Written by Mary Lendzion
Photos by NMCA Staff
While Jonathan Allegrucci was competing in NHRA Division 1 Stock and Super Stock, he decided to try NMCA Holley EFI Factory Super Cars on a limited schedule in 2022.
He liked the competition and the camaraderie, and he committed to running all six races on the series’ tour in 2023.
With his 2019 Mustang Cobra Jet carefully prepared by Watson Racing and packing a 327 cubic-inch engine and a Whipple supercharger, Allegrucci was confident that he was ready to take on the tremendously tough competition in the category, and he had a plan to keep his nerves in check.
“I have found that if you treat the race weekend like any other normal day, it is a lot easier to handle the roller coaster ride of the emotional highs and lows that this sport comes with,” said Allegrucci. “Then when things work in your favor, just celebrate and let it all out.”
With that thought process in place, Allegrucci arrived at the first 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. He qualified in the second spot with a 7.70, and won the first round with a 7.77. He exited eliminations in the second round when his car rolled through the starting line beams.
The racer from Scott Township, Pennsylvania then went to the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in April at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina. He qualified in the fifth spot with a 7.75, and won the first through third rounds with a 7.78, 7.80 and 7.79. That set the stage for a final round featuring Allegrucci and Leonard Lottig, and Allegrucci went to the NMCA Winner’s Circle on a holeshot reaction time and a 7.76 to Lotting’s slightly quicker 7.75.
“My goals at the beginning of the year were to have fun and hopefully win one race,” said Allegrucci, who did both at Rockingham Dragway.
The NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois rolled up quickly, and Allegrucci qualified in the eighth spot with a 7.76. He won the first through third rounds with a 7.79, 8.94 and 7.85. He then backed up his win with a
7.83 over 2022 class champion Chuck Watson II, who was forced to lift. Allegrucci also finished as the runner-up in the Testo Super Bowl against Watson II that weekend.
From there, Allegrucci took on 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 sixth spot with a 7.82, and won the first round with a 7.73, but exited eliminations in the second round with a 7.81.
“It's a tough crowd, and there are a lot of good drivers with a lot of great cars,” said Allegrucci. “We had rounds that were decided by less than .01 of a second.”
Getting closer to the end of the race season, he set out for the
2nd Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA All-American Nationals presented by Sick the Mag in August at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio, where he qualified in the third spot with a 7.72. He won the first and second rounds with a 7.75 and 7.73, and lost in the third round with a 7.72 after an extremely close race against A.J. Berge, who clocked a 7.71.
“I struggled with keeping the car on the ground, and it wanted to excessively wheelie more times than not,” said Allegrucci. “We didn't give up on it, even when I thought it was time to de-tune the car to make the car work. Kim and Kimmie Mapes just kept making adjustments to suspension, ballast, ride height, launch RPM and everything else you can think of until the car responded how we wanted it to.”
Hoping to end the season on a high note, he rolled into 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 second spot with a 7.73, and won the first and second rounds with a 7.78 and 7.87. He lifted to an 8.72 on a solo pass in the semifinal, and went on to a runner-up finish against A.J. Berge with a 7.73 to A.J. Berge’s 7.68.
All of the passion and perseverance helped him achieve the 2023 NMCA Holley EFI Factory Super Cars championship.
“This is my first championship, and everything actually went very well this year, from the car being consistent from race to race, to our team working extremely well together to make the car the best it could be at each race,” said Allegrucci. “Honestly, I never thought it would be possible. It's absolutely humbling because there was so much hard work put into this season. I'm grateful this happened for everyone on our team who put in so much time and effort. I would like to thank the car owner, Chip Hoynitski,
my parents, Lisa and Nunzi Allegrucci, my wife, Julie, and our son, Jonathan, for all their support. I would also like to thank crew members Frank Conserette and Danny Towers, crew chief Kim Mapes, tuner Kimmie Mapes, teammates Chuck Watson II, Craig Spuhler, Jim Betz and all of the Watson Racing teammates.”
The spotlight will be on Allegrucci 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.
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Photos by NMCA Staff
While Jonathan Allegrucci was competing in NHRA Division 1 Stock and Super Stock, he decided to try NMCA Holley EFI Factory Super Cars on a limited schedule in 2022.
He liked the competition and the camaraderie, and he committed to running all six races on the series’ tour in 2023.
With his 2019 Mustang Cobra Jet carefully prepared by Watson Racing and packing a 327 cubic-inch engine and a Whipple supercharger, Allegrucci was confident that he was ready to take on the tremendously tough competition in the category, and he had a plan to keep his nerves in check.
“I have found that if you treat the race weekend like any other normal day, it is a lot easier to handle the roller coaster ride of the emotional highs and lows that this sport comes with,” said Allegrucci. “Then when things work in your favor, just celebrate and let it all out.”
With that thought process in place, Allegrucci arrived at the first 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. He qualified in the second spot with a 7.70, and won the first round with a 7.77. He exited eliminations in the second round when his car rolled through the starting line beams.
The racer from Scott Township, Pennsylvania then went to the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals presented by MAHLE Motorsport in April at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina. He qualified in the fifth spot with a 7.75, and won the first through third rounds with a 7.78, 7.80 and 7.79. That set the stage for a final round featuring Allegrucci and Leonard Lottig, and Allegrucci went to the NMCA Winner’s Circle on a holeshot reaction time and a 7.76 to Lotting’s slightly quicker 7.75.
“My goals at the beginning of the year were to have fun and hopefully win one race,” said Allegrucci, who did both at Rockingham Dragway.
The NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Muscle Car Drag Racing in May at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois rolled up quickly, and Allegrucci qualified in the eighth spot with a 7.76. He won the first through third rounds with a 7.79, 8.94 and 7.85. He then backed up his win with a
7.83 over 2022 class champion Chuck Watson II, who was forced to lift. Allegrucci also finished as the runner-up in the Testo Super Bowl against Watson II that weekend.
From there, Allegrucci took on 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 sixth spot with a 7.82, and won the first round with a 7.73, but exited eliminations in the second round with a 7.81.
“It's a tough crowd, and there are a lot of good drivers with a lot of great cars,” said Allegrucci. “We had rounds that were decided by less than .01 of a second.”
Getting closer to the end of the race season, he set out for the
2nd Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA All-American Nationals presented by Sick the Mag in August at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio, where he qualified in the third spot with a 7.72. He won the first and second rounds with a 7.75 and 7.73, and lost in the third round with a 7.72 after an extremely close race against A.J. Berge, who clocked a 7.71.
“I struggled with keeping the car on the ground, and it wanted to excessively wheelie more times than not,” said Allegrucci. “We didn't give up on it, even when I thought it was time to de-tune the car to make the car work. Kim and Kimmie Mapes just kept making adjustments to suspension, ballast, ride height, launch RPM and everything else you can think of until the car responded how we wanted it to.”
Hoping to end the season on a high note, he rolled into 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 second spot with a 7.73, and won the first and second rounds with a 7.78 and 7.87. He lifted to an 8.72 on a solo pass in the semifinal, and went on to a runner-up finish against A.J. Berge with a 7.73 to A.J. Berge’s 7.68.
All of the passion and perseverance helped him achieve the 2023 NMCA Holley EFI Factory Super Cars championship.
“This is my first championship, and everything actually went very well this year, from the car being consistent from race to race, to our team working extremely well together to make the car the best it could be at each race,” said Allegrucci. “Honestly, I never thought it would be possible. It's absolutely humbling because there was so much hard work put into this season. I'm grateful this happened for everyone on our team who put in so much time and effort. I would like to thank the car owner, Chip Hoynitski,
my parents, Lisa and Nunzi Allegrucci, my wife, Julie, and our son, Jonathan, for all their support. I would also like to thank crew members Frank Conserette and Danny Towers, crew chief Kim Mapes, tuner Kimmie Mapes, teammates Chuck Watson II, Craig Spuhler, Jim Betz and all of the Watson Racing teammates.”
The spotlight will be on Allegrucci 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.