NHRA has announced that the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown is returning for the 2015 season at NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events across the country…..

In a move which a growing group of drag racing insiders believe should be the future fate and target for the Pro Stock class — the NHRA’s Factory Stock Showdown is designed to showcase the NHRA’s Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, Dodge Mopar Challenger Drag Pak and the Chevrolet COPO Camaro.

While limited by NHRA to 100% Stock eliminator cars at this time — the format of the eliminator should be considered experimental too according to people in the sport.  There are some who speculate (including yours truly) that at some point in time a retooling of the Pro Stock class as we know it will be announced.  Instead in the future,  versions of COPO Camaros, Drag Paks and Cobra Jets will retain Stock configurations but be equipped with 500 CID Pro Stock motors.   The concept makes sense and has some sound strategy.   It provides some very real attraction and appeal to the “big 3” factories involved, would most certainly help to fuel class participation because of lower costs and provides NHRA’s fan base a Pro class that will be much more easy to relate too.

While there is nothing firm or any imminent announcements pending that I am aware of — it is safe to say that the topic is receiving much discussion behind closed doors and within certain board rooms.

In the meantime, the NHRA’s current format four year old program will kick off at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Auto Plus Raceway at Gainesville, Fla., March 12-15, and the second event will take place at the Toyota NHRA Summernationals at Englishtown, N.J. The third race in the program will be at the birthplace of the event, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-7, and the season will conclude at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Oct. 29-Nov. 1.

The competition includes entries from two Stock Eliminator classes with each class running as a separate category within Stock Class Eliminations, and a winner being crowned in each.

The two winners will then square off for the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown championship using a staggered start. Each of the two class winners will receive the NHRA class Wally trophy with the run-off winner being crowned the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown champion.

Past winners of the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown include Chris Holbrook, David Barton and Bo Butner.

Posted with files by Bruce Biegler &  NHRA Communications

Photos by:  Bruce Biegler