Written by Mary Lendzion
Photos by NMCA Staff
The classic cars and the competition compel Danny Towe to compete in NMCA Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle presented by World Products, but he is also focused on fun times and friendships he forms along the way.
He wears the happiness on his face when he is around his fellow racers, and when he is getting into his 1970 Mustang with a 393 cubic-inch Windsor engine and a Powerglide.
Towe, of Westminster, South Carolina, was proud to earn a championship in the category in 2022, and put himself in a good position to earn another one in 2023.
At the first NMCA race of 2023, the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem presented by Holbrook Racing Engines in March at Orlando Speed World Dragway in Florida, Towe qualified in the eleventh spot with an 11.80 on an 11.75 index, and won the first round with an 11.81 and the second round, a double break out, with an 11.74. He got by the third round with an 11.76, and went on to runner-up with an 11.758 against Michael Tagg, who was .000 on the tree and 10.01 on 10.00 on the top end.
“We broke the transmission on Thursday in Orlando, and we drove to FTI Performance, which was an 8-hour round trip, for the parts we needed,” said Towe. “Thankfully, FTI Performance stayed open late for us, and we got back to the track and got the transmission fixed in time for the first round. After that, I was happy to make it to the final, and it was a very tight race. I ran on my index, but my opponent was perfect on the tree and one over. That would have been tough to beat.”
After that, Towe traveled to the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in April at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina where he qualified in the third spot with an 11.76 on an 11.75. He won the first round with 12.10, the second round with an 11.77 and the third round with a dead-on 11.75. From there, he finished as the runner-up against Chad Brewer with an 11.79.
The next stop on the NMCA tour was the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois. Towe was ready with an 11.758 on an 11.75 to qualify in the third spot, and he won the first round, a double break out, with an 11.73. His opponent turned on the red light in the second round, which sent Towe to the third round, which he won with an 11.77. Later, he went to the always-lively NMCA Winner’s Circle after defeating Karen Wilson. Making the weekend even more momentous, he won the Testo Super Bowl Shootout against Audrey Baize.
Towe made the long trip to the Great Lakes State for the TorqStorm NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance in July at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan. He qualified in the tenth spot with an 11.82 on an 11.75, and exited eliminations in the first round with a break out time of 11.73 on 11.75
He then headed to the 2nd Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA All-American Nationals presented by Sick the Mag in August at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio. He qualified in the third spot with an 11.77 on an 11.75, and lost in the first round with an 11.80 against Cindee Hall.
“Cindee and I have raced ten times since I have known her, and while she had never beat me, she certainly did a fine job of beating me this time,” said Towe.
Reaching for the finish line, Towe took on the 22nd Annual NMCA World Street Finals presented by Chevrolet Performance in September at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indiana. He qualified quite nicely in the second spot with an 11.755 on an 11.75, and won the first round when the racer in the opposite lane lit the red. He ran to an 11.74 on a solo pass in the second round, and won the third round courtesy of a red light in the opposite lane. After winning the fourth round with an 11.78, he went on to runner-up with an 11.92 against David Simpson after his car had what he referred to as a “hiccup.”
With that runner-up finish, Towe secured his second NMCA Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle presented by World Products championship, and it was a back-to-back achievement.
“It was a clean season and the car was running consistently, and I attribute that to pure luck,” said Towe, who can certainly take some of the credit. “I had the points lead going into the final race of the season, and sealed the championship in qualifying. You might think that took pressure off for the rest of the race, but it didn’t, because I really wanted to win it, too. The competition in Nostalgia Muscle is tough, and it’s possible you will lose in any given round, so I’m lucky it turned out the way it did. I would like to thank my wife, Suzanne, as well as my major sponsor, Harland Sharp, and my three best racing pals, David Mormann, Shane Williams and Mike Moistner.”
The NMCA will proudly celebrate Towe and his fellow racers at the Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals Awards, held during the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Dec. 8, 2023, at the Indiana Convention Center, and in the upcoming Champions Issue of Fastest Street Car.
Impressively, Towe also earned the 2023 NMRA Ford Muscle championship, and a separate story about that can be found on the NMRA website.
