Bob Riegers 2001 NMCA season title hopes were given a huge boost on June 23-24 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, KY. The California driver "ran the table," combining a Saturday rain-delayed (Memphis, TN.) final round victory over arch-rival Tony Christian with a Sunday final round win over Christians teammate Cody McManama in a classic battle of 57 Chevys. Rieger, whose performance this season had been filled with frustration, came roaring to life Saturday with a holeshot aided 6.75 to 6.75 to take the Memphis crown, while setting a new NMCA/Turbonetics Outlaw Pro Street speed record at 213.30 mph.
Things didnt get any better for his competitors on Sunday as the likable driver had his way with the field again, running as quick as 6.67 seconds at a booming 216.38 mph. "Needless to say we were very pleased with this weekends result," stated Rieger. "We have struggled mightily these past few months, but the crew didnt give up and now we think we found the right clutch and chassis setup for this new engine combination."
In Super Street, Floridas Matt Scranton also doubled-up with a Saturday final round win over Randy Lambert, then continued his winning ways on Sunday with a final round defeat of Mark Enwia in a Ford/GM contest. Like Rieger, Scranton also captured the Turbonetics Top Speed award both days. "We had a heck of an event at Bowling Green," said Event Director Pete Duhart. "The NMCA enjoyed its biggest race car count of the year by a wide margin, and the spectators came out in droves both Saturday and Sunday. The fans were treated to great side-by-side racing, and they also witnessed two complete final rounds in one location. The show/shine portion of the series attracted almost 300 cars, and the event s weather provided Chamber of Commerce conditions throughout the weekend. We were very pleased with the entire event."
The next NMCA Series Event will be at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois on July 28-29.