NMCA Drag Racing Action Atco Raceway

We spent a balmy June weekend at Atco Raceway in New Jersey checking out the NMCA drag racing action, paying close attention to how many late-model cars participated in the weekend's activities. We were surprised by the number of fourth-gen F-cars, C5 Corvettes, new Mustangs, and the unexpectedly large turnout of Chrysler's rear-drive Hemicars-300Cs, Chargers, and Magnums. It is encouraging to see a contingent of younger guys with fuel-injected power mixing it up with the typically older, grayer, carbureted crowd. We're issuing the challenge, now. Get out and race, no matter how new or old your car is.

Late Model EFI
NMCA created the Eaton Posi Late Model EFI class a few years ago as a catchall category for guys with newer cars who want to race, and the list of eligible cars is substantial: LS-powered Camaros, Firebirds, Corvettes, and GTOs; Mod-motor Mustangs, Lightnings, and Mercury Marauders; and new Hemi-powered Chryslers, Dodges, and Jeeps-basically most domestic, rear-drive, V-8-powered vehicles built since 1998. The catch is the car must run the engine it was manufactured with. In other words, no new engine swaps in older cars.

Mike Stephans of Columbus, Ohio, loves competing in the Late Model EFI class with his daily-driver '01 Corvette and was the class winner of the weekend. A VR ram-air intake, a B&B after-cat exhaust, and a DiabloSport engine tune propel his C5 into the high 12s. Mike says he really likes the community spirit and friendly competition of the Late Model class competitors.
Mike Stephans of Columbus, Ohio, loves competing in the Late Model EFI class with his dail
The new Hemi guys showed up in full force, and Chad Tabak of Gloversville, New York, led the way with one of the craziest 300Cs we've ever seen. We especially liked the homemade, functional Shaker hoodscoop.
The new Hemi guys showed up in full force, and Chad Tabak of Gloversville, New York, led t
This 4,600-pound car runs high 10s thanks to a Novi 1500 centrifugal supercharger. The stock rotating assembly was shelved to make way for a forged bottom end and 8.5:1 pistons.
This 4,600-pound car runs high 10s thanks to a Novi 1500 centrifugal supercharger. The sto

The most hard-core late-model car of the weekend was Paul Major's '01 Corvette. Paul, from Fort Salonga, New York, had a terrible time trying to get the car to hook-it kept blowing the tires just off the line. He said the car is capable of low-7-second passes. The engine is a World Products Warhawk block measuring 454 ci and runs C5R racing heads.
The most hard-core late-model car of the weekend was Paul Major's '01 Corvette. Paul, from
Ask him to pop the decklid and you'll be looking at a pair of giant Garrett 88 turbochargers that siphon air in through a pair of scoops in the C-pillars.
Ask him to pop the decklid and you'll be looking at a pair of giant Garrett 88 turbocharge

It's an index class-from the 15.00-second L index up to the 9.50-second A index-so it's similar to bracket racing: You choose the index you want to run in and try to get the best time possible without going faster than the index. And with the wide range of time indices to choose from, you can move up to a faster index as you build your car.