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Photos by NMCA Staff
The classic cars and the competition compel Danny Towe to compete in NMCA Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle presented by World Products, but he is also focused on fun times and friendships he forms along the way.
He wears the happiness on his face when he is around his fellow racers, and when he is getting into his 1970 Mustang with a 393 cubic-inch Windsor engine and a Powerglide.
Towe, of Westminster, South Carolina, was proud to earn a championship in the category in 2022, and put himself in a good position to earn another one in 2023.
At the first NMCA race of 2023, the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem presented by Holbrook Racing Engines in March at Orlando Speed World Dragway in Florida, Towe qualified in the eleventh spot with an 11.80 on an 11.75 index, and won the first round with an 11.81 and the second round, a double break out, with an 11.74. He got by the third round with an 11.76, and went on to runner-up with an 11.758 against Michael Tagg, who was .000 on the tree and 10.01 on 10.00 on the top end.
“We broke the transmission on Thursday in Orlando, and we drove to FTI Performance, which was an 8-hour round trip, for the parts we needed,” said Towe. “Thankfully, FTI Performance stayed open late for us, and we got back to the track and got the transmission fixed in time for the first round. After that, I was happy to make it to the final, and it was a very tight race. I ran on my index, but my opponent was perfect on the tree and one over. That would have been tough to beat.”
After that, Towe traveled to the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in April at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina where he qualified in the third spot with an 11.76 on an 11.75. He won the first round with 12.10, the second round with an 11.77 and the third round with a dead-on 11.75. From there, he finished as the runner-up against Chad Brewer with an 11.79.
The next stop on the NMCA tour was the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois. Towe was ready with an 11.758 on an 11.75 to qualify in the third spot, and he won the first round, a double break out, with an 11.73. His opponent turned on the red light in the second round, which sent Towe to the third round, which he won with an 11.77. Later, he went to the always-lively NMCA Winner’s Circle after defeating Karen Wilson. Making the weekend even more momentous, he won the Testo Super Bowl Shootout against Audrey Baize.
Towe made the long trip to the Great Lakes State for the TorqStorm NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance in July at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan. He qualified in the tenth spot with an 11.82 on an 11.75, and exited eliminations in the first round with a break out time of 11.73 on 11.75
He then headed to the 2nd Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA All-American Nationals presented by Sick the Mag in August at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio. He qualified in the third spot with an 11.77 on an 11.75, and lost in the first round with an 11.80 against Cindee Hall.
“Cindee and I have raced ten times since I have known her, and while she had never beat me, she certainly did a fine job of beating me this time,” said Towe.
Reaching for the finish line, Towe took on the 22nd Annual NMCA World Street Finals presented by Chevrolet Performance in September at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indiana. He qualified quite nicely in the second spot with an 11.755 on an 11.75, and won the first round when the racer in the opposite lane lit the red. He ran to an 11.74 on a solo pass in the second round, and won the third round courtesy of a red light in the opposite lane. After winning the fourth round with an 11.78, he went on to runner-up with an 11.92 against David Simpson after his car had what he referred to as a “hiccup.”
With that runner-up finish, Towe secured his second NMCA Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle presented by World Products championship, and it was a back-to-back achievement.
“It was a clean season and the car was running consistently, and I attribute that to pure luck,” said Towe, who can certainly take some of the credit. “I had the points lead going into the final race of the season, and sealed the championship in qualifying. You might think that took pressure off for the rest of the race, but it didn’t, because I really wanted to win it, too. The competition in Nostalgia Muscle is tough, and it’s possible you will lose in any given round, so I’m lucky it turned out the way it did. I would like to thank my wife, Suzanne, as well as my major sponsor, Harland Sharp, and my three best racing pals, David Mormann, Shane Williams and Mike Moistner.”
The NMCA will proudly celebrate Towe and his fellow racers at the Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals Awards, held during the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Dec. 8, 2023, at the Indiana Convention Center, and in the upcoming Champions Issue of Fastest Street Car.
Impressively, Towe also earned the 2023 NMRA Ford Muscle championship, and a separate story about that can be found on the NMRA website.