Rick Mariano Saginaw, Tx.

Rick Mariano aka "Dago Red" It's "Mopar or No Car" for the westernmost member of the Texas Outsiders. Rick moved to Texas in 1984 to take a job with the Federal Aviation Administration as an air traffic controller. He and wife Carol have between them six children and four grandkids. They reside in the town of Saginaw, TX just south of Texas Motor Speedway. Rick got his introduction to drag racing through friends and quickly started working as a pit rat for various Stock and Super Stock teams around his hometown of Philadelphia at such famous venues as Maple Grove, Atco, Englishtown, Cecil County, and York US-30 back when they were all called "Drag-O-Ways". After a tour with the Air Force in the late '70's, Rick dropped out of the full sized car scene and took up model car building. It was here where he crossed paths with Dan Bell and they quickly discovered they both were ardent followers of nostalgia and classic doorslammers and match race cars. They are some of the most knowlegable people on classic drag racing around. Rick made his first trip to a nostalgia race with the Texas Thunder team and was immediately hooked. Having been back drag racing in the local car club and bracket race scene for a few years, Rick quickly converted several of his Dodges to Nostalgia Muscle Car rules, racing in 2003 at several events. He plans to compete again in Muscle Car in 2004 and hopes to move up to NSS in 2005. Said Rick, "It's so much fun to be able to find racers passionate about their racing, but at the same time, they never lose sight of the fact that you're at the track to enjoy your friends, the cars, the racing and the fans."

Kevin Gass Ledbetter, Ky 66 Chevelle, NSS

Dennis Gorrell Bartlett, Tn. 66 Plymouth, NSS