For the third time in 2023 Lenny Lottig took the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown title, today winning the 38th annual NHRA Texas Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex. Lottig and the ITI Trailers & Truck Bodies COPO Camaro grabbed the No. 1 qualifier and defeated David Barton, point leader Aaron Stanfield, Ricky Hord before taking out Doug Hamp to move to No. 3 in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown point standings.
“It’s great to be here you know and this is a great, great place to win,” said Lottig moments after the win. “The fans are awesome. This has been the tightest field we’ve ever raced at and so everybody had to be at their best. We have a good team and you know we have an awesome Barton engine. Life is pretty good right now. It’s been a blessing to be able to go and compete at this level.”
In the semifinals it was Lottig taking the win with a .007 reaction time after Richard Hord redlit. Lottig continued to post great elapsed times running 7.650 seconds at 179.70 mph. His final round opponent Doug Hamp dispatched Scott Libersher after Libersher was distracted on the starting line and succumbed in the semifinals with a .398 second reaction time.
Coming into eliminations as the No. 1 qualifier, Mark Pawuk and his Empaco Equipment Dodge Drag Pak team picked up their first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown victory of his career Sunday at the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.
On his way to victory, Pawuk, who was the No. 1 qualifier, set the national elapsed time record at 7.583 seconds and won $1,000 in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program by defeating the previous event winner, Aaron Stanfield.
Point leader Stanfield raced his Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro to the quarterfinals before he lost a close race to No. 1 qualifier Lenny Lottig. A win would have clinched Stanfield’s third Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown world championship title but the 28-year-old from Bossier City, Louisiana, will have to wait for his coronation as champion until the NHRA Nevada Nationals.
“It’s an honor and then to be able to compete and win against Aaron. Beating him is almost as good as winning the race. He is an amazing competitor and great racer,” added Lottig.
In the first round David Janac drove his Janac Brothers Ford Mustang to victory over St. Louis Midwest Nationals winner Mark Pawuk and his Empaco Equipment Dodge Drag Pak to collect the $1,000 Flexjet bounty. Pawuk earned the bounty with a dominant performance in St. Louis where he was No. 1 qualifier and victor for the first time in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown series.
Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown series will conclude with the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Oct. 26-29.
This story was originally published on October 16, 2023. 
