It's GO Time!

New series, new teams, new races, a few familiar faces—read on to find out what Team Mopar® has in store for the 2011 racing season.

The months of December and January bring an unwanted, Bermuda Triangle-like stretch for Team Mopar® lovers, who suffer as lost souls during the racing off-season. Tracks fall silent. Drivers and teams hunker down in their shops to reboot for the upcoming season. Television racing coverage is virtually non-existent. What’s a motorsports fan to do?

But soon enough Mopar gearheads who possess the strength to survive the racing world’s “dead zone” are rewarded. Team Mopar awakens from its winter slumber, always with new teams or series on tap to stir the pot and keep things interesting for true blue Omega M-heads.

Did you know Mopar is going off-road racing in a new series in 2011, with an announcement to come in early April? Or that the Mopar HEMI® Challenge Race Series will see big changes, with even more emphasis placed on the event that started it all, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals? Were you aware that Jerry Coons Jr.’s USAC Sprint Car is officially back in the Mopar camp, or that Don Schumacher Racing has added a fourth Mopar-powered NHRA Funny Car driver to it’s already formidable trio of Matt Hagan, Ron Capps and Jack Beckman? Did you know Allen Johnson is fighting mad and itching to win his first NHRA Pro Stock title, or that Mopar will once again sponsor the USAC Mopar National Midget Series and USAC Mopar .25 Midget Series?

From the rough-and-tumble off-road to the high-speed circle track, from the straight-line excitement of the drag strip to the winding thrills of the road course, Team Mopar is coming strong in 2011. Shake off those winter doldrums, baby, ’cause Mopar-powered drivers and teams are back in business—it’s racing season!

DRAG RACING

NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES—PRO STOCK

Allen Johnson set a career high for No. 1 Qualifier Awards (eight) in 2010, drove to four straight poles to end the season and also captured a win in the biggest race of the year for the Mopar faithful, the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver. While some might be satisfied with a career best year, the Mopar Dodge Avenger NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver is looking for more—to claim that elusive first Pro Stock title.

Johnson contended for the championship during much of the 2010 season, capturing a career-best 37 round wins, but ended up sixth in the final point standings. His slight late season fade has provided even more fuel for Johnson’s fire, as the Team Mopar veteran strives to prove that he and his J&J Racing crew have what it takes to get to the next level.

“I do have a fire to get out there and prove that we are a championship team,” said Johnson, who will debut a new RJ Racecars chassis for his Mopar Dodge Avenger this year. “I’ve been working my tail off on the race simulator, and everybody is working hard. My dad (Roy Johnson) is working hard on the Mopar HEMI engines; Mark (Ingersoll, A.J.’s crew chief) has been working hard on the setup of the car. We all feel like we left something on the table last year, and we’re eager to get it back.”

Pro Stocker V. Gaines will also return in his Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger hoping to pick up where he left off in 2010. The Denver native seized the No. 2 spot in qualifying in the final three races of the season and finished 11th in the final point standings. Joining Johnson and Gaines in the Mopar-powered Pro Stock ranks is 19-year-old Vincent Nobile, who will take the wheel of the Mountain View Dodge Avenger owned by Nick Mitsos. The second-generation racer and son of former Pro Stocker John Nobile will compete with Mopar HEMI engines supplied by Allen Johnson’s J&J Racing team.

Another driver will compete with J&J Racing engines in 2011—Dodge Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup star Kurt Busch (see Competition story).

NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES—FUNNY CAR

The Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) NHRA Funny Car trio of Matt Hagan, Ron Capps and Jack Beckman will grow by one this year, as former Mopar-powered Pro Stocker Johnny Gray will join a DSR gang that combined to earn five 2010 national event wins and a runner-up finish in the Funny Car title fight.

Gray will steer the new Mopar HEMI-powered Service Central Racing® Dodge Charger R/T as the newest member of DSR’s vaunted Funny Car stable. “Johnny brings great driving experience,” said team owner Don Schumacher of Gray. “We believe DSR, with Lee Beard (Gray’s crew chief) in the lead, can provide him with the ability to move into the top tier of the Funny Car category.”

Already proven to be among the top tier is Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T pilot Hagan, who battled Funny Car legend John Force until the final day of the season before settling for second-place in the championship battle. The 28-year-old, beginning just his third full season of Funny Car competition, will be among the favorites to claim the title which he narrowly missed out last season. “I can’t wait,” said Hagan. “I’m really excited to get into some warm weather, have some fun with my crew and try some new stuff that (crew chief) Tommy DeLago has cooked up over the winter.”

DSR Funny Car veteran Ron Capps, with three career runner-up title finishes, and Jack Beckman, who has never finished outside the top five in his four full seasons, are both threats to bring home the championship hardware in their respective Mopar-powered Dodge cars.

NHRA SPORTSMAN

Mopar will once again continue its popular contingency program, offering rewards to grassroots NHRA Sportsman racers who compete and win with a specified Mopar part. