Bristol, Pa., dentist Jim Daniels left no stone unturned during the 2009 Mopar® HEMI^® Challenge Race Series Dutch Classic event at Maple Grove Raceway, lowering the NHRA class record and convincingly winning the event.

In an all-Ray Barton-powered final on Sunday, Daniels faced off his 1968 HEMI Dodge Dart against teammate and Ray Barton’s son, David, of Robesonia, Pa., in his 1968 HEMI Plymouth Barracuda. Daniels ran a stout 8.284 seconds at 159.53 mph, even though David Barton fouled at the start.

“I’ve never driven a car that ran like that for the whole weekend,” Daniels said. “It was a ‘no-lose’ final, but it is awesome to have won the race and set the record. It was a total team effort all season long and it feels great.”

Bristol, Pa., dentist Jim Daniels left no stone unturned during the 2009 Mopar® HEMI^® Challenge Race Series Dutch Classic event at Maple Grove Raceway, lowering the NHRA class record and convincingly winning the event.

In an all-Ray Barton-powered final on Sunday, Daniels faced off his 1968 HEMI Dodge Dart against teammate and Ray Barton’s son, David, of Robesonia, Pa., in his 1968 HEMI Plymouth Barracuda. Daniels ran a stout 8.284 seconds at 159.53 mph, even though David Barton fouled at the start.

“I’ve never driven a car that ran like that for the whole weekend,” Daniels said. “It was a ‘no-lose’ final, but it is awesome to have won the race and set the record. It was a total team effort all season long and it feels great.”

It marked the third time in Daniel’s career he has claimed a Mopar HEMI Challenge event win and backed up his first career win at this event in 2008. He also won a rain-shortened Columbus event last month. Daniel’s pocketed a $6,250 winner’s purse.

Daniels set the NHRA Super Stock/A HEMI class record run in qualifying Thursday, with a pass of 8.331 seconds at 157.96 mph. In setting it, Daniels also took home a $2,000 bonus from record sponsor Penske Truck Leasing. He ran quicker three times on Sunday, but according to NHRA rule, class records cannot be set after the first round of eliminations.

Daniels ran his first contested round in the semifinals against Darien, CT driver Bob Wolkwitz in a ‘Cuda, who earlier had defeated his brother, Gary Wolkwitz, of Annandale, NJ, in the quarterfinals. He bested Wolkwitz 8.297/158.84 to 8.418/156.84. David Barton ran 8.44/155.40 for an easy win against red-light victim Stephen Herbert of Westlakes, La.

David Barton defeated Delaware, Ohio driver Jim Pancake and his Dodge Dart in the quarterfinals with a run of 8.38/157.15. Herbert advanced with a quarterfinal solo pass of 8.487/156.06 when Wendell Howes of Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada broke at the line.

The Dutch Classic is the largest all-sportsman event on the east coast featuring 467 entries in all classes. This was the final Mopar HEMI Challenge event of the 2009 season.

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