The TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout series at select NMRA events is back for 2024! This is a showdown of the quickest eight H-pattern manual transmission racers from the NMRA True Street class. After an amazing 2023 season where we saw the quickest-ever field ever based on average elapsed times (E/T), we can’t wait to see how the competitors step up the competition for 2024.
The premise is simple. Cars in the NMRA True Street class who have an H-pattern shifted manual transmission are eligible for the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout. Using an average of the 3 competition passes on True Street, the quickest eight cars qualify for the shootout. The eliminations in the Stick Shift Shootout are run with a staggered-start based on each car’s True Street E/T average. The first round pairings are determined by random chip draw, and then standard eliminations bracket follow.The TREMEC Stick Shift Shootouts for 2024 will be held at the NMRA Spring Break Shootout (February 22-25), NMRA Ford Homecoming (June 6-9) and NMRA World Finals and Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival (September 26-29).
ABOVE: The TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout is open to anyone with a street-legal Ford-bodied and Ford-powered car or truck competing in NMRA True Street racing class with an H-pattern manual transmission. True Street rules are simple, with any entry having to be legitimately street legal and able to handle a 30-mile street cruise to prove it. There are multiple time classes, with each entry making three back-to-back runs for an elapsed time (E/T) average that determines the class winner. You can read the full class rules and details HERE.
The first Stick Shift Shootout will see a new venue compared to last year, as the NMRA Spring Break Shootout moves to Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida. This historic track is one of the oldest NHRA tracks in the country and has seen many drag racing records broken since it opened in the 1960s. This will be the first time that the NMRA series will race on the Gainesville quarter-mile, adding a new dynamic to the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout.
ABOVE: After True Street competition is over and all E/T averages are calculated, the eight quickest (plus two alternates) H-pattern manual transmission True Street cars are selected to compete in the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout. The shootout takes place on Sunday with the other classes. In the event a racer can’t make the call for eliminations, one of the selected alternates will take the missing competitor’s place.
For 2024 the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout rules will remain the same except for an additional safety requirement. For 2024 all cars running faster than 150 mph in the 1/4- or 1/8-mile, and any car running a 7.49 (1/4-mile) or 4.49 (1/8-mile) E/T will be required to have a HANS-style head and neck restraint system meeting SFI 38.1 spec.
ABOVE: During eliminations, the first bracket for the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout is determined by random chip draw. Competitors have no idea who they will face in the first round until the draw, adding an extra level of excitement to the mix. After the first-round, eliminations use the standard drag racing bracket for matching through the final round.
“NMRA has always followed one of the most important mindsets that organized drag racing was founded upon by Wally Parks…safety,” Wolcott explains “After in-depth discussions and research by the NMRA tech and safety staff, we felt this was the right thing to do for racer safety. While we never enjoying putting another expenditure on our racers’ budgets, NMRA always operates with a safety first, doing everything we can to keep our racers safe while racing.”
There will be a racer-appreciation party at the TREMEC Trailer on Saturday evening, during which the True Street awards will be announced as well as the Quick 8 Stick Shift Shootout competitors and two alternates.
ABOVE: Unlike True Street competition where racers run against the clock, the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout competition is done with a staggered start based on each competitor’s average E/T from True Street competition. The staggered start is designed to give every competitor a chance at victory. If the racer with the head start is caught napping at the line, his or her advantage can quickly disappear if the quicker car cuts a quicker reaction time for less distance to make up.
In addition to a plaque, all top 8 Stick Shift Shootout competitors will also receive a special embroidered jacket.
The winner of the shootout will receive a certificate for a new McLeod Racing RXT clutch kit ($1,500 value). To make things even more interesting, if the winning vehicle is equipped with a TREMEC transmission, he/she will receive a $1,000 check, and if it has a McLeod clutch, the winner will receive another $1,000! The runner-up will receive a $500 McLeod Racing product voucher.
ABOVE: The TREMEC All-Female True Street Showdown returns in 2024. Open to any female competitor, the same rules for regular TRUE Street are used. TREMEC All-Female True Street has its own street cruise and time trial runs with winners for the same average E/T classes. TREMEC All-Female True Street racers can also run regular True Street.
Finally, there will be a special announcement at this event in Gainesville regarding the overall TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout winner for 2024.
At this event, TREMEC is also sponsoring the 2020-Up GT500 Street Class which highlights the awesome performance of the Mustang Shelby® GT500® with its TREMEC TR-9070 DCT 7-speed transmission making the gear shifts in as little as 80 milliseconds.
ABOVE: For the NMRA Spring Break Shootout 2024 season opener, TREMEC will once again sponsor the 2020-up GT500 Street class. Unlike the unlimited class, TREMEC 2020-up GT500 Street requires competitors to be running the factory TREMEC TR-9070 DCT and the vehicle cooling system must be contained inside the engine compartment. Competition will be heads-up ladder set by fastest qualifying time.
Additional, the TREMEC All-Female True Street Showdown will be back for 2024. All-Female True Street follows the same rules as regular True Street with individual E/T winners and an overall champion. Competitors will run a street cruise and three time trials. They can also compete in regular True Street under dual entry rules. The winners of the individual E/T breaks winner of the All-Female True Street will receive a custom-embroidered jacket from TREMEC.