Team Racetech drivers Lee Hartman and David H. Davies redefined the limits of Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown performance at the inaugural Great Lakes Nationals, establishing new category records for both E.T. and speed at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park. This milestone represents an exemplary demonstration of the role Racetech’s advanced seat technology plays as performance continues to escalate. At this level, a racing seat must do more than contain the driver in an impact, it must provide a stable, structurally supported interface between the driver and chassis throughout the run.
No. 1 qualifier Hartman recorded the quickest pass ever in the category in his Stanfield-tuned 2021 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, equipped with Racetech’s new ultra-light RT8119HR carbon fiber containment seat. Lee emphasized the importance of optimizing every detail stating, “There isn’t one aspect of this car that the team overlooks – from the engine to the Racetech seat. Every part needs to be the best. Every detail matters when you’re chasing performance and safety, and that commitment to excellence is how we achieved a 7.558 national record.”
From the seat of a special Direct Connection-branded RT4119HR, fellow Drag Pak pilot Davies established a new top speed benchmark in the first round of qualifying at 185.72 and wasted no time besting his own freshly set record with a 186.10 mph pass in the second round of qualifying, making history twice in his Challenger, tuned by AJ Berge of Hemifast Performance.
Racetech seats are engineered around the biomechanics of the driver. Integrated back-mounting supports the seat at shoulder level, increasing upper-body stability and creating a direct structural connection to the chassis. The unique squared-shoulder design and ergonomic containment further limits unnecessary body movement under acceleration and deceleration, reducing the muscular effort required to brace against the car. That stability gives the driver a more consistent seating position and enhanced chassis feedback.
“Racing is both a physical and mental exercise with measured levels of risk. You depend on every component to function as it should and when it doesn’t…. The safety gear you choose has to function 100% of the time,” said Davies.
Racetech’s engineering philosophy captures the seat, harness and chassis as an integrated driver-containment system rather than independent components. Proper fit and mounting help maintain the driver’s pelvis, torso and shoulder position, allowing the restraint system to function as intended while giving the driver a consistent interface with the vehicle.
“The Factory Stock Showdown category continues to demonstrate what is possible when OEM programs, world-class motorsport engineering and driver skill come together,” said David Black, President of Racetech. “Lee, David and their teams have pushed the performance benchmark even further, and we’re proud to support drivers competing in a category that prioritizes safety as much as performance.”
At record-setting speeds, driver safety, performance and vehicle control become inseparable. As captured by Davies and spoken from experience, “During a clean run and especially when things go sidewise – trust me – being strapped into the best seat available allows you to focus on your job as a driver.”
Heading into NHRA’s Midwest Nationals at St. Louis to finish what they started at the rain-shortened Michigan race, Hartman, Davies and No. 2 Factory Stock Showdown points holder, Raymond Nash head to the semifinals protected by Racetech seats and supported by exceptional teams committed to excellence and a passionate about performance.
This story was originally published on September 28, 2026. 
