Charlie Westcott, Jr. first after qualifying for today’s NRHA U.S. Nationals

Charlie Westcott, Jr., of Parma, Michigan, leads a field of 21 Super Stock HEMI Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas after final qualifying yesterday for the Mopar HEMI Challenge at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. Westcott, in his ‘68 HEMI Barracuda, turned in a 8.491-second streak down the quarter mile track at Indianapolis’ O’Reilly Raceway Park and earned a bye run in the first round.

Jim Daniels, of Yardley, Pennsylvania., 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, Pennsylvania.

Westcott’s father, Charlie Westcott, Sr., had the third fastest 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 go on today, with the final run early this evening.