helping us with a couple of other sponsors within the industry.“ It’ s a lotta’ money to field that class as a sponsor for six races.

I mean, you’ re talking a lot of money.”

The 2017 NMCA season kicks off March 9-12 with Muscle Car Mayhem at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Fla. DI

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