Burlington, NC. (April 26, 2024) — Sox & Martin and the McCandless Collection are thrilled to announce their sponsorship of the 2024 HEMI Challenge as part of the 70th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The world’s biggest and most prestigious drag race takes place Aug. 28-Sept. 2.
The HEMI Challenge is the longest running continuous specialty race in NHRA history and has been a fan favorite for over two decades. This event features exciting heads-up, wheel-standing, side-by-side racing of HEMI-powered 1968 Super Stock Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas competing in the NHRA SS/AH class. These limited production ‘HEMI Package Cars,’ built specifically for Super Stock competition, have been a part of drag racing history for more than five decades and made the Sox & Martin name legendary among fans and feared among the competition. The Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge presented by the McCandless Collection will elevate this celebrated event to even greater heights with an enhanced social media and marketing focus, bringing even more recognition to the hardworking and diehard SS/AH racers and their HEMI-powered machines.
“I’m so excited and pleased to have the Sox & Martin brand sponsor the HEMI Challenge at the 2024 NHRA US Nationals, especially since this is the 60th anniversary of this tremendous engine. I’ve always been attached to the 426 HEMI engine and Ronnie (Sox) won many races and championships driving HEMI-powered Plymouth race cars starting in 1965,” said Mopar legend Buddy Martin. “When we opened our new race shop back in the late 1960s, I intentionally used ‘426’ for our P.O. Box number. The 426 HEMI is legendary and the Mopar drivers who currently compete in the Super Stock HEMI class keep this iconic engine’s legacy alive for the next generation of racers. To see how fast these 1968 HEMI Barracudas and Darts are going today is simply amazing. To be a part of ‘The Big Go’ is an honor for me and the Sox & Martin name. I have many great memories from the NHRA US Nationals, including the 1969 event when Ronnie won Super Stock and then our back-to-back Pro Stock wins in 1970 and 1971 with Ronnie and Herb (McCandless) driving our team cars.”
Along with Buddy Martin serving as the Grand Marshal and Honorary Starter during the 2024 Sox & Martin NHRA HEMI Challenge presented by the McCandless Collection, another Mopar Legend, Herb McCandless, will once again be in the pits talking to racers, swapping stories, and up in the tower announcing the round-by-round action during this exciting event that’s been a part of the NHRA US Nationals tradition for more than two decades.
“If it wasn’t for Sox & Martin, there’d be no HEMI Challenge, no McCandless Collection, or even a Herb McCandless. Not only did Buddy Martin have a positive impacted in drag racing, but also in my racing career. When Buddy hired me to drive the team’s second Pro Stocker in 1970, it changed my life forever!” said Mopar icon and 1970 NHRA US Nationals Pro Stock champion Herb McCandless. “The annual HEMI Challenge is an event I look forward to every year and I’ve attended around 20 of them at Indy. Despite being the same basic engine and vehicle package we ran way back then, it’s mind boggling to see how fast these 1968 HEMI Barracudas and Darts are going now. The technology and refinement the racers have put into their cars is impressive and this year’s event will be extra special as it’s the 60TH anniversary of the 426 HEMI. I’m very proud of my son Mike (McCandless) in getting Sox & Martin and the McCandless Collection as the sponsor of the NHRA HEMI Challenge!”
“Thanks to NHRA, my father was able to make a career out of drag racing and the motorsports parts industry. When I was presented with the opportunity to give back not just to NHRA, but to the Sportsman Racers who are the backbone of the sport, I jumped at the opportunity. Over 50 years ago, Buddy Martin of Sox & Martin fame gave my father the opportunity to showcase his driving and tuning skills for the number one team in drag racing. I can’t think of a better way to show my appreciation than lending my support to this unique event, which will now become the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge presented by the McCandless Collection. Since this is also the 60th anniversary of the 426 HEMI, an engine that totally changed drag racing, we felt this was another great reason to take over this event,” said Mike McCandless, founder and CEO of The McCandless Collection and youngest son of iconic Mopar drag racer Herb McCandless.
The Sox & Martin NHRA HEMI Challenge presented by the McCandless Collection is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 30 at Indianapolis Raceway Park during the running of the 70th annual NHRA US Nationals. The Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge presented by the McCandless Collection is open to all NHRA SS/AH competitors and will require one Grade Point from a Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event or National Open before entering the NHRA US Nationals to compete in the HEMI Challenge. All SS/AH racers are encouraged to submit their event entry before Friday, Aug. 23.
“The HEMI Challenge has always been a huge part of the U.S. Nationals weekend, and to add Sox & Martin and the McCandless Collection to this great event will make the HEMI Challenge even more special,” NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer Brad Gerber said. “Those are iconic names in our sport and have been such incredible ambassadors for the HEMI and Mopar brands, which makes them a perfect fit for an event like the HEMI Challenge. We’re thrilled to have Sox & Martin and the McCandless Collection be a part of the biggest weekend in drag racing, and we can’t wait to see all these terrific cars compete in the HEMI Challenge.”
To purchase tickets to the 70th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. All children 12 and under will be admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, including the full 2024 schedule, visit www.NHRA.com.
About Sox & Martin
Sox & Martin is known far and wide as one of the most legendary teams in the history of drag racing. With the precise, Superman-like driving skills of Ronnie Sox, and the marketing and business acumen of Buddy Martin that brought new sponsors into the sport, drag racing was forever changed. From spotless race cars, matching team uniforms, and an overall professional clean image, Sox & Martin raised the bar. In 1967, Sox & Martin, along with their primary sponsor at the time, Chrysler’s Plymouth Division, initiated the revolutionary Supercar Clinic program at dealerships across the country. It showcased Plymouth’s latest muscle cars, Mopar and aftermarket performance parts, and driving tips that encouraged young enthusiasts to race at NHRA sanctioned drag strips. Sox & Martin were also instrumental in the creation of NHRA’s Pro Stock class in 1970 and went on to become multi-time world champions. Ronnie Sox passed away in 2006, but Buddy Martin is still active in the Mopar community and enjoys the opportunity to attend enthusiast events.
Sox & Martin is a registered trademark of the McCandless Collection
About the McCandless Collection
The McCandless Collection was founded by Mike McCandless in honor of his father, Herb McCandless. Known as “Mr. 4 Speed,” Herb McCandless blazed a trail across the country racing his HEMI-Powered machines in the 1960s before being hired by the legendary Sox & Martin racing team in 1970. The McCandless family’s passion for racing was passed down through the generations, and now numerous classic cars, as well as many other examples of vintage automotive memorabilia are on display at this museum located in Burlington, North Carolina. The McCandless Collection is also the culmination of Mike McCandless’s passion for all things Mopar and his love of Chrysler’s 1955-1961 “Forward Look” era. The vision of the McCandless Collection is to properly preserve, restore, and share the history associated with these rare Mopar artifacts.
The McCandless Collection is a Nonprofit 501-C3
About NHRA
Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
