Dodge Extends Sponsorship of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Event at Maple Grove Raceway; Expands Involvement in Sportsman Ranks
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 7, 2017 -- Dodge has extended its agreement as the title rights sponsor of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event at Maple Grove Raceway for the 2017 season, Dodge and NHRA announced today.
The 33rd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals will be held Sept. 21-24 and serves as the second race in the six-race NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. The event will be a key stop for racers who are battling for a world championship at the conclusion of the season.
"The Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway is one of the premiere events on the NHRA Drag Racing Series calendar," said Brad Gerber, NHRA vice president and chief development officer. "The fan base in the region is one of the most dedicated in the country and fans will witness top NHRA racers battling during the countdown to the championship."
Dodge's commitment to the sport of NHRA Drag Racing continues to be solidified as those who compete with Dodge vehicles in the Super Stock and Stock classes in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will be eligible for additional bonus money during the course of the year. Newly introduced for 2017, the Dodge Top Finisher honor awards $500 each to the Stock and Super Stock drivers in a Dodge or Plymouth vehicle who advance the farthest during eliminations at each of the 24 NHRA National events.
"Extending the Dodge partnership with the NHRA and Maple Grove Raceway is an easy decision. Dodge belongs at the drag strip," said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA - North America. "The raw horsepower and energy that shakes the championship-winning Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car at NHRA weekends inspires the horsepower and performance feel found across the full line of Dodge vehicles."
A new Dodge exhibit will also be displayed on Manufacturers Midway at 15 events this year. In addition, the second annual Mopar Mega Block Party free fan-admission event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 21 in conjunction with the Dodge NHRA Nationals.
NHRA presents 24 national events featuring the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers NHRA Jr. Street program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 5 to 17. In addition, NHRA owns and operates five racing facilities: Atlanta Dragway in Georgia; Gainesville Raceway in Florida; National Trail Raceway in Ohio; Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.
About Dodge and SRT Brands
The Dodge brand is America's mainstream performance brand. With the purification of the brand and consolidation with SRT, Dodge is focusing on its performance roots with every single model it offers. The Dodge and SRT brands offer a complete lineup of performance vehicles that stand out within their own segments. Dodge is the mainstream performance brand and SRT is positioned as the ultimate performance halo of the Dodge brand, together creating a complete and balanced performance brand with one vision and one voice.
From muscle cars to minivans, crossovers and full-size SUVs, the Dodge brand's full lineup of 2017 models deliver best-in-class horsepower, class-exclusive technology, unmatched capability and a slew of cool features, such as LED headlamps, Dodge signature racetrack tail lamps, active exhaust, cold-air induction, 8.4-inch touchscreen Uconnect infotainment centers and 7-inch customizable gauge clusters, to name a few. For the 2017 model year, the Dodge brand lineup features the 25th anniversary Viper, Durango, Grand Caravan, Journey, Charger and Challenger, including the new Charger Daytona and Challenger T/A, as well as the 707-horsepower Challenger SRT Hellcat, the most powerful and fastest muscle car ever and the Charger SRT Hellcat, the quickest, fastest and most powerful sedan in the world.
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SOURCE FCA US LLC
CONTACT: Eileen Wunderlich, FCA US LLC, (248) 512-0332 (office), (248) 705-7962 (cell), eileen.wunderlich@fcagroup.com; Scott R. Smith, National Hot Rod Association, (317) 969-8680 (office), (317) 281-5049 (cell), ssmith@nhra.com
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