Summer’s here and that means we’re already halfway through the 2023 NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) season. These 1,500-horsepower production-based machines have be duking it out on drag strips across the country. With Challenger Drag Paks, COPO Camaros and Cobra Jet Mustangs going head to head, it’s hard to say which combination has an upper hand or horsepower advantage. As we get ready for this weekend’s 16^th annual NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, the FSS class will be one of highlights for the diehard Mopar_®, Chevy and Ford fans that will come through the gates at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The FSS cars that travel down the quarter-mile in seven seconds bare a very strong resemblance to their showroom counterparts and that’s why fans love them. On the eve of the popular NHRA National Event, we had a chance to chat with a few of our Drag Pak pilots to get their thoughts heading into this weekend’s race.

“Norwalk is basically home court for us. I can’t tell you how many passes I’ve had down this track. Our first Factory Stock Showdown event and first full power pass with our 2021 Drag Pak took place under the lights at Norwalk,” said Ohio native David H. Davies of D H Davies Racing^® (DHDR). “The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Norwalk are the mid-point in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown season. Since we started out with a new team this year, it brought many challenges and we struggled for the last couple of events. But the confidence of the entire team has grown substantially. This weekend, it’s going to be a who’s-who of Factory Stock Showdown and a battle to go rounds but it’s time to shut up and line up and we fully expect the ‘Save Our Allies’ Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to be putting on a show and running near the top of the list.”

Another Ohio drag racer that might have a home field advantage at Norwalk this weekend is seasoned veteran Mark Pawuk. “I’m really looking forward to coming back to my home track again. I’ve been very pleased with my performance so far this year. David Barton of Ray Barton Racing Engines has really helped me turn my racing program around. I would also like to thank all the local companies who continue to be sponsors of mine, including Ohio Cat and Cat Rental Stores, Mr. Heater and HeatStar, Summit Racing Equipment/Red Line/Goodyear/Mickey Thompson Tires/E3 Spark Plugs/Cometic Gasket, and my good friends at Westfield Bank. It’ll be a good weekend and I’m ready to go rounds at Summit Motorsports Park,” said Pawuk.

From a crew chief’s perspective, ace tuner and five-time NHRA Stock Eliminator World Champion Kevin Helms will be doing double duty during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Not only will he be tuning David A. Davies Drag Pak, but Helms is getting behind the wheel of Mike Wagner’s 2015 Challenger Drag Pak Motown Missile tribute racecar. Running a natural aspirated G3 426 HEMI^® V8 engine, Helms will be competing in the Factory Super Stock class and will need to bring his “A-game” because the competition will be tough. He’ll also use his “seat of the pants” feel of driver when it comes to getting Davies’ lineup. This means examining the two lanes to see which one has better traction or if rubber that’s been laid down on the starting line is starting to peel off.

“We’ll have gone testing before rolling into Summit Motorsports Park at Norwalk as we’re looking at improving a few things on Davies’ car as this is a big race for him”, said Helms. With these Drag Paks making so much power and limited to a nine-inch slick, condition of the starting surface will be key to how much timing and power Helms can dial into these machines. “The Norwalk track crew, along with the NHRA guys, do a great job prepping the surface before we run so I’m confident we’ll get a handle on things after the first qualifying run. The only problem we might run into is the hot, muggy weather this time of year and it’ll impact the car’s performance,” noted Helms.

Another drag racer with a couple of seasons under his belt is Raymond Nash. Another Ohio resident, he, like many other racers and engine builders, has had to fight parts shortages this year. “We were only able to make four races in our debut season last year. This offseason, Kim Mapes and Kimmie Mapes, along with other the fine folks at Watson Racing, have helped us to make performance improvements. Although we had some mechanical issues in the first three races of this year, we feel we’ve got them sorted out and we’re making great progress. We’ve already hit a new personal best this year and we’re making great power on the dyno and it’s all thanks to Kim and Kimmie Mapes at Watson Racing,” said Nash.

Now Nash and his crew are ready to lay some rubber and see if their hard work will pay off at this weekend’s NHRA race in Norwalk. “We feel very good about our car and where our team is headed as we’re trending upward. We know we’re not the big dogs in the Factory Stock Showdown class, but we look forward to competing at NHRA Norwalk this year. The new Drag Pak platform has taken a bit of time to develop, but we’re brand loyal to Dodge and Mopar and we refuse to back down from a challenge. We have a lot of Drag Paks entered in this race, so we’re looking forward to seeing the Dodge brand rise to the occasion. This is a home race for us, and we’re humbled to have a lot of family and friends who plan on attending and we’re looking forward to seeing them. It was just last year at this race we debuted our Drag Pak and realistically, it was a shakedown race for us. This year, we’ve brought a better car and an attitude to be much more competitive. We know it’s a tough class and we’re known as the ‘UNDERDAWGS,’ but that’s the way we like it,” smiled Nash.

Another team heading to Norwalk and competing in FSS will be Kevin Smith and Alan Scruggs in their TorRed Challenger Drag Pak. Their 2023 season got off to a rocky start as they hurt their motor back in March at an NMCA event in Bradenton, Florida. Kevin and Alan quickly did an autopsy and determined the engine had to come and get rebuilt. They had to sit out the NHRA Charlotte 4Wide and NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals while the repairs were being made on the powerplant. “Factory Stock racing is an extremely tough class too and we’re always making improvements keeping up with the top dogs in the class,” said Smith.

Another racer who’s had an up-and-down season has been AJ Berge. He’s had a few wins driving and tuning Drag Paks the last two seasons but knows how all these cars can throw you a curve ball. They’re finicky machines and at times can have a mind of their own. “We’ve been trying some new combinations this season to increase our performance and it’s been working, but now were lacking consistency,” said Berge. Not to fear, this tuning ace will get it figured out on his RAMCHARGERS tribute Drag Pak.

Yep, summer’s heating up and our Challenger Drag Pak competitors will be creating a heat wave over Summit Motorsports Park this weekend.