The NHRA SAM Tech Factory Stock Showdown competitors are heading into the penultimate race on the seven-event schedule this weekend at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals near St. Louis, and the championship race will take form under a modified rules structure in the name of increased parity. And the late-season nature of the change isn’t lost on those racers affected by it.

In the days following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis — where teammates Leah Pritchett and Mark Pawuk squared off in an all-Mopar Drag Pak Dodge Challenger final — the NHRA Technical Department issued the following parity adjustment, in an effort to bring the Dodge entries back to the Chevrolet COPO Camaro and Ford Mustang Cobra Jet.

Based on performance numbers from the 2018 School of Automotive Machinists & Technology NHRA Factory Stock Showdown Series, the NHRA Technical Department is increasing the minimum weight on all Dodge Challenger Drag Paks from 3,550 pounds to 3,575 pounds. All Chevrolet Camaro COPOs and Ford Mustang Cobra Jets with Whipple superchargers will have a reduction in minimum weight from 3,550 to 3,525 pounds. Ford Cobra Jets with 2.3 Eaton superchargers will have a reduction in minimum weight from 3,300 to 3,275. 

Dodge Drag Pak racer Joe Welch has won twice this season, at Bristol and Norwalk.

The NHRA initially increased the minimum weight for the Dodge Challengers by 50-pounds, from 3,550 to 3,600, but in response to concerns of the racers — reportedly due to a weight rating on the Challenger frame — amended the ruling, increasing the minimum weight on the Dodge entries by 25-pounds and reducing that of the Fords and Chevrolets by 25, thereby arriving at the same 50-pound weight swing between the three makes.

Since being granted approval by the NHRA Technical Department last season to utilize aluminum engine blocks and cylinder heads more akin to those already in use by the Chevrolet and Ford entries, the Dodge teams have risen from obscurity to near dominance, carding the only seven-second runs in class history (NMCA and NHRA competition), and winning three of the season’s first five races. But that hasn’t rendered the other makes entirely uncompetitive; David Barton’s Camaro has held low elapsed time three times, and Chuck Watson’s Mustang once. Barton has qualified No. 1 twice.

Geoff Turk

But at Indianapolis, the Dodge’s put on a clinic, as Pritchett qualified No. 1 at 8.002, just ahead of Pawuk’s 8.027. The next closest qualifier was Chris Holbrook and his Mustang at 8.090. Most impressively, Joe Welch clocked a stunning 7.987 on a hot 86-degree afternoon when no one else could muster better than an 8.04 and the best non-Dodge run was Barton’ 8.107. Welch’s historic run was later disallowed due to a rules infraction, but it exposed just how strong the Dodge combination is.

Welch, who accounts for two of the three Dodge victories this season (Bristol and Norwalk) and held the points lead through Indianapolis before yielding it to Arthur Kohn, insists the adjustment will have no affect on his program.

NHRA knows adding 50-pounds to these cars will do very little — it might tighten things up a few hundredths and like it or not, that is directionally correct. – Geoff Turk

“I was never ever able to get my car to 3,550, because I weigh 225. Leah probably under-weighs me by 100-pounds, so she can. When I ran 7.98 I crossed the scale at 3,605,” Welch explains.

Geoff Turk, who was the first racer in the NMCA Factory Super Cars class into the sevens, likewise doesn’t expect the adjustment to have considerable effect his program. Nevertheless, he understands the need to create tighter competition among the brands for the longevity of what is one of the hottest categories in drag racing.

Reigning series champ David Barton has been the performance leader in the non-Dodge camp, setting low E.T. three times and qualifying No. 1 twice.

“[My car] is always 10 to 30-pounds heavy, so it probably isn’t going to slow us down much … about 0.01 to 0.02,” Turk notes. “If the cars taking 25 out got 0.01 to 0.02 faster than the gap just closed 0.02 to 0.04. NHRA knows adding 50-pounds to these cars will do very little — it might tighten things up a few hundredths and like it or not, that is directionally correct.

“I do agree they could have waited but this combination has been gaining momentum through 2017 (clearly the fastest combination at the close of 2017) and despite numerous cries for change going into 2018, they held their ground. Remember, they know what the fast guys weigh when we go across the scales. This is all part of the show.

Arthur Kohn’s COPO Camaro leads the class standings going into St. Louis, on the heels of his victory at Charlotte and late-round appearances.

Turk adds, “I believe many things will potentially change next year in the combinations that might be approved. I think NHRA is sending the signal: we might let you guys (OEMs) change some things, but because there are so many variables in these cars that make them different already, if any of the ‘new’ combinations go out and win six of the 10 races (or establish anything approaching that kind of ‘advantage’), we will equalize them with weight or other changes.”

Kohn, who won at Charlotte, currently leads Gainesville winner Stephen Bell by a mere 11 points, with Welch (-32), Pritchett (-33) and Aaron Stanfield (-54) all trailing by less than three rounds of racing.