Jenkins Takes Home Mopar Hemi Challenge Bonus
Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Indianapolis Raceway Park Clermont, Ind. Notes & Quotes Jenkins Takes Home Third Mopar Hemi Challenge Final Matched Two California Foes CLERMONT, Ind. (Sept. 5, 2003) -- Jerry Jenkins won the battle of California during the third annual Mopar Performance Parts Super Stock Hemi Challenge. The event, which matched the nationıs elite limited production 1968 Hemi-powered Barracudas and Darts in a heads-up eliminator, was held in conjunction with this yearıs rain-delayed Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Jenkins and his 68 Barracuda defeated fellow Modesto resident Dave Raybourn in the final. Raybournıs 68 Barracuda fouled at start, allowing Jenkins to streak to victory and the $10,000 bonus check. ³That was fun,² Jenkins exclaimed. ³Dave is our buddy and we get along fine. To come all the way out here to the Midwest and have an all-California final was just great. When you come to an event like this at Indy, you have to make sure everything is just right.² Jenkins advanced to the finals with round victories over Dean Nicopolis in round one and David Barton in the semifinals. The veteran Sportsman racer had a second-round bye. ³Coming out here, not just winning it, but outrunning everybody was our goal,² Jenkins said. ³We wanted to be the quickest out here. Everybody was complaining that the only reason we were fast was that we were from California, and ran on all the good tracks. We wanted to come out here and prove that we were quick everywhere. ³These Challenge races are the main reason we run these cars,² Jenkins added. ³We pay our admission to run in this Mopar Challenge, and the bracket part of the program is just something to do because itıs here. We run everyone heads up, and thatıs what makes it fun. We want to thank Mopar Performance Parts for holding this great show and putting up the money. I hope they try and get more of these organized.² Mopar Performance Parts Product Line Manager, David Hakim was pleased with the event and said, ³The 2003 Mopar Performance Parts Super Stock Hemi Challenge has been a tremendous success with the 26 entries that competed. The level of competition this year was intense, and increased dramatically over last year. Itıs the most cars we have ever witnessed compete in this event. Once again, we continued the intense rivalries among all the different engine builders. ³Weıre already making plans for next year,² Hakim added. ³Rumor has it, that there will be more than 30 cars ready to go for the next one. This event just keeps growing and itıs a win-win situation for Mopar Performance Parts and all of our loyal, die-hard Hemi Super Stock racers and fans out there.²