Holley EFI Named Title Sponsor Of NHRA Factory X; Simpson Named Sponsor Of Safety Safari

Story By: NHRA – INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NHRA officials announced that Holley EFI has been named the title sponsor of its exciting Factory X category, which is reserved for 2019 and newer manufactured automobiles, including the Chevrolet COPO Camaro, Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, and Ford Mustang Cobra Jet.

NHRA Holley EFI Factory X made its official debut during the 2023 season and is slated to compete at eight events during the 2024 campaign, starting at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals on April 12-14 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

After appearing four times in 2023, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X, which combines supercharged Hemi, LS, or Coyote engines, with manual transmissions and lightweight, late-model, factory-appearing bodies – each powered by Holley EFI – will have its first full season in 2024 as the class continues to draw impressive interest from both drivers and race fans.

“Holley has been a part of NHRA since its inception and we have enjoyed progressing our business from carbs to modern EFI. It’s a huge thrill to continue to be involved with NHRA Factory X and to see the evolution of this amazing new class,” said Jason Bruce, Holley Performance Products Vice President of Sales. “These cars are just so exciting and provide a great new cool factor for NHRA fans. We’re seeing interest growing and new cars being built, and you can feel the excitement for this class continuing to build at a very fast rate. These Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers truly represent what a modern muscle car is and it’s a class that has really caught on with the fans as well, and that’s great to see.”

Following the season-opener in Las Vegas, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X will appear at the next two NHRA national events in Charlotte and Chicago. That follows with a trip to Norwalk in June and then the prestigious Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indy, finishing the season with races in St. Louis, Dallas and the finale in Las Vegas.

In a short time, the class already showcased immense potential and tremendous performances in 2023, with Allen Johnson making the first 200-mph run in St. Louis to begin the “Jesel 200 MPH Club.” With low seven-second runs already made this past season, there’s a chance big-performance numbers and standout runs in the six-second range in 2024, which would create even more excitement in the lightweight, modified class.

“NHRA Holley EFI Factory X is such an outstanding class and we’re thrilled to partner with a company like Holley that has recognized the great potential in this category,” said Brad Gerber, NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “The class enjoyed a very successful debut in 2023 and it’s going to be very exciting to have NHRA Holley EFI Factory X race its first full season in 2024 and compete at eight NHRA national events. When they’re on the track, they put on an incredible show and it’s going to continue to be a huge hit with fans.”

Cars in NHRA Holley EFI Factory X have a minimum weight limit of 2,650 pounds, which is nearly 1,000 pounds lighter than a Factory Stock Showdown car, and a manual transmission is mandatory. The COPO Camaros race with a 630-hp Magnuson 2.65-L supercharger, and the DragPak Challengers utilize a 630-hp, 3.0-L Whipple. The Cobra Jet 327 Mustang’s engine combination is a 610-hp, 3.0-L Whipple unit.

Each body must be OEM dimensional, meaning there can be no alterations to the bodies, and each must feature steel-roof and quarter-body panels. Cars in NHRA Holley EFI Factory X race on tires that are 33 inches tall and 10.5 inches wide as well, which are wider than FSS cars.

2024 NHRA Holley EFI Factory X Schedule

• April 12-14: 24th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas
• April 26-28: 14th annual Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte
• May 17-19: 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance, Route 66 Raceway, Chicago
• June 27-30: 18th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio
• Aug. 28-Sept. 2: 70th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis.
• Sept. 27-29: 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis
• Oct. 10-13: 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, Texas Motorplex, Dallas
• Oct. 31-Nov. 3: 24th annual NHRA Nevada Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF NHRA SAFETY SAFARI

NHRA officials announced that Simpson Performance Products, a trusted name when it comes to safety in motorsports, has been named the title sponsor of the NHRA Safety Safari as part of a multi-year partnership that begins with the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Simpson Performance Products was previously the presenting sponsor for NHRA’s first responders. The Simpson NHRA Safety Safari is the first full-time team devoted to safety in North American motorsports and has been a staple at events for more than 60 years. The Simpson NHRA Safety Safari staff, which includes a group of 40-plus people at each NHRA national event, perform some of the toughest and most important jobs at each NHRA national event and quickly respond to any on-track emergency. They also help provide a competition-ready track at every stop on the NHRA circuit.

For more than six decades, Simpson Performance Products has also been a premier name in motorsports with a dedicated safety history. Simpson has provided helmets, head and neck restraints, harnesses, racing suits, gloves, shoes, and more to provide a extensive level of protection to racers.

“We are extremely proud to continue this partnership and become the title sponsor of the iconic NHRA Safety Safari,” said Jason Bruce, Holley Performance Products Vice President of Sales. “Simpson has been at the forefront of racing safety innovation for more than 60 years and it’s important for this safety message to extend to the amazing NHRA first responders. The Safety Safari team are the first ones to jump in to help a racer, and it means a great deal to Simpson that all of these brave men and women are fully protected using our equipment to help ensure the safety of everyone racing.”

As part of the multiyear title partnership, Simpson branding will be featured across the Simpson NHRA Safety Safari fleet, including multiple dually trucks and big rig tractors. The Safety Safari staff at each NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event will also be outfitted in Simpson safety gear, including fire jackets, fire pants, helmets, gloves, and boots.

At every NHRA national event, the Simpson NHRA Safety Safari will be honored before the opening round of eliminations on Sunday as part of NHRA’s Salute to First Responders. The Simpson NHRA Safety Safari is part of the team of first responders to incidents, along with other emergency and medical responders.

“We’re excited to have a partner like Simpson Performance Products that is rooted in safety and knows the importance of the NHRA Safety Safari team,” said Brad Gerber NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer Brad Gerber. “The Simpson NHRA Safety Safari is such a vital part of our events and they put in an incredible amount of work to keep our drivers and race teams safe.”