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Mopar unveiling Dodge Challenger drag race pack on July 13

With a name like Challenger, Dodge's new muscle car had better put down some serious quarter-mile times or else be able to propel itself into outer space. Fortunately, Chrysler's performance parts division Mopar is preparing to do one (if not the other) when it unveils its new Drag Race Package for the Challenger at the annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at the Bandimere Speedway in Denver next week.

While specific details on the package – which we previewed in our exclusive video last week – remain scarce before the official debut, the Challenger Drag Race Package marks the 70th anniversary of Mopar and forty years since the company's last factory-built drag-race package. Based on the Challenger SRT8, the Drag Race Package features a composite "Body-in-White" direct from the factory and a host of lightweight components, to say nothing of all the parts being deleted for drag-strip use. The engine has been repositioned and the wheelbase actually shortened to optimize weight distribution and driveline angle. Designed in cooperation with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and previewed back in 2006 by the 392 HEMI Dodge Challenger Super Stock concept at SEMA (pictured above), Mopar will build 100 examples of the race-prepped Challenger with three different engine packages available.

posted : 7/8/2008 @11:15:00 AM
Safety concerns cause NHRA to limit races to 1,000 feet

The NHRA has acted very quickly in an effort to improve the safety of its Top Fuel and Funny Car races. Due to the tragic death recently of '94 and '95 Top Fuel champion Scott Kalitta, the drag strip for these two fastest classes will be shortened from the traditional 1,320 feet to 1,000 feet. Race officials and team managers believe that this compromise will continue to make for an entertaining race as the cars will still be hitting speeds of around 300 mph. This is an interim change as the sanctioning body investigates the crash and its causes, and will stay in effect until more definite changes can be made. The first race which will incorporate the new shorter track length will take place on July 11-13 at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado.
posted : 7/3/2008 @6:31:16 PM
NHRA driver Scott Kalitta killed in NHRA qualifying

It is never pleasant to report auto-related tragedies. Thats why it's particularly saddening to report the death of NHRA driver Scott Kalitta, who suffered a horrific crash during Funny Car qualifying at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ on Saturday. Witnesses pegged his speed to be in the range of 300 mph when his engine exploded, engulfing the car in flames. Kalitta was the '94 and '95 Top Fuel champion and his presence will certainly be missed in the NHRA. He is survived by his wife and two sons. We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Kalitta's family and friends.
posted : 6/22/2008 @8:32:56 PM
Get in, sit down and shut up! Chrysler confirms drag package for Challenger

Fans of going as fast as possible in a straight line, which includes some of us at Autoblog, have reason to rejoice. Chrysler has officially announced that the drag package for its upcoming Challenger, initially shown at SEMA in late 2006, will be released on an unsuspecting public. Previous rumors have the drag pack getting hi-po versions of the 5.9-liter Magnum and Hemi V8's, while jettisoning around eight-hundred pounds of dead weight unnecessary for mass-acceleration. The National Hot Rod Association is said to be going through the package as we speak in order to certify it for racing duty. After all of the necessary paperwork is complete, the Challenger is expected to race in the Stock Eliminator class. According to Chrysler spokeswoman Patricia Georgevich, Chrysler is looking at a possible introduction in July.
posted : 5/17/2008 @5:53:59 PM
Ashley Force makes history with finals win over dad

Score another one for women! Less than a week after Danica Patrick recorded her first IRL win, pro drag racer Ashley Force made history this weekend by becoming the first woman to win a Funny Car national event at the Southern Nationals in Atlanta. Not only is the 25-year-old Force red hot in her second season in the Funny Car division, having been to the finals in each of her last three races and currently leading the Funny Car point standings, but she also knows how to make a headline. Standing in the way of her and history this weekend was her own father, legendary drag racer John Force, who she beat in the finals with a run of 4.837 seconds at 320.36 mph. She also reportedly wrestled her Ford Mustang off the wall in spectacular fashion during the semifinals to beat Jim Head. What could make a poppa prouder, eh? Father Force himself suffered a bad crash last September that broke a few bones, but we're sure his return to the sport is all that much sweeter with his offspring currently holding court in the division. It's kind of like when you finally beat your dad in basketball for the first time, except this isn't basketball and you're using 1,000+horsepower drag racers.
posted : 4/29/2008 @6:58:00 PM
Rumormill: Dodge Challenger SS Drag package weeks away

Just like in the '60s, some people will take their new 2008 Dodge Challengers to the drags. Chrysler is reportedly ready to make this very easy for new Challenger owners. Allpar is reporting that within a few weeks, there will issue forth from Chrysler a Super Stock special version of the Challenger. The intended application is Stock Eliminator drag racing, and the cars get their own VINs and lots of lightening. Powering drivers down the strip will be versions of the Hemi and 5.9 liter Magnum V8s, twisting through manual or automatic boxes.

Jettisoning things like wipers, HVAC, sound deadening and seats make for a Challenger that's definitely not road-ready, but much lighter for track applications. 800 pounds have reportedly been trimmed out of the car through the omission of equipment and special composite body parts. Mechanicals have been modified to better suit the use, too. The main body unit gets tweaks, and the front crossmember is modified to a drop-out unit. Front brakes are largely unnecessary when the nose is in the air for part of the run, so lightweight units have been fitted. The fascia support and cooling system also get the slim-fast treatment. More information will supposedly arrive soon, but a 1,320-pounding neo-E body pony car appears close at hand.
posted : 1/31/2008 @6:27:00 PM
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