NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

During his four years as a Pro Stock competitor, Drew Skillman never finished worse than sixth in the Mello Yello standings, so he knows a thing or two about the rigors of a tough points battle. That experience is proving to be invaluable as Skillman pursues the 2019 championship in the SAM Tech.edu Factory Stock Showdown. Through the first five races in the eight-race season, Skillman has won three times in his supercharged Cobra Jet Mustang, and he’s built a sizable lead over second-place Bo Butner, the current Pro Stock points leader. Skillman’s father, Bill, is ranked third following his first-career win in Charlotte. Heading into Indy, Skillman’s margin over Butner stands at 89 points. That’s hefty, but not insurmountable. A strong showing in this week’s 65th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals would be huge for Skillman, and it just happens to be his home event. Unheard of two years ago, the Factory Stock class has grown to the point where the 65th annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals will also feature the sport’s first 32-car field.

“I’ve got to be careful what I say because I’ve been in this spot twice [as late-season points leader] and twice and didn’t’ get it done either time,” said Skillman. “I need to perform well at the last three races. We can’t sit back. I don’t know if we’re in a position to win, based on the latest rules but we’re not out of it. Actually, to be more accurate, I should say that we’ve still got a chance to win. It’s just going to be harder than it was before.

Following an off-season of uncertainty where a number of rules adjustments were all but guaranteed to change the balance of power, Skillman made a statement at the Gainesville season opener when he qualified No. 1 with a 7.744 and then dominated the competition on race day including a 7.73 in the final round against defending event winner Stephen Bell’s COPO Camaro. Skillman went on to win in Richmond, and the most recent Factory Stock event held in Norwalk in mid-June.

“I think we might have showed our hand too early, but we also won some races, so we made hay while the sun was shining,” said Skillman. “The good thing about the [rule changes] is that we’ve had two months to prepare and we’ve worked extremely hard on that break. We’ve had a chance to come up with a little different plan of attack so we should be in a good position. We tested recently, and it went well from a performance standpoint, but we also nuked two motors. We had enough time to get them fixed but I also think we’re starting to find the limits of these engines. They’re like nitro engines with no nitro.”

Skillman’s Indy Pro Stock victory in 2017 remains the highlight of his career, but he’d love to have an encore performance in Factory Stock, or in Stock Eliminator, where he is also entered in a second Cobra Jet Mustang. Skillman will also have a routing interest in his father, Bill, who is racing in Factory Stock, and Super Stock, as well as grandfather, Ray, who is entered in Comp. The Skillman fleet also includes multi-time world champ David Rampy and Stock racer Joey Shipp.

“This is the biggest race in the sport but it’s also my biggest race,” said Skillman. “It’s my hometown and all of our friends and family are here. I’ve never won here in a sportsman class and I think I’ve got two good shots at it. At the least, I’ve got two good cars to drive. When I won Indy in Pro Stock, it was like getting a gorilla off my back. At first, I just wanted to win a race, but then after you win a couple you want to win Indy. I’m lucky to have done it, but I want to do it again.”

For those unfamiliar, the SAM Tech.edu Factory Stock Showdown mirrors the 1960s and ‘70s when auto manufacturers used drag racing as an effective way to showcase their latest performance models. The cars featured in Factory Stock are purpose-built race cars, but they bear a striking resemblance to their street-going counterparts, which his one of the many elements that have made the class popular. Factory Stock rules also mandate a 9-inch wide rear tire, which presents a challenge for teams attempting to harness approximately 1,400 horsepower. With Factory Stockers, there is often a fine line between spinning the rear tires and launching into a giant wheelstand, so power management is key.

While the Ford teams have gathered the bulk of the hardware this season, the tide appears to be turning, especially after Bell notched a victory for the Chevrolet brand in Topeka. Bell’s teammate, Arthur Kohn, has also been to a final round and the COPO entries of David Barton, Randy Taylor, and Scott Libersher are also ranked in the top ten heading into Indy. There is even light at the end of the tunnel for the Dodge teams. At the recent NMCA event at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Mark Pawuk notched several 7.8-second runs.

 “There is no free lunch in life and that’s the case in this class, too,” Skillman said. “You’ve got to take the good with the bad. The air this week in Indy should be good but with that there is more potential for detonation, so you need to watch your tuning. There is also a different strategy for the race car because it will behave differently. We’re lucky that we tested in some good air so we should have a good baseline. Then, we can make decisions, and go from there. One of the things I love about this class is that it’s the perfect amount of work and there is still a lot of potential for growth. The Pro Stock stuff is so exact that every idea has been done 50 ways by 50 different people. Here, even a moron like myself can contribute new ideas. There is a ton of potential in a nine-inch tire class.”

U.S. Nationals SAM Tech.edu Factory Stock Showdown Tricky Tipster

Drew Skillman         
Skillman Auto Group Cobra Jet
The former Pro Stock racer has been the dominant force in Factory Stock since the season-opener in Gainesville and he’s got a sizable lead in the points standings. It also helps that he’s a former Indy winner (Pro Stock, 2017) who is racing at his home event. He believes the current rules don’t favor the Ford combination, but that remains to be seen.
Odds: 3-1

Bo Butner
Butner Auto Cobra Jet
The current Pro Stock points leader has yet to win a race, but that’s mostly due to bad luck and mechanical issues. To be certain, Butner’s Cobra Jet, built by his longtime crew chief Darrel Herron, is as quick as any car in the class. Butner is a triple threat this year with a chance to win championships in Pro Stock, Factory Stock, and Super Gas, although admittedly, Factory Stock might be his toughest challenge.
Odds: 4-1

David Barton        
Ray Barton Engines COPO
One of the Factory Stock class’ premiere engine builders and tuners, Barton can also drive with the best of them, and he’s coming off a solid semifinal finish in Norwalk. He’s previously won Indy in the Mopar Hemi Challenge and the Factory Stock Showdown so it’s obvious he likes racing on the sport’s biggest stage.
Odds: 5-1

Stephen Bell
Stanfield Engines COPO
Since the start of the 2018 season, he’s been one of the most consistently-quick racers in the Factory Stock class and his victory earlier this summer in Topeka included an upset against points leader Drew Skillman in the opening round of eliminations and a final round win against teammate Arthur Kohn.
Odds: 6-1  

Bill Skillman
Ray Skillman Auto Group Cobra Jet
He’s known locally as the radio and television pitchman for the Skillman Auto group, the family run string of nearly 20 auto dealerships in central Indiana, but he also happens to be a very formidable race car driver. Skillman was actually quicker than his son, Drew, in Gainesville, and he’s also the points leader in the NMCA Factory Supercar class.
Odds: 7-1

Chris Holbrook
Varsity Ford Cobra Jet
Another former Pro Stock driver and a former Factory Stock event winner, he’s perhaps best known as the engine builder for many of the top Ford teams including the Skillmans. Obviously, he knows a thing or two about extracting power from a supercharged Coyote engine.
Odds: 9-1

Arthur Kohn
Stanfield Engines COPO
A year ago, he won his first Factory Stock title in Charlotte and then came right back with a runner-up at the next event in Bristol. He’s also been competitive this season with a final round showing in Topeka. He’s also near the front of the class when it comes to reaction times.
Odds: 12-1

Leah Pritchett
DSR Dodge Motorsports Drag Pak
How will the new rules affect the Dodge teams? Some insiders think they'll be among the quickest cars in the field. Should that be the case,  expect to see the reigning champ stick round until Monday afternoon.
Odds: 14-1