Northeast Outlaw Pro Mods The Northeast Outlaw Pro Modified Drag Racing Association
Qualifying Highlights:
Another fine outing was underway for the second event date at Maryland International Raceway “MDIR” with the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association “NEOPMA” during the 37th Annual Mountain Motor Nationals. NEOPMA showed up with 17 high quality 1/4 Pro Mods on an extremely warm Mother’s Day weekend.
The first time this group of racers has been out in the heat proved to be a little trying even on one of the best surfaces in the Mid-Atlantic States. An early “shakedown run” netted some good data for some as the first qualifier on Friday night was to follow.
Thunder under the lights as the full field played the track well and the spots were beginning to fill with some decent numbers. Saturday would give two more chances at putting down some solid numbers but surely the heat and brilliant sun played a big role as quite a few found issues with big horsepower being put down.
In the final placings after two shots in the heat, Tyler Hard 5.972 @ 238 would lead the field with his first ever five second pass in the Tim McAmis “Hard Racing” Nitrous Camaro. Last year’s NEOPMA Champion “Dwayne Wolfe” 5.976 @ 238 would follow suit matching MPH and oh so close in ET with his gorgeous new “Andy McCoy Race Cars” supercharged Camaro. Season opener winner Kevin McCurdy 5.994 @ 238, another from the “Hard Racing” team kept the blower entries two out of three in the top three followed by Robert Patrick Jr. 5.998 @ 237 lighting the GT500 “Super Snakes” pipes under the lights on Friday with his standing crowd only pass. Standout racer of many years “Derrick Townes” 6.010 @ 242 capturing top MPH of the sessions.
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The rest of the ladder was filled with compromised passes either aborting early or just not making the best they had happen. “Special Note” Long time NEOPMA Racer “Gary Walker” who suffered a crash close to two years ago returned to the pavement in his stunning 68 Firebird out of “G-Force Race Cars” only to have fluid find its way under the tires on the top end on a 6.09 first time back full pass saving it brilliantly but the hard return from it bent a front rim and he couldn’t continue. Canadian racer “Paolo Guist” suffered electrical problems as his STUNNING blown C7 Corvette out of “G-Force Race Cars” couldn’t continue on. The rest of the field was struggling but now they had hard data to go into eliminations as the ladder continues to fall into place as follows: Mac McAdams 6.131 @ 230, Matthew Deitsch 6.153 @ 233, Jeff Rodgers 6.421 @ 218, Craig Pio 6.821 @ 152, Leroy Dewdney 7.438 @ 142, Steven Assenmacher 7.677 @ 137, Melanie Salemi 8.950 @ 102, Wayne Patton 19.290 @ 41, Fredy Scriba 20.403 @ 34, Tony Norfleet 23.002 34, Paolo Guist DQ, Gary Walker DQ.
Final Round:
The NEOPMA organization couldn’t have been happier with the incredible MDIR track that allowed this pairing in the final happen still in front of a large crowd as night was upon us. The show was truly welcomed by everyone on our staff and the fans that turned out for this. The final should prove to be EPIC.
Robert Patrick Jr. in his heavily nitrous assisted “Purvis Ford” GT500 Super Snake against Kevin McCurdy and “Hard Racing’s” supercharged Tim McAmis Camaro. Both racers have “miles” of rounds under their belts as they prepared with long smoky burnouts and huge nitrous purges as the staging began to ensue. No one was shy; both racers went into the beams quickly. Robert Patrick Jr. was out first on a .134 light to McCurdy’s .168. At around 600ft both cars brought in the power, Patrick’s pipes spraying 2ft tall flames of power and McCurdy’s heat trail increasing when both had to pedal the back half of the track as they disappeared into the night.
McCurdy 6.228 @ 233.76 would take the win side and Patrick would slow for a valiant attempt to stay with him 6.424 @ 219.40. Kevin McCurdy would now see his second winners circle appearance in as many races. A big congratulations to the “Hard Racing” team and Kevin McCurdy on a hard fought race!
