More Racing, More Performance, More Smoke, More Horsepower: MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge Expands to Two Tracks, Direct Connection Grudge Match Is Back!

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ --

• For the first time, Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge unleashes two live race venues, effectively doubling racing opportunities:
  • Street-legal drag racing on iconic Woodward Avenue
  • An all-new road course for Roadkill Nights inside M1 Concourse featuring a first-ever performance track shootout for cash and prizes
• All-new Direct Connection Grudge Match format features the 550-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack, powered by the twin-turbo SIXPACK High-Output engine
• New product announcements coming from Dodge
• Tickets for MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge are available now starting at $25 with the choice of a variety of ticket packages

Louder, faster and more action-packed than ever, performance enthusiasts can now buy tickets for the 11th edition of MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge, taking place on August 8, 2026, back on iconic Woodward Ave. at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan.

For the first time, the high-octane event will feature two live racing venues: street-legal drag racing on Woodward, as well as a first-ever road course track shootout for cash and prizes on a new closed course inside M1 Concourse, effectively doubling race opportunities.

Also on tap is an all-new Direct Connection Grudge Match format featuring the gas-powered, 550-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack, with its SIXPACK High-Output (H.O.) engine, and new product announcements from Dodge.

"Roadkill Nights is now in its 11th year, and we continue to grow, with double the racing opportunities this year, bringing more action than we've ever put on pavement," said Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO. "From the intensity of street-legal drag racing on Woodward Avenue to the first-ever road course track shootout inside M1 Concourse, and updated formats to show the power and performance of the new high-octane burning Charger, we're giving fans more horsepower, more competition and more reasons to show up and be part of it."

"At its core, Roadkill Nights is a celebration of speed, horsepower and the people who live for both," said Eric Schwab, senior vice president, sales & strategic development, Hearst Magazines. "This year's event raises the bar with twice the racing, new competition formats and more opportunities for fans to get closer to the action than ever before. We're proud to continue growing this event with Dodge and delivering a full-throttle experience that captures the energy and passion of the performance community."

For First Time Ever -Track Action x 2
New for 2026, Roadkill Nights delivers dual racing experiences simultaneously for the first time, including:

• Woodward Avenue will be transformed into a street-legal drag strip, bringing Big Tire and Small Tire street-legal drag racing back on Woodward Avenue for head-to-head competition on one of America's most iconic roads
• Just off Woodward and inside M1 Concourse, an all-new road course track shootout area at Roadkill Nights will open up competition to racers in a diverse range of makes and models, battling in timed runs on a gate-to-gate course and doubling the racing action for showgoers. Cash prizes will be up for grabs for the top three spots in three classes - Forced Induction, Naturally Aspirated and Under 3L N/A - at the road-course track

A link to race registration for Big Tire and Small Tire drag racing on Woodward Avenue is available at HotRod.com/RoadkillNights. Registration information for the new road course track shootout will be shared at the link in the near future.

Dodge Charger Turbocharges Direct Connection Grudge Match
The Direct Connection Grudge Match reignites with the twin-turbo, 550-horsepower, SIXPACK-powered Dodge Charger Scat Pack as the building block for a new format that amps up competition, storytelling and fan engagement across a multi-event season, with the winning racer and Charger Scat Pack taking center stage at the 2026 SEMA Show. New race format features include:

• Each Direct Connection Grudge Match racer will prep, modify and compete in a Dodge Charger Scat Pack for head-to-head competition beginning at Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge
• Grudge Match competitors will receive technical help from Direct Connection, the Dodge, Ram and Jeep® performance parts brand, throughout the build, as well as a build allowance from Dodge
• More opportunities to see Grudge Match Racers in action: this year's racers will compete in at least two events across the season, as well as submit a timeslip from a local test-and-tune event in September
• Direct Connection Grudge Match season will culminate in a final-four showdown at the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge scheduled for October 29-November 1, 2026
• Winning vehicle will be showcased in the Mopar/Dodge display at SEMA

