Drag Illustrated Issue 135, August 2018 | Page 102

FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN something that’s easy to explain, and even casual fans can relate to it and understand,” says Massin- gill. “With all three of the manufacturers involved, you have people coming by the pits and saying, ‘Hey, my dad has one of these,’ or ‘My wife has a blue one just like this.’ The fans are coming to the pits and looking at the cars, asking questions, and taking an interest in the class. The racing is tight, there are 25 cars showing up for every race, there are Pros in the class now. The evolution of it has been crazy, and it’s exciting to see this thing continue to grow.” Inherent balance for the win Rules have been implemented and shifted along the way in an effort to maintain a level playing field and curtail astronomical spending, but one thing that has stood out above the rest as 102 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com a dream-killer or day-maker regardless of rules is the 9-inch wide tire. “We have a great equalizer with those 9-inch wide tires, and that keeps things on equal footing – for better or for worse,” says Massingill. “There are times when teams don’t try to go after it or put everything into a pass because they’re a little worried about the track. Is it better to run an 8.20 and know that you’ll get down the track, or do you try for an 8.0, possibly blow the tires off, and your day is done? The tire makes it about a lot more than the power of the engine. You have to get the power down, or you’re going to be in trouble.” One of the teams that seems to have found the right combination is Ray Barton Racing Engines, with David Barton as the driver. They have claimed more Factory Stock Showdown trophies than anyone else in the series. The son of renowned HEMI engine builder Ray, the younger Barton began his successful tenure in the class behind the wheel of a Mopar, but in recent years he’s been campaigning – and still achieving suc- cess – in a COPO Camaro owned by Bob Wolkwitz. “That’s what’s really cool about the class. It’s still new to all of us, and we’re all trying to figure out what is the best way down the track. It’s easy to get away from you,” said Barton on a pre-season WFO Radio podcast with Joe Castello. “It’s hard to find that balance (to get the power to the ground), but that’s one of my strong points – covering the whole car. I’m not just an engine guy; I realize what it takes to get the chassis right. “We give it all we got trying to figure this stuff out, but some of the best advice my dad ever gave me was to stick to basics. A lot of these guys have good power, but sometimes they don’t know how Issue 135