Dodge Family of Racers Takes to the Staging Lanes for the Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

• The National Hot Rod Association's (NHRA) cornerstone and world's biggest drag-racing competition, the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, is set to take place September 1-5 at Lucas Oil Raceway
• In early 2021, Dodge//SRT (Street and Racing Technology) performance brands announced the addition of the oldest and most prestigious drag-racing event to their portfolio of event title sponsorships with a multiyear deal
• 2016 U.S. Nationals winner Matt Hagan and his Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye come to Indianapolis with two wins this season, the Funny Car points lead and is ready for the final regular season race before the Countdown to the Championship playoff series begins
• DSR pilot Leah Pruett aims to take her Dodge//SRT Redeye Top Fuel Dragster a step further after finishing runner-up in 2020 at the "Big Go" and repeating her 2018 Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) win as she looks to double up on hardware
• DSR will campaign three new 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak entries in Factory Stock Showdown, with Pruett looking to repeat her 2018 Indy victory
• Dodge HEMI® Challenge marks its 20th anniversary as a specialty race at the 2021 Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Series is gearing up for its cornerstone event, the 67th edition of the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals, with drag racers from across the country and various parts of the world getting ready to hit the staging lanes at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis, Indiana, September 1-5.

At the season start, Dodge and SRT (Street and Racing Technology) performance brands announced an expansion of their support for the series with the addition of the oldest and most prestigious of drag-racing events to their portfolio of event title sponsorships with a multiyear deal.

"As the new title sponsor of the 67th NHRA U.S. Nationals, Dodge//SRT is showing off its passion for performance to America's motorsports enthusiasts," said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand Chief Executive Officer - Stellantis. "The Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals is drag racing's marquee event. In these cars, these drivers and these fans, you'll find the heart of the Dodge brand and our Brotherhood of Muscle. Dodge's performance history is closely tied to this sport and you'll find a long list of successful Dodge race cars that have competed here over the years. Our teams are ready to write another winning chapter in this event's storied history."

While attending the event affectionately known as the "Big Go" is an assured bucket-list item for any passionate motorsports enthusiast, competing at the Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals remains a priority item for serious drag racers in any category. Standing proudly upon its tallest pedestal with a Wally trophy in hand remains a coveted addition to every drag racer's list of career accomplishments.

"It's the biggest race of our season and the thing about Indy is you want to win it," said three-time and defending NHRA Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan, who powered his Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car from No. 1 qualifier position to the winner's circle at Indianapolis in 2016. "I've been blessed to win it, but there are a lot of great drivers that haven't won it. But you always want another one. I'm greedy. You want to go out there and battle and put another (Wally trophy) on the shelf."

As Hagan gets set to compete in his 14th Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals, he'll take the red, black and chrome "demon-possessed" Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye to the staging lanes for the final regular season event as the current Funny Car points leader and the tour's most recent winner. With wins in two of the last five events — the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota, and the Dodge//SRT Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado — Hagan has put himself in prime position for the Countdown to the Championship playoff series.

"I'm feeling super confident in our guys," added Hagan. "They're busting their butts and turning the car around in 30 minutes. Car Chief Alex Conaway, Assistant Crew Chief Mike Knudsen and Crew Chief Dickie Venables are doing a great job with our Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye. I'm trying to do my job, starting and leaving on time, and I think it's starting to click and it will come together. It's going to be amazing."

After a one-year hiatus, the NHRA returns to using the unique points-and-a-half format for this final race of the regular season, providing drivers one last chance to jostle for positions before the points are reset and the field tightened heading into the playoffs, which begin the following week at the Mopar Express Lane Nationals Presented by Pennzoil near Reading, Pennsylvania.

DSR teammate Ron Capps is also in the mix of the championship hunt, sitting in fifth place with a win last month in Pomona, California, and less than a round from the points lead. His focus is firmly on the task at hand, the 27-year Funny Car veteran has never won the coveted Wally trophy at the "Big Go."

Capps came close in 2017, driving his DSR NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to a runner-up finish. While he captured an event win on the Indianapolis track last summer for the Dodge Indy Nationals, one of three events held at the track due to an adapted pandemic schedule, he is intent on chasing that elusive Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals win.

The third member of the Dodge Funny Car stable of drivers looking to get in four rounds of racing with his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat on Labor Day weekend is three-time winner Cruz Pedregon. The Cruz Pedregon Racing team has been coming on strong this season with consistent performances that have earned a win (Norwalk), a runner-up finish and an eighth-place spot in the current Funny Car season point standings.

DSR Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett piloted her Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye dragster to a runner-up finish in her first career final elimination round at the world's most famous drag race last year. While focused on turning that into a win this year, Pruett has a specific idea of what the ultimate prize is for her.

"I always conceptualize winning Indy as a 'snow globe.' We all see what it looks like from the outside, yet want to be inside," said Pruett. "We've heard stories of how magical it is inside that globe from those that have visited by way of a win, and see the prestige that goes with it. Some call this place the winners circle but for this Dodge team it is our globe. The more years I race Indy, the less I become infatuated with having a name tied to the prestigious race win and more obsessed with our journey, memories and character building through the challenges of obtaining such a goal."

Pruett will take on the added challenge at the "Big Go" of again competing in both the Top Fuel category and Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown (FSS), the eight-race series showcasing Detroit's finest drag-racing ready, factory-built vehicles. That presents Pruett with the opportunity to double-up on trophy hardware and add her own iconic moment to the legendary event aboard her 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak, but she knows that the ride is what makes that destination even sweeter.

"My perspective may be somewhat unconventional, but it is because I was fortunate enough to experience the Indy 'snow globe' of prestige when the Mopar Drag Pak (FSS) team won the U.S. Nationals in 2018. Some of my highest ranked memories are of that win because it was tough and ultimately the pinnacle of races to accomplish a win."

Pruett will be joined by teammates Mark Pawuk and David Davies as DSR campaigns three Mopar Drag Pak entries at this year's event to battle among a large 30-plus-car qualifying field.

"Our ability to rise and gain momentum when needed is what excites me about the upcoming Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals," added Pruett. "The continued support of Dodge across all levels of the NHRA speaks volumes and we plan to make the loudest roar at their biggest race. A Top Fuel and Factory Stock Showdown win on the same day, although elusive, is not impossible. The momentum with the new Mopar Drag Pak has been promising, as seen by our recent results of back-to-back finals, current point standings and the relentlessness of the team to keep the Mopar flag flying strong and high."

While the new-generation Mopar Drag Pak is showcased in FSS, the racing heritage of Mopar and Dodge will be on display as the ever-popular Dodge HEMI® Challenge returns to the U.S. Nationals for its 20th anniversary. The longest running, continuous, specialty race in NHRA history features heads-up, wheel standing, and side-by-side racing of vintage HEMI-powered 1968 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda "package cars" that have dominated the NHRA Super Stock (SS/AH) class for more than five decades.

Fans who can't make it to the Lucas Oil Raceway to watch all the action can tune in online via NHRA.TV and its subscription-based, video-on-demand coverage of live racing action throughout the weekend.

Television coverage of Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying will air on FS1 on Friday, Sept. 3, 7-9 p.m. (ET) and Sunday, Sept. 5, 9-10 a.m. Elimination rounds at the 67th edition of the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals will air on FS1 on Sunday, Sept. 5, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., then will move to the FOX television network 1-4 p.m. for live final round action.

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News
Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com. 

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram
The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Mopar
Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) offers exceptional service, parts and customer care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, the brand expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Mopar is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com. 

Follow Mopar and company news and video on:
Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Mopar brand: www.mopar.com
Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mopar
Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialmopar
Twitter: @OfficialMOPAR
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Dodge//SRT
For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

2021 marks the year that Dodge is distilled into a pure performance brand, offering Hellcat-powered, 700-plus-horsepower SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2021 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the new 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the new 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry's most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2020, Dodge was named the "#1 Brand in Initial Quality," making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). The Dodge brand also ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market). These results are historic because it marks the first time a domestic brand has earned top spots in both J.D. Power studies in the same year.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge and company news and video on:
Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Dodge brand: www.dodge.com
DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial
Twitter: @Dodge and @StellantisNAY
YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

SOURCE Stellantis