As the 2021 NMRA All-Ford World Finals and Ford Festival approaches, it’s time to get ready for last TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout of the year! The stage is set for the best manual transmission racing as participants in the True Street class face off for the title. The World Finals will be held at Beech Bend Raceway Park from September 30-October 3 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
For those unfamiliar with the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout, it’s a special event held within the NMRA True Street class at select NMRA events during the year. The quickest eight manual transmission–equipped car – based on their True Street average –run against one another on the last day of the World Finals. Only H-pattern-shifted manual transmissions are allowed in the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout competition; air-shifted and Lenco-style gearboxes are prohibited.
“We’re excited to have the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout as part of the season-ending NMRA World Finals again this year,” said Steve Wolcott, co-founder of the NMRA. “The True Street class is NMRA’s most popular racing segment, with the highest number of entries at every NMRA race. The TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout adds another dynamic to the class, giving stick-shift enthusiasts an extra chance to test their mettle and gear-shifting acumen. This special class has been a perfect partnership with TREMEC and is sure to be another must-see competition at Bowling Green.”
True Street entrants go through tech inspection on the Saturday of the event weekend to verify street-legality. Next, they do a 30-mile cruise to further verify street-capabilities. Any vehicle that fails to complete the cruise is disqualified. After returning to the track, participants park in the staging lanes for a 30-minute cooldown. Tire pressures can be adjusted and nitrous bottles turned on, but no other work is allowed (including ECU tuning). Hoods must remain closed. After the cooldown, each vehicle takes three runs down the track to build an average e.t. for ranking. You can read the complete rules on the NMRA website.
The eight fastest racers (and two alternates) who will compete in the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout are announced that evening at the Racer Appreciation Party hosted at the TREMEC trailer or at a location near the track. Vehicles are then staged, and eliminations are run at normal intervals with the other NMRA classes.
“After the racing excitement we had at the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout at the NMRA event in Norwalk, Ohio, in June, we can’t wait to see the stick-shift vehicles that qualify for the Bowling Green Shootout,” said TREMEC’s Mike Kidd. “Every TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout has a variety of competitors. Just because someone has the lowest average e.t., even an 8-second one, it doesn’t mean they’re going to win. Everyone has a shot to take home the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout title.”
Speaking of prizes, the winner of the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout wins a McLeod Racing RXT twin-disc clutch setup, valued at $1,300, and a $500 Holley gift certificate, while the runner-up receives a $500 McLeod product certificate. All eight participants receive a swag bag full of goodies and a TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout jacket. The winner also gets featured in a story on the TREMEC blog.
