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Thanks to the overwhelming success of its inaugural showing at the NHRA SpringNationals in Houston back in April, Shannon Morgan’s Redemption No Prep [2] series has been extended a second invitation by the National Hot Rod Association to take part in the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex outside of Dallas this October. And this time, Morgan is bringing her Big Tire superstars, including—potentially—some of the famed racers from Discovery Channels’ Street Outlaws.
The NHRA exhibition will follow a similar format to the Small Tire contest at Houston, with eight entries and a pair of alternates taking part in the event at the Ennis facility that plays host to the Redemption series twice in 2017. However, rather than hand-pick the racers as she did for the Small Tire exhibition in order to provide the NHRA faithful with a unique array of cars and personalities, Morgan will instead rely largely on the Redemption points as they stand in the lead-in to the FallNationals. The series opened its season at Ennis in May and lost its second race in Tulsa to inclement weather, meaning its race this month in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the September event in San Antonio will be pivotal in deciding who goes to the big show and who doesn’t.
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Morgan will take the top seven eligible racers along with a hand-chosen, fan-favorite competitor to fill in the eight-driver roster. At present, those topping the standings and with a shot at an NHRA appearance include No Prep heat-hitter Jerry Bird, Spencer “Cornbread” Johnson, Chris Palmer, Tony Foulks, Street Outlaws’ James “Doc” Love and Chuck Seitsinger, Ken Clark, and Chuck “The 55” Parker.
The NHRA’s Redemption and X275 exhibitions have both taken place prior to and during the Mello Mello Series’ Friday qualifying sessions, however, Morgan remains hopeful that the series can be showcased on Saturday of the FallNationals, putting it on display in front of an even larger crowd.
We’ll have more details on this story in the lead-up to the FallNationals, including the final selection of entries.