Mopar Hemi Challenge racer Charlie Westcott Jr. allowed his prey a little running room before successfully tracking him down for the kill in the lights.

The veteran Super Stock/AH racer wasn't deterred by a .005 reaction time by Wendell Howes. He used an 8.557, 157.28 to pass Howes at the stripe, who turned in a strong but losing 8.669, 154.05.

En route to the final round Westcott stopped Fred Henson, Steve Comella, Joe Teuton and Steve Kent. For his part, Howes eliminated Russ Campbell, Larry Perkins, Bucky Hess and Charlie Westcott Sr.

Mopar Hemi Challenge racer Charlie Westcott Jr. allowed his prey a little running room before successfully tracking him down for the kill in the lights.

The veteran Super Stock/AH racer wasn't deterred by a .005 reaction time by Wendell Howes. He used an 8.557, 157.28 to pass Howes at the stripe, who turned in a strong but losing 8.669, 154.05.

En route to the final round Westcott stopped Fred Henson, Steve Comella, Joe Teuton and Steve Kent. For his part, Howes eliminated Russ Campbell, Larry Perkins, Bucky Hess and Charlie Westcott Sr.

The victory marked Wescott's sixth Mopar HEMI Shootout crown in nine years.

“This win in a way was bigger than the others because we didn’t come in with the performance advantage we typically have,” said Westcott Jr., whose father Charlie Westcott Sr. also won the Mopar HEMI Challenge event at Indy in 2009. “I had been fighting some kind of gremlin all weekend in my car. I never could get it right, but the final round was a little better. We got the job done, and that’s all that matters. We’ve won this thing six times, and seven if you count my dad. It’s always a good event for us.”

The Mopar HEMI Challenge, which debuted at the 2001 U.S. Nationals, features 1968 HEMI Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas, the classic muscle cars that contributed to the brand’s legendary reputation and success at the drag strip, engaged in a quarter-mile battle. For this year’s edition, competitors battled for a $15,000 first place award, the special 50th anniversary 426 HEMI Challenge trophy weighing in at 42.6 pounds, and newly added prize, a custom Mopar winner’s jacket. This year the Mopar HEMI Challenge featured an added cash prize payout to the full 16-car field competing in the elimination rounds.

“It’s great that Mopar supports this class,” said Westcott Jr. “People really appreciate Mopar putting up the money and also coming out here to support the event. This is one of the biggest fields (26 cars) we have had in years.”

The 42.6-pound Mopar HEMI Challenge trophy served as added incentive for the Parma, Michigan, native. “I like that trophy a lot,” said Westcott Jr. “I told my wife, ‘We need to get that.’ And we did.”

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