If you love the glory days of Pentastar racing and big stomping HEMIs, there’s an upcoming event that resurrects one of the greatest drag racing teams of all time. Sox & Martin is a legendary household name with Mopar racing fans. With Ronnie Sox’s precise driving skills and Buddy Martin’s marketing acumen, they rewrote the sport by attracting new sponsors and raising the standards for professionalism.

In 1967, they debuted the Supercar Clinic program with Chrysler’s Plymouth Division, showcasing muscle cars, Mopar parts, and driving tips at dealerships across the country. Sox & Martin were the founding fathers NHRA’s Pro Stock class in 1970, becoming multi-time world champions.

Sadly, Ronnie Sox passed away in 2006, Buddy Martin remains a key figure in the Mopar community and is frequently seen at events. Sox & Martin also sponsors the annual HEMI Challenge, a specialty race in NHRA history, featuring an array of HEMI-powered 1968 Super Stock Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas.

On November 29-30, 2024, at Piedmont Dragway in Julian, North Carolina, one of the biggest bracket races in the country is going down. Mopar Bracket Racers at the annual two-day Thanksgiving Footbrake Challenge can earn up to a $400 bonus from Sox & Martin for advancing the furthest in eliminations each day. Each day offers a substantial payout of $20,000 for the winner and $5,000 for the runner-up, making the Thanksgiving Footbrake Challenge a prestigious event in the bracket racing community.

“Grassroots Bracket Racing is the heart and soul of this great sport, and we want to show our support for these hardworking competitors,” said Mike McCandless, Founder and CEO of The McCandless Collection. “My nephews are hardcore bracket racers and have done a fantastic job in continuing the family tradition of drag racing. We want to grow the sport and encourage more Mopar racers to come out and compete at this awesome event.”

The Thanksgiving Footbrake Challenge features an eighth-mile competition, a five-tenths full tree, footbrake only, no electronics, single class, and dial-in. Jared Pennington and his partner Steve Stites, who have organized some of the largest money bracket races in the country, now run the event.

“We’re looking forward to upholding this longstanding Thanksgiving race as it’s become a tradition for many racers. Steve (Stites) and I are excited to be taking this great event and taking it to the next level. We’re both drag racers and know what they like and expect when entering a race. Our number one goal is not to mess it up while earning the racer’s trust,” noted Jared Pennington, owner of Coalburg Racing Promotions.

For detailed information on the Thanksgiving Footbrake Challenge, go here.