NHRA Factory X to debut with two exhibition races, six points events
NHRA Factory X presented by Holley, an exciting new category reserved for 2019 and newer manufactured automobiles, including the Chevrolet COPO Camaro, Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, and Ford Mustang Cobra Jet (other manufacturers are welcome to submit their engine platform for approval and join the competition), is set to debut during the 2023 season, and competitors will also be racing for an NHRA championship.
Following a pair of exhibition events in Charlotte and Bristol, racers in the new category, which is aimed to bridge the gap between Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and Pro Stock, will compete in six points races this year, with a champion being crowned as part of the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 26-29.
Cars in NHRA Factory X presented by Holley will have a minimum weight limit of 2,650 pounds, which is nearly 1,000 pounds lighter than a Factory Stock Showdown car, and a manual transmission is mandatory. With the potential to showcase big-performance numbers and standout runs in the six-second range immediately, the lightweight, modified class is set to put on a show at eight overall stops during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
“We are extremely excited about this new class being introduced and to be involved in NHRA Factory X,” Holley Director of Motorsports Robin Lawrence said. “As a racer, it’s such a thrill to see these cars. They still bear resemblance to a stock-type car body, and it’s like a Super Stocker on steroids. It’s really representative of what a factory car like a Mustang, Camaro, or Challenger is. With two exhibition races and then six events for a championship in 2023, that’s really exciting, and a lot of people are going to be motivated to win a championship the first year out. It’s going to be a battle.”
The opening exhibition takes place during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte on April 28-30, followed by another exhibition at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway on June 9-11.
The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 22-25 at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk is the first points race for the category, followed by back-to-back stops in August at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park on Aug. 11-13 in Topeka and the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals on Aug. 17-20 at Brainerd Int'l Raceway. Another back-to-back occurs at the NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sept. 22-24 and the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis on Sept. 29-Oct. 1, setting the stage for the championship finale in Las Vegas.
“NHRA Factory X presented by Holley has so much potential from a performance standpoint, and we can’t wait to introduce it to fans at eight different races in 2023,” NHRA National Tech Director Lonnie Grim said. “We’re thrilled to partner with Holley on this outstanding class, and when you factor in that these cars are manually shifted, the strong performance capability and the sounds of 10,000 RPM, it’s going to be a huge draw for both fans and racers.”
The COPO Camaros will race with a 630-hp Magnuson 2.65-L supercharger, and the DragPak Challengers will utilize a 630-hp, 3.0-L Whipple. The Cobra Jet 327 Mustang’s engine combination will be a 610-hp, 3.0-L Whipple unit.
Each body must be OEM dimensional, meaning there can be no alterations to the bodies, and each must feature steel-roof and quarter-body panels, and the chassis on the cars must meet 25.1, 25.2, 25.3 specifications.
Cars in NHRA Factory X presented by Holley must race on tires that are 33 inches tall and 10.5 inches wide as well, which are wider than FSS cars.
Other highlights for NHRA Factory X presented by Holley include:
• Doors must be functional and operable from inside and outside and must be OEM dimension.
• The cars must be a complete stock appearing car, including bumper covers, (front and rear) mandatory, consistent with make, model, year claimed.
• Each car must be equipped with a stock grille of same configuration and design for specific body used.
• Complete headlight and taillight assemblies must be retained in stock original Factory location.
• Doors must be functional and operable from inside and outside and must be OEM dimension.
• The cars must be a complete stock appearing car, including bumper covers, (front and rear) mandatory, consistent with make, model, year claimed.
• Each car must be equipped with a stock grille of same configuration and design for specific body used.
• Complete headlight and taillight assemblies must be retained in stock original Factory location.
“We’ve heard a lot of interest from drivers in this class, and there are a lot of cars being built,” Lawrence said. “With the power these cars have, it’s going to be exciting for fans, but it’s also going to resemble a car they drove to the track. It will give them something to root for, and that’s going to be a cool part of this. They’re going to bond with these cars and these teams because they look so similar to their own cars.”
2023 NHRA Factory X presented by Holley Schedule
(The first two events are exhibitions, followed by six points races)
Exhibition: April 28-30: 13th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte
Exhibition: April 28-30: 13th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte
Exhibition: June 9-11: 22nd annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol Dragway, Bristol
June 22-25: 17th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk
Aug. 11-13: 34th annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor, Heartland Motorsports Park, Topeka
Aug. 17-20: 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd
Sept. 22-24: 15th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte
Sept. 29-Oct. 1: 12th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis
Oct. 26-29: 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas
