Goin' Big at the ‘Big Go’

Mopar®’s package cars of yesterday and today (driven by Charlie Westcott Jr. and Jeff Teuton, respectively) packed a powerful punch and zoomed into the winner’s circle at the historic Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, making a little Mopar- flavored history of their own at the storied Indianapolis venue.

Words: Darren Jacobs

The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is considered a “major” on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series—an event all racers ache to win. Some call it the NHRA’s Super Bowl. Others call it the “Big Go.” Whatever the choice of nickname, every racer who has competed in the historic event at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis would prefer to refer to it with a simple declaration: “It’s a race I’ve won.”

Jeff Teuton of Houma, La. can now speak that phrase and still pass a polygraph after his historic victory for Mopar® at the 57th running of the U.S. Nationals, held on Aug. 31–Sept. 5. Teuton took his 2009 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak to the overall win in Stock Eliminator at the U.S. Nationals, earning the first overall Stock NHRA National event win for Mopar’s modern-day package car.

Mopar’s success wasn’t limited to the next generation Mopar Challenger Drag Pak package cars. Old school also received its due. Charlie Westcott Jr. continued his family’s dominance of the Mopar HEMI® Challenge event, staged during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, by powering to his fourth career victory at the Indy race, which features Super Stock A/HEMI (SS/AH) 1968 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas—the Mopar package cars born in 1968 that started it all—locked in head-to-head battle. Westcott Jr. banked the record $15,000 winner’s purse in a final-round fight with his father, Charlie Westcott Sr.

“What a great weekend for Mopar and Jeff Teuton,” said Pietro Gorlier, President & CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Everyone at Mopar congratulates Jeff and his team on their great performance. Reaching the finals and winning is a true testament to our Mopar Challenger Drag Pak.

“Congratulations to Charlie Westcott Jr. on winning the 11th annual Mopar HEMI Challenge. Mopar is proud to support this outstanding event, which recognizes the grassroots racers who are the backbone of the Mopar brand.”

Introduced in 2009, Mopar Challenger Drag Paks have dominated qualifying charts and racked up individual class wins at NHRA national events in a few short years, but an overall triumph in Stock Eliminator had eluded Mopar’s race-ready package car—until Teuton’s triumph. Owner of the Southland Chrysler Group dealership in his hometown of Houma, Teuton faced the 2002 Camaro of Sam Pourciau in 
the final round, taking the victory easily with an 11.055-second elapsed time at 107.71 mph. Teuton also scored his individual class win (F/SA) in Stock Eliminator at the event.

David Barton of Robesonia, Pa. qualified No. 1 overall in Stock with a 9.676-elapsed time in his Mopar Challenger Drag Pak, and was also victorious in the A/SA class eliminations, defeating fellow Drag Pak racer Doug Duell in the class final. A total of six Mopar Challenger Drag Paks qualified in the Top 10 
in Stock at the U.S. Nationals, including Charlie Fitzsimmons, who started No. 5 and fell to Teuton in the fifth round of Stock eliminations. Even NHRA legend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits hit the strip to compete in his Drag Pak. One of the largest fields of Mopar Challenger Drag Pak drivers (more than 20) were on hand to witness Teuton’s momentous Mopar moment.

“It’s really amazing to capture this historic win in the Mopar Challenger Drag Pak during the 60th Anniversary of the NHRA, at their biggest event,” said Teuton, “I’ve always competed in Mopar and Chrysler products, and I’m just having a ball. I’m proud of my car. I’ve sold Mopar Drag Paks, and I’ve been a dealer for 44 years. I’ve been racing since 1958 and this is a pretty good milestone.”

The forbears of the Mopar Challenger Drag Pak were also feeling the love at Indy, in the form of the Mopar HEMI Challenge. Westcott Jr. swept the event with authority, claiming the victory and also the $1,000 bonus for seizing the No. 1 Qualifier spot in the 20-car field. The Parma, Mich. resident drove his 1968 “Warfish” Plymouth Barracuda to victories over Steve Kent, Chuck Comella and Gary Wolkwitz to set up a father-and-son battle with his dad, Westcott Sr.

The elder Westcott, winner of the 2009 Mopar HEMI Challenge U.S. Nationals event, gave his son a lesson off the starting line in the final, recording a 0.010 reaction time to Jr.’s tardier 0.103 mark. However, youth would win out at the finish line, as Westcott Jr. pulled away in the battle of ’68 Plymouth Barracudas with an 8.441-second run at 158.50 mph to his father’s 8.549/157.65 effort. Including Westcott Sr.’s $2,000 runner-up purse, the Westcott clan took $18,000 and the Mopar HEMI Challenge trophy back to their home in Parma, Mich.

“It’s a big deal to win here,” said Charlie Westcott Jr. “Last year we broke both our motors here and went home with our tails between our legs. We came back stronger than ever, qualified No. 1 and No. 2, and basically had the field covered all weekend.

“This is the most cash that’s ever been put up at a Mopar HEMI Challenge. We basically took every dime that was up for grabs, including a $250 Mopar eStore gift certificate my dad won in a raffle during the Mopar Sportsman BBQ on Thursday. It couldn’t have went any better. We didn’t blow anything up and we captured all the prize money, so we’ll go home happy.”

Mopar also left the U.S. Nationals happy, and with a little history in hand as well—another win for the package cars that helped drive the brand to performance prominence, and a first victory for the Mopar Challenger Drag Paks that will take that performance to the next level—and into winner’s circles—in the future.

