The flowers and trees are starting to bloom. The sounds of birds in the early hours of the morning have come back to visit our eardrums. Cardboard boxes being broken down and put into the recycling bin, tools being returned to their place in the toolbox and batteries coming off the battery tender can only mean one thing: It’s time to race!

The longest running and premiere HEMI^®-specific race series fires up this weekend. Modern Street HEMI Shootout kicks off 2022 on March 27th at Orlando Speed World with more classes, more payouts and more events than ever. If you have a Gen III HEMI engine-powered vehicle and like money, this is the series to get to, with $10,000 in payouts for EACH race.

MSHS added in its first-ever Midwest event at Heartland Motorsports Park in Kansas City. Aside from the normal drag racing format, this event will also feature autocross and car show! MSHS will also be returning to HEMI’nsanity in Detroit during the Dream Cruise weekend; definitely an event not to miss.

2022 brings the return of the 9.50 class, which had been taken off the class list prior. As tracks across the country became stricter with safety, inspection and tech, many street cars did not meet the NHRA safety rules for running in the 9.0-9.99 index without a certified roll cage and 5-point harness. The recent NHRA rule change now allows modern cars to run to 9.0 without a roll cage. Dan Van Horn, MSHS organizer, said they believe this will bring some racers back out to the races who previously had to forgo participating due to not wanting to add a roll cage to their streetcar or daily driver. For the top 3 classes (fastest), new safety rules are in place in other areas, with the added requirement of an “engine diaper” or oil containment device to all cars racing in the Outlaw, 8.50 and Heavyweight classes.

Van Horn was excited to announce their partnership with the recently re-launched Direct Connection for 2022. “The Modern Street HEMI Shootout is proud to have Direct Connection on board as 2022 Street Class sponsors directly showcasing the brand’s dedication to the grassroots racer. We absolutely embody the progression of performance and speed as racers modify their cars and climb the ladder of each class competitively. Starting in the Direct Connection Street Class and progressing all the way up to Heavyweight and Outlaw Classes are what these HEMI-powered beasts are capable of and having Direction Connection/Power Broker Dealers on site will enable that success to its core!” said Van Horn.

I know a lot of racers who have been working on a lot of top-secret changes to their cars. I’m confident we will see some serious action in 2022 from MSHS. If you want to see the fastest Gen III HEMI engine-powered cars in the WORLD, or put your car and skill to the test against some of the best in the country, you don’t want to miss out on Modern Street HEMI Shootout in 2022. Keep an eye out on www.hemirace.com for updates to the schedule! It is not uncommon for events to be added as “bonus” events throughout the season. Whether your car is stock, or built to launch to the moon, or you are a total noob, or a seasoned racer, if your car has a HEMI engine, this is the series for you.

March 27: Orlando Speedworld
April 15-16: Virginia Motorsports Park
May 13-15: Rockingham Dragway
June 10-11: Heartland Motorsports Park
August 18-20: HEMI’nsanity at Milan Dragway
October 20-22: Maryland International Raceway
November 12: Final Stand Event at Cecil County Dragway

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