2026 Direct Connection Grudge Match Competitors

• Demi Bagby - Returning Grudge racer and high-energy athlete and social media standout who turned a career-threatening injury into global influence, bringing fearless, stunt-driven intensity and a growing passion for motorsports
• Rob Dahm - A boundary-pushing builder known for radical rotary engine creations, bringing engineering innovation and extreme performance to the event
• Bryan Kiefer (Kies Motorsports) - CEO/master builder behind Kies Motorsports, known for 1,000-plus horsepower builds, precision engineering and DIY performance expertise, brings high-tech tuning, fabrication innovation and serious power to the event
• John O'Malley - Owner and founder of Boosted Motorsports, known for extreme powertrain swaps, custom fabrication and high-performance builds
• Johnathan Rimbo - Dodge Badassador and HEMI®-devoted builder and engine machinist known for his flame-throwing Challenger Scat Pack and deep Mopar roots, bringing authentic grassroots performance and hands-on expertise to the Grudge stage
• Evan Shanks - New Grudge racer and grassroots builder known for relatable DIY builds, drifting content and technical deep dives, combining hands-on car culture credibility
• Dave Sparks ("Heavy D") - Diesel Brothers star known for building outrageous, high-horsepower diesel machines and over-the-top builds
• Titan Motorsports - Florida-based performance powerhouse and record-setting builder known for five-second quarter-mile capability, advanced in-house R&D and elite high-horsepower engineering, brings proven drag dominance and technical depth

More Than Racing: Full-day Fan Experience
Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge continues to deliver an immersive automotive festival with expanded entertainment and engagement:

• Dodge Charger 60th celebration highlights massive car show
• Dodge Charger Thrill and Drift Rides in SIXPACK gasoline-powered Dodge Charger muscle cars
• Ram brand rumbles into Roadkill with Ram Thrill Rides, performance truck-packed display
• NHRA stars Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan will perform burnouts on Woodard Avenue in their 12,000-horsepower Dodge Nitro-powered drag cars, with fellow NHRA Dodge racer Ida Zetterström also making an appearance at Roadkill
• Ram NASCAR drivers will make their first-ever Roadkill Nights appearance
• Celebrity appearances include:
  • Roadkill stars David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan
  • Media personality and Hemmings Director of Programming Mike Musto, builder and fabricator Suppy Wejpanich of Suppy's Garage, and pro-drifters and X-Comp drivers Corey Hosford and Micah Diaz will perform exhibitions in new Dodge vehicle builds debuting at Roadkill
  • Dylan "Mamba" Smith, a popular NASCAR analyst and Dodge brand ambassador
• Live announcing team will feature Brian Lohnes and KJ Jones
• Dodge vehicles on display will include the Dodge Charger lineup, HEMI-powered Dodge Durango lineup and more
• United Way Silent Auction will support charitable initiatives
• Exhibition runs
• Vendor midway
• Food trucks and much more

Tickets are available now at HotRod.com/RoadkillNights, starting at $25 with a variety of ticket packages available.

MotorTrend
MotorTrend has chronicled the auto industry's past, present, and future since 1949, catering to in-market shoppers and enthusiasts through authoritative, entertaining storytelling, world-class photography, and engaging video presentations. In addition to in-depth coverage of the latest in automotive technology, reporting on breaking news, and features on the biggest personalities, MotorTrend reviews hundreds of new cars every year, leveraging objective testing and the team's extensive expertise. Its renowned MotorTrend Car of the Year, SUV of the Year, and Truck of the Year awards are also internationally recognized as among the most prestigious in the industry. Follow MotorTrend on X, Instagram and Facebook.

Dodge
For 112 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Today, that legacy roars louder than ever in the lineup of Dodge, America's performance brand.

The Dodge Charger multi-energy lineup features:

• SIXPACK-powered 420-horsepower Dodge Charger R/T with the most standard horsepower of any muscle car
• 550-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack, powered by the 3.0L twin-turbo SIXPACK high-output (H.O.) engine - the most powerful Hurricane engine in production
• Quickest and most powerful AWD muscle car in the all-electric 670-horsepower Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack

Every Charger comes standard with all-wheel drive and offers two-door coupe or four-door sedan configurations - because with performance comes choice.

The Dodge lineup is also fueled by the most powerful gas SUV ever, the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, powered by the legendary supercharged HEMI V-8 engine. The Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak breaks free from convention with the three-row SUV, unlocking more than 14 million potential customization combinations. The Dodge Durango R/T 392 delivers the most horsepower per dollar for a gas SUV, and the 360-horsepower 5.7-liter Durango GT HEMI AWD remains the most affordable AWD V-8 in the industry.

The purchase of a SIXPACK-powered Charger Scat Pack, Charger Daytona Scat Pack or Durango SRT Hellcat model includes one day of performance driving instruction at Radford Racing School, the official Dodge//SRT high-performance driving school.

Follow Dodge and company news and video on:
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Dodge brand: dodge.com
Direct Connection: DCPerformance.com
Facebook: facebook.com/dodge
Instagram: @dodgeofficial
X: @dodge and @StellantisNA
YouTube: youtube.com/dodge, youtube.com/StellantisNA

SOURCE Stellantis