Mopar Hemi Challenge
Wow, the season is over for the Mopar Hemi Challenge competition. The two last events were run since the last issue. The JEGS Pacific Sportsnationals in Fontana, CA. and the famous Dutch Classic National Open in Reading, PA. Both events had 2 different winners and really surprising outcomes in eliminations.
The Pacific Sportsnationals, as reported in the October issue of MoparMax.com, was truthfully, not very good. car count was very light at five. Big things happened to a lot of teams. Rick Houser told reporter Darr Hawthorne that, “Engines are hurting, equipment is broken and the teams are worn out.” This was also noticed in round one when there were no side-by-side runs made. Jerry Jenkins was a no show. Dave Raybourn broke after cutting a killer .009 reaction time. In the semi’s it was noted that Houser scraped the wall. Since that race he has run the car at the Vegas National event this last weekend (which I have more on that event). At the end, there was a new winner in the hemi challenge events. West Coast Hemi’s kingpin Michael Ogburn took the win and the $5,000 check. John Raines was runner up having problems in the finals. This is the second event I have seen this year where SS/AH cars were raced for big money and had less then eight cars, not good.
The Dutch Classic has always been known for stout times and record runs in all classes – Comp, Super Stock and Stock. Mother Nature had more track time it seemed then anybody. Thursday opened up as time trails were made for all drivers in all classes. For some reason (unknown to me), the decision was made by Jon Clark not to count those runs for the Mopar Hemi Challenge. The only run that would count for qualifying would be the Saturday morning run. When qualifying was over it was (my choice) '07 Mopar Hemi Challenge Rookie of the Year winner, Larry Woo heading up the class of 18 cars, 8.675-152.35. Jim Pancake was right behind him in the number two spot, 8.702-150.78. Recent JEGS Northern Sportsnationals winner Charlie Westcott Sr. put his 'Cuda in the third spot with an 8.719-155.11. The field had the who’s who of the great hemi cars of 2007. Traveling teams like the Teuton’s from Houma, LA., with J. Allen Sherman driving the second Southland Performance Cuda, and the West Coast hemi team from California. I did see noticeable cars missing on the qualifying sheets like the Dart of Fred Henson and father and son team of the Howes. Charlie Westcott Jr. would come out of the number six spot to dominate the event with a row of 8.50’s. Larry Woo’s red light in the semis against Charlie would be heart breaking for him as Charlie blew the tires off on that run. That was the only hiccup the “War Fish” driver would have during eliminations. Hats off to Matt Hensley for runner up in his Tennessee based Barracuda. For the full story on the Dutch go to the Dutch Classic Event in this MoparMax.com November issue.
It was neat to see Harry Holton out at the racetrack after a long year of illness and just not feeling good. Even though the cars didn’t perform up to Harry’s standards, they were there and the fans of the east coast loved seeing them show up. I really hope Harry gets to feeling better. Hopefully, we will see him at 100% soon so he will be able to get back into the shop and make some great Holton Hemi power that he made in the past. Make sure you read the interview with him in this month’s issue of MoparMax.com.
Also I wanted to give a congratulation out to one of the true original drivers of the SS/AH Hemi cars, Dean Mink. He won Super Stock eliminator at the Door Slammers National Open at Ohio Valley Raceway in Louisville, KY. If you ever get a chance to look at Dean’s Barracuda, it's as old school as it gets. Great job to Dean as anybody knows how hard these cars are to run in super stock eliminations.
At the Vegas National event the weekend after the Dutch Classic they ran SS/AH eliminations. There were only three cars to show up for class eliminations. Rick Houser, in the DeFrank & Son’s Barracuda, took out Joe Flaherty’s Dart in round one. John Raines had a bye. In the finals the match up with the 'Cuda of Houser and the Dart of Raines would go Houser’s way. Raines made him work for it, cutting a great .006 reaction time to Houser’s .086. It took an 8.800-149.22 to hold off the upset minded Raines game of 8.869-148.76. Congratulation’s goes out to the whole California Car Cover crew for getting the 'Cuda back into shape after their mishaps at the Pacific Sportsnationals.
Well, now it’s time for the awards part of the Elephant Cage for 2007. This is the first year for writing these stories, and this will be the first annual Elephant Cage Hemi Racing award. No trophies, no decals, nothing but a “good job”. I will give out the awards and tell you about how the drivers finished up for the 2007 season, stats wise, in the December issue.
