Vintage V8 muscle cars are shaking up Indiana drag strips this summer

  • Fans of vintage V8 muscle cars should head to Indiana this summer
  • The 2025 HEMI Challenge sees stunning cars take to the drag strip
  • It’s the longest-running continuous specialty race in NHRA history

 

Published on May 04, 2025 at 6:20 AM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Apr 30, 2025 at 5:40 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain

If you’re a fan of vintage V8 muscle cars, head to Indiana, US, this summer as the 2025 HEMI Challenge sees the stunning cars take to the drag strips.

The annual event is happening on August 29, 2025, at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park during the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Participants have put rubber to the road there every year since its 2001 inception, making it the longest-running continuous specialty race in NHRA history.

This year’s event looks set to be unmissable for a few reasons.

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The vintage V8 muscle cars

The event’s focus is very firmly on rare vintage muscle cars.

A 1968 HEMI-powered Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas in the SS/AH (Super Stock/Automatic HEMI) class are just a couple of the unmissable retro rides that will be there.

The drag race event celebrates the 25th anniversary and legacy of the HEMI Challenge, the longest-running specialty race in NHRA history.

Defending champion, Stephen Comella, will return with his ’68 HEMI Barracuda.

Meanwhile, 2024’s runner-up, Bucky Hess, returns with improved gear ratios, a new tire setup, and more power thanks to Jason Line.

Honorary starter and drag racing pioneer, Buddy Martin, will serve as the honorary starter, reflecting on his past Indy victories.

“I’m honored to be part of this great event,” Martin said.

“Indy holds a special place in my heart.”

Meanwhile, drag-racing legend Herb McCandless, a consistent supporter of the HEMI Challenge, will be in attendance for the 25th time.

“This is the 25th anniversary of the HEMI Challenge, and I’ve never missed one,” he said.

Who can enter the 2025 HEMI Challenge?

This year, there will be a competitor focus on precision tuning, as well as tire choice, and consistent power delivery to gain an advantage.

Entry requirements state that all SS/AH drivers must earn at least one NHRA Grade Point from a qualifying event before entry.

What’s more, participants must submit entries for their cars before the entry deadline of August 22, 2025.

The 2025 event will be sponsored and presented by the McCandless Collection.

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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”