Written by Mary Lendzion
Photos by NMCA Staff
When David Horton began watching racing many decades ago, Super Stock cars filled with character captured his attention more than anything else.
To him, the drivers were as famous and fascinating as professional athletes, and he enjoyed following them in the magazines.
Years later, Horton got behind the wheel of a classic car, and these days, while he would never admit it, he and his 1965 Belvedere with a 440 Wedge engine by Mark Dudley Performance inspire like-minded race fans who watch him compete in NMCA Quick Fuel Technology Nostalgia Super Stock at races across the country.
That was certainly the case in 2023 for the racer out of Belews Creek, North Carolina, who started his race season at the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem presented by Holbrook Racing Engines in March at Orlando Speed World Dragway in Florida. He qualified in the eleventh spot with a 10.81 on a 10.75 index, and won the first round with dead-on 10.75. He won the second round when his opponent went red and stayed in the throttle to a 10.69 on a solo pass in the third round. He exited eliminations in the fourth round with a 10.76.
“I enjoy the camaraderie in Nostalgia Super Stock,” said Horton, whose extremely cool car is known as the Battling Belvedere. “We share the same interest in these old race cars, and that pulls us even closer together.”
Moving on, Horton headed to the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in April at Rockingham Dragway in his home state of North Carolina. He qualified in the second spot with a 10.509 on a 10.50, and showing consistency, he won the first round with a 10.50, got by the second round and won the third round with a 10.55. He turned on the red light in the fourth round.
“At the beginning of the year, I made plans to see how I did at the races in Florida and North Carolina, and then take it from there,” said Horton. “Since I had good luck and did pretty well at those two races, and was leading points, I decided that I needed to go to the race in Illinois to see what happens, and I told myself I would take it race by race after that.”
After arriving at the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois, Horton qualified in the ninth spot with a 10.76 on a 10.75, and ran right on his index to win the first round. He won the second round with a 10.76 before losing in the third round after a mere -.003 red light. Also at that race, Horton earned the win over Brent Wheeler in the Testo Super Bowl Shootout.
As focused as he could be, he set his sights on the TorqStorm NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance in July at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan. There, he qualified in the sixteenth spot with a 10.84 on a 10.75, and won the first round, a double break out, with a 10.74. He won the second round by running right on his 10.75, and lost in the third round with a break out time of 10.74.
.jpg)
Horton hauled to the Buckeye State for the 2nd Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA All-American Nationals presented by Sick the Mag in August at Summit Motorsports Park. After arriving, he qualified in the fifth spot out of 28 cars with a 10.76 on a 10.75, and won the first round with a 10.78, the second round with a better reaction time than his opponent and a 10.77, and the third round with an .015 reaction time and a 10.78. He got by the fourth round after the racer in the other lane turned on the red light, and he went to the always-celebratory NMCA Winner’s Circle with a 10.78.
With his mind on what it would mean to him to earn a championship, Horton prepared himself for the 22nd Annual NMCA World Street Finals presented by Chevrolet Performance in September at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indiana. He qualified in the twenty-second spot among a sizable field with a 10.76 on a 10.75, and won the first round with 10.76. He lost in the second round with a break out time of 10.71, but his dream came true, as he drove to the 2023 NMCA Quick Fuel Technology Nostalgia Super Stock championship.
“To be able to participate in the Nostalgia Super Stock class, and in this kind of racing, means a lot to me, and to earn my first championship means even more,” said Horton, who builds and restores race cars for a living. “If I had set a goal at the beginning of the year, it would have been to win one race, because to earn the championship seemed unimaginable. It all came down to the wire, too, at the last race of the year, and it was a close race to the championship. I couldn’t believe it actually happened, and it is personally rewarding. I want to thank my wife, Scarlett, who has supported me all along, and my daughters, Angela and Ava. I would also like to thank Mark Dudley, who has been a big supporter and a big help for years. This is very special to me.”
Horton’s NMCA family will celebrate him 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.
