Mark Pawuk Closes Championship Season with Flexjet Midwest Nationals Win
September 29, 2024
ST LOUIS (September 29, 2024) — The final race of the 2024 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series featured a fierce world championship battle and the opportunity for a COPO Camaro, Dodge Drag Pak of Ford Mustang Cobra Jet driver to win the tenth race of the season. Rain washed away the first day of qualifying when storms blew through the St. Louis area forcing NHRA officials to cancel racing action on Friday. On race day it was Mark Pawuk dominating the field winning for the second time this season outrunning No. 1 qualifier Jonathan Allegrucci in the final.
“I wanted to win this race so no matter what we could say we started the season and ended the season with a win,” said Pawuk, a three-time finalist in 2024. “We won the Gatornationals to start the season and we got the last win of the season. I am so proud of this team.”
After Saturday’s qualifying sessions Allegrucci and his 2019 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet stood atop the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown field as the No. 1 qualifier. It was Allegrucci’s first career No. 1 and for the driver from Scott Township, Pennsylvania, it was a rush of emotion at the end of the day.
“Getting this No. 1 is everything, and not just for Ford, but everybody on our team,” said Allegrucci. “Everybody has been pulling weight all year. This No. 1 is a tribute to them and what they’re doing all season. This doesn’t happen because of me, it is the team behind me. Coming here from Maple Grove where we were running well, we didn’t change much. I don’t know how to put something like this into words, but this is amazing.”
In tense first round on Saturday night the four drivers battling for the championship David Janac, Stephen Bell, Pawuk and Scott Libersher all won their first round races. Allegrucci earned a competition bye in the first round and took on Lee Hartman in the second round getting his second win light of the event. Pawuk earned a competition bye in the second round setting up an exciting semifinal round after Stephen Bell defeated the point leader David Janac in the quarterfinals.
“A lot of race days I have a feeling in the morning that I will have a great day,” said Pawuk. “I didn’t have that feeling today. I had a bye first round this morning and I was a nervous wreck. I don’t know why, but then I kind of calmed down a little bit. I was struggling a little bit with my driving this weekend. It all came together when I needed it. We had a great competitive season this year. We got two big wins and the championship. I am just so proud of everyone on my team.”
The semifinals settled the world championship for Pawuk when Allegrucci defeated Bell and Pawuk outran Libersher. With the semifinal championship clinching win Pawuk also won the Flexjet $1,000 bounty taking out the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals winner Libersher. It was Pawuk’s third bounty win of the season.
It was a classic Dodge versus Ford final round with Pawuk and his Empaco Dodge Drag Pak pulling up beside Allegrucci and his white Mustang Cobra Jet in the NHRA Midwest Nationals final. Allegrucci’s Cobra Jet looked almost unbeatable, but Pawuk was riding a wave of momentum to the final looking to bookend the season with another win. Proving that he was ready to take on the No. 1 qualifier Pawuk had a .023 second reaction time combined with a 7.792 second, 176.28 mph to get the win over Allegrucci’s .038 reaction time along with 7.833 second, 175.96 mph.
“When you are racing the No. 1 qualifier you have to be at the top of your game,” said Pawuk. “Jonathan is a tough competitor and he has a great race car. I didn’t want to make a mistake and we got the win. Today was a dream come true.”
2024 Flexjet Bounty Program
Gatornationals (Gainesville, Fla.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Mark Pawuk, defeated Stephen Bell (Norwalk winner)
Winternationals (Pomona, Calif)
$1,000 bounty collected by David Davies II, defeated Mark Pawuk (Gatornationals winner)
Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals (Las Vegas, Nev.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Mark Pawuk, defeated Stephen Bell (Winternationals winner)
Route 66 Nationals (Chicago, Ill.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Lee Hartmand, defeated Ricky Hord (Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals)
Thunder Valley Nationals (Bristol, Tenn.)
$1,000 bounty collected by David Janac, defeated Stephen Bell (Route 66 Nationals)
Summit Racing Nationals (Norwalk, Ohio)
$1,000 bounty collected by Stephen Bell, defeated David Janac (Thunder Valley Nationals)
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals (Brainerd, Minn.)
$1,000 bounty collected by David Janac, defeated Stephen Bell (Summit Racing Nationals)
Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis, Ind.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Kevin Skinner, defeated Scott Libersher (Lucas Oil Nationals)
Pep Boys NHRA Nationals (Reading, Penn.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Anthony Troyer, defeated Jason Dietsch (Toyota U.S. Nationals No. 1 qualifier)
Midwest NHRA Nationals (St. Louis, MO)
$1,000 bounty collected by Mark Pawuk, defeated Scott Libersher (Pep Boys NHRA Nationals)
2024 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Results
Gainesville – Mark Pawuk, winner; Stephen Bell, runner-up
Pomona – Stephen Bell, winner; David Davies II, runner-up
Las Vegas – Ricky Hord, winner; David Janac, runner-up
Chicago – Stephen Bell, winner; Lee Hartman, runner-up
Bristol – David Janac, winner; Stephen Bell, runner-up
Norwalk – Stephen Bell, winner; Mark Pawuk, runner-up
Brainerd – Scott Libersher, winner; David Janac, runner-up
Indianapolis – Kevin Skinner, winner; Raymond Nash, runner-up
Reading – Scott Libersher, winner; Stephen Bell, runner-up
St. Louis – Mark Pawuk, winner; Jonathan Allegrucci, runner-up
Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Point Standings
- Mark Pawuk — 777
- David Janac — 752
- Stephen Bell — 747
- Scott Libersher — 729
- Ricky Hord — 542
- Anthony Troyer — 412
- Tony Scott Jr. — 383
- Lee Hartman — 366
- David Davies III — 336
- Raymond Nash — 326
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