Semi Finals:
As dusk was upon the semifinalists, the gleaming pro mods waited behind the burnout box to proceed to who would see the finals. Kevin McCurdy would be all alone for a BYE run as Dwayne Wolfe put a pretty good hurting on his engine last pass and couldn’t make the round. McCurdy’s time fell off from previous rounds with a still very positive .233 – 6.032 @ 235.31. Both Robert Patrick Jr. and Craig Pio would stand next. The previous rounds showed they were capable of a fender to fender 1/4 mile assault.
They didn’t let the fans in the packed stands down as Craig Pio .083 had the edge on the green but his losing effort of 5.929 @ 249.07 was very reputable as Robert Patrick put a mighty hit into his GT500 ripping off a monumental .095 – 5.873 @ 243.94 package when it was needed most. Kevin McCurdy was definitely looking hard at that pass with Patrick covering him by nearly a tenth and a half as they would now face each other in the finals without lane choice.
Second Round Eliminations:
A much welcomed cool breeze and lightly overcast skies began to tighten up the 1320ft of track ahead of the racers. Lane choice would be fairly critical as one lane was more shadowed as the racers began their rounds. Robert Patrick Jr. and Derrick Townes would open the session; burnouts ensued as Derrick Townes knew he’d have to take a shot at the tree with Patrick coming on strong. The deadly red bit Townes and he puts up a solid number his -.010 – 6.063 @ 236.75 was sent to the Loss column as Robert Patrick Jr. blisters an arrow straight .094 – 5.907 @ 242.15.
We have a supercharger showdown this round with rookie to the NEOPMA series Mac McAdams pairing up against the veteran of all door slammers Kevin McCurdy. A pedalfest ensued as Mac McAdams .108 – 6.241 @ 227.80 just couldn’t run down the edging out Kevin McCurdy .068 – 6.238 @ 233.96. Craig Pio gets a single pass as opponent Tyler Hard ate a piston on his last pass, Pio would get back into his same fashion of sitting in the five seconds easily putting down a 5.960 @ 236.67.
Matthew Deitsch .272 – 6.333 @ 232.79 struggled on the starting line most of the weekend giving up much of his usually great lights in a losing effort to Dwayne Wolfe who pulled off another best of the season .063 – 5.934 @ 239.31.
Team Wolfe Racing stated “We’re happy where the new car is going; we’re seeing consistency and times we’ve been expecting with the Mike Janis Power and Andy McCoy Race Cars combination”.
First Round Eliminations:
Throughout the weekend, Jason Miller had this track as well managed as could be considering the heat that was put in it by Mother Nature. The Millers and MDIR are almost legendary for the hook, ET and speeds capable on this track. The big dogs of Pro Modified Racing were in the lanes and awaiting their chance at 5PM sharp.
Craig Pio would get back on his game taming some of that Turbo horsepower and longtime “Chassis Man Nick Montana of Montana Brothers Race Cars” straightening out some handling issues as Pio .297 – 5.962 @ 248.71 takes out veteran racer Jeff Rodgers “Executioner” Mustang .048 – 6.780 @ 178.26 losing power on the top end. Matthew Deitsch would leave before the tree fell leaving no time although opponent Leroy Dewdney was disqualified for having too much overdrive, Matthew Deitsch still gets the win. Mac McAdams .108 – 6.188 @ 227.77 would stay in the teens with a soft tune put in by his “Superstar Crew” Camp and John Stanley of PDRA Pro Extreme fame taking out a tire shaking Steven Assenmacher shutting down early. A blower battle ensued as Derrick Townes .090 – 6.146 @ 239.14 goes right back into his winning way taking out newcomer racer “Melanie Salemi – Resolution Racing Services” entering her first round of competition.
Melanie didn’t disappoint leaving on a .056 light and shutting off early to a 7.229 @ 123.35, look for this young lady to quickly advance in the Doorslammer realm! Robert Patrick Jr. .092 – 6.008 @ 240.72 put together a stellar run in the heat to oust Wayne Patton on a tire shaking early shutoff. Fredy Scriba continues to struggle with some new found power through cubic inches as he fails to make a clean pass and Kevin McCurdy blazes to another consistent .165 – 5.998 @ 237.55. Tony Norfleet had to shut down early and Dwayne Wolfe puts up his best time ever in the new car blazing to a .165 – 5.936 @ 238.51. Tyler Hard would take his BYE run and ease it out to a 6.627 @ 159.99
