NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Heading into the biggest race of the Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown, Mark Pawuk and the Empaco Dodge Challenger are carrying a two-race winning streak. The Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals has a way of derailing momentum. Pawuk has the points lead, but with three races left in the season, Jason Dietsch and Lee Hartman are hot on his rear bumper. Last year, Kevin Skinner picked up his first career win at the U.S. Nationals, and he will be back, looking to make his own history-chasing back-to-back wins at the biggest race of the year.

“It really hasn’t sunk in, but it gets more real the closer this weekend gets,” said Skinner. “It was cool to win the U.S. Nationals last year with my family at the race. We always try and race together, so to have my dad, my wife, and my son at the track for such a big win was special. I don’t feel a lot of extra stress coming back as the reigning U.S. Nationals champion, but there is some pressure to want to do well again. I am just going to try and take it day by day. Last year was an amazing weekend for sure.”

Pawuk most recently secured an emotional win at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk. It was the hometown win the Ohioan had been chasing for decades. Prior to Norwalk, Pawuk won at historic Bristol Dragway, checking off another bucket list win. The iconic U.S. Nationals is the last signature win for the driver chasing a Hall of Fame career. Pawuk has come close, scoring runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2020 in the Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown.

“This is a race I have dreamt of winning,” said Pawuk. “Every driver has bucket list races, and coming into this season for me, it was Norwalk and the U.S. Nationals. We got the Norwalk win, and now I want to get the win in Indy. I said it last year, and I really mean it. Winning the U.S. Nationals is right up there with a world championship in my opinion.”

The reigning champion will also carry the bullseye of the $2,000 Flexjet bounty when the race starts. With back-to-back wins, the usual $1,000 bounty has been doubled, and Pawuk would like to see the number grow even more following the Labor Day race.

Sitting right behind Pawuk in the standings is NHRA Gatornationals and Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals winner Dietsch. The driver of the black Ford Cobra Jet had one of the most dominating weekends in recent memory, winning the rain-delayed and relocated Gatornationals and the Chicago NHRA national event within 24 hours of each other. Dietsch will be looking to add more history to his résumé with his first U.S. Nationals victory.

“We are going to Indy to win the race. If we do that, then hopefully the points will fall our way,” said Dietsch, who sits 80 points behind the points leader. “Mark [Pawuk] has gotten out in front of us a little bit, and everything has gone his way so far this season. I think this is going to be the biggest Indy in a long time. The weather is going to be great for us, so you will see great runs, and the fans are really going to turn out, I think. Winning Indy is the ‘Holy Grail.’ I think getting a U.S. Nationals win is bigger than a championship. We are going to Indy with one goal, and that is to win the race.”

The driver chasing both Pawuk and Dietsch is Hartman, who has been on the cusp of his first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown win all season. He was the Chicago runner-up, and he has two additional semifinal finishes. His gorgeous red Dodge Drag Pak is a constant threat to race into the winner’s circle.

Chicagoan Scott Libersher, a perennial championship contender, is also looking for his first U.S. Nationals win. The veteran driver of a Chevrolet COPO Camaro knows there is a universal sentiment running through the pit area.

“Everybody on the property wants the same thing,” said Libersher. “You can ask every driver and all they want to do is win the U.S. Nationals. I am no different. I am just going to try and be at my best mentally, and hopefully, we don’t have any mechanical issues. You have to take this race round by round or you could drive yourself crazy. I am going to try and be better on the Tree, and we’ll see how it turns out. I am excited for this race.”

The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown competitors will have four qualifying runs, allowing each team to get data and fine-tune their race cars. Friday, Aug. 29 will feature qualifying runs at 2:45 p.m. and 4:40 p.m., and on Saturday, teams will run at 11:15 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. to close out qualifying. Sunday morning will open with two rounds of eliminations, followed by three rounds of eliminations on Monday. Fans can catch all the action live from Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in person or on NHRA.tv. They can also tune into the FS1 broadcast following the conclusion of the race on Sunday.