Last year Jimmy Daniels (near lane) beat Wendell Howes in the final round.  (Chris Haverly photo)

A record-tying 30 drivers hailing from 17 states will gather at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on August 30-31 to fight it out in the NHRA Dodge HEMI® Challenge, held during the historic NHRA U.S. Nationals, August 29 – September 3. The victor’s Wally trophy will have even more of a “golden” luster this year, as 2018 also marks the 50th anniversary celebration of the Mopar-powered 1968 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda Super Stock cars that compete in the fan-favorite event.

The current field of entries, matching the largest in the event’s 18-year history, will duke it out for the iconic 42.6-lb NHRA Dodge HEMI Challenge trophy, created as a callout to the 426 HEMI engine, and the $15,000 winner’s purse. Three returning Indy HEMI Challenge champions will be among those vying for the win in the first event with Dodge as title sponsor, including two-time and defending champion Jim Daniels in his Dodge Dart, 2015 winner and Plymouth ‘Cuda pilot Lloyd Wofford, and inaugural 2001 HEMI Challenge race winner Bucky Hess.

Also joining the 22-year-old Daniels in the mix for the 2018 title will be last year’s runner-up and New Brunswick, Canada, native Wendell Howes, one of three Canadian competitors who will run at Indy. Stephen Hebert, runner-up in 2016, will lead a crew of five drivers with Louisiana roots, the largest turnout from a single state, followed by three representatives each from Pennsylvania and Ohio. The “Fish” cars will have numbers on their side: 21 Plymouth ‘Cudas will square off with nine Dodge Dart entries.

See a short history of the event at here.   [08/23/18]

Carl Stevens Jr. came up victorious at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod presented by One Cure and J&A Service at Bandimere Speedway on Aug. 11.

Stevens went 5.856 at 246.26 mph in his turbocharged ’69 Camaro to best Danny Rowe’s 5.949 at 242.54, claiming the quickest run in the two-year history of the World Series of Pro Mod in the process. Stevens picked up a cool $100,000 for his efforts in winning what the promoter called “the biggest and richest Pro Mod drag race in the history of the known universe.”

The Agent must say that we received plenty of pre-race PR pieces, but after the event…nada.   [08/23/18]

Eight major trade associations have formed the Driving American Jobs Coalition to oppose potential tariffs on imported motor vehicles and auto parts. The group includes SEMA and represents the broad scope of the auto industry, from automakers and dealers to parts manufacturers, distributors, retailers and service providers. The Coalition is seeking to convince the Trump Administration not to impose tariffs.

In May, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) began an investigation on whether imported automobiles and auto parts posed a national security threat. The investigation applies to all types of cars and parts, including new cars, classic cars, OEM parts and specialty auto parts. The DOC will issue its findings and recommendations for presidential actions, if any, as early as September. President Trump has stated that he is considering global tariffs of 20% to 25%.

“Tariffs are particularly harmful to the auto industry because they will result in job losses that will be felt across the entire supply chain,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association. “From the manufacturing facility in South Carolina to the dealership in Michigan to the independent repair shop in Pennsylvania, prices for vehicles, parts and repairs would go up, hurting consumers, and American jobs would disappear. We are glad to be lending our voice to this coalition and calling for the administration to protect American workers and the American auto industry.”  [08/23/18]

Holley/MSD has released two new Small Block Chevy intake manifolds.

Holley's EFI SBC 4150 Single Plane EFI Intake Manifolds help provide a broad RPM power band for high-performance street/strip applications up to 7,500 RPM. They are compatible with 4150-style throttle-body EFI systems and most stock hardware and accessory brackets and features an updated plenum divider area, a one-inch-shorter overall height, and two different distributor-clamp locations. The isolated design of the air/fuel passages increases charge-air density and overall performance, and the fuel-injector bores feature back-cut exits in the runners for improved atomization.

The single-plane EFI intake manifolds point the injectors at an angle matching the intake-runner airflow angle and come complete with black-coated fuel rails and rail brackets for an easy, hassle-free installation (injectors not included). They are perfect for 1957-86 small blocks from 262-400 cubic inches and 1987-91 Corvette L98 aluminum cylinder heads and are compatible with any aftermarket heads with a standard port-flange opening and standard mounting-bolt locations. A throttle-cable bracket and kickdown-cable bracket are available separately.

Like the EFI manifold, the SBC 4150 Single Plane Carbureted Intake Manifold creates a wide power band for high-performance street/strip applications up to 7,500 RPM. The carburetor-mounting pad accepts all stock and aftermarket square-bore carburetors with either manual or electric chokes. It works with most stock hardware and accessory brackets and features an updated plenum divider area, a one-inch-shorter overall height, and two different distributor-clamp locations. As with the EFI intake, SBC 4150 Single Plane Carbureted Intake Manifolds feature isolated air/fuel passages to increase charge-air density and overall performance. They're ideal for 1957-86 small blocks from 262-400 cubic inches and 1987-91 Corvette L98 aluminum cylinder heads and compatible with any aftermarket heads with a standard port-flange opening and standard mounting-bolt locations. [08/23/18]