Winning just one championship in a series like the NMCA is tough, but winning nine in one class and two in the same year is on a whole different level.
Veteran racer Andy Warren has now done both after his record-setting 2020 season behind the wheel of his infamous Caprice in Nostalgia Muscle Car and Scott Libersher’s COPO Camaro in the Stock/Super Stock combo class.
It has been well documented just how dominant Warren has been in the NMCA on his way to become the winningest driver in the series’ history. That doesn’t mean it has been an easy road for Warren over the years, and every championship has been a battle. Winning in the COPO was a recent challenge that Warren had to navigate since there was such a steep learning curve, but his hard work paid off with another title.
Winning nine titles with the Caprice has been an interesting experience for Warren, considering the car was never designed to be a racecar. With the help of Tim Knieriem and AFR, Warren has developed an engine package that’s deadly consistent and makes plenty of power.
“AFR has been a part of our program since 2015 when we worked together on a set of its 245cc Eliminator heads for the Caprice. Ever since they got involved I’ve won consecutive championships. At 3,800 pounds the Caprice went 10.30s prior to swapping to their heads. After, the car went 9.85 at 134 mph in cool weather. Keep in mind, this is a 434 cubic-inch small-block in a massive car. In good conditions, I run the car on the 10.00 index in NMC. If it’s hot, I’ll back it down to 10.25,” Warren says.
By working with great companies like AFR and putting the time in Warren has built a resume of wins that could be considered one of the best in all of drag racing. Check out the AFR website here to see the heads he’s used to win countless rounds behind the wheel of his Caprice.
Photos courtesy of Denny Pett