The Hemi Challenge continues to be one of the most interesting and colorful parts of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.  A field full of wheelstanding ’68 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas is, without question, a sight to behold.  The “trouble” is that the baddest cars in the field aren’t exactly show winners, and that’s a shame.  We’re sure the Westcotts, who once again dominated qualifying and eliminations, would tell you that cool paint doesn’t make the car go any faster, but guys, the Hemi Challenge should be about showmanship too.  Please.  Next year dump the camouflage paint schemes.  They’re out of style and about as hip as a frog in the punchbowl.

Kids don’t own Hemi cars, and it’s not ‘cause they wouldn’t like to, it’s because of the cost.  These stunning machines can easily top the $200,000 scale, so it takes real money to compete in the class.  We’re mentioning the costs because only 20 cars appeared for this year’s Challenge, and that brings up an important question.  Did some potential competitors stay home because of the Westcott’s previous domination (as they say, this wasn’t their first rodeo!), or were the costs of hauling a car to Indy just too much for some guys to handle in a down economy?

Charlie Westcott and His Dad Are Still The Class Of The Hemi challenge Field

 

The Hemi Challenge continues to be one of the most interesting and colorful parts of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.  A field full of wheelstanding ’68 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas is, without question, a sight to behold.  The “trouble” is that the baddest cars in the field aren’t exactly show winners, and that’s a shame.  We’re sure the Westcotts, who once again dominated qualifying and eliminations, would tell you that cool paint doesn’t make the car go any faster, but guys, the Hemi Challenge should be about showmanship too.  Please.  Next year dump the camouflage paint schemes.  They’re out of style and about as hip as a frog in the punchbowl.

Kids don’t own Hemi cars, and it’s not ‘cause they wouldn’t like to, it’s because of the cost.  These stunning machines can easily top the $200,000 scale, so it takes real money to compete in the class.  We’re mentioning the costs because only 20 cars appeared for this year’s Challenge, and that brings up an important question.  Did some potential competitors stay home because of the Westcott’s previous domination (as they say, this wasn’t their first rodeo!), or were the costs of hauling a car to Indy just too much for some guys to handle in a down economy?

We’re said this before, but it’s a shame the Challenge doesn’t take place on Saturday rather than Friday.  Because there’s only one pro session Friday, most of the fans don’t show up until late in the afternoon, and by that time the field’s already been halved at least twice.  These cars deserve to do their wheelstanding off the starting line in front of a larger crowd, so we promise you this:  When it becomes the CompetitionPlus.com Hot Rod Association, changes will be made!  And heads will roll!

 

Meanwhile, back to the real world!

The Hemi Challenge is about images almost more than it is about round-by-round reporting.  It’s watching Jim Pancake climb in, do his burnout, approach the starting line, and then realize he hasn’t strapped on his helmet.  It’s about watching middle aged men lovingly wipe each spec of dust off their cars – which they did just two minutes earlier.  It’s watching the Westcotts work on their machines before an ever-growing and largely silent audience, some of whom are obviously as in awe of this father and son duo as they might be while standing before John Force or Larry Dixon.  And it’s about a lot more than that.

You can’t truly appreciate our story without seeing the Challenge in person yourself, at least once.  Don’t ever come to Indy without being on the grounds on Friday for the Challenge.  Even if all you care about are the fuel cars, you just have to see these cars run at least once.  They are as magical today – hell, a lot more so – than they were when new.  There’s a mystique about these machines that’s missing from every other class in drag racing, we kid you not.

Oh, you wanna know about the Westcotts?  They just crushed, and we mean crushed everyone.  They were a couple of tenths ahead of everyone in qualifying, and kept up the pressure through five rounds of eliminations.  They ran 8.50s; everyone else was in the sixties or slower.  That’s the simplest way of putting it.

We’re not sure if guys were just nervous, but there were far too many redlights in eliminations.  There were 10 races in the first round, six decided by redlights.  Five races in the second, three with foul starts.  After that elapsed times and quick Reaction Times decided the action, thankfully.

In every round the junior member of the Westcott family was a tiny bit quicker than his dad, and that held true into the finale.  Dad had a killer 0.010 R.T., but only had an 8.549/157.65 under his lift-off hood.  We’re not suggesting anything, but the kid must have known something (why not?  It’s not like they’re on different teams.), because he had a lousy three digit Reaction Time, but coupled it with an excellent 8.441/158.50, a number he surpassed only in qualifying when he ran an impressive 8.425.

For all we know, next year it’s going to be called the Westcott Family Hemi Challenge.  Well, if not it oughta be!