READING, PA – Aaron Stanfield and his Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro picked up their second win of the season Sunday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Marking his 23rd overall Wally and 11th Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown event win, Stanfield raced to victory over event No. 1 qualifier Del Holbrook and his Big Pulley No Power Ford Mustang Cobra Jet in the finals. Stanfield would lay down a 7.676-second pass at 165.46 mph to Holbrook’s 9.845 at 128.11 after he bogged down mid-track.

“Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown is just right up mine and my family’s alley. It’s Factory Cars in head up racing, doesn’t get much better than that,” Stanfield said. “I really have to take my hat off to Maple Grove Raceway. I haven’t always done very well here but it’s a heck of a facility. The Koretsky family, we’re lucky to have a family around to keep giving us a place like this to race at. I have to thank my guys. We have been working hard at the shop. We’ve been down and out a little bit, but we’ve been working hard, keeping our heads down, and it paid off this weekend. I’ve got to thank my wife and little girl at home, they’re rooting us on, the Janac Brother’s and everybody else who has helped us out. Thank you.”

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READING, PA – Del Holbrook and his Big Pulley No Power Ford Mustang Cobra Jet secured their second No. 1 qualifying position of the season Saturday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Holbrook, who is in his rookie season driving in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class, earned his No. 1 position in the third and final qualifying session on Saturday. Coming into the session sitting in the No. 14 spot, Holbrook handled his Cobra to a stout 7.642-second pass at 181.20 mph to top the competition.

Del Holbrook, Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown No. 1 qualifier, photo courtesy of Werner Communications

“I knew the conditions were out there to run well, but I didn’t think we really had the shot to go No. 1. I was really kind of surprised at the top end. But the whole ride I’m like, ‘This is going to be a good one.’ It felt fast but I didn’t think it was going to be that good,” Holbrook said. “This is my first time here at Maple Grove Raceway, so racing in front of packed grandstands is awesome. It’s a nice atmosphere around here, and it’s going to be great getting to race eliminations in front of so many people.”

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READING, PA – With only four races left in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown 2023 NHRA season, competition amongst Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Mustang Cobra Jets and Dodge Mopar Challenger Drag Paks is at an all-time high heading into this weekend’s Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Coming off a monumental win at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park over Labor Day weekend, Jesse Alexandra and his Barton Engines COPO Camaro are more motivated than ever to close the 172-points gap between himself in fourth place and Aaron Stanfield in the lead.

“I am still walking on a cloud for sure after that U.S. Nationals win. Surrounding myself with good people has really made this all happen. I am only the guy pushing on the go pedal but I’m very lucky to have great people around me,” Alexandra said. “We have been moving up the last few races for sure. There is a massive amount of talent in this class that can make a move forward at any time. We just have to keep working hard and do our best. Hopefully we get a little luck, too.”

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INDIANAPOLIS – Jesse Alexandra and his Barton Chevy COPO Camaro picked their second Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown victory Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

In the finals, Alexandra faced-off with Stephen Bell and his Stanfield Racing Engines COPO Camaro. Alexandra would get the hole shot victory by leaving the line first with a 0.019-second reaction time that combined with his 7.831-second pass at 175.05 mph would be just enough to defeat Bell and his 0.048 reaction time with a 7.811 pass at 177.60.

“This is great. I wish my wife, Lana, was here with me. This is crazy to win the U.S. Nationals again. This was such a big field in the Flexjet Factory Showdown this week with lots of real heavy hitting competitors. There were a lot of guys that could have done this job. The Lord was with me today and it is just crazy how it all came together,” Alexandra said. “Winning out here against these kinds of competitors. Stephen Bell is like, ‘The Guy,’ for me. He’s so good all around. He’s so good on the tree. He’s such a good competitor. He drives so well. We have gone back and forth. I mean when I can race with him just to be on the same track with him is an honor. I tell him that all the time. He’s a great, great competitor.”

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INDIANAPOLIS – David Janac and his Janac Brothers Racing Ford Mustang Cobra Jet earned their first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown No. 1 qualifying position of the 2023 season Saturday at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Janac handled his Ford Mustang to a 7.756-second pass at 171.77 mph in the second qualifying session to overtake the Factory Stock Show down top spot. Janac opened qualifying with a 7.766 at 178.40 that had him come into the session sitting No. 2.

David Janac roars to No. 1 at U.S. Nationals, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“It’s a great feeling. I am surrounded by a bunch of great guys,” said Janac. “Without them I wouldn’t be here. I mean that and they all mean the world to me. I was thinking about holding on to that No. 1 and I need to get that out of my mind and concentrate on what I’m doing. It’s hard because this is very exciting for me.”

Janac closed out qualifying with a 7.803-second pass at 177.04 mph in the third session and then ran into trouble in the final session recording only a 9.405 at 97.83. With the No. 1 qualifying position, Janac earned a bye in the first round of eliminations.

