Fri, 04 Sep 2026, 13:43 PM Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

INDIANAPOLIS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
        Bye                                1968 Steve Comella                
E1                                            ****WINNER**** -0.099  8.476 157.59
 Qualified:                                                       #1  8.415 159.23

1:06 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 92 degrees, relative humidity 55 percent, barometer 29.95 inches, adjusted altitude 4,023 feet.

Steve Comella has been the #1 qualifier in the Hemi Shootout for the last 5 years.

2020 was the last year that he was not the #1 qualifier.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3651 Charlie Westcott                     1517 Melvin Daniels               
E1                  -0.009  8.503 158.06     ****WINNER****  0.007  8.727 153.63
 Qualified:             #4  8.457 158.95                       #11  8.608 155.49

Westcott is a little too quick off of the line and goes red giving the win to Daniels.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7406 Eric Bell                            4300 Lloyd Wofford                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.001  8.548 156.43                    -0.014  9.354 111.06
 Qualified:             #5  8.478 158.58                       #12  8.673 152.62

Bell is almost perfect off of the line and he takes the win.

Bell will take on Comella in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2113 Anthony Rhodes                       L177 Lenny Lottig                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.010  8.494 157.72                     0.114  8.575 156.43
 Qualified:             #3  8.455 158.02                       #10  8.572 157.39

Rhodes gets the holeshot and pulls away from Lottig for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  337 Dean Mink                             196 Stephen Smyth                
E1                   0.047 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.061  8.538 157.06
 Qualified:            #15  9.346 146.50                        #8  8.527 158.99

Mink comes out of the hole and the car makes a move to the right. He steers it back to the left and the car contacts the wall about 300 feet out. The car goes back to the right, contacts the right retaining wall, then he comes to a stop about 800 feet out.

Smyth takes the win and will take on Daniels in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 2455 Jason Line                            350 Jim Pancake                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.049  8.454 158.54                     0.210  8.624 155.47
 Qualified:             #2  8.445 159.53                        #9  8.569 156.55

Line gets the holeshot and runs the quickest pass of the round so far to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1058 Jimmy Daniels                        7077 Rich Locker                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.150  8.527 156.81                     0.058  8.848 152.45
 Qualified:             #6  8.492 158.09                       #13  8.721 151.61

Locker gets the advantage off of the line but he can't hold off Daniels.

Daniels will take on line in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 3372 Jerry Kassin                         1979 Eldon Baum Jr.               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.084  8.962 148.31                           No Time      
 Qualified:            #14  8.883 146.64                        #7  8.509 156.90

Baum is a no-show.

Kassin will take on Rhodes in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink