Michael Ogburn of Mission Viejo, Calif., won the $5,000 first place prize in the
Mopar Hemi Challenge held during yesterday’s JEGS Pacific SPORTSnationals at
Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, Calif. Ogburn drove his vintage ’68 Barracuda to
an 8.75 to earn the final round victory over John Rains of Santa Paula, Calif.,
who slowed the final. Rains also competed in last week’s JEGS Northern
SPORTSnationals in Columbus, Ohio, which was won by Charlie Westcott Sr.
“This was a great win for out whole team,” said Ogburn, especially our
engine builder, Harry Holton. Nobody knows more about making these [Super Stock
Hemi] cars run that Harry does. I’m just the lucky guy who gets to
drive.”
The Hemi Challenge was the highlight of an action-packed day
of qualifying and eliminations at the second annual Pacific SPORTSnationals, an
event that features more than 500 of the best NHRA amateur drag racers.
The SPORTSnationals also featured special eight-car Shootout-type events in
Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street. Del Cox
Jr., of Downey, Calif., defeated Chip Rumis of Ramona, Calif., to win the Top
Dragster Shootout and in the Top Sportsman Shootout, Joe Roubicek of West Lake
Village, Calif., stopped Gary Ross of Trabuco Canyon, Calif. in the final round.