OREANDA-NEWS. June 29, 2015. Each engine version carries a unique graphic identification package. The supercharged hot rod displays a Mopar Blue stripe and a “354 Supercharged” graphic insignia, while the naturally aspirated (N/A) Drag Pak sports a horizontal black stripe along its side with a 426 HEMI engine graphic identification.

The new Drag Pak includes the Dodge Challenger front and rear fascia trim and a redesigned full roll cage fabricated to NHRA specifications. The cockpit
reflects the Dodge Challenger interior, but with the addition of a Mopar gauge pack, driver and passenger lightweight racing seats, along with a safety net and a five-point harness.

The Mopar Drag Pak is equipped with 15-inch front and rear lightweight wheels displaying the unique Mopar logo. Mounted on those wheels will be Hoosier drag radials with front tires that measure 28 inches in diameter by 4.5 inches wide, and rear tires that are 30 inches in diameter by 9 inches wide. The car will also feature slotted front and rear brake rotors, with race-specific calipers and master cylinder.


The vehicle also includes a more user-friendly hood, hinged at the rear to make between rounds under hood maintenance an easier task. Another small but essential detail that racers will appreciate is the addition of integrated trailer tie-down loops on the front and rear of the new Drag Pak. 

Development of the new Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak has spanned nearly a year. A prototype was first revealed in 2014 at the 60th NHRA U.S. Nationals to elicit feedback from NHRA Sportsman racers on potential upgrades to make the Drag Pak even more competitive at the drag strip.

The resulting new vehicle is the next step in the evolution of Mopar’s modern-day package car, whose earlier incarnations include more than 150 V-8 Challenger Drag Paks, an additional 50 V-10 versions and plenty of 426 Race HEMI upgrade kits.

“We are extremely pleased with the results obtained during our testing,” said Dale Aldo, Mopar Motorsports Marketing Manager. “In the first runs the new Drag Pak ran consistently in the eights (eight-second range) while improving times at the 60-ft. mark and also performing very well in the quarter mile. Once our customers get the car on the track, we feel it’s going to be a clear winner.”

The Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak will be open for ordering through authorized Dodge dealerships, beginning July 23 as the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals kickoff with the Mopar Block Party in downtown Golden, Colorado. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the naturally aspirated 426 version of the Mopar Challenger Drag Pak is a “cubic inch appropriate” \\$99,426, with the 354 supercharged race car available for \\$109,354 MSRP.

For ordering information on the new Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, visit www.mopar.com/mopar-drag-pak.

Mopar package car heritage
The Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak’s roots were firmly planted in the early 1960s with the factory production of Max Wedge package cars. In 1968, famously coveted 426 HEMI-powered Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda package cars were unleashed on the strip. Those vehicles continue to compete in the Super Stock/Automatic-HEMI (SS/AH) class of NHRA Sportsman racing and the annual fan favorite Mopar HEMI Challenge, held during the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana, since 2001.

In 2008, Mopar delighted speed lovers by announcing the first drag race, factory-prepped package cars in 40 years – the first V-8 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. The return of the Mopar package car was a hit with racers, and the 2009 program saw a first-year sell out of all 100 factory-built vehicles.

Building on that success, the 2010 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak program offered racers an available 6.4-liter HEMI engine. Then in 2011, Mopar introduced a race-ready V-10 package car, becoming the first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to offer a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag package car.

Mopar has continued to mark many firsts. The Drag Pak has captured numerous NHRA National title wins and records, and the previous generation Mopar Drag Pak was also the first modern-era package car to win the Stock Eliminator class crown at the U.S. Nationals.

The 426 Drag Pak was also the first naturally aspirated package car to make an eight-second-range quarter-mile pass at a NHRA national event. During the 2014 season, while celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Gen II Race HEMI, the 426 Drag Pak won a majority of the factory stock naturally aspirated class races and has posted national event class wins in recent years.

The newly revealed Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak adds to Mopar’s package car heritage, marking the brand’s first offering to racers of a supercharger. As the most powerful Drag Paks to date, both the new generation 354 Gen III HEMI supercharged engine and the 426 Gen III Race HEMI will take their aim squarely at quarter-mile success as Mopar continues to lead the way in street, track and off-road performance.

For more information and for photos of the new Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, visit media.fcanorthamerica.com.