Early in 2021, NHRA officials began talking with numerous racers about creating a new class based on the Factory Stock Showdown Eliminator, which includes the Chevrolet COPO Camaro, Ford Performance Mustang Cobra Jet, and Dodge/Mopar Challenger Drag Pak. The concept was to put the same engines that propel those cars to mid-to-high 7-second elapsed times into tubular-chassis machines that weigh around 1,000 pounds less and mandate a manual transmission to make things exciting. Rather than continuing with the svelte tire specifications of the Factory Stock Showdown cars, this class would utilize 33x10.5-inch tires for far greater traction.
The recipe, called Factory X presented by Holley, interested several racers, including Geoff Turk, the 2018 NMCA Factory Super Cars champion and the first racer to clock a 7-second run in competition. “There’s clearly a lot of interest in these cars. Greg Stanfield was more excited than I’ve ever heard him. I’m excited because there are a lot of people interested in it and I love being a pioneer in the class,” Turk said of his entry into the Factory X class.
After nearly six months of research and discussion,
