Stock and Super Stock Madness at the NHRA Pep Boys Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway
By Dan Grippo
This past weekend saw the 38th running of Pep Boys Nationals at the Koretsky family’s Maple Grove Raceway. Always one of the most popular races on the tour, the fans and racers turned out in force. The sold-out crowd was treated to exciting pro action, but for many northeastern fans, the real show was the wheels-up Muscle Car action in Stock and Super Stock.
These classes showcase 68 years of what the O.E.’s have to offer, including pony and Muscle Cars, old and new, with everything from 289 Fords and 426 Hemis to the latest modern powerplants. And just like in NMCA competition, NHRA Stock and Super Stock are “must watch” classes for any lover of American iron. Perusing the Stock/Super Stock pits is like a visit to an automotive Guggenheim, as these cars display every medium of automotive art. Some have been raced and refined by their owners for 30-plus years and each carries a wonderful story.
One such is Super Stock winner Dan Fletcher. His ’69 Z/28 Camaro was purchased new by his father in 1969 and turned into a race car on day one. Dan would later inherit the car and go on to making it the winningest single car in NHRA history! And at Maple Grove, Dan landed NHRA national event win number 107, placing himself second on the all-time win list behind John Force!
The bright orange Z28 is also a team car of NMCA Stock/Super Stock class sponsor Micro Strategies, a team which has had a pretty good couple weeks. Micro Strategies owner Anthony Bongiovanni, won Stock at the recent Division 1 points race at New England, took at FSS/C Class win at the Pep Boy’s Nats, and then he watched two of his team cars end up in the finals at the ‘Grove.
“Yo” Ken Miele made his way to the Stock final in his 2008 Micro Strategies Cobra Jet, but fell short to event winner Joe Santagelo. Miele, a long time Ford guy, and former contributor to Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine, keeps a strong social media presence promoting Stock/Super Stock classes via his Classracer.com website and YouTube channel. Meanwhile, Dan Fletcher also won Class in Super Stock before breaking a transmission, fixing it and winning the event.
To give you a look at the Stock/Super Stock show, check out the gallery below. If you like what you see, join us this weekend in Indianapolis, IN for the NMCA World Street Finals presented by Chevrolet Performance.
By Dan Grippo
This past weekend saw the 38th running of Pep Boys Nationals at the Koretsky family’s Maple Grove Raceway. Always one of the most popular races on the tour, the fans and racers turned out in force. The sold-out crowd was treated to exciting pro action, but for many northeastern fans, the real show was the wheels-up Muscle Car action in Stock and Super Stock.
These classes showcase 68 years of what the O.E.’s have to offer, including pony and Muscle Cars, old and new, with everything from 289 Fords and 426 Hemis to the latest modern powerplants. And just like in NMCA competition, NHRA Stock and Super Stock are “must watch” classes for any lover of American iron. Perusing the Stock/Super Stock pits is like a visit to an automotive Guggenheim, as these cars display every medium of automotive art. Some have been raced and refined by their owners for 30-plus years and each carries a wonderful story.
One such is Super Stock winner Dan Fletcher. His ’69 Z/28 Camaro was purchased new by his father in 1969 and turned into a race car on day one. Dan would later inherit the car and go on to making it the winningest single car in NHRA history! And at Maple Grove, Dan landed NHRA national event win number 107, placing himself second on the all-time win list behind John Force!
The bright orange Z28 is also a team car of NMCA Stock/Super Stock class sponsor Micro Strategies, a team which has had a pretty good couple weeks. Micro Strategies owner Anthony Bongiovanni, won Stock at the recent Division 1 points race at New England, took at FSS/C Class win at the Pep Boy’s Nats, and then he watched two of his team cars end up in the finals at the ‘Grove.
“Yo” Ken Miele made his way to the Stock final in his 2008 Micro Strategies Cobra Jet, but fell short to event winner Joe Santagelo. Miele, a long time Ford guy, and former contributor to Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine, keeps a strong social media presence promoting Stock/Super Stock classes via his Classracer.com website and YouTube channel. Meanwhile, Dan Fletcher also won Class in Super Stock before breaking a transmission, fixing it and winning the event.
To give you a look at the Stock/Super Stock show, check out the gallery below. If you like what you see, join us this weekend in Indianapolis, IN for the NMCA World Street Finals presented by Chevrolet Performance.