Mopar HEMI Helps Hagan Drive to First Three-Second Run in NHRA Funny Car

Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Matt Hagan earned himself—and his Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge Charger—a place in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series record books at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C. on Sept. 16, becoming the first driver to break the four-second barrier in the NHRA Funny Car class.

Fueled by Mopar power, Hagan seized the No. 1 Qualifier Award at the NHRA event in Concord with his historic 3.995-second pass. He backed up his mark with a 4.018-second effort in his first-round win during eliminations at the event, securing the national record and the 20 bonus points that come with it.

Hagan wasn’t finished—he also recorded the fastest 1,000-foot Funny Car speed at 322.27 mph, the first 320-plus run in history, in a separate pass (although Mopar-powered DSR teammate Jack Beckman would leave Concord with the speed record). Hagan, a Christiansburg, Va. native, also motored to the overall event win at Concord, downing John Smith, Cruz Pedregon, Beckman and Mike Neff to capture his first win of the year. The victory was the fourth career triumph for Hagan, who is in just his third full season of NHRA Funny Car competition.

“It was huge to be able to set the record for Mopar and Dodge,” said Hagan, who competed with a special Mopar graphics wrap on his Dodge Charger at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals and Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. “The Dodge body was a beneficial factor for us in our ability to hit 322 miles per hour as well as getting the elapsed-time record. And even Jack (Beckman) who left with the speed record did it in a Dodge.”

Hagan, edged out for the 2010 Funny Car title on the final day of the season, was the Funny Car points leader at press time, with only three events remaining on the 2011 schedule.

Sweet Sweep: Mopar and Ram Take Triple Torc Titles

The Traxxas TORC (The Off-Road Championship) Series underwent a seismic shift during the 2011 season. Two brands absolutely rearranged the competitive landscape, unleashing a merciless rookie-season assault that resulted in a dominating winning percentage of 68 percent, racking up 27 wins, three driver championships and two manufacturers’ championships by the time the final checkered flags fell in the season-ending events at Cycle Ranch MX in Floresville, Texas on Oct. 15–16. The culprits? None other than Mopar and Ram Truck.

In their inaugural season in the sport, the brands swept all three professional classes in Traxxas TORC competition, with Ricky Johnson (PRO 4), Bryce Menzies (PRO 2) and Andrew Caddell (PRO Light) all bringing home the championship hardware for Ma Mopar and big bad Ram. The performance of the Mopar-powered Ram Trucks also earned the brands PRO 2 and PRO Light Manufacturers’ titles.

“Mopar and Ram simply dominated the inaugural TORC season, with 27 wins and all three championships during our 2011 campaign,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “We more than doubled the amount of wins recorded by the next-closest manufacturer. Congratulations to Ricky Johnson, Bryce Menzies and Andrew Caddell on bringing home championships for Mopar and Ram. Our success showcased the superior performance of Mopar power and Ram under extreme conditions of the off-road.”

“Everyone on the Ram Truck team is proud of the job our drivers did this year,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO, Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico. “To go from being the new kid on the block to being the PRO 2 and PRO Light Manufacturers’ Champion in our first season shows what happens when you put the best drivers in the best trucks.”

Johnson waged a hard-fought season-long battle with Toyota driver Johnny Greaves for the PRO 4 championship, coming from behind to snatch away the title in his Red Bull Mopar Ram by executing a sweep of the two Cycle Ranch events. The multi-time AMA champion totaled six victories on the year behind the cockpit of his Mopar Ram.

“It was an amazing weekend, and season for that matter,” said Johnson. “We fought our way back. We had some DNFs (Did Not Finish) and shortcomings earlier this year and everyone kept pushing me and stuck behind me. It’s great to win a title for Red Bull, Ram, Mopar and everyone that helps us out. The best off-road racers in the world compete in the TORC Series, so it means a lot to win this championship.”

Menzies also performed a Cycle Ranch sweep, doubling up in the PRO 2 category. The Red Bull Mopar Ram driver clinched the title with his win on opening night, then took the lead in the event finale on the second lap and never looked back, leading the rest of the 16-lap contest to pick up his series-best seventh victory of the season. Mopar Ram driver Rob MacCachren drove his Mopar Ram to a runner-up finish in the race, a strong ending for the off-road star, who began the year with three consecutive wins before breaking his collarbone in a racing incident.

“We had a great season with this Red Bull Ram with Mopar power,” said Menzies. “We had some battles throughout the year and it feels great to bring home a championship for my entire team.”

Mopar-powered Ram driver Andrew Caddell wrapped up the PRO Light championship prior to the Cycle Ranch events but joined in the celebration as fellow Mopar Ram competitors Samuel Hübinette and RJ Anderson took turns on the top spot of the podium. In his rookie season in TORC, Hübinette drove his Mopar to the opening night win at Cycle Ranch, giving the “Crazy Swede” four PRO Light wins on the year. Anderson, who finished second in the PRO Light Standings, triumphed in the Cycle Ranch TORC finale, bumping his season win total to three.

“It was a great season,” said Caddell. “We came out this year and our goal was to win the title and we were able to do that. We had plenty of power with the Mopar engine under the hood and the Ram Truck ran great all year.”

It was a season of change on the Traxxas TORC Series, a season that saw two brands muscle their way to the forefront of the sport in dominating fashion—Mopar and Ram.