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Haltech World Cup Finals 2023
What is World Cup Finals? It’s a unique racing event unlike any other in vision and scale. It features top-notch track prep, ideal environmental conditions, and intense competition that keeps racers and fans on the edge of their seats throughout a five-day event. It’s a premier ¼ mile drag racing competition with cash prizes exceeding $200k, attracting competitors and fans from around the world.
The 27th annual 2023 Haltech World Cup Finals Import vs. Domestic, presented by Wiseco, began on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and continued until late on Sunday, November 5, 2023, at Maryland International Raceway. This year’s WCF event drew over 350 racers and a sell-out crowd of nearly 60,000 spectators who traveled to rural St. Mary’s County, Maryland for the show.
The highly competitive Mickey Thompson Outlaw vs. Extreme class features a collection of the fastest cars on the property including the “Blackberry Rocket” driven by Mark Benston Jr. from Selbyville, Delaware. Benston and his team accomplished an impressive feat by resetting the Outlaw Drag Radial ET world record not once, but FOUR times during the weekend!
Initially struggling with the track during qualifying, the Benston team was determined to complete a pass in Q5. Given the highly competitive field, a 5-second qualifying time was essential. The OvE class, the fastest in World Cup Finals history, demanded a flawless pass just to make the show.
During the final qualifying session, Benston’s Nexus R5-equipped, turbocharged Big Block Chevy-powered ’02 Camaro set a record-breaking 5.752 at 254 mph, earning him the 3rd spot on the qualifying sheet but sacrificing an exhausted engine block in the process.
On Race Day Sunday, the team was rebuilt more confident than ever. The car performed exceptionally, consistently improving throughout the eliminations. After securing a first-round win due to an opponent’s breakdown, Benston clocked a remarkable 5.733 at 254 mph in round two, moving on to the semis and setting another world record.
In the semi-finals, he delivered another record-setting run of 5.713 at 252 mph, securing a spot in the finals. There, Benston defeated Street Outlaws star John “The CEO” Odom with a monumental 5.697 at 254 mph pass, not only winning the event but also pushing the world record into the 5.6-second territory for the first time ever.
One of the event’s most exciting stories was WCF newcomer, Ryan “Speedy Peedy” Pederson, making an impressive journey to the Stick Shift finals. In his first appearance at the World Cup Finals, Pederson demonstrated remarkable skill by outperforming several veteran teams, including the class sponsor, Grannas Racing, and their renowned Orange MKIV Supra. Ultimately, he faced Garrett Mitchell, aka “Cleetus McFarland“, in the finals. Although Pederson started strong, a mechanical issue mid-track took the wind out of his sails and his posted time of 7.563 was fast but not enough to defeat Cleetus’s 7.325.
JPC Racing Street Fighter boasts a wide variety of entries, from Mustangs and Supras to a Lamborghini and even a Cadillac. However, the preferred power adder in this class is boost, as demonstrated by Adam Arndt. He blazed a trail with an impressive 6.825 @ 185 mph run in his Procharged, Haltech-controlled Mustang, securing the top qualifying spot.
Always a dark horse, the Connelley Racing team introduced their #BuiltInABarn Fox Body Mustang, the only entry-huffing nitrous. After several converter adjustments, the Connelley team managed to secure a hard-earned 4th place in the late stages of qualifying. In a 16-car class with less than half a second separating them, there were no easy races.
As Sunday arrived and eliminations progressed, an All-Mustang final emerged between Jon Lund’s ’11 and Martin Connelley‘s ’90. The former bested the latter with a 6.792 at 209 mph, and Martin and his team graciously accepted the first runner-up position.
The 2023 Haltech World Cup Finals, presented by Wiseco, witnessed intense competition among some of the world’s top drag racers, leading to the crowning of new champions in 11 categories. Congratulations to all participants! If you couldn’t attend the Maryland event, be sure to mark your calendars for next year.
For additional results and information about next year’s event, please visit the World Cup Finals: Import vs. Domestic website.
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