(Words and photos by Joe Grippo) – The Dutch Classic National Open at Maple Grove Raceway turned 46 years old in 2017 but this is no nostalgia race. The Grove and D1 director Dave Mohn made sure of that by putting on a race within a race for probably the hottest thing in NHRA style drag Racing right now, the Factory Stock Showdown cars. COPO Camaros, Drag Pak Challengers and Cobra Jet Mustangs are factory built race cars available over the parts counter.

They have no doubt spun the drag racing world into a tizzy. Some complain they should be in their own eliminator, away from the Stock and Super Stockers, they don’t even have VIN’s some cry. Others love them and have their fingers crossed that they may become the new Pro Stock heir apparent. Whatever. They are bad ass racecars that go stupid fast, have unreal technology, put on killer racing and are knocking on the 7 second door on a small tire. A bonus is all the FS combos filtering over to Super Stock and creating many interesting ways to keep class racing fresh and thriving. Local hero David Barton may have a stranglehold on the class right know with his Gary Wolkwitz owned COPO but several teams are busting their butts to change that situation. Barton took the win at the 2017 Dutch Factory Shootout by out running another Barton powered COPO driven by young gun Pete Gasko.

Check out the photos of all the other CJ’s, Drag Pak’s and COPO burning rubber and hanging the wheels at the 2017 Dutch Classic –