World Champion Mark Pawuk Chases Historic Three-peat As Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Revs Up At Nhra Gatornationals

GAINSVILLE, FL (March 3, 2026) — The 2026 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series will rev up March 5-8, 2026, at the historic NHRA Gatornationals, with two-time world champ Mark Pawuk looking to hold off a host of challengers. Pawuk, the 2024 Gatornationals winner, will strap into the all-new, Hemi-powered 2026 Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection and will face some of the toughest competition from Ford Cobra Jets and Chevrolet COPO Camaros in on-track action over a nine-race coast to coast schedule. The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series will be one of the many highlight classes at Gainesville Raceway as the NHRA celebrates its 75th anniversary as the premiere drag racing sanctioning body in the world.

“I started racing in the 1970s with Dodge and Plymouth, and I’ll finish my career with Dodge,” Pawuk said. “Debuting the new Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak during the NHRA’s 75th anniversary is special. We see tremendous potential. It’ll take time to develop—but I want to win one of those 75th-season Wallys, and I believe this car can do it.”

Pawuk’s return follows a dominant two-year run in the Empaco Equipment Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak, where he claimed back-to-back championships in 2024–2025 with victories at Bristol and Norwalk, plus multiple semifinal finishes. After several successful test sessions in Florida, the veteran from Richfield, Ohio, now sets his sights on a historic three-peat—this time in an entirely new platform.

“Did I think I'd get two world championships? No,” said Pawuk. “Now I'm going to try for three, and all I can do is hope and pray that everything goes our way. We have a lot of tough competition out there again.”

Looking to stop Pawuk’s reign as world champion will be perennial championship contenders Scott Libersher and Lee Hartman. Libersher and his Chevrolet COPO Camaro are eager to get back on track and start a new season. The excitement level is not lost on the veteran driver from Wilmington, Ill., who has been battling with Pawuk for years.

"Dodge has got some stuff going on so I am kind of interested to see what's going on with the competition,” said Libersher. “We did some engine work with a little R&D with Barton Racing and we got a bit more horsepower for this Chevy. This is the first time I'll be in the race car this year, and I think it's just kind of like opening day with baseball. I like seeing what everybody's doing and it's the whole vibe.”

For Hartman he will bring his competitive Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to the Gatornationals looking for his first career win in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series. He raced to several final rounds last season but the driver from Canfield, Ohio will be looking to break through in 2026. His first opportunity for victory will be this weekend.

“After looking at the Weather Channel, it looks like we're gonna have a great week,” said Hartman. “I believe that the first race is go time, right? When we finished the last race at St. Louis, as soon as we crossed the finish line, we started thinking about this season. ‘What can we do better?’ We spent all winter reviewing what we did in the past at every location, every race. We looked at what worked and what didn't work. The Gatornationals will be the first chance to see all that hard work pay off.”

“Winning the Gatornationals would be awesome, but there's some loaded guns coming this year. My son's one of them, so he's not going to be laying down lightly for dad or anyone else. Aaron and Greg Stanfield have been working with him. We are looking to have a lot of success this year,” added Hartman.

Qualifying in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown category is scheduled for Friday at 12:45 p.m. ET, with eliminations scheduled at 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday. Tune in to NHRA.tv to watch this historic race milestone live!

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