Charlie Westcott Jr. will lead a strong contingent of Mopar® HEMI® Challenge Series competitors into Saturday eliminations for the first time ever at the NHRA 8th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion at historic Beech Bend Raceway.

The Parma, Mich. native was able to hook up his ’68 Plymouth Barracuda in Friday’s first qualifying session to pace the field with an 8.619-second run. Larry Perkins Sr. of Collegeville, Pa.., qualified his ’68 ‘Cuda in the No. 2 spot with an 8.716-second run, with David Barton of Robesonia, Pa., third at 8.718 seconds, also in a ’68 ‘Cuda.

Hot, Slick Conditions Test Racers Ability to Maintain Traction

Charlie Westcott Jr. will lead a strong contingent of Mopar® HEMI® Challenge Series competitors into Saturday eliminations for the first time ever at the NHRA 8th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion at historic Beech Bend Raceway.

The Parma, Mich. native was able to hook up his ’68 Plymouth Barracuda in Friday’s first qualifying session to pace the field with an 8.619-second run. Larry Perkins Sr. of Collegeville, Pa.., qualified his ’68 ‘Cuda in the No. 2 spot with an 8.716-second run, with David Barton of Robesonia, Pa., third at 8.718 seconds, also in a ’68 ‘Cuda.

First round eliminations are set for 1:30 p.m. Central time Saturday, with finals set for 7:30 p.m.

Temperatures in the mid-90s with high humidity Friday afternoon made staying hooked up tricky for all of the cars in the second qualifying session, with Charlie Westcott Sr. posting the best run of 8.919 seconds. He will start in the fifth position behind Gary Wolkowitz in his ’68 Dodge Dart.

The much-expected matchup between perennial series favorites Westcott Jr. and Jim Daniels, a dentist from Pennsylvania and winner of two 2009 events, will not occur at this event. Daniels was a scratch for the NHRR event after his car broke last week in preparation runs.

The NHRR is in its eighth year. The weekend includes a wide variety of activities, including NHRA vintage drag racing featuring some of the sport’s most famous and historic cars and drivers racing in Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car and more. Participants will vie for the $5,000 winner’s purse at the first Mopar HEMI Challenge event of the 2010 season.