On A Mountain High

The 31st Annual Mopar® Mile-High NHRA Nationals was one big four-day celebration, from the start (at the Mopar Big Block Event) to the finish (in the Thunder Mountain winner’s circle).

Words: Darren Jacobs

The Mopar® Mile-High NHRA Nationals is more than just another race on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The annual weekend each July at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo. is significant to the Mopar brand for more than just the action on the quarter-mile (although drag racing is, of course, the focus). The event, the longest continuous-running sponsorship in the NHRA, presents an opportunity for Mopar to strengthen its relationships with the fans, dealers, racers and enthusiasts who help grow and support the brand.

The 31st Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals was perhaps the most memorable yet, from the kickoff at the Mopar Big Block Event to the victory celebrations of Team Mopar Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson and Sportsman driver David Bogner. To help break it down for the uninitiated, here’s a day-by-day look at the extravaganza known as the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals!

DAY 1

Mopar has made the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals a four-day extravaganza with the Mopar Big Block Event, held each year on the eve of the Mopar Mile-Highs in downtown Golden, Colo. Mopar fans turned out once again to party on Thursday, July 22, packing the streets of Golden despite a brief rain shower to witness the reveal of the Mopar ’10 Challenger, the first-ever Mopar edition of a Chrysler Group vehicle (see News Break, pg. 6).

SpeedFreaks radio host Kenny Sargent emceed the festivities, which included a trivia question session during driver introductions in which fans could win Mopar apparel. The rock band Rated M Live jammed for fans as they waited in line at the Team Mopar autograph session to meet NHRA stars ”past and present,” including Allen Johnson, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan, Cory McClenathan, V. Gaines, Vinnie Deceglie, Roy Johnson, Judy Lilly and Danny Gruninger.

Attendees also checked out Mopar show and race cars on display, including Johnson’s Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock car and Hagan’s Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, wrapped in special Mopar graphics. The party continued until well after the sun went down behind the Rocky Mountains, with Mopar fans grooving beneath the streetlights and Mopar banners.

“I felt like it was the best Block Event we’ve ever had, as far as attendance,” said Johnson, who should know—the Team Mopar veteran has raced nothing but Mopars during his 15-year Pro Stock career and has attended all nine Mopar Big Block Events. “I had my car on display and Matt Hagan’s Funny Car was there, both wrapped in Mopar graphics, and fans crowded the cars all night. We took part in an autograph signing until it got dark, and the fans still kept coming. Each year Mopar puts on a great show for the fans.”

DAY 2

A group of Mopar representatives were on hand to staff the Mopar Big Block Event, and the following morning, Friday, July 23, they were up bright and early for the all-day dealer meeting in Golden. The gathering allows Mopar to work together with dealers on how to better serve our customers.

“We met with our top parts dealers to discuss their business and how we can work better to satisfy our customers, how we can create programs that promote a better customer experience at the dealer,” said Jim Sassorossi, Director – Mopar Parts, Sales and Marketing. “It allows us to talk about how to meet the needs of our customers in dealerships at the service drive as well as those customers that are going to independent repair facilities. We talk about supply chain as well to make sure we have the right part at the right time.”

Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO – Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care, flew in to join the meeting.

Mopar’s leader also caught some of the drag racing action at Bandimere Speedway on Friday night, visiting with Allen and Roy Johnson in the pits. Allen Johnson proved he knows how to perform under pressure: the Mopar Dodge Avenger driver scored the provisional No. 1 Qualifier Award in Pro Stock with a pass of 7.020-seconds at 197.19 mph as Gorlier watched from the starting line.

“You know, I think Mr. Gorlier brought us some luck,” said Johnson after his run. “This was his first NHRA event, so it was nice to spend some time with him and show him how we represent Mopar.”

“Mopar’s long-running sponsorship of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals allows us to connect and engage with Mopar enthusiasts and customers on many levels.” said Gorlier of the event. “As this is a premier stop on the NHRA circuit, it’s a great place to showcase the Mopar brand and reveal our new Mopar ‘10 Challenger.”

DAY 3

With the final day of qualifying on Saturday, July 24, and eliminations scheduled for the following day, Mopar’s attention was focused on the drag strip. The brand had company, as attendance was up at Bandimere Speedway 3.8 percent over the previous year. Much of the growth during an economic downturn can be attributed to the Bandimere family, which has played a key role in making the facility Mopar’s home-away-from-headquarters.

“Bandimere Speedway is proud and honored to have Mopar call our track home,” said John Bandimere Jr., President and CEO of Bandimere Speedway. “Our unique venue and the forward-thinking people at Mopar make this one of the top fan experiences in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.”

The Bandimere stop is always a positive experience for Allen Johnson. The Team Mopar driver held on to the No. 1 spot in qualifying on Saturday, his second No. 1 Qualifier Award in four years at the Mopar Mile-Highs. He recorded a 6.966/198.64 pass, setting a new speed record at Thunder Mountain. He had company as king of the mountain—Matt Hagan, running special Mopar graphics on his HEMI®-powered Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, took the top spot on his final qualifying run, a 4.161/301.33 pass.

“With this being the Mopar Mile-High Nationals and having us No. 1 in Funny Car and Allen Johnson No. 1 in Pro Stock, how does it get any better as far as qualifying?” said Hagan. “We got this Mopar running good.”

DAY 4

Eliminations at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals arrived bright and early on July 25. Mopar’s luck held—the weather remained sunny and rain-free, as it had been during all three days of racing, the usual mountain storms steering clear of Thunder Mountain for a welcome change.

What did occur as usual was Mopar’s domination at Bandimere. After a special pre-finals race starring the Mopar ’10 Challenger, Allen Johnson continued his stretch of success at Mopar’s home track, claiming his second straight victory at Thunder Mountain and his third in four years. Johnson defeated Bob Yonke, Greg Anderson and Johnny Gray before posting a scorching .004 reaction time (.000 is perfect) and 6.974/198.26 pass to defeat Jeg Coughlin in the final-round match. It was the fourth consecutive final-round appearance for the Team Mopar veteran at Bandimere Speedway.

“All the folks from Mopar, including the boss, Pietro (Gorlier), and Byron Kearney from Dodge, have been our good luck charms,” said Johnson. “They’re family to me. It’s not just a sponsor relationship. It’s so special to have them here.”

Hagan gave his best shot at joining Johnson in the winner’s circle, advancing as far as the semifinals in his Mopar Funny Car. Johnson did have some Mopar-powered company from the NHRA Sportsman classes, as racer David Bogner of Kearney, Neb. brought home a victory for Mopar, taking the Super Stock class win in his 1992 Dodge Daytona with a 10.333/126.46 pass in a final-round match against Henry Sliwinski.

“This couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Bogner, whose father is longtime Mopar Sportsman racer Marlin Bogner. The Bogners received the Dodge Daytona in the early 1990s with the help of Mopar Performance. “Maybe this will carry us through the rest of the year. You can’t pick a better place to win than the Mopar Mile-Highs.”

After the festivities in the winner’s circle were complete, it was left to Jim Sassorossi to sum up the weekend.

“The 31st Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals was a resounding success,” said Sassorossi. “From the Mopar Big Block Event to the reveal of our Mopar ’10 Challenger to the victories by Team Mopar Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson and NHRA Sportsman David Bogner, we couldn’t be happier.”

So ended the greatest Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals to date—that is, until the 32nd Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals next July!