Charlie Westcott, Jr., of Parma, Mich., leads a field of 21 Super Stock HEMI Dodge Darts and
Plymouth Barracudas after final qualifying for the Mopar HEMI Challenge at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S.
Nationals. Westcott, Jr., blistered the quarter mile track at O'Reilly Raceway Part at Indianapolis
with an 8.491 second elapsed time in his 1968 HEMI Barracuda.
Westcott, Jr., has a bye run in the first round.
Jim Daniels, Yardley, Pa., drove his 1968 Dodge Dart HEMI to the second fastest time with an 8.519
second clocking. Daniels won the most recent Hemi Challenge at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.
Westcott's father, Charlie Westcott, Sr., also of Parma, Mich., had third fast time at 8.571
seconds in his 1968 HEMI Barracuda. He and his son have met in the finals of previous Hemi
Challenge events, with dad besting his son more often than not.
All cars in the class-Super Stock A Hemi, shortened to SS/AH-are HEMI-powered 1968 Dodge Darts or
Plymouth Barracudas. The cars first won the class, then known as SS/BA, in 1968 at this same
Indianapolis track.
Other qualifiers in the top ten include David Barton, Robesonia, Pa., Barracuda, 8.574; John Rains,
Santa Paula, Calif., Dart, 8.612; Gary Wolkowitz, Annandale, N.J., Dart, 8.626; Stephen Hebert,
Westlake, La., Barracuda, 8.627; Wendell Howes, Rathesay, Neb., Barracuda, 8.634; Randall Warford,
Nashville, Ind., Barracuda, 8.714; Jim Pancake, Delaware, Ohio, Dart, 8.742.
Final eliminations for the class will be during the day, Thursday, Sept. 4, with the final run
early that evening.
