Clermont, Ind. (Sept. 1, 2011) – Charlie Westcott Jr. of Parma, Mich. claimed the top spot in qualifying today for the 11th Annual Mopar® HEMI® Challenge at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, picking up the $1,000 No. 1 Qualifier bonus. The driver of the 1968 “Warfish” Plymouth Barracuda will attempt to bring home his fourth career Mopar HEMI Challenge U.S. Nationals win during eliminations tomorrow and also bank the record $15,000 winner’s purse.
A large field of 20 Mopar-powered Super Stock A/HEMI (SS/AH) 1968 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas hit the strip at hot and steamy Lucas Oil Raceway. Westcott Jr. led the way with an elapsed time of 8.425-seconds at 0.875 under index in his Mopar 426 HEMI-powered machine. Right on his tail was his father and fellow past Indy HEMI Challenge winner (2009), Charlie Westcott Sr., who recorded an 8.461-second run at 0.839 under index to claim the No. 2 spot in his own ’68 Barracuda.
“It’s going to be a hard-fought battle. The best thing was that both my dad and I were at the top of the sheet, No. 1 and No. 2,” said Westcott Jr., winner of the Mopar HEMI Challenge U.S. Nationals event in 2005–2006 and 2008. “We’ve been working on our cars since we got here, changing valve springs and gear ratios, throwing everything we got at it and seeing what we can do.
“We’re already better than we were last year, because last year at this time we were headed back home after blowing up both our cars. My dad broke on the first qualifying run, and I broke on my second qualifying run.
“It’s a lot easier to lose one than to win one. This is the biggest cash purse we’ve ever had, so it would be nice to win it. I’m going to do my best and see what we can do. This is a great race, and I’m glad Mopar still supports the HEMI Challenge.”
Tyler Hard of Harrisburg, Pa. qualified third with an 8.507-second effort in his 1968 Plymouth Barracuda. Defending event champion Jim Daniels of Bristol, Pa. was fourth with an 8.571-second mark in his Ray Barton Racing 1968 Dodge Dart. Rounding out the top five was another ’68 Dodge Dart pilot, Gary Wolkwitz of Annandale, N.J., who posted an 8.586-second run.
Eliminations for the 11th Annual Mopar HEMI Challenge will take place tomorrow, with the final round scheduled between the Funny Car and Top Fuel qualifying rounds. Mopar NHRA racing legends “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney will drive Mopar Challenger Drag Pak vehicles, Mopar’s modern-day version of a package car, down the return road at Lucas Oil Raceway just prior to the Mopar HEMI Challenge final.
A large field of 20 Mopar-powered Super Stock A/HEMI (SS/AH) 1968 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas hit the strip at hot and steamy Lucas Oil Raceway. Westcott Jr. led the way with an elapsed time of 8.425-seconds at 0.875 under index in his Mopar 426 HEMI-powered machine. Right on his tail was his father and fellow past Indy HEMI Challenge winner (2009), Charlie Westcott Sr., who recorded an 8.461-second run at 0.839 under index to claim the No. 2 spot in his own ’68 Barracuda.
“It’s going to be a hard-fought battle. The best thing was that both my dad and I were at the top of the sheet, No. 1 and No. 2,” said Westcott Jr., winner of the Mopar HEMI Challenge U.S. Nationals event in 2005–2006 and 2008. “We’ve been working on our cars since we got here, changing valve springs and gear ratios, throwing everything we got at it and seeing what we can do.
“We’re already better than we were last year, because last year at this time we were headed back home after blowing up both our cars. My dad broke on the first qualifying run, and I broke on my second qualifying run.
“It’s a lot easier to lose one than to win one. This is the biggest cash purse we’ve ever had, so it would be nice to win it. I’m going to do my best and see what we can do. This is a great race, and I’m glad Mopar still supports the HEMI Challenge.”
Tyler Hard of Harrisburg, Pa. qualified third with an 8.507-second effort in his 1968 Plymouth Barracuda. Defending event champion Jim Daniels of Bristol, Pa. was fourth with an 8.571-second mark in his Ray Barton Racing 1968 Dodge Dart. Rounding out the top five was another ’68 Dodge Dart pilot, Gary Wolkwitz of Annandale, N.J., who posted an 8.586-second run.
Eliminations for the 11th Annual Mopar HEMI Challenge will take place tomorrow, with the final round scheduled between the Funny Car and Top Fuel qualifying rounds. Mopar NHRA racing legends “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney will drive Mopar Challenger Drag Pak vehicles, Mopar’s modern-day version of a package car, down the return road at Lucas Oil Raceway just prior to the Mopar HEMI Challenge final.
