Murillo sets NMRA record and wins at Bowling Green finals

The 14th Annual Nitto Tire National Mustang Racers Association World Finals capped off the 2012 racing season with record-breaking performances and championship battles that came down to the finals at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Ky.

The quickest and fastest heads-up racers of the weekend were entered in SCT Pro Outlaw 10.5. Mike Murillo secured his 13th championship as he took the strip in a mid-6 second slugfest with class rival Tim Essick. The championship would be decided on the outcome of the Murillo and Essick final round bout. Essick had grabbed the record with a 6.58 at 220 mph performance in qualifying. In the finals, Essick left the starting line hard but made a hard move right and was forced to lift. Murillo streaked his historic accomplishment with a 6.64 at 218 mph.

All the rest of the results are in our Race Coverage.  (NMRA photo) [10/12/2012]

Racers continue setting records at Maple Grove: 13 in one day

Don Fezell  (Ron Lewis photo)

Three separate elapsed time records were set in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock Motorcycle in the cool, fall conditions last weekend at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa.

It looks like the sportsman racers participating in the Pennsylvania Dutch Classic are picking up where the pros left off. The following records were set and backed up at the 41st annual Pennsylvania Dutch Classic during Thursday’s round:

E/S 1043 Doc Horn – 11.02
AA/S 1587 Don Fezell – 8.89
K/SA 1021 Gene Monahan – 11.51
A/SA 1471 Ken Keir – 9.80
H/SA 1759 Anthony Bongiovanni – 11.15
R/SA 1634 Briane Philbrick – 12.89
O/SA 144 Bob Bender – 12.45
SS/OA 1923 Rich Diorio – 11.38
SS/DM 3189 Tom Dawson – 9.06
SS/LA 1680 Carl Milano – 10.54
GT/A 1197 Jim Evanuik – 8.86
SS/CA 2074 Brian Oakes – 8.89
SS/BA 17 Dave Thomas – 8.82

Racing continues through Sunday. Saturday’s round includes the Hemi Challenge at The Dutch, the popular race within a race. [10/12/2012]