Mopar® HEMI® Challenge Race Series to Commence at NHRA U.S. Nationals

Image via Wikipedia

Mopar®, Chrysler Group LLC’s Parts division, has announced that the world’s fastest super stockers will once again face off during the 2009 season. The ground-pounding 800 horsepower HEMI®-powered 1968 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas continue their 40-year domination of NHRA's top stock class beginning this Labor Day Weekend in Indianapolis.

The three-event 2009 Mopar HEMI® Challenge Race Series schedule will blast off at the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 2–7.

The HEMI Challenge series will then head to the JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 25–27. The third and final 2009 Challenge event will be on October 22–25 at the Dutch Classic at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.

The U.S. Nationals victor will take home a $10,000 winner’s purse. The winners of the other two events will haul in $5,000 paydays. Each HEMI Challenge race is a stand-alone event.

An impressive company of Super Stock/A-HEMI (SS/AH) pilots are scheduled to make the trek to Indy. Expected drivers and teams include 2008 HEMI Challenge series champion Charlie Westcott Jr. and his father, Charlie Westcott Sr., who was runner-up in the '08 standings. The Westcotts both compete in 1968 Plymouth Barracudas. Third-place series finisher Jim Pancake will drive his Dodge Dart and fourth-place series finisher John Raines will also compete. Jim Daniels, winner of the final 2008 Mopar HEMI Challenge event at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania, will race in his Dodge Dart.

Westcott Jr., plans to debut a newly-built 1968 Plymouth Barracuda this year. His previous car, the 1968 "Warfish" Barracuda, which dominated the series in 2008, is scheduled to be retired. Other drivers include Bucky Hess, Larry Woo, Joe Teuton Jr., Rick Houser, Darrell Marvel, and Fred Henson.

"The Mopar HEMI Challenge illustrates the amazing dedication of the grassroots racers who are the core of the series," said Jim Sassorossi, Director—Mopar Global Parts Sales and Marketing, Chrysler Group LLC. "The dedicated racers who compete in the Mopar HEMI Challenge buy parts from a Dodge, Chrysler or Jeep® dealership and pour money, time and sweat into their Mopar HEMI-powered race cars. They are great examples of the passion that exists in the drag racing community for the Mopar brand."