The most prestigious race in drag racing, the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, will feature a well-plumped field of Dodge Drag Paks, Chevrolet COPO Camaros, and Ford Cobra Jets competing in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series. Beginning with two rounds of qualifying on Friday, Factory Stock competitors from across the country will be racing to post the quickest elapsed times and position themselves for race day success on Labor Day Weekend. Through seven races this season, five different drivers have stood in the winner’s circle – including two first-time Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown winners: Bristol victor David Janac and Brainerd titlist Scott Libersher. As the most recent winner at the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, Libersher will carry the $1,000 Flexjet bounty into Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
“The win in Brainerd was so special because we have been working so hard for so long,” said Libersher. “We have the bounty this race, and there would be nothing more incredible than to hold onto that $1,000 because it would mean we won the biggest race of the season, the U.S. Nationals. I have won a few rounds at the U.S. Nationals, but it is a tough race to win. They are all tough, but Indy is especially tough.”
For Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown point leader Stephen Bell, a win this weekend at the Toyota U.S. Nationals would continue a magical season for the racer from Shreveport, La. Bell, who was the championship runner-up in 2023, has secured three wins and two runner-up finishes in his dazzling red COPO Camaro. He also captured the Flexjet Bounty in Norwalk. Bell has been runner-up twice at the U.S. Nationals, narrowly missing the winner’s circle in 2017 and then again last year.
“I think every racer has a love/hate relationship with the U.S. Nationals. We have had some success but also some heartbreak,” said Bell. “The competition between the Chevys, Dodges, and Fords should be good, and there are over a dozen drivers who have a serious shot of winning. The one thing about Indy is anything can happen. You will have to be on your game for four straight days, [between] qualifying and eliminations. That is not easy. I love this race, and I am excited to get there.”
Ohioan Mark Pawuk sits third in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown point standings, and he is another two-time U.S. Nationals runner-up who would like to see the final win light on Monday. Pawuk and his Dodge Drag Pak-sponsored by Empaco finished second in 2018 and 2020, and he has his eyes on winning the biggest race of the season. In addition to Pawuk’s season-opening win at the Gatornationals, he logged a runner-up finish at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk. He also collected the Flexjet bounty at the Las Vegas Four-Wide National with a win over Bell.
“This is a race I have dreamt of winning,” said Pawuk, who was also runner-up as a Pro Stock competitor. “I had three races on my bucket list coming into this season. The Gatornationals which we won. The Summit Nationals in Norwalk, my home track, where we came close with a runner-up, and the U.S. Nationals. Winning the U.S. Nationals is right up there with a world championship in my opinion.”
The U.S. Nationals will feature the 2024 Flexjet season debut of Lindsay Wheelock and her Dodge Drag Pak, Peter Gasko Jr. behind the wheel of his Chevrolet COPO Camaro, and the Dodge Challenger of Alan Scruggs. This will be Scruggs’ second U.S. Nationals and the first time he has been back in action since the 2022 rendition of the esteemed event. Wheelock and Gasko will both be racing in their fifth U.S. Nationals. The rest of the field is comprised of some of the best racers in the Factory Stock crowd, including Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals winner Ricky Hord, Thunder Valley Nationals winner David Janac, and Route 66 NHRA Nationals runner-up Lee Hartman, to name a few.
The quickest Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge competitors will race through five rounds of competition looking to collect the iconic Wally at the eighth Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series national event of 2024. Qualifying for the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series will begin on Friday, Aug. 30 with two sessions, followed by a final session on Saturday evening. Two rounds of eliminations will be contested on Sunday, with the final three elimination rounds taking place on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 2. The race will be broadcast on FS1 and FOX throughout the weekend.
Leave a Reply