Mopar and Dodge//SRT Team Up, Announce Expanded Support of Pritchett and Hagan in 2018 NHRA Title Chase

• Mopar and Dodge//SRT boost primary sponsorship of Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) NHRA Top Fuel star Leah Pritchett to seven events in 2018
• Brands mark decade as sponsor of DSR driver Matt Hagan's Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T NHRA Funny Car
• 4,800-square-foot Mopar Dodge//SRT display, one of largest on NHRA Midway, to debut at season-opening NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 8-11 in Pomona, California
• NHRA Sportsman racer support continues with long-running Mopar Contingency Program, second year of Dodge Top Finisher Award
• New Dodge Garage (http://www.dodgegarage.com/), a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts launches; will include highlights from NHRA season 

Mopar and Dodge//SRT are once again teaming up and taking aim at world titles in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, armed with an increased commitment to Top Fuel star Leah Pritchett and renewed support of two-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan for the 2018 season, which commences at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California, February 8-11.

The brands will take primary placement on Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Pritchett's 330-plus mph NHRA Top Fuel Dragster at seven of 23 events on the 2018 NHRA schedule, more than triple from two races last season as primary sponsor.

"Mopar and Dodge have a winning heritage at the drag strip, and our brands are working even closer together in 2018 to continue that tradition with a lineup that includes Leah Pritchett, Matt Hagan and the entire Don Schumacher Racing organization," said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA. "From the professional classes to the Sportsman ranks to the enthusiast experience, we are committed to connecting with NHRA racers and fans who are passionate about horsepower both at the track and on the street."

"If you've ever been to an NHRA race, you can feel the energy and enthusiasm the crowd has for both the drivers and our Dodge performance machines," said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars, Dodge//SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA North America. "That passionate NHRA fan base is very well aligned with our enthusiasts, so expanding our presence to three times the number of NHRA races this year really helps us connect with our customers where they live and breathe. And with the increased number of Drag Paks, supported by our SRT Engineering team, competing each week, the technology transfer from what we learn on the strip to what we are putting into our production cars – like the 840-horsepower Demon and 707-horsepower Hellcats – continues to grow at a rapid pace."

The brands will also share sponsorship of Pritchett, who earned four wins and a fifth-place finish in the 2017 standings, with Pennzoil for two events.

"It's something I've been excited about, and something that was hard to keep quiet about over the off-season," said Pritchett. "It's such an incredible fit, for Mopar and Dodge to expand their presence with the Top Fuel team for Don Schumacher Racing.

"For one, the car looks amazing, for two, the technology that we have been developing with Mopar and Dodge//SRT on all types of fronts, both Top Fuel and Funny Car — I think it's just an absolute perfect match, and I couldn't be more excited for the growth."

Hagan, who also captured four wins and the fifth spot in the 2017 standings, will celebrate a decade behind the wheel of a Mopar-powered DSR Dodge Funny Car in 2018. The brands will serve in a primary sponsorship role for 14 races during the 2018 season as Hagan seeks his third career NHRA Funny Car title.

"Where does the time go?" said Hagan. "Ten years, that's a chunk out of your life. I was very fortunate to get hooked up with Don Schumacher. He surrounds himself with the best, and Mopar and Dodge are key sponsors. It has been good for me to be able to carry that banner. It's a huge honor.

"We didn't get it done last year, on the Funny Car or Top Fuel side, and that's just not characteristic of DSR. I know we're going to come back here in 2018 super strong, I expect big things this year. We're going to try really hard to buckle down and come out strong. The biggest thing is, you can have a couple of good races, but we need to be more consistent."

Hagan's DSR teammates, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman and Tommy Johnson Jr., will also battle for the crown in Mopar HEMI®-engine-powered Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car machines. Capps led the class with eight victories last season and finished runner-up in the standings, narrowly missing back-to-back championships. Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car champ, raced to two victories and finished fourth in points, while perennial title contender Johnson also took home two event wins in 2017, including the season-ending NHRA Finals. NHRA legend and eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher will join Pritchett in competing with Mopar power in the Top Fuel ranks.

Hagan and Pritchett will look to defend their NHRA Winternationals titles, as the pair doubled up to bring home victories in the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes at the season-opening event last year.

New 4,800-square-foot Display to Debut on NHRA Midway
Yet another demonstration of the continued NHRA teamwork between the Mopar and Dodge//SRT brands will debut at the NHRA Winternationals — a massive 4,800-square-foot exhibit that combines each brand's rig to form one of the largest displays on NHRA Manufacturers Midway.

The display rigs will be positioned head-to-head, joining fan-friendly exhibits and show vehicles together under one footprint. Also new for this year, starting at the NHRA Gatornationals, an elevated viewing area atop the Dodge rig section of the combined display will give VIP fans the chance to get a unique aerial view of the midway and track not offered at any other display.

The crowd-favorite Challenger SRT Demon simulators will return, giving enthusiasts a virtual seat behind the wheel of the 840-horsepower, most powerful muscle car in history. Fans can also enter to win prizes, learn more about Mopar parts and accessories and meet their favorite NHRA stars in autograph sessions staged at the rig during each race.

The new display will be present at 15 NHRA national events throughout the 2018 season.

Mopar Contingency Program, Dodge Top Finisher Award Deliver Continued Support to NHRA Sportsman Racers
For the 2018 season, the Mopar and Dodge//SRT brands will continue to recognize and reward NHRA Sportsman racers who compete and win.

As it has for decades, the long-running Mopar Contingency Program will provide monetary awards for drivers who win or finish runner-up while running a Mopar contingency decal and utilizing the brand's valve covers, intake manifolds and cylinder heads.

In addition, the Dodge Top Finisher award, first introduced in 2017, awards $500 to the Stock and Super Stock competitors behind the wheel of a Mopar-powered vehicle who advance the furthest at all 23 national events. 

Dodge Garage Serves as New Digital Hub for Drag Racing News
Fans now have a new one-stop destination for Mopar and Dodge drag racing news. Dodge Garage (http://www.dodgegarage.com) is a digital content hub and premier destination for drag racing and muscle car enthusiasts. Fans can view daily updates curated from content across the automotive spectrum, with access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise.

The first of a three-part video series, "Chasing the Title," debuts January 30 on the Dodge Garage site. The series features interviews with Pritchett, her DSR team and NHRA legend and DSR team owner Don Schumacher, and offers fans a unique, behind-the-scenes glimpse at the DSR team in action.

A teaser video of the first "Chasing the Title" episode, featuring Pritchett, can be viewed at https://youtu.be/mAd4TXcMrmk.

"Chasing the Title" video debut dates:
Part 1: Tuesday, Jan. 30
Part 2: Thursday, Feb. 1
Part 3: Thursday, Feb. 8

About Dodge//SRT
Dodge//SRT offers a complete lineup of performance vehicles that stand out in their own segments. Dodge is FCA North 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 company in 1914. Their influence continues today. New for 2018, the 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, the fastest quarter-mile production car in the world and most powerful muscle car ever, is taking the world by storm, along with the new 2018 Dodge Durango SRT, America's fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV, and the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody. These new SRT ultimate performance models join a brand lineup that includes the Durango, Grand Caravan, Journey, Charger and Challenger, including the 707-horsepower Challenger SRT Hellcat and the Charger SRT Hellcat, the quickest, fastest and most powerful sedan in the world.

About Mopar
Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) is the service, parts and customer-care brand for FCA vehicles around the globe. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 years to represent both complete care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era, with Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use, and expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, the Mopar brand's global reach distributes more than 500,000 parts and accessories in over 150 markets around the world. With more than 50 parts distribution centers and 25 customer contact centers globally, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Mopar is the source for genuine parts and accessories for all FCA US LLC vehicle brands. Mopar parts are engineered together with the same teams that create factory-authorized specifications for FCA vehicles, offering a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. Complete information on the Mopar brand is available at www.mopar.com.

SOURCE FCA US LLC

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