Indianapolis, Ind. (August 4, 2009) – The Westcott family, of Parma, Mich., pulled off another victory tonight in the Mopar® NHRA HEMI® Challenge at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Charlie Wescott, Sr., did it this time, in his 1968 Hemi Barracuda, besting David Barton, of Robesonia, Pa. Westcott needed a lot of help from his son, Charlie Westcott, Jr., and a bunch of their competitors.
Westcott Senior’s engine dropped a valve on the bye run that put him into the finals. “I figured there was nothing we could do but go home,” he said, “but my son is a workaholic.” Westcott Junior reclaimed a Mopar 426 Hemi engine he had just delivered to John Raines, of Santa Paula, Calif., and moved the Barracuda to Californian Jim DeFrank’s well-equipped trailer to do an engine swap.
With the help of many HEMI Challenge racers, the job took ninety minutes, which was just enough time to get to the starting line where finalist Barton was waiting in his Barracuda to take a bye run.
The match turned into a disaster for Barton, who left late, and a Cinderella story for the Westcotts as Charlie Senior was much quicker off the line He claimed the Hemi Challenge title with an 8.626 second run at 156.15 mph. Barton trailed with an 8.802 elapsed time and a speed of 152.87 mph.
Westcott Senior will take home $10,000 for the victory, his first at the U.S. Nationals. His son Charlie, Jr., has won three out of the last four Mopar Hemi Challenges in Indianapolis. Today’s win makes it four out of the last five for the Westcotts.
“Jason Line came up to me after I won and said, ‘You give me something to look forward to when I get old,’” said the 66-year-old Westoctt, Sr. Line is a veteran Pro Stock champion.
Westcott junior had the same engine problem as that of his father, preventing him from appearing in an earlier round. He was the fastest qualifier with an 8.491 clocking. Jim Daniels, of Yardley, Pa., was the second-fastest, recording an 8.519 in his HEMI Barracuda. Daniels made it to the third round before losing to Raines, who then lost to Barton in the semifinals.
Twenty-one 1968 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracudas participated in the Mopar Hemi Challenge this year. Entrants were from thirteen states across the U.S., ranging from New Jersey to California and from Minnesota to Louisiana.
Westcott Senior’s engine dropped a valve on the bye run that put him into the finals. “I figured there was nothing we could do but go home,” he said, “but my son is a workaholic.” Westcott Junior reclaimed a Mopar 426 Hemi engine he had just delivered to John Raines, of Santa Paula, Calif., and moved the Barracuda to Californian Jim DeFrank’s well-equipped trailer to do an engine swap.
With the help of many HEMI Challenge racers, the job took ninety minutes, which was just enough time to get to the starting line where finalist Barton was waiting in his Barracuda to take a bye run.
The match turned into a disaster for Barton, who left late, and a Cinderella story for the Westcotts as Charlie Senior was much quicker off the line He claimed the Hemi Challenge title with an 8.626 second run at 156.15 mph. Barton trailed with an 8.802 elapsed time and a speed of 152.87 mph.
Westcott Senior will take home $10,000 for the victory, his first at the U.S. Nationals. His son Charlie, Jr., has won three out of the last four Mopar Hemi Challenges in Indianapolis. Today’s win makes it four out of the last five for the Westcotts.
“Jason Line came up to me after I won and said, ‘You give me something to look forward to when I get old,’” said the 66-year-old Westoctt, Sr. Line is a veteran Pro Stock champion.
Westcott junior had the same engine problem as that of his father, preventing him from appearing in an earlier round. He was the fastest qualifier with an 8.491 clocking. Jim Daniels, of Yardley, Pa., was the second-fastest, recording an 8.519 in his HEMI Barracuda. Daniels made it to the third round before losing to Raines, who then lost to Barton in the semifinals.
Twenty-one 1968 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracudas participated in the Mopar Hemi Challenge this year. Entrants were from thirteen states across the U.S., ranging from New Jersey to California and from Minnesota to Louisiana.
