READING, Pa. (September 18, 2022) –David Barton and his Saw Mill Auto Chevrolet COPO Camaro picked up their second consecutive Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown victory Sunday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the seventh of eight events on the 2022 season schedule.
David Barton, winner Pep Boys Nationals, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery
Barton, who was also the No. 1 qualifier, started the day taking on Lenny Lottig after defeating Jonathon Allegrucci in the first round Saturday. Barton would handle his Saw Mill Auto Chevy to a 7.772-second pass at 173.67 mph to better Lottig’s 7.836 at 173.56 setting Barton up to race 2021 U.S. Nationals champion Jesse Alexandra.
In the semifinals, Barton had a 7.744-second pass at 174.73 mph in his COPO Camaro bettering Alexandra’s 7.771 at 177.04 to send him to another final round, this time to face the reigning world champion, Aaron Stanfield. It would be close race, but one Barton would end up on top handling the Camaro to a 7.752 at 177.44 over Stanfield’s 7.824 at 175.96.
“We picked up and I finally got Stanfield covered for once. He has been kicking my butt for two years. We are finally ahead of him for a couple of races. To stay ahead of Bill Skillman and Stanfield is just a dream come true. All the right things happened for our team this weekend” said Barton, a Robesonia, Pennsylvania native. “We moved here from Canada 30 years ago and it feels really great to get this win at home. I have been coming here since I was a little kid. It was cool to have all our friends and family here as well as the employees from the shop. They do so much work it was cool for them to see the win at the track. The competition is so fierce in this class. The track was playing games with us all weekend. To get it just right and cut a good light, it means a lot.”
All Barton needs to do now is qualify at the final race of the season, the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals to clinch the 2022 Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Championship.
“The competition is so tough out here. To stay ahead of Bill Skillman and Stanfield is just a dream come true,” Barton said.
David Barton Pep Boys Nationals winner’s circle, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery
Barton also built his bounty to $2,000 after two consecutive weekends of victories through the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program. He’ll continue to carry the bounty until he is defeated in an elimination round.
Hoping for some chance at the championship, Bill Skillman in his Ray Skillman Ford Cobra Jet, had a second-round loss to Daniel Condon on Sunday. Condon crossed the finish line with a 7.845 at 174.46 mph to defeat Skillman’s 7.913 at 175.89. Skillman remains second in points for the championship.
The ongoing battle between Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks will pick up at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas, September 14-16.
2022 Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Schedule/Results
Gainesville – Lenny Lottig, winner; Anthony Troyer, runner-up
Charlotte1 – Bill Skillman, winner, David Barton, runner-up
Richmond – Bill Skillman, winner, Dan Condon, runner-up
Bristol – David Barton, winner, Stephen Bell, runner-up
Norwalk – Bill Skillman, winner, David Barton, runner-up
Indianapolis – David Barton, winner, Aaron Stanfield, runner-up
Reading – David Barton, winner, Aaron Stanfield, runner-up
Dallas, Fall Nationals, October 14-16
Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Top Ten Points Standings:
- David Barton 682
- Bill Skillman 566
- Aaron Stanfield 468
- Lenny Lottig 405
- Mark Pawuk 363
- Dan Condon 350
- David Janac 336
- David Davies III 331
- Jesse Alexandra 301
- Anthony Troyer 300
About Constant Aviation
Constant Aviation specializes in aircraft and engine maintenance, major repairs, avionics, interiors and paint. In addition, it offers mobile response services through its AOG division, and accessory and composite services through its Nextant Aerospace division. With more than 15 years of expertise in a comprehensive array of business jet airframes, Constant Aviation has raised the bar in aircraft maintenance expectations by focusing on quality, always. Constant Aviation is the official aircraft maintenance and AOG support of the NHRA and the title sponsor of the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class. For more information, visit https://www.constantaviation.com/ or call 216.261.7119. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.