Cajun Hemi Show DownCharlie Westcott Jr. from Parma, Michigan, earned bragging rites when he won the SS/AA Hemi Shootout at NHRA's Inaugural Cajun Sports- nationals. The event-which featured all Sportsman racing-was held at No Problem Raceway near Belle Rose, Louisiana.
Westcott wheeled his Jesel-sponsored Warfish '68 Barracuda to victory when he used a better reaction time in the final round to defeat the event's low qualifier, Californian Harry Holton.
Westcott's 8.712 at 150.38 mph won over Holton's quicker 8.676 at 151.07 mph. Westcott had taken the measure of Eddie Smith, Jerry Jenkins, and Dean Nicopolis in earlier rounds of competition. Runner-up Harry Holton paced the 18-car field after qualifying his '68 Hemi Barracuda with a run of 8.647 at 151.07 mph, which held up as low e.t. and top speed for the event.
Record Setting DragsterCarbondale, Pennsylvania, is hometown to one of the most unique dragsters racing within NHRA's Competition eliminator category. Brothers Rick and Jeff Liuzzo race a Mike Bos Chassis Craft C/Econo Dragster, which utilizes a 300-inch, small-block, Mopar engine combination. With a single and unmodified four-barrel carburetor, driver Jeff Liuzzo is the current NHRA national record holder at 7.37 seconds.
"Ours is a bit unconventional for the class," conceded Rick Liuzzo, the team engine builder and crew chief. "We combine some trick aftermarket stuff with a number of components direct from Mopar. That includes a W8 motor, Mopar cylinder heads, camshaft assembly, bearings, and gaskets." The Liuzzos have been long-time Mopar-brand drag racing enthusiasts who take their Competition eliminator inspiration from the famous Ritter & Weber Mopar drag racing team. They have been racing Mopar-powered dragsters in the NHRA eliminator for seven years.
"We watched Ritter & Weber race all through our career," Rick said. "They were synonymous with this brand in Competition eliminator and, in fact, our first motor was from them. Since then, we've moved on with our own engine program and developed things little by little. For 2004, this is a brand-new engine combination. It took us almost one and a half years to get where we are now."
Amazingly, the 300-inch motor pushes in excess of 700 hp. During the recent NHRA O'Reilly Spring Nationals at Bristol, Tennessee, Jeff Liuzzo had his best finish yet in national event competition, placing in the final four. Those results bode well for the team's future exploits.
Nationals WinnersMopar-brand racers earned significant victories during the month of April, taking titles on both the IHRA and NHRA national event circuits. During the IHRA's Spring Nationals at Rockingham, North Carolina, Jack Zimmerman earned his first career IHRA Ironman when he wheeled his 440-powered B/SA '71 Challenger to victory in Stock eliminator. Zimmerman, who qualified 32nd with a 9.75 second sub-index run, won seven grueling rounds of competition to take the title. In the final round, his 10.54 at 123.96 mph ran down opponent Chip Johnson.
Jason Bucker, from New Waverly, Texas, prevailed to win in the Super Street (10.90) category during NHRA's Cajun Sportsnationals event held in Louisiana. Driving his '71 Barracuda, Buckner ran a final round 10.91 at 127.52 mph to edge out Mike Frederick. Bucker's first career NHRA national event win came from the number nine qualified position and included six round-win lights.