Nitto Tire U.S.A. clenched three class championships at the 2009 NMRA drag racing finale held in Bowling Green, Ky., on October 2-4. Long-time Nitto driver, John Urist, took home his fourth consecutive Super Street Outlaw championship, setting a new record as the only driver to accomplish this feat.
Additionally, Tommy Godfrey won the ACT Factory Stock class championship and Chris Parisi won the JDM Engineering Super Stang class championship. Both drivers were running Nitto’s NT555R D.O.T.-compliant drag radials. All three drivers will be awarded the coveted Nitto Champion Diamond Tree Ring this December.
All three drivers shared excitement and challenges throughout the day. John Urist started off shaky, qualifying fifth behind several strong competitors. Urist said, “This type of racing has never been easy, and it has definitely proven no different this year. By the 3rd round I was qualified last. Therefore I had to be flexible and make changes each round.” As the weekend progressed into the eliminations, Urist also found himself squaring off against John MacDonald who was also vying for the championship. In a much-anticipated run, Urist turned in a quick 7.36-second pass, which earned him both the round and the championship.
In the ACT Factory Stock class, Tommy Godfrey dominated his class, earning the number one qualifying position. He laid down consistently fast 11-second-flat runs throughout the day, including an unofficial record-breaking pass of 11.03 seconds, which he’ll need to back up to make official. This consistency advanced him through the rounds where he took home both the event win and the season championship.
Chris Parisi came into the season finale with a competitive edge. He led the points in JDM Engineering Super Stang by such a wide margin that he only needed to qualify to clench the championship. After qualifying, he officially became the championship, and finished nearly 500 points ahead of the second-place finisher.
“We are very proud of each driver,” said Stephen Leu, from Nitto’s marketing department. “They’re all great competitors and proven champions. Tommy and Chris proved how competitive our street-legal drag radials can be right off the shelf.” The Nitto NT555R is constructed to allow the sidewall to flex at the starting line while its semi-racing construction provides maximum traction. For more information on the NT555R or to find a dealer near you, logon to NittoTire.com.
