NMCA Xtreme Street Drag Racing - Wretched X/S

Steve Cagle might be a sophomore in the Xtreme Street class, but he is hardly a newbie to this type of racing. He has been competing on the Street-Legal Drag Racing scene since the early '90s. Cagle has run a variety of categories over the years, and he made a name for himself in the defunct NMCA Real Street class. With the reintroduction of a stable and renewed NMCA series in 2002, Cagle found himself in the Pro Stock ranks. The category is similar to Real Street in that it is designed for naturally aspirated combinations with a laundry list of engine restrictions. Last year he made the decision to step up to Xtreme Street with his freshly built '70 Nova, and he has been moving closer and closer to the top of the class.

"This is our second year running the class," says Cagle. "It's quite a bit different with the leave. Xtreme Street is about getting down the track. Before, in Pro Stock, we worried about power. Now, we can't get greedy."

The Nova carries a 25.5 cage and relies on a four-link rear suspension to hook the true 10.5-inch slicks. The car rolls over the scales at 3,565 pounds and cannot weigh below 3,525 pounds. A car with a maximum engine size of 525 ci must weigh a minimum of 3,575 pounds. Cagle gets to deduct 50 pounds for the nostalgia body.

Last year Cagle finished 10th overall in the points race, a finish that he hopes to improve upon this year. At Maple Grove, Cagle lowered his best e.t. from 8.16 to 8.13. The sharp-looking Nova qualified Second but exited in Round 1 to Fred Bunn.