NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Fans of factory stock hot rods will be treated to a unique two-for-one event at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Peak, with this weekend’s NHRA national event featuring the usual three exciting days of Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown racing action as well as the conclusion of the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. 

Twenty competitors will be racing their Ford Cobra Jets, Dodge Drag Paks, and Chevrolet COPO Camaros for the iconic Wally presented to the Route 66 Nationals winner, and included in that group will be four drivers still in action attempting to win the Gatornationals Wally. Lee Hartman, Doug Hamp, Jason Dietsch, and Lenny Lottig will be racing for two trophies when qualifying action begins this Friday at Route 66 Raceway outside of Chicago.
 
“Gainesville was a lucky weekend for us, to be honest,” said Hamp. “We had a no-show and a red-light against us. I don't think the COPOs got much for the Fords and the Dodges, but we're in the semi's, and we’re excited to get the race wrapped up in Chicago. We didn't think we'd get this far, but it’s one of those deals where you realize everyone needs a little bit of luck to win a race, and I hope I didn’t waste all my luck. Hopefully, we’ll still have some this weekend.”
 
Hartman is looking forward to hopefully capture his first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown national event win. In the first round of the Gatornationals, Hartman, the No. 15 qualifier, upset Scott Libersher, the No. 2 qualifier and a 2024 championship contender. In the second round, he outran No. 10 qualifier Raymond Nash with his quickest run of the weekend, a solid 7.816-second run, leading to a matchup with Lottig, whom he will race during the second round of qualifying on Friday night.
 
“We had some tricky track conditions in Gainesville, so coming to Chicago after we raced Charlotte will be a whole new ballgame,” said Hartman. “We're going to continue to keep plugging away at it to finish this thing up. The four cars that are in the semifinals are all tough competitors. It will be fun for everyone to have a sort of race within the race.”
 
The Gatornationals will be concluded during the second and third qualifying sessions of the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals. Those runs will count towards qualifying positions for each driver as well as elimination rounds. At the conclusion of qualifying, one driver will be crowned the Gatornationals winner.
 
The 20 competitors entered in the Chicago national event will have three passes to secure their spot in the 16-car qualified field, with eliminations starting Saturday afternoon. Newcomer Josh Hart, who also races Top Fuel dragster, will be pulling double duty once again, racing his Burnyzz Speed Shop Dodge Drag Pak in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class and his R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. He has teamed up with long-time factory stock competitor David Davies and his DHDR team to take on a new challenge.
 
“I love being busy at the racetrack,” said Hart. “David Davies and his DHDR team have been a huge help on the learning curve. I am looking forward to this weekend and continuing to get better. I love the challenge.”
 
The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class is comprised of Dodge Drag Paks, Ford Cobra Jets, and Chevrolet COPO Camaros racing head-to-head down the quarter-mile track. This weekend, 20 drivers and teams will be vying for 16 qualified spots. The variety of competitors, as well as different manufacturers, gives this class a large contingency of passionate fans. Hart, a lifelong Dodge fan and driver, enjoys the friendly rivalry between the drivers in the class.
 
“I am just getting to know a lot of the guys, and we are all passionate about our brands,” said Hart. “The fans definitely get into it when it is a Dodge versus a Chevy or a Ford versus a Dodge. I like that a lot. These cars look cool even when they are just in the staging lanes. I am one of the luckiest guys out here getting to race the Burnyzz Dodge Challenger and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster. It makes for a busy weekend, but I love it.”
 
This weekend, the class will receive three qualifying runs, allowing each team to get data and fine-tune their race cars. Friday, May 16, will feature qualifying runs at 11:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. (semi's of the Gatornationals), and on Saturday, teams will run at 10:30 a.m. (final round of the Gatornationals) with the first round of eliminations kicking off Saturday at 4:15 p.m. Eliminations will continue with three more rounds on Sunday.