Lee Hartman targets a first NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock win this weekend at Route 66 Raceway, Chicago, buoyed by his son Matthew joining the entry list.

The Canfield, Ohio driver has reached multiple finals in his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak since 2020, yet the breakthrough eludes him despite year-on-year gains.

Matthew steps into a Chevrolet COPO Camaro for his rookie campaign, accelerating the team’s learning rate and adding operational depth across setup, staging, and turnaround.

Chicago’s schedule is compact: two qualifying sessions Friday afternoon, another on Saturday morning to settle the 16-car field, eliminations Saturday evening, and finals on Sunday.

Route 66 Raceway’s reputation for a consistent surface should reward clean launches and clutch calibration, conditions Hartman believes suit his Drag Pak.

Working alongside Matthew raises Lee’s confidence and sharpens execution. Six years after serving as his father’s crew chief, Matthew now shares the cockpit workload and decision-making.

Results follow quickly. Matthew clears round one in his first two starts, helped by preseason Gainesville testing that accelerated procedures and reaction-time consistency.

The class balances Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge packages under tight rules, so incremental gains in launch control, blower management, and shift strategy often decide matchups.

Defending champion Jason Dietsch arrives confident after winning Chicago last year and capitalizing at the rain-delayed Gatornationals with a double victory.

Dietsch seeks to extend his points advantage, making qualifying position and lane choice pivotal for anyone chasing him, including the Hartman duo.

Despite running different manufacturers, the Hartmans pool data on track temperature, sixty-foot times, and shift windows, tightening baselines and shortening turnaround calls between rounds.

The storyline is clear. If execution matches recent pace, Chicago offers Lee Hartman a realistic first-win opportunity, with Matthew’s progress strengthening the campaign.

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Nicholas Rivera

Nicholas Rivera delivers NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car news, including eliminator-round results and reaction-time stats. He brings track-side interviews, contender profiles, and championship-point breakdowns straight from drag-racing’s biggest national events.