ST. LOUIS – Entering elimination Sunday at the NHRA Midwest Nationals there were four drivers racing for the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series world championship. Mark Pawuk, the veteran drag racer from Ohio, clinched his first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown world championship when Stephen Bell lost in the semifinals and Pawuk took out Scott Libersher in the pair right behind Bell.

“This was my dream,” said Pawuk. “My whole racing career. I started racing in the 70s, I won a Super Gas championship in 1981 when it was called Pro Gas. To be able to win a championship in the NHRA is something I always dreamt of. I wasn’t sure I could ever get it done. I attribute the championship to Don Schumacher and my dad being with me this season, and I prayed to them both this morning. It gave me the strength to get here today.”

Coming into the race Pawuk was solidly in contention but he knew he would need some help to get the world championship. Pawuk entered the race as the No. 2 qualifier. Continue reading →

ST. LOUIS – After nine NHRA national events and nearly 100 elimination rounds of drag racing the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series world championship will come down to one race: the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. Four drivers are in the championship hunt with David Janac, winner of the Thunder Valley Nationals, holding a slim lead over four-time winner Stephen Bell and Gatornationals winner Mark Pawuk. Most recent winner from the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, Scott Libersher, inserted his name into the championship chase winning two of the last three national events.

Qualifying will begin on Friday at the world-class facility located just outside St. Louis and all four veteran drivers wheeling two COPO Camaros, a Dodge Drag Paks and a Ford Mustang Cobra Jets will be ready to run for the championship.

“This is going to be an exciting weekend,” said Pawuk, who started the season with a win at the Gatornationals. “I just need to do a good job driving. We were running good in Reading, and I just need to stay sharp this weekend. It is amazing that after 10 races we are coming down to the final race with four guys going for the championship. It doesn’t get much better than that. I am an ultra-competitive guy, and I am going to do my best and then let the chips fall where they may.” Continue reading →

READING, PA – The next to last Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown national event was filled with drama and incredible racing performances. For the second time in three races Scott Libersher raced to the winner’s circle, winning the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals today at Maple Grove Raceway. The veteran driver from Wilmington, Illinois won for the first time in his career at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota, and today he took the victory from the No. 6 qualifier position.

“I had full confidence that I would do well this weekend,” said Libersher. “I was kind of the silent guy sneaking up from the back. No one mentioned me much. I was getting a little irritated. I said I’m going to turn it up a little bit, and here we are.”

The final round was an incredibly close race with Libersher grabbing a nearly psychic .001 reaction time to leave the starting line first and he held off a charging Stephen Bell. Bell was racing in his sixth final round of the season and was denied his fourth win by a mere .055 seconds. Libersher’s winning elapsed time of 7.755 seconds bested Bell’s 7.797 seconds. Continue reading →

READING, PA – Mark Pawuk and the Empaco Don Schumacher Memorial Dodge Drag Pak posted the quickest time in qualifying, 7.433 seconds, at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals from Maple Grove Raceway to grab his sixth career No. 1 qualifier. It was Pawuk’s second No. 1 of the season. Pawuk is followed by Jason Dietsch and Stephen Bell to round out the top three race cars. All three manufacturers are represented with Pawuk’s Dodge, Dietsch’s Mustang and Bell’s Camaro making quick runs all weekend in qualifying. Pawuk will face Doug Hamp in the first round with the winner facing either Scott Libersher or Ricky Hord.

“Right now, every point matters for this Flexjet championship,” said Pawuk. “Every round of eliminations means a lot. I need to go rounds here and rounds in St Louis. David Janac, Stephen Bell have been very tough competitors all year, and you even put Libersher in the mix. Nobody’s out of it (the championship). I have to have a couple good races and hope that things fall my way, so I have a shot at the championship. I’ve never won a championship. It’s always been in my dreams. And all can do is go out and do the best the I can.” Continue reading →

READING, PA – Heading into the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series competition will be closer than ever with three drivers battling for the world championship. Point leader David Janac holds a 22-point lead over Mark Pawuk and Stephen Bell sits in third place a mere 48-points behind Janac. The series features factory bodied and powered Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Dodge Drag Paks and Ford Mustang Cobra Jets in heads up racing with driver skill off the starting line a key component to victories in every event.

“This class has some of the toughest racers racing some of the coolest cars from Camaros to Cobra Jets to Dodges,” said Bell, a five-time finalist this season. “The competition is fierce, and we have had a great season. We came close to the championship last year and our goal this year has been to seal the deal. We have two races left to get the job done.”

Bell picked up wins at the historic Winternationals, the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals in Chicago and the Norwalk Nationals outside of Cleveland. He has also tallied two additional runner-up finishes. Point leader Janac won for the first time in his career at the Thunder Valley Nationals, outrunning Bell in the final. Pawuk opened the season with a win at the Gatornationals and he was runner-up to Bell at the Norwalk national event. All three Flexjet competitors are looking for their first world championship in the factory stock class. Continue reading →

INDIANAPOLIS – On the biggest stage Kevin Skinner and his Ford Mustang Cobra Jet made the most of his opportunity to win his first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series win today at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals. The No. 6 qualifier won five rounds of racing to secure the win in his sixth career final round appearance.

