NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

First Wally. No. 1 qualifier. Quickest pass in class history. Hartman would never label himself that way—but it's all true. 

Lee Hartman turned a memorable weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway into a historic one, powering his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to a 7.511-second pass at 176.67 mph to win the rain-delayed Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown final from the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by Mopar.

The victory over David Janac delivered the first NHRA Wally of Hartman’s career—and it came in front of the St. Louis crowd nearly two weeks after weather prevented the Michigan final from being completed at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park.

Hartman had already made history Friday in St. Louis, driving to a 7.548-second run to secure the No. 1 qualifying position for the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals. On Saturday, with the Michigan trophy on the line, he lowered the mark again with the quickest pass ever recorded in Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown competition.

“I believe,” Hartman said before the final. “I believe in the energy that my team has put into this—our time, materials and the effort. I’m blessed to have what we have and what we drive. We’re just trying to go out there and do it right.”

The postponed final produced a classic Detroit showdown between Hartman’s Dodge Challenger Drag Pak and Janac’s Ford Mustang Cobra Jet. Both cars were prepared and tuned by Stanfield Racing, placing two different automakers—but one race-winning organization—on opposite sides of the starting line.

Hartman was ready when the tree dropped, cutting a .011 reaction time to Janac’s solid .024. The Dodge covered the first 60 feet in 1.195 seconds and reached the eighth-mile in 4.845 seconds at 148.15 mph.

Janac’s Cobra Jet encountered trouble shortly after the launch. He reached the eighth-mile in 8.513 seconds at 55.93 mph before coasting across the finish line in 17.259 seconds at 46.62 mph.

Hartman never wavered. He charged through the finish line in 7.511 seconds at 176.67 mph, lowering the quickest elapsed time in the history of the category.

“Final round, you work real hard, man,” Hartman said. “Your brain’s just going everywhere. Did we cover everything? You go over the car, top to bottom, front to back, and then check it again and make sure it’s right. Then you get into race mode. Go out there and let the best man win.”

Janac entered the final with a calm, straightforward approach despite the unusual circumstances surrounding a race that began in Michigan and ended in Illinois.

“It’s just another round,” Janac said. “Just go out there and drive my car and do my thing, and let the other guy worry about what he’s doing. I’m going to worry about what I’m doing.”

Hartman and his team had waited 12 days and traveled more than 400 miles for the opportunity to finish what they started in Michigan. When the pair finally rolled to the starting line in St. Louis, Hartman delivered the biggest run of his career.