(Photos Courtesy of MOPAR Media Relations) – Geoff Turk made history when he drove his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to the first 7-second clocking in the history of drag racing for a factory stocker at the NMCA race in Bradenton, earlier this year, running an epic 7.996-second elapsed time at 170.10 mph.
Last weekend, Turk flew his “Blackbird” Mopar Dodge straight and true all the way to the winner’s circle at the 17th Annual National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) World Street Finals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on September 23.
Turk, a Yorkville, Illinois, native had an epic reason to celebrate — he also wrapped up the 2018 Holley EFI Factory Super Cars NMCA class championship, and his ailing wife Sandy was there to experience their shared triumph.After his wife experienced serious health issues requiring extensive treatment, Turk doubted he would compete at all during the 2018 NMCA season.
He finished runner-up at Bradenton in March, and added a victory at the NMCA stop near Atlanta in April. Turk was unable to reach the final at the next three events after a series of unfortunate mishaps, leaving him trailing in the points chase heading into the season-ending event at Indy – the first at which wife Sandy would be in attendance to provide her support.
Turk’s “Blackbird” promptly soared to the top of the qualifying charts, earning him precious championship points on a scorching 7.984-second elapsed time in his Drag Pak Challenger — setting a new class record and clocking the only sub-eight second pass of qualifying. With the championship locked down after the third round, Turk marched to the final, where despite a 120-ft wheelie he was able to work his car back into the groove to stick it for an 8.06 pass in his supercharged, 354-cubic-inch, HEMI®-engine-powered Drag Pak to outrun Scott Libersher for the event win.
“This season started out rough because I didn’t even know if I was going to have a season,” said Turk, who in 2017-2018 assisted Mopar and Dodge//SRT engineers and Don Schumacher Racing in on-track development of the combination that has led to back-to-back NHRA Factory Stock wins for Leah Pritchett. “This championship is hugely special. The heavy hitters are here. It’s a high caliber of competition.
“It’s special in so many ways, but it’s special most of all that Sandy was able to be at the last race. She couldn’t be there at Bradenton or Atlanta, and for her to be there and be a part of what happened was by far the best. Second best was doing the wheelie in the final, yanking it back to the centerline, pulling the gearshift and watching (his opponent) disappear out of my side view.”
In NHRA Mello Yello competition, Geoff Turk qualified his 2015 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak “Blackbird” for the Factory Stock Showdown during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in April.
Yorkville, Illinois!
NHRA needs to dump Pro Stock and replace it with factory backed Super Stockers! I would pay to see these real cars racing.
Remove cranium from rectum NHRA, all factories are involved, isn’t that what a sanctioning body wants to support a modern class?
Pro Stock Camaro Class with different paint jobs that spectators leave the grandstands for, to get a beer.
LOL its TRUE
I read that NHRA is allowing the Dodges to change the cars extensively from the original build. Different engine blocks, moving the engines down and back, and cutting the core support and hood for better air flow. Look at the class racer website.
whats the link?
Looks like some people need a history lesson late 60s super stockers turn in to a new class call pro stock. Now we are going back to late model super stockers.history going backwards now that,s a change! Pro stock loss it about 20 years ago. Late models super stockers are cool now as long a rules don,t get bent t out of shape down the road.!