Steve Comella Wins Fourth Straight Sox & Martin HEMI® Challenge

Steve Comella has once again proven his dominance in the world of drag racing by winning his fourth consecutive Sox & Martin HEMI® Challenge at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. This special event, held in conjunction with the “Big Go,” has become a showcase for Comella’s skill, as he turned in another outstanding performance to secure the $15,000 top prize.

In the final round, Comella delivered a blistering 8.396-second pass, marking the lowest elapsed time (ET) of the event. His opponent, Bucky Hess, who won the inaugural HEMI Challenge in 2001, put up a strong fight with an 8.411-second run, but it wasn’t enough to overtake Comella’s pace.

Reflecting on his victory, Comella admitted that despite appearances, it wasn’t an easy road to the win. “I’m over tired, over stimulated, and just wired,” Comella said. “If this looked easy, then that’s the best trick I pulled all week. This was a war, and I knew it was going to be. It may look easy, but it’s not.”

Comella’s path to the final was far from smooth. He encountered engine trouble early in the event, which left him wondering if his weekend might end prematurely. “My first thought was, ‘I’m going home. If this isn’t a simple fix, I’m going home,'” he recalled. Despite these setbacks, Comella and his team managed to repair the engine and return to the competition stronger than ever.

Comella started the event as the top qualifier, with a run of 8.424 seconds, just two-thousandths of a second quicker than Hess. His consistency and precision carried him through the elimination rounds, where he secured wins against tough competitors including J.R. Baum, multi-time HEMI Challenge champ Charlie Westcott Jr., and Jim Pancake. In the final round, Comella’s quick reaction time of .014 seconds further demonstrated his prowess behind the wheel.

The 2024 Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge featured one of the most competitive fields in years, with the top ten qualifiers separated by just over a tenth of a second. This close competition made for some of the best side-by-side racing in the event’s history.

“I said a month ago, if you go .050 on the Tree, you’re going home,” Comella noted, emphasizing the importance of quick reactions at the start line. “This class has reached the point where you have to be good [on the starting line] or you’re gone.”

Bucky Hess, a veteran with a long history of success in HEMI-powered race cars, also had an impressive run. He opened eliminations by defeating Mike Skinner and then scored a significant victory against four-time HEMI Challenge champion Jimmy Daniels. Hess’s journey to the final included a win over Anthony Rhodes, earning him a bye into the last round.

In addition to the $15,000 prize, Comella was awarded the event’s signature trophy—a 426 HEMI cylinder head—and secured his status as the SS/AH class champion at the 70th Annual NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Source: NHRA.com