NMCA "World Finals" results

[Keith Seymore]

Just an update relative to the Nostalgia Muscle Car Association "World Finals" held in Indianapolis a couple weekends back:

Several months ago I hatched a scheme to attend and try to run multiple classes: my usual "Nostalgia Muscle Car" class, but also a separate stand-alone class called "True Street".

NMC is an index style footbrake class for 1955 - 1985 American made vehicles. I have been running that class (or a derivative) since about 1994. True Street is more of an entry level class (not really) which demonstrates the streetability of the participants by taking a 30 mile cruise and then making three back to back runs. DOT approved street tires are required (no drag slicks allowed). Winners are determined for overall quickest ET, as well as those closest to the 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0, 14.0 and 15.0 marks. NMC qualifying and eliminations span across Friday, Saturday and Sunday; since True Street is Saturday only they allow entry into a local bracket program on Sunday as an enticement. The added bracket race meant that I would be running three separate categories.

Anyway - my thinking at the time was (a) it will be Autumn, so it will be nice and cool (right?), so I will probably be able to run 10 flat in the cool of the day. If that is the case then (b) I could run 10 flat in NMC, and then also enter True Street shooting for the 10.0 benchmark, so that the "learnings" from the added time runs could transfer across the two classes; Plus it would fill in a lot of the usual downtime associated with NMC on Saturday.

Boy, was I wrong. Temperatures (as you are likely aware) were in the mid 90's, with the humidity levels not far behind. Sweat was dripping off my nose just filling out the tech paperwork. Basically I was off about a half second in ET from where I thought I would be. That's not really a problem for NMC since I could hit the 10.50 index, but put me squarely halfway between where I wanted to be for True Street. The dilemma: should I run 10.50's and take what I get - or - slow the car to 11 flat for True Street in an attempt to win the 11.0 category?

I'm not proud but I elected to slow the car to 11.0 for True Street. The 30 mile cruise was no problem and my three runs were an 11.16, 10.99 and 11.04
for an average of 11.06. Long story short I have posted a pic of the True Street 11 sec winner.

https://www.facebook.com/aerospaceco...type=3&theater

For NMC we threw the slicks back on and qualified on the 10.50 index by pulling 7 degrees timing from my usual setting. I also went a couple rounds in the bracket program with a 10.50 dial in; my demise in both classes was a result of breaking out trying to take the stripe. Quickest pass in this configuration was 10.38, which was unexpected given that my time run was a 10.505 and that the day continued to get hotter and hotter as eliminations progressed.

I may try this again in the future, some time when I am sure I can hit the 10.0 mark.

The NMCA webpage can be found here: http://www.nmcadigital.com/

K