- Garlits, Allen Johnson and Samuel Hübinette to take part in autograph session, talk with RaceFanRadio.com at the PRI show
- Hot new Mopar Performance Parts and vehicles will also be on display at the Mopar PRI exhibit
- 21st Annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show details
Center Line, Mich. — Mopar®, Chrysler LLC’s Global Service and Parts division, will present drag racing legend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits with a special certificate recognizing Garlits’ purchase of the first production Dodge Challenger Drag Pak Vehicle at the 21st Annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show. The ceremony will take place on the Mopar Stage at the PRI show following the presentation of the Economaki Champion of Champions award, scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. The PRI show will be held Dec. 11–13 at Florida’s Orlando Convention Center.
SpeedFreaks host Kenny Sargent will emcee the event, with remarks by Steve Shugg, Director of Sales and Marketing, Mopar. Garlits will receive the certificate commemorating Dodge Challenger Drag Pak Vehicle No. 001. The Mopar drag racing icon will have his new Drag Pak Vehicle on display near the Mopar Stage along with famed package cars from Mopar’s past, including Dick Landy’s 1964 Dodge Dart and a 1964 lightweight Dodge. Garlits’ Drag Pak Vehicle was delivered straight from the factory to the PRI show, offering prospective Drag Pak owners a glimpse of how the car will look upon delivery.
Garlits piloted one of two Dodge Challenger Drag Pak prototypes (Judy Lilly steered the other) at the 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in July. The factory-developed vehicle kit is based on the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8® and features a weight reduction of 1,000 pounds. Unique additional components include a lift-off hood with functional scoop, Viper-style front seats, polycarbonate door windows and more. Special engine packages based on the 5.7-liter HEMI®, 6.1-liter HEMI and 5.9-liter Magnum® Wedge are offered for the Dodge Challenger Drag Pak Vehicle, which will be eligible to run in popular categories (Stock, Super Stock and Comp Eliminator) and potentially 40 classes in NHRA/IHRA competition.
This will be “Big Daddy’s” third Mopar package car. He received one of the first thirteen 1962 Dodge Max Wedge Drag Cars, and raced a 1963 lightweight Dodge 426 Max Wedge car.
“It’s an honor to get the very first Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak,” said Garlits, who has claimed 17 world championships and 144 national event wins during his storied racing career. “I am going to have fun competing in a car my wife will actually let me drive. I’m not allowed to drive a Top Fuel dragster any more. She said to me after my last 310 mph run at Indy in 2003, ‘I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t do this any more,’ and I knew I had better comply because I didn’t want to come home and find all my stuff piled on the front lawn.”
Garlits plans to race his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak Vehicle in NHRA Division 2 and is aiming to make it to the U.S. Nationals in 2009 to commemorate his sixtieth year in drag racing.
Garlits, Allen Johnson and Samuel Hübinette to take part in autograph session, talk with RaceFanRadio.com at the PRI show
Garlits and Team Mopar drivers Allen Johnson and Samuel Hübinette will interact with show goers and take part in a Mopar autograph session during the PRI show. The autograph signing will take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 11 near the Mopar Stage.
Johnson finished seventh in the NHRA Countdown to 1 Pro Stock playoffs in 2008, scoring three No. 1 Qualifier awards and two runner-up finishes on the season. Johnson will return to the Team Mopar fold in 2009 with a new addition to his J&J Racing team. Pro Stock driver Johnny Gray, also scheduled to appear at the PRI show, will team with Johnson next year, sharing crew chiefs as well as data with Johnson.
Two-time Formula Drift (FD) champion Hübinette finished second in the final 2008 FD standings and has nine career wins, a series high. Hübinette will campaign his new Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger, which made its debut in November at the 2008 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, in FD competition next season.
RaceFanRadio.com will also broadcast live from the Mopar Stage, with hosts Charlie Brown and USAC’S Rob Klepper, along with two special guest hosts—SpeedFreaks’ Sargent and Crash Gladys. For the second straight year, live interviews with motorsports and Team Mopar personalities will originate from the Mopar Stage and will be broadcast to PRI attendees. Fans not in attendance can also listen in via the Web by logging on to Music and Motorsports...24/7 - RaceFanRadio.com.
Hot new Mopar Performance Parts and vehicles will also be on display at the Mopar PRI exhibit
In addition to the planned activities at the Mopar Stage, the Mopar exhibit on the PRI show floor will include the usual assortment of head-turning cars and cutting edge performance parts—all courtesy of Mopar.
Vehicles on display will include Samuel Hübinette’s Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger; the Retro Dodge Challenger Drag Pak Vehicle Garlits piloted at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals; the 2008 Targa Dodge Challenger SRT8, built by the Mopar Underground group; the Mopar Accessories 2009 Dodge Ram R/T; the Yankee Peddler Dodge Challenger; and a Dodge Viper Competition Coupe.
For complete information on the Mopar vehicles and performance parts that will be on display in the Mopar exhibit space, visit http://www.mopar.com/pri2008. The Web site will go live on Thursday, Dec.11, the opening day of the 2008 PRI show.
21st Annual PRI Trade Show details
The 21st Annual PRI Trade Show will be held Dec. 11 – 13. The world's largest racing trade show attracting approximately 42,000 racing industry members worldwide from over 40 countries, PRI provides a professional atmosphere for racing industry product buyers to meet with manufacturers of racing components and shop machinery.
70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.
Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960’s–the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “Special Parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.
Today, Chrysler LLC’s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the distribution of nearly 350,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler Engineering standards.
