NMRA Announces New Heads-Up Class for 2019
NMRA officials are welcoming Modified Street into the fold as its latest racing class. The heads-up eliminator is a single power-adder category that will be quicker than Steeda Limited Street, according to officials.
Modified Street will be part of the 2019 NMRA championship line-up.
“When we released Limited Street last year we received a tremendous amount of feedback,” said Rollie Miller, NMRA general manager. “We noticed a lot of trends in rule requests and suggestions, most notably were modifications and rules that are geared towards a quicker and faster type of car than what we were after for Limited Street.”
Rule requests didn’t go unnoticed or ignored as the NMRA technical committee began drafting concepts to address trends in the market for a limited power-adder type category that was looser than the new Limited Street class, according to the group.
Modified Street will include regulated power adders that are larger than what is allowed in Limited Street, but smaller than Coyote Modified and Renegade.
“We’ve taken great care to essentially take Coyote Modified chassis and combination rules, back off the power adders, and include the other Ford engine platforms,” Miller said.
Large and small displacement 302/351 Windsor engines and the Modular platforms are legal in Modified Street, a lightweight naturally aspirated combination that harkens back to the Hot Street days. Another departure from Coyote Modified and Limited Street is the inclusion of air-to-water intercoolers, but a weight break for the air-to-air coolers is included, according to officials.
The cars can also be modified with mini-tubs and relocated rear shocks, while the minimum weights will vary with the power adders. DOT drag radials will be the norm with different options and styles.
“NMRA is celebrating its 20th race season-the rules process is always a learning experience,” Miller said. “We take those experiences, which span across both sanctioning bodies, and learn from mistakes and recognize successes. All of that has been put into Modified Street.”
With the success of the Coyote platform came the need to evolve, according to Miller.
“The Coyote Modified class has certainly come a long way from its original concept,” he said. “With its success in pushing that engine platform and racers integrating it successfully into other classes, we feel it is the right time to let the other small-block and Modular engines join in.”
The preliminary rules for Modified Street will be released next week as NMRA racers prepare for their annual pilgrimage to Route 66 Raceway for the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing.
NMRA is open to feedback on the preliminary rules via email at NMRArules@promediapub.com.