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BROWNSBURG, IN – The NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class that features competition between Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Mustang Cobra Jets and Dodge Mopar Challenger Drag Paks begins their second half of the 2023 season with the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Thirty drivers will be racing for the coveted Wally trophy at the most prestigious drag race in the country starting this Friday. Current Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown points leader Aaron Stanfield is looking to strengthen his 110-point lead with his second win of the season after picking up a victory at the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee and No. 1 qualifying position at the season opening Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida.

“We have the points lead but there is a lot of racing left,” said Stanfield, who drives the Stanfield Racing Engines Chevy COPO Camaro. “I am looking forward to the U.S. Nationals because it is Indy, you know. I have a lot of confidence in my team and I am getting excited to get back racing in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series. It will be a busy weekend for sure, but I love racing this class.”

Defending event champion and reigning world champion David Barton and his Retail Fixture / Sawmill Auto COPO Camaro enter this weekend’s race looking for a point jump from his No. 11 spot with his first win of the season.

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NORWALK, OH – Stephen Bell and his Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro picked up their first victory of the season Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

Bell earned his fourth career victory against Lee Hartman in the final round. Bell would be second to leave the starting line but take the lead immediately and he would never trail on a 7.783-second pass at 177.74 mph to Hartman’s 7.809 at 175.32 mph run.

Norwalk Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown winner Stephen Bell poses with NHRA Wally and commemorative Norwalk Ice Cream Scoop, photo courtesy of Innovative Creation Experts

“This means everything to me. As a child, I wanted to race cars. My family supported me, love my wife, I love my family and we’ve been blessed with a lot of success to be able to come out and do things like this, to race with the Stanfield family. I get to be the monkey in the seat that does a pretty good job and then wins one of these things. It’s like Christmas Day. I’m just the happiest guy in the world,” Bell said. “Lee Hartman, he’s a gentleman, he’s a friend and he’s got a fast race car. There was no room for error on our end. We just stayed levelheaded. We knew we had a fast race car and we just had to find out if we could keep it going. This team worked hard to make that happen.”

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NORWALK, OH – Del Holbrook secured the first No. 1 qualifying position of his career in the driver’s seat of the Varsity Ford / Holbrook Racing Ford Mustang Saturday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

Holbrook, a third-generation Ford racer, earned his first No.1 with a 7.668-second run at 181.72 mph in the first qualifying session on Saturday morning. In the second session, Holbrook would stay consistent running quickest of the pack again with a 7.760 pass.

“Man, this team is so pumped. We didn’t expect this coming in but it’s our home track, it is the closest we get to home and so it’s just a great feeling. We live in Michigan, and we have quite a few family members and friends here. This has been a great day and we are looking forward to getting into the race,” Holbrook said. “This is my first season and just my fourth Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series national event. This is a lot tougher competition and is a big jump from the National Mustang Racing Association that I was racing in. We were running nitrous then but racing in this class in the NHRA has been a lot of fun and a challenge.”

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NORWALK, OH – Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class heads to Summit Motorsports Park for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, the fifth of 10 events on the 2023 schedule, with competitors like Ohio native Mark Pawuk, ready to make a splash. It will take a strong effort from the veteran driver with over 22 racecars entered every driver will have a shot at the title in the all-run field.

Pawuk, who is a second-generation racer and former NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Pro Stock driver, started his own race team ahead of the 2023 season. Pawuk Family Racing will have two entries in Norwalk, Ohio with his son Kyle competing as well.

Mark Pawuk and Empaco Dodge Drag Pak, photo by Innovative Creation Experts

“I’m real pleased with the season so far. Over the winter I started Pawuk Family Racing with my son and daughter. My son is going to be racing this weekend in Norwalk too and my daughter Kassandra handles all our social media along with a bunch of other professional teams,” Pawuk said. “I bought the car in the winter from Don Schumacher and switched engine builders over to Ray Barton and David has been tuning our car. He’s done a really good job. We’ve come a long way from the beginning of the season. We struggled a little bit, but we’ve stepped up our performance in the past couple races.”

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BRISTOL, TN – Aaron Stanfield and his Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro secured their first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown victory of the season Sunday at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.

Coming in as the No. 5 qualifier, Stanfield faced rookie Del Holbrook and his Varsity Ford / Holbrook Racing Ford Mustang in the final round of eliminations. Stanfield would make his slowest pass of the weekend at 8.361-seconds and 128.54 mph, but it would get the job done with Holbrook who overpowered the track at the starting line in his Ford for only a 11.766 at 123.00 mph.

“My dad and I always say you go through struggles and you’re only one run away from fixing everything,” Stanfield said. “We struggled a little bit during qualifying this weekend. I’ve got a great group of guys that are working on my hot rod. I couldn’t do it without them. I’m happy to get this done for them and I have to give a shoutout to Del Holbrook. He’s a new, young guy, and that’s what we need in this sport. I’m glad he had some success today but, we did it. It’s Bristol Baby.”

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