Mopar to Debut New Dodge Stratus R/T in Pomona
Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 43rd Annual K&N Filters NHRA Winternationals Pomona Raceway Pomona, California Dodge Stratus R/T Slated to Make NHRA Debut Mopar Pro Stock Contingent Poised for 2003 Lid Lifter POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 3, 2003) The much-anticipated wait for Mopar¹s 2003 Dodge Stratus R/T Pro Stock effort will finally culminate on Feb. 6, as the POWERade Drag Racing Series opens the NHRA season at Pomona Raceway with the 43rd annual K&N Filters Winternationals. Gene Wilson, 2002 NHRA Rookie of the Year, has teamed up with Larry Morgan and an expanded Larry Morgan Racing operation for this season. The Ohio-based Mopar factory Pro Stock team will be the first to run the Dodge Stratus R/T in competition. The other two-car Mopar factory program features Tennessee¹s Allen Johnson and three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion Darrell Alderman. That team has targeted the historic Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway for its Stratus R/T unveiling. ³I haven¹t been this pumped in a long time,² said Wilson, 30, who made three final-round appearances in the second half of the 2002 season. ³We had some strong finishes last year and I want to carry that momentum into the upcoming season. I¹m anxious to get underway. ³Larry is just a super guy,² Wilson continued. ³And that¹s just one of the reasons why I¹m real confident about this upcoming season. Larry¹s been working on a lot of new things and, combined with the Mopar engineers, we have all the tools to be successful. It¹s not just been the Mopar aero engineers either, their mechanical engineers have really made a lot of innovations to the Hemi engine and I think a lot of the Mopar fans will be pleased with what¹s been produced.² Morgan has been busy putting all the pieces in place for his larger operation. As a one-car, Mopar-supported independent last season, Morgan proved his metal by grabbing a national event victory during NHRA¹s Infineon Raceway tilt in Sonoma, Calif., last August. It was Morgan¹s first taste of victory lane since 1994. ³I¹m very excited about having a two-car team,² said Morgan, who has nine NHRA Pro Stock and seven Sportsman category national event victories to his credit. ³We¹re going to learn a lot from both cars and that¹s our goal to step up and do it right. I¹ve never had that opportunity before, so I¹m real positive about it. ³It¹s been pretty hectic,² Morgan continued. ³Everybody here has been pretty worn out taking trailers over, getting these new cars straightened out and getting my new teammate Gene (Wilson) taken care of. It¹s been quite a job. We also have a new dyno, so we¹ve been trying to get that straightened out as well. If we do well in Pomona it will be a good thing. I would understand if we don¹t do as well there because we¹ve certainly had a lot of things going on. To be honest with you, if we just get there and make runs I¹ll be happy.² Morgan recently took delivery of the first Jerry Haas-built Stratus body, and has loaded his team with experience and talent. Former (Ron) Krisher Racing wrench Jim Coakley; Jim Yates former crew chief Rich Purty and former Mark Whisnant crew chief James Riker all joined Larry Morgan Racing over the offseason. ³We¹re really lucky to have these cars ready for Pomona because we¹ve been working day and night, ³Morgan stated. ³And so have the guys at Haas. I can¹t say enough for those guys over at Haas, for what they¹ve done. I took a body there about five weeks ago, and I have a car in front of me right now. That¹s hard to do. We¹ve been lucky. We¹re going to have two cars. To do that, we¹re pretty lucky to have a chassis builder that would do that.² ³We hired a lot of good, influential people,² Morgan added. ³We feel that all of us together can make the right moves and do the right things. I think it¹s going to be good.² Both Alderman and Johnson have been strong in early season testing. Alderman, winner of last season¹s Gatornationals, recorded a very quick 6.72-second unofficial elapsed time in Bradenton, Fla. And last year¹s Atlanta Dragway national event Pro Stock winner Johnson recorded an amazing unofficial lap of 205.85 mph during the same testing session. The current national elapsed-time record is 6.750 seconds; while the national-speed record is 204.35 mph, set by a Hemi-powered mount in 2001. Johnson joins the Mopar program after campaigning as an independent Mopar team the past few seasons. ³Bradenton typically has Œmineshaft¹ conditions during winter testing,² said 28-time NHRA national event winner Alderman, referring to the perfect weather and track conditions. ³But we were very pleased with what Allen and (engine builder) Roy (Johnson) learned about the Hemi over the offseason. The car feels real comfortable right now, which has me excited at making a run at this championship. I sure would like to win another one before I retire.² Mopar Motorsports Drag Racing Program Manager Brett Fischer spoke about the project coming together. ³We¹ve spent a lot of time perfecting this new Dodge Stratus R/T Pro Stock car,² said Fischer, who took over the program at the end of the 2000 NHRA season. ³Our Mopar engineers, especially lead Terry DeKoninck have done a tremendous job on this car. The wind tunnel numbers have been outstanding, and I know both teams have found some more horsepower in the Hemi engine over the break. We have the tools to win the championship. Now we have to prove it on track.² As for how the new Stratus looks to the naked eyeŠ ³It¹s the most awesome looking car that I¹ve ever seen,² Morgan said. It¹s a whole new ballgame for Mopar this season. -Mopar.com- David Harris, Cox Marketing Group Public Relations Manager Mopar Motorsports (704) 799-2114 office (704) 756-9301 - mobile