NMCA Open Comp ????
 

Ok, so my neighbor down the street is building one of those crazy 630+ cui twin turbo death rides for NMCA competition. He is telling me about how nice the events are and how well the racers are treated etc. So I spent some time on the NMCA website and determined pretty much the only class I can run my car in is "Open Comp". At first I just thought it was a catch all bracket class, and with a .500 pro tree.

But it says "The Open Comp class will run on an Open Comp format with a 1-tenth (1/10th) breakout"

What the heck does that mean ??

Furthermore there is reference to the following 'indexes' within open comp:
15.7 seconds, 15.0, 14.0, 13.0, 12.0, 11.0, 10.0, 9.0 and 8.5 seconds...

Are they saying you have to pick one of those indexes and then get the car to run that, or do you just dial the car??

I downloaded what appears to be the NMCA rulebook, and it does not clarify this... Looked at some youtube videos of open comp NMCA racing and it looks like folks are dialing ???

Anybody here know ???

I absolutely LOVE the idea of a .500 pro tree, and would like to find out quick, since there is a large NMCA race at Norwalk this weekend, and the very pleasant and sweet NMCA lady I spoke with on the phone said joining and entering is as simple as just showing up !!!

Kevin Panzino
GT/FA 1202

Re: NMCA Open Comp ????
 

That's hilarious!

Re: NMCA Open Comp ????
 

Open Comp works like this...............
After a couple or three TT's, you subtract one tenth from your fastest TT and that is your dial for the entire eliminator. It can not be changed. So you are a "class racer", just race like one.........run all the TT's 100lbs heavy and bail it for rd 1.
Oh and BTW, NMCA has a normal .5 full tree bracket you can also play in.
NMCA is run by X NHRA people, they do a good job and run a good program.

Re: NMCA Open Comp ????
 

Ah, I see. So while you have to use a dial in that that is.1 faster than your fastest TT and it stays the same throughout eliminations, if you run .001 faster than that dial it is indeed a breakout, just like normal right??

Yes, regarding how they are ex NHRA folks that have a modern and sportsman oriented mindset, when the lady told me I can just show up at the track, join, certify, and they would give me all the car number stickers etc, and then just race, I commented back, 'wow how nice, much easier and less painful than NHRA"...

her exact reply was "That is precisely what we are doing, and its why we will win ".

Re: NMCA Open Comp ????
 

I looked at the NMCA website today, and couldn't believe how closely some of the classes compare to stock and super stock....only better (no breakout, not cost prohibitive, etc).

A stocker could easily fit into Mean Street, but have more flexibility to go fast. You'd need a different engine, but the rules are very stock(ish), and the cost wouldn't (necessarily) break the bank.

The Comp N/A class is a great choice for super stockers, though the price tag would be higher than converting a stocker to mean street. Nevertheless, it looks like a whole lotta fun, and at the end of the day, not a whole lot more money than building a competitive super stocker (if at all).

The structuring of the classes is excellent, too: One class, heads-up, pro tree, many choices/combinations to choose from, affordable (even to the younger generation), room to grow, exciting. Wow! What an amazing concept....

Now, if they could only sway class racers to make the switch and put together more regional events.....

Steve

Re: NMCA Open Comp ????
 

Mean Street is a tough class. We tried it a couple years ago. I'd be willing to bet if we had the backing and time to do some testing different clmbos, we could be competive.

Re: NMCA Open Comp ????
 

I'm building a K/SA car with my son, and I keep on saying to myself: I can't believe that I'm spending this much money to go this slow......

I'm also putting my super stocker back to work, and spent a bunch of money for a new engine that is down on power. Chevrolets dominate in my class (SS/BS) because (in part) there is so much R&D from Comp that filters over into it. Hell, you could buy a used 320 inch 15 degree comp motor that makes 800-plus horsepower for half of what I just paid for my engine.

The NMCA deal is a real eye-opener (for me, at least). It just seems so much better than what the NHRA is offering. They have made a real effort to bring parity to the racing, too. And, I simply don't see the cost being that much greater than what you would spend on a competitive class car, regardless of manufacturer.

The problem for me is that there are not a lot of events nearby (none really). But, it's something to think about, even if I have to travel a good distance to race.

Thanks, Kevin, for bringing up the topic.

Re: NMCA Open Comp ????
 

I agree with what you are saying. My current engine combo was a stupid cheap budget build that can run 2-3 under index and that's it. If I have a heads up run, I'm done easy as that. But the chances of having one are slim to none. To go fast you're going to spend a ton in either type of racing

Re: NMCA Open Comp ????
 

I have ran the NMCA Bowling Green , KY race for the last 2 years with my Stocker.
Last year I ran the EFI Rumble class which is a "pick a posted index" style format.
It was fun but my biggest complaint was why it is the only index class with a .500 Pro tree start. The NMC and NSS classes are a .500 Sportsman tree starts.

This year I just entered 2 different bracket classes.

I just recieved a thank you letter in the mail from the NMCA 2 days ago for participating at their event. That was nice of them.


Now.....if only the NMCA would allow and create a "combo" Stock/Super Stock race to showcase our cars to their fans at their events......

Re: NMCA Open Comp ????
 

About 5 yrs. ago some of their races did have a Stock/Superstock program. I had raced at 2 of them. I think Nitro Joe may of have helped put them together.