Dodge is inviting its enthusiasts and National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) race fans to participate in the “Drag Strip Showdown,” a head-to-head competition in Dodge Challenger SRT Demon simulators where the top four drivers with the best race times win trips to the Dodge//SRT Bondurant Drag Racing School.
The contest winners will be paired with either Mopar Dodge Top Fuel driver Leah Pritchett or Mopar Dodge Charger Funny Car driver Matt Hagan and be coached for the final competition taking place at Bondurant in the 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon – the industry’s first and only purpose-built, street-legal production drag car and the most powerful muscle car ever.
“Always a popular draw at events, the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon simulators provide drivers with incredibly realistic, interactive drag racing experiences as they go head-to-head to see who has the fastest reaction time and quarter-mile time,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge//SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. “Honing these skills in the ‘Drag Strip Showdown’ will be excellent practice for working with Leah Pritchett and Matt Hagan before taking the wheel in an actual 840-horsepower Demon on the Bondurant drag racing track.”
The “Drag Strip Showdown” begins Thursday, July 19 at the 39th annual Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Powered by Mopar near Denver. The showdown runs through November 11 at Dodge-sponsored NHRA races throughout the country, as well as the August 11 Motor Trend Group’s “Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge” popular street drag racing and car festival in Pontiac, Michigan, and the October 30-November 2 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas.
A leaderboard at each event instantly displays competitors’ time and rank after their run. The Dodge Garage digital content hub will also showcase the leaderboard, displaying the top competitors and promoting the competition.
Enthusiasts have another opportunity to attend the Dodge//SRT Bondurant Drag Racing School by entering the “Drag Strip Showdown” sweepstakes component of the promotion at Dodge Garage when the promotion begins July 19. Two additional winners will be randomly selected to receive gift certificates to the school at a date of their choosing.
Racing fans can test their skills in the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon simulators and enter “Drag Strip Showdown” contest at these events:
| EVENT | LOCATION | DATES (all 2018) |
| Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Powered by Mopar | Morrison, CO | July 19-22 |
| Roadkill Nights | Pontiac, MI | August 11 |
| NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals | Brainerd, MN | August 17-19 |
| NHRA U.S. Nationals | Indianapolis, IN | August 30-September 3 |
| NHRA Dodge Nationals | Mohnton, PA | September 13-16 |
| NHRA Midwest Nationals | Madison, IL | September 21-23 |
| NHRA Fall Nationals | Dallas, TX | October 5-7 |
| NHRA Carolina Nationals | Concord, NC | October 12-14 |
| NHRA Nationals – Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV | October 26-28 |
| SEMA | Las Vegas, NV | October 30-November 2 |
| NHRA Finals | Pomona, CA | November 9-11 |
Dodge is the title sponsor of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national event at Bandimere Speedway. The Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Powered by Mopar marks the 30th year that FCA US brands are race sponsors, one of the longest partnerships in all of motorsports.
The supercharged partnership of Dodge and Mopar in NHRA includes increased sponsorship of Leah Pritchett’s Top Fuel dragster, continuing support as primary sponsor of Matt Hagan’s Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car and a new 4,800-square-foot exhibit that combines the brands’ rigs to form one of the largest displays on the NHRA Manufacturers Midway.
Dodge fans can stay in touch with racing news and events at the Dodge Garage, a one-stop digital content hub and premier destination for drag racing and muscle car enthusiasts.
Dodge ‘Drag Strip Showdown’ Contest and Sweepstakes Rules
The “Drag Strip Showdown” promotion consists of a contest that takes place during various events and a sweepstakes that will be available online during event days. Eligible entrants must have a free DodgeGarage.com account and may only participate in the contest while at the events or while the event is underway for the sweepstakes. “Drag Strip Showdown” entrants must be legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 21 years old at the time of entry.
A contest entrant may participate in multiple races at the same or different events from July 19 to November 11; however, only the fastest elapsed race time will be used as the one contest entry. Online sweepstakes entries are limited to one per day per user name, only during the event days when the simulators are running.
Additional contest and sweepstakes details are available here.
About Dodge//SRT
Dodge//SRT offers a complete lineup of performance vehicles that stand out in their own segments. Dodge is America’s 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.
For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge, who founded the brand in 1914. Their influence continues today. New for 2019, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is possessed by the Demon. Its 797-horsepower supercharged HEMI® high-output engine makes it the most powerful, quickest and fastest muscle car reaching 0-60 miles per hour (mph) in 3.4 seconds and the fastest GT production car with a ¼ mile elapsed time (ET) of 10.8 seconds at 131 mph. It also reaches a new top speed of 203 mph. Joining the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with its more powerful 717-horsepower engine, as well as the Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody, which features fender flares from the SRT Hellcat Widebody and adds 3.5 inches of width to Scat Pack’s footprint. The 2019 Dodge Durango SRT, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV with a best-in-class tow rating of 8,700 lbs. fills out the brands’ performance lineup. These visceral performance models join a 2019 brand lineup that includes the Durango, Grand Caravan, Journey, Charger and Challenger—a showroom that offers performance at every price point.
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