The granddaddy of all drag races, the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at fabled Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, has been ground-zero for some of the biggest moments and ‘firsts’ in the sport’s history. It is also the lone event that annually hosts every single professional and sportsman eliminator in one week-ling, Woodstock-like affair. And both of those boxes will be checked in 2023, as the highly anticipated new Factory Experimental (also commonly referenced as FX, or Factory X) will make its previously unplanned world debut at over Labor Day weekend.
First announced in November of 2021, when pandemic-induced material and labor shortages were presenting challenges to chassis builders and racers, Factory X has been slow to come together. Originally slated to appear as an exhibition-only eliminator in mid-season 2022, the first car, Geoff Turk’s “BlackbirdX” Dodge Challenger, wasn’t completed and on the racetrack for testing unit the spring of this year. The 202 goal unmet, the NHRA reset the game clock and announced an eight-race 2023 schedule, which was to include two exhibitions — at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte April 28-30, and the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway on June 9-11. But no cars made either of this events, nor the original championship-opener, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 22-25, or this past weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park. The category has also been removed from what was to be the class’s second points event, this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Int’l Raceway.
But as they say, good things come to those who wait.
NHRA officials, in an effort to, at long last, put the category in front of its fans, has adjusted its schedule yet again, this time putting an earmark in the history books with the debut of the category Indianapolis.
Four cars are officially entered for the U.S. Nationals, including Turk’s Dodge, with former Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson at the wheel, Chris Holbrook and his Ford Mustang, Arizona chassis builder and veteran sportsman racer Jim Cowan in Rob Smith’s COPO Camaro, and longtime pro and sportsman racer Greg Stanfield in his throwback “Rod Shop” COPO Camaro. Only Stanfield’s entry has been down the racetrack at an NHRA national event, as he made early-shutoff exhibitions runs at the aforementioned Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in June. Turk, in testing, crashed his Dodge violently, forcing him out of the seat and he and his crew into a frenzied rebuild process during which he made the blockbuster deal with Johnson to return to the sport. Turk and company continue to burn the midnight oil to repair the nearly-destroyed Drag Park to make the Indy debut. Cowan also confirmed to DRAGZINE that he will be in attendance.
While the class will be small, it will no doubt be the center of attention on the sport’s grandest stage, and things can only go up from there.
Factory X is presently scheduled to appear at Indianapolis, Charlotte, St. Louis, and Las Vegas. Racers may also compete in Competition Eliminator at all events that the category is contested.