NHRA Mopar Hemi Challegne, Pennsylvania Dutch Classic, Reading Pa.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eric Lotz, NHRA, (626) 250-2287

 

PANCAKE TAKES HEMI CHALLENGE AT MAPLE GROVE

            READING, Pa. - Jim Pancake qualified in the No. 3 position
and then worked his way through the 24-car field for the NHRA Mopar Hemi
Challenge win at Maple Grove Raceway and the Pennsylvania Dutch Classic.

            The Delaware, Ohio, racer drove his '68 Dodge Dart to a
8.609 second lap at 152.14 mph in his final round match up against Joey
Wilkes of Zanesville, Ohio who clocked in at 8.713 seconds, 151.87 mph.
The win puts Pancake on top in the point's battle for the 2007 Mopar
Hemi Challenge Series with 95 points jumping past Rick Houser who won
the Pacific Sportsnationals Hemi Challenge at the end of September at
Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, Calif. The series includes events in the
second half of the 2006 season along with several events in 2007 leading
up to the final event contested at the Mac Tools US Nationals at
O'Reilly Raceway Park over Labor Day weekend.

            Pancake ran consistent all day with 8.5 and 8.6 second runs
throughout eliminations including an 8.581 second pass over Joe Teuton
in the quarter-finals and an 8.611 second lap against David Barton in
the semifinals.

            Bucky Hess was the No. 1 qualifier but fell in round one to
Bob Reed of Salisbury, N.C., while multi-Hemi Challenge event Champion
and the 2006 Hemi Challenge Series Champion Charlie Westcott Jr.
qualified second and lost on a red-light foul start to Barton in the
quarter-finals.

            ESPN2's Inside Drag Racing will highlight the event during
their Race Report segment airing on November 12, 2006 at 12 noon EST.

 

2007 Hemi Challenge Series Points Standings

(Top five)

 

Jim Pancake                 95

Rick Houser                 85

Joey Wilkes                  74

Michael Ogburn            64

David Barton                63

 

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