The NHRA Factory Stock Showdown will be expanded to three events for the 2013 season with new stops at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events in Englishtown, May 30-June 2, and Charlotte, September 13-15.

The new venues will bookend the stop at the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis Labor Day weekend, August 28-September 2, where the program was introduced last year.

In addition to expanding the number of events, the class has been split into two classes within Stock eliminator. The split will bring more parity into the program and, combined with new class indexes, is expected to draw more participation. The new classes of competition will be:

* FS/AC: Minimum weight up to 400 cid, 3,250 pounds; 401 to 450 cid, 3,350 pounds; 10.50 index

* FS/DC: Minimum weight 451-plus cid, 3,200 pounds; all supercharged, 3,500 pounds; 10.20 index

Each of the two classes will run as a separate category within Stock class eliminations during the Englishtown and Indianapolis events, and the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown in Charlotte will be contested as a stand-alone event with a winner being crowned in each.

The two winners will then square off for the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown championship using a three-tenths staggered start. Each of the two class winners will receive an NHRA class Wally as well as any contingency posted awards at the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Bo Butner took the win at the inaugural NHRA Factory Stock Showdown last year in his Cobra Jet Mustang, running 9.10 seconds to beat Brett Candies.

The NHRA Factory Stock Showdown was designed to showcase the NHRA Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, Dodge Mopar Challenger Drag Pak, and Chevrolet COPO Camaro.