Years from now, drag racing fans will still be talking about Charlie Westcott Sr.’s unlikely, improbable, and amazing victory in the 2009 Mopar Hemi Challenge at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. Thrashing for more than an hour after wounding an engine in the semifinals, Westcott drove his War Fish Barracuda to a final-round victory over David Barton.
“Can you believe this?” said Westcott, who joined his son, Charlie Jr., as a champion in the specialty event, which is held each year at the U.S. Nationals. For the win, Westcott earned a $10,000 bonus from Mopar and the coveted Mac Tools U.S. Nationals SS/AH class champion’s trophy. “I certainly didn’t think we could do it. I broke the same valve in the same cylinder that I broke here two yeas ago. If it wasn’t for Charlie [Jr.] I wouldn’t even have tried to come back. I was ready to put it in the trailer, but he wouldn’t let me.”
Returning to the pit area after their semifinal bye run, the Westcott team quickly went to work, swapping the massive 426 Hemi engine from customer John Rains’ Heli-Hemi Dart into their Barracuda. Team owner Jim DeFrank quickly offered the use of his 18-wheel transporter to help facilitate the engine swap while a host of fellow racers and crew members all pitched in to help.
“At one point, someone told us we only had 15 minutes and we didn’t even have the engine in the car,” said Westcott. “I didn’t think we were going to make it until we finally got the engine started. This is the first time I’ve won this race, and it’s really great.”
In the case of a pit-area thrash, the number of things that can go wrong far outnumber the things that can go right, but Westcott made a clean run, leaving with a very competitive .013 light and running an 8.62. Ironically, it was Barton who had problems as his engine never revved when he floored the throttle, and the result was a very late .498 reaction time and an 8.80, well off his earlier 8.5-second pace.
“I don’t know why but it wouldn’t go up against the rev limiter,” said Barton. “I’m bummed because I really thought we had a great chance to win this deal again. My dad [Ray] has worked so hard on our engine program and the results have shown here. He didn’t even go to Reading [for the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals] which is a half-hour from our house because he was busy in the shop. I really wanted to win this for him. The last time I won here was in 2000 and that was the year before Mopar started the Hemi Challenge and paid $10,000 to the winner. I really wanted to win it again.”
In qualifying, it was the younger Westcott that assumed the favorite’s role with an 8.49 to take the top spot, and he appeared poised to take his third U.S. Nationals Hemi Challenge title in the last four years with an 8.53 in his round two win over Kevin Helms, but he also broke a valve, ending his day prematurely.
The elder Westcott qualified third quickest in the 21-car field and was solidly in the 8.5s during his wins against William Bales, Wendell Howes, and former Hemi Challenge winner Bucky Hess, who wounded his best engine two weeks ago in Reading and could only muster a string of 8.7s with his back-up.
Barton started from the No. 4 spot and cruised into the final by beating Dave Raybourn, Randy Warford, and John Rains. Barton also got a single run when Charlie Westcott Jr. broke in the quarterfinals in what would have been one of the most highly anticipated match-ups between two engine builders who don’t often see eye-to-eye.
“We didn’t have the quickest car here but we ran well and we have a reputation for building stuff that lasts,” said Barton. “I haven’t had this car out since last year’s Dutch Classic in October because we wanted everything to be right. The good thing about being so close to Charlie is that he’s going to be forced to lean on his equipment, and when he does that, he’s on the edge and it shows.”