NMRA Renegade racer Bryan "BK" Meyers is extremely dedicated.  Bryan seems to have the same affliction as most of us.  He's been bitten by what I like to call the "Mustang Bug".   Bryan purchased the car you see here in December of 1994.  However, some repairs needed to be made before it could be back in action.  As Bryan said, "It was wrecked when we got it and the front end was pretty wasted. Only the driver's side front fender was reusable."  To me, that's a lot of work, when there are other, clean cars out there to be had.  But it didn't deter Bryan and his wife, Jennifer, from rebuilding the car to better than factory specs.  The pictures of it don't really do it justice because it's a super clean example of what you and I have in our garages. 

Bryan's been racing Renegade since 2001, and he began using his initials, since at the time, Brian Meyer (out of the Anderson Ford camp) was also racing Renegade.  BK started out like just about everyone else, by racing at the local test and tune nights at his local tracks.  Bracket racing struck his fancy, and he continued on, until he made his Open Comp debut at WFC2, in 1998.  Hard pressed to find a reason not to step up his combination, he joined the NMRA, and began to follow its now-legendary series.     

Running a 305-inch R 302 blocked combo, machined by AMS Racing Engines, Bryan and Jennifer have run a best ET in the 1/8th mile - 5.98 @ 116.8 (Beech Bend T&T 9/21/02, at NMRA legal weight), and a 1/4 mile - 9.35 @ 146.5 (Beech Bend T&T 9/21/02, also at NMRA legal weight).  These times have been accomplished with a  Vortech YS-trim supercharger, Total Engine Airflow-ported TFS Twisted Wedge cylinder heads and Holley Systemax II intake, and a new cam of undisclosed dimensions ground by Lunati. The engine is kept nice and greasy by Royal Purple engine oil, which I've noticed a lot of teams switching to. Also in the supporting cast:  A C-4 built by Brad's Transmission's, spinning a TCI converter, Kook's 1 7/8" headers, covered by AirBorn coatings to keep the heat in and maximize flow, and DynoMax Bullet mufflers..  An Ford 8.8 rear housing with a set of 3.73 gears, Moser axles and spool round out the drivetrain, and a PMS engine management system with InterAcq datalogging software helps Bryan to maximize his tuning changes. The InterAcq is a new addition, as of August 2002, and has helped immensely.  Previous to this season, BK didn't have any datalogging capabilities, and that caused him to chase his tail a bit around the tune-up.   Also new for 2002 is a Performance Automotive K-Member, A-Arms, and bump-steer kit for the front suspension.  Adjustable QA1 shocks and struts round out the suspension, which has been scaled and adjusted by FAST Chassis, in Bryan's home state of Kentucky.   Another change the team made for this season is the switch from Goodyear slicks to Mickey Thompson slicks.  It took over a month for the team to sort out the chassis afterward, due to the huge increase of traction the sticky Mickey's afforded.  Vortech Engineering has provided the team with great tech support and parts help in making their Renegade car competitive. 

Now that Bryan has the InterAcq software, which will allow much more in the way of seeing exactly what the engine is doing during the whole pass, expect to see some great times from him in the future!  The team's shooting for 9.20's by the end of the season, which will put them right in the thick of things, and give a great start to the 2003 season.

Bryan and Jennifer have had some difficult times running the Renegade class.  Although the car sports an awesome combination, in Bryan's words, "I'm technologically impaired."  It's been a huge learning curve for them, especially coming out of the Open Comp class, where the rules are a bit more liberal.  Renegade is so competitive, it takes a great run each and every time just to stay in the show.  BK does have a few opinions about changes that could be made to the class, not so much to make the cars faster, but more about consistency.  According to him, rear coil-overs would be a nice addition, mainly to make the suspension easier to tune, and also electric water pumps, just to keep the detonation at bay.      

NMRA racers share a special brand of camaraderie, and Bryan and Jen love making it to the races, and they have made a lot of friends in the short time they've been following the series.  Especially making them feel at home has been none other than "The Flying Frog", Hot Streeter Ed Kowalcyk.  This season, the team currently sits 9th in points going into this weekend's NMRA Finals, and would be thrilled to finish in the top 10. 

The main thing keeping Bryan going is the thrill of driving his car down the 1320, the challenge of keeping the car competitive, and all of the wonderful people he and Jennifer have met along the way.  I feel privileged to be one of his friends, because he's one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet.  Keep on keepin' on, BK, and best of luck to you in the future!

Hardcore would like to thank Bryan Meyers for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer questions for this article, and also for being patient!

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