“It’s a lot for the U.S. Nationals to be the first win,” said Skinner. “It’s big deal because we’ve been doing this since 2014. To get the first win at the U.S. Nationals is big for us. It’s big to get a Mustang in the winner’s circle. We have the Fords headed in the right direction. I know Chris Holbrook from Holbrook Engines has really been working hard. To get Ford charging back towards the front is always good for us.”

In the third round Skinner took out the No. 1 qualifier Jason Dietsch. Both Fords took off at the same time, but Dietsch’s Mustang made a move to the wall and Skinner was right down the middle of his lane. Skinner’s winning elapsed time of 7.851 seconds was enough to defeat Dietsch’s 8.947 second pass. Continue reading →

INDIANAPOLIS – Two weeks ago at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd. Minn., Jason Dietsch recognized a dream of qualifying No. 1 at a Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series national event. Today he secured the top spot again, this time at the biggest drag race in the country, the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Dietsch and his Ford Mustang ran to the No. 1 spot in the final qualifying session posting a blistering 7.842 second pass at 174.71 mph.

“We were looking at the weather and it was actually really close to what we had in Brainerd,” said Dietsch. “We put the same tune up in our Mustang and took a shot. Just like in Brainerd it went right down the track and to the top of the ladder. That was pretty cool.”

Jason Dietsch races to his second consecutive No. 1 in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase
Dietsch is still looking for his first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series win and he will have five rounds to chase that title. He will race No. 18 qualifier David Davies in the first round. The winner of that match- up will receive a competition bye into the quarterfinals. For the young driver from Edgerton, Ohio, winning the U.S. Nationals would be beyond his wildest dreams. Continue reading →

INDIANAPOLIS – The most prestigious national event in drag racing, the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, will feature one of the biggest fields of Dodge Drag Paks, Chevrolet COP Camaros and Ford Cobra Jets competing in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series. Beginning with two rounds of qualifying on Friday, factory stock competitors from across the country will be racing to post the quickest elapsed times to position themselves for race day success on Monday, September 2.

Through seven races this season five different drivers have stood in the winner’s circle including two first-time Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series winners, David Janac and Scott Libersher. As the most recent winner of the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, Libersher won for the first time and will carry the $1,000 Flexjet bounty into Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

“The win in Brainerd was so special because we have been working so hard for so long,” said Libersher. “We have the bounty this race and there would be nothing more incredible than to hold onto that $1,000 because it would mean we won the biggest race of the season, the U.S. Nationals. I have won a few rounds at the U.S. Nationals, but it is a tough race to win. They are all tough, but Indy is especially tough.” Continue reading →

BRAINERD, MN – Battling multiple rain delays and tough competition, veteran Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series driver Scott Libersher, from Wilmington, Ill., won for the first time today at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdowns Series was making its debut at Brainerd International Raceway and the fans enjoyed watching the COPO Camaros, Ford Cobra Jets Mustangs and Dodge Drag Paks go head-to-head over the past three days. Libersher carried the Chevrolet banner to the winner’s circle and the four win lights made all the hard work worth it.

“I’ve put in a lot of time and money into this program,” said Libersher from the top end. “My wife’s been very patient. We drive all over the country and it’s a lot of hard work but it pays off. This is a very competitive class. I like everybody I race with and it’s a great experience. Today was a great day of racing and I have to thank everyone on my team and everyone at Barton Racing Engines.”

Libersher was in the first pair of Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown race cars and in the last pair. He started his day with a win over Chicago Nationals runner-up Lee Hartman. Hartman was first off the starting line but Libersher’s Camaro moved around him at half-track getting the win with a 7.921 second pass over Hartman’s 7.956 second pass. Continue reading →

BRAINERD, MN – Jason Dietsch has been working towards this goal since 2021 and today at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals the driver from Edgerton, Ohio, ran to his first No. 1 qualifier in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series.  Dietsch drove his Ford Mustang to the provisional pole position yesterday and improved on his quick elapsed time today to run to the top of the qualifying order in front and over a dozen Chevrolet Camaros and Dodge Drag Paks.

“It’s been pretty special getting to this point,” said Dietsch from his pit area at Brainerd International Raceway. “We went through a lot of lot of stuff to get to this point. We wrecked the car earlier this season. I just appreciate that we get the opportunity to race and have a fast hot rod.”

On Friday Dietsch posted a 7.802 second run at 175.59 mph on Friday afternoon in front of COPO Camaro’s driven by Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals winner Ricky Hord and Anthony Troyer. The fastest Dodge Drag Pak on Friday was driven by Gatornationals winner Mark Pawuk’s 7.888 seconds. Dietsch’s Ford Mustang with a new look silver livery rolled into Saturday looking to hold on to the top spot on Saturday’s final day of qualifying. Continue reading →