Dodge//SRT and Mopar Brands to Offer Complimentary Drag Race Experience for National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Competitors in 2018
National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Dodge/Mopar HEMI® Shootout category to offer Mopar-powered competitors complimentary entry at all 2018 NMCA events
Racers in model year 2005 and newer FCA US LLC vehicles will receive complimentary entry to battle in Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout
NMCA season kicks off in Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida on March 8-11
Fields open to modern-day Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles, including 707 horsepower Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat, 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, Chrysler 300 and more FCA US nameplates
Awards and prizes up for grabs in nine different categories
Vehicle owners can register online for HEMI Shootout at www.NMCAdigital.com/hemi
New Dodge Garage (http://www.dodgegarage.com/), a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts, to feature Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout coverage
March 6, 2018, Auburn Hills, Michigan – The Dodge//SRT and Mopar brands are teaming up with the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) to offer complimentary customer drag racing experiences exclusively at NMCA race events for the 2018 season. Mopar-powered competitors in model year 2005 and newer FCA US LLC vehicles will receive complimentary entry to battle it out in the NMCA Dodge/Mopar HEMI® Shootout category, giving owners the opportunity to race their vehicles in a sanctioned and secure drag strip environment.
Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout fields are expected to draw a unique mix of modern-day FCA US vehicle nameplates, such as Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger vehicles in a variety of models, including the 485-horsepower Dodge Challenger and Charger Scat Pack models, 707-horsepower Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat models, the 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, as well as Chrysler 300, Ram truck and Jeep® vehicles.
The NMCA season kicks off with the 16th Annual NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, March 8-11, 2018.
“The National Muscle Car Association series is an excellent venue for Dodge//SRT and Mopar to give owners of our modern-day FCA US LLC vehicles, including the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger, the opportunity to drag race in a sanctioned, controlled environment,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Cars, Dodge//SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA North America. “We’re continuing our efforts to take racing off the street and put it where it belongs — the drag strip — by providing complimentary entry into the Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout category.”
“Together, the Mopar and Dodge brands share a long and respected legacy in the world of drag racing, and we’re proud to add another chapter to that tradition with this new initiative in the NMCA,” said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA. “Mopar is about providing owners with the tools they need to not only be fast on the strip, but also secure on the streets, and this new program helps us push forward to reaching those goals.”
Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout: The Facts
Vehicles entered in the Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout must be licensed, insured and street driven, on street-legal tires and must be model year 2005 or newer FCA US vehicles (Viper models permitted). While geared toward Gen III HEMI-engine-powered machines, vehicles with alternate Mopar engines will also be eligible for complimentary entry.
The Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout class is open to the first 75 vehicle owners to register for each NMCA event, with each complimentary entry — valued up to $175 — good for one car/driver participant credential. Vehicle owners can register online at www.NMCAdigital.com/hemi for the Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout, which will be featured at all six races on the 2018 NMCA national event schedule. NMCA membership not required to participate.
NMCA will offer Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout competitors an easy and fun experience, with personalized, step-by-step instruction available. The Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout will take place on Saturday at each NMCA event, but all participants are welcome to arrive on Thursday and/or Friday of race weekend for early registration, instruction and test-and-tune passes down the dragstrip. Competitors are encouraged to race at their own pace, depending on each participant’s comfort level.
Although competitors will stage side-by-side for runs down the quarter-mile, drivers will not race head-to-head. Participants will compete against the clock and will be measured in elapsed time (ET) down the track, taking reaction time off the starting line out of the equation.
Participants will be allowed three passes down the drag strip. NMCA staff will average the three passes by each competitor, with the quickest averages in seven different ET categories — from the nine to 15 second ET range — earning an award and $100 cash courtesy of NMCA. The overall ET runner-up will also receive $100 and an award, with the quickest overall ET winner taking home $250 and the NMCA Victor award.
Each Dodge/Mopar HEMI Shootout participant will also receive a free collectible license plate. As an added bonus, participants who would like to extend their racing experience will also receive complimentary entry into the Sunday Bracket 3/Street class at each NMCA event.