.jpg)
Photos by NMCA Staff
When David Horton began watching racing many decades ago, Super Stock cars filled with character captured his attention more than anything else.
To him, the drivers were as famous and fascinating as professional athletes, and he enjoyed following them in the magazines.
Years later, Horton got behind the wheel of a classic car, and these days, while he would never admit it, he and his 1965 Belvedere with a 440 Wedge engine by Mark Dudley Performance inspire like-minded race fans who watch him compete in NMCA Quick Fuel Technology Nostalgia Super Stock at races across the country.
That was certainly the case in 2023 for the racer out of Belews Creek, North Carolina, who started his race season at the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem presented by Holbrook Racing Engines in March at Orlando Speed World Dragway in Florida. He qualified in the eleventh spot with a 10.81 on a 10.75 index, and won the first round with dead-on 10.75. He won the second round when his opponent went red and stayed in the throttle to a 10.69 on a solo pass in the third round. He exited eliminations in the fourth round with a 10.76.
“I enjoy the camaraderie in Nostalgia Super Stock,” said Horton, whose extremely cool car is known as the Battling Belvedere. “We share the same interest in these old race cars, and that pulls us even closer together.”
Moving on, Horton headed to the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in April at Rockingham Dragway in his home state of North Carolina. He qualified in the second spot with a 10.509 on a 10.50, and showing consistency, he won the first round with a 10.50, got by the second round and won the third round with a 10.55. He turned on the red light in the fourth round.
“At the beginning of the year, I made plans to see how I did at the races in Florida and North Carolina, and then take it from there,” said Horton. “Since I had good luck and did pretty well at those two races, and was leading points, I decided that I needed to go to the race in Illinois to see what happens, and I told myself I would take it race by race after that.”
After arriving at the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois, Horton qualified in the ninth spot with a 10.76 on a 10.75, and ran right on his index to win the first round. He won the second round with a 10.76 before losing in the third round after a mere -.003 red light. Also at that race, Horton earned the win over Brent Wheeler in the Testo Super Bowl Shootout.
As focused as he could be, he set his sights on the TorqStorm NMRA/NMCA Power Festival presented by Paul’s High Performance in July at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan. There, he qualified in the sixteenth spot with a 10.84 on a 10.75, and won the first round, a double break out, with a 10.74. He won the second round by running right on his 10.75, and lost in the third round with a break out time of 10.74.
Horton hauled to the Buckeye State for the 2nd Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA All-American Nationals presented by Sick the Mag in August at Summit Motorsports Park. After arriving, he qualified in the fifth spot out of 28 cars with a 10.76 on a 10.75, and won the first round with a 10.78, the second round with a better reaction time than his opponent and a 10.77, and the third round with an .015 reaction time and a 10.78. He got by the fourth round after the racer in the other lane turned on the red light, and he went to the always-celebratory NMCA Winner’s Circle with a 10.78.
With his mind on what it would mean to him to earn a championship, Horton prepared himself for the 22nd Annual NMCA World Street Finals presented by Chevrolet Performance in September at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indiana. He qualified in the twenty-second spot among a sizable field with a 10.76 on a 10.75, and won the first round with 10.76. He lost in the second round with a break out time of 10.71, but his dream came true, as he drove to the 2023 NMCA Quick Fuel Technology Nostalgia Super Stock championship.
“To be able to participate in the Nostalgia Super Stock class, and in this kind of racing, means a lot to me, and to earn my first championship means even more,” said Horton, who builds and restores race cars for a living. “If I had set a goal at the beginning of the year, it would have been to win one race, because to earn the championship seemed unimaginable. It all came down to the wire, too, at the last race of the year, and it was a close race to the championship. I couldn’t believe it actually happened, and it is personally rewarding. I want to thank my wife, Scarlett, who has supported me all along, and my daughters, Angela and Ava. I would also like to thank Mark Dudley, who has been a big supporter and a big help for years. This is very special to me.”
Horton’s NMCA family will celebrate him 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.