NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

During the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Mopar and Dodge/SRT took the wraps off their latest offering, a new, fourth-generation version of the factory-built, Dodge Challenger known as the Drag Pak. Limited to a production run of just 50 serialized units, the 2020 Challenger Drag Pak delivers sportsman racers a new, turnkey package loaded with suspension and chassis upgrades and is certified for NHRA competition. Powered by a supercharged 354-cid Hemi engine, the 2020 Drag Pak is approved for competition in NHRA Stock and Super Stock as well as the SAM Tech.edu Factory Stock Showdown.

“Mopar and Dodge/SRT collaborated to make this factory production-based Challenger Drag Pak not only a forced to be reckoned with at the strip but also an instant collectable for Mopar enthusiasts,” said Mark Bosanac, Head of Mopar Service, Parts & Customer Care, FCA - North America. “Our legacy has been won at the track by the women and men who pour all they have into being the best. This new Challenger Drag Pak gives them the tools to stay in front of the competition.”

Building on lessons learned with the third-generation Drag Pak, the new fourth-generation Challenger Drag Pak offers racers the choice of buying a complete, turnkey package ready for the track or a variety of modular kits to install on their own Challenger. Construction of the Challenger Drag Pak begins with a standard-width Dodge Challenger body-in-white (BIW) unibody built at the FCA Brampton Assembly Plant in Brampton, Ontario. An SFI-specification roll cage, rated for quarter-mile runs as quick as 7.50 seconds, is integrated into the body. Featured components include a Strange rear axle assembly with adjustable coil over shocks, a four-link suspension with wishbone and an anti-roll bar. Wheelie bars and a parachute mount are also integrated into the chassis and are standard. Up front, a unique engine cross member lowers the center of gravity and improves weight distribution. The front also includes specific Bilstein double-adjustable struts.

The race-ready 2020 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak is fitted with a T400 three-speed transmission with a Kwik-Shift manual shifter, lightweight driveshaft, front and rear racing brakes, Racetech seats, Racepak Smartwire fully programmable power distribution center and a new, exclusive Drag Pak lightweight wheel and tire package.

In addition to a variety of internal upgrades, the new Challenger Drag Pak features a bold new look with what Mopar calls heritage-inspired graphics. As the modern Dodge Challenger takes its design cues from the original muscle car era of the 1970s, the new red, white and blue color scheme on the fourth-generation Challenger Drag Pak displays a modern flavor, seasoned with nostalgia. Also new for 2020, the Drag Pak hood mimics the design of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, with intake and heat extractors. Front and rear fascias use the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat design.

“We want this to look so cool that when the customer buys a Challenger Drag Pak he or she wants to run these graphics because they are so iconic and stand out,” says Mark Trostle, Head of Performance, Passenger Car and Utility Vehicle Design for FCA – North America. “Mopar people are proud of the heritage and the look and they want to show that off.”

In 2018, Mopar Top Fuel driver Leah Pritchett drove her Challenger Drag Pak to the championship in the SAM Tech.edu Factory Stock Showdown on the strength of three-straight victories. She also recorded NHRA’s first official seven-second run. Pritchett’s teammate, former Pro Stock driver Mark Pawuk, chipped in with two runner-up finishes. In 2019, Pritchett used a runner-up finish at the season finale in Dallas to lock up her second-straight top ten finish. At last weekend’s Dodge NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil in Las Vegas, Craig Maddox of Sidney, Neb., drove his 2010 Challenger Drag Pak to his first national event title in Stock Eliminator.