NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Greg Stanfield added another title to his impressive list of career achievements when he drove to the win in the inaugural event in the Holley EFI Factory X class. Stanfield, a five-time Super Stock world champion and a previous winner in Stock, Super Stock, Comp, Pro Stock Truck, and Pro Stock, set low elapsed time of the weekend in the final with a 7.121 behind the wheel of his Rod Shop Camaro.

"This whole class is pretty cool, and I'm happy to be a part of it," said Stanfield. "It took a lot of work to get here and I have to thank the Rod Shop, the Janac Bros., and everyone else who helped us get to this point. Today was only the beginning. This whole year is going to be really good."

Alex Laughlin, a driver with a history every bit as diverse as Stanfield’s was runner up with a 7.370 in his first appearance behind the wheel of Geoff Turk’s Blackbird X Dodge Challenger.

Three years in the making, the Holley EFI Factory X class is designed to showcase modern muscle cars from Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford. A cross between Pro Stock and Factory Stock, Factory X cars weigh approximately 2,600 pounds and are powered by the same supercharged small block engines that are used in the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown. By rule, each Factory X car must be equipped with a five-speed manual transmission and use a 10.5-inch wide rear tire, which presents a challenge for both drivers and crew chiefs.

Greg Stanfield ran 7.159 on a bye run in round one after Jim Cowan was unable to repair engine damage he suffered in his Camaro during qualifying. He advanced to the final round with a 7.174 over Rick Hord, who later celebrated a Factory Stock win by his son, Ricky.

Laughlin, who is licensed to drive in a multitude of NHRA classes including Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock, struggled during qualifying, but quickly found pace in eliminations as he defeated Aaron Stanfield and Stephen Bell to reach the final round. Last year, Laughlin’s car was the first Factory X car to run over 200-mph with former Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson behind the wheel.

A total of eight drivers made it to Las Vegas for the historic first Factory X race. The series will also travel to Charlotte, Norwalk, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Dallas before a return to Las Vegas in November for the season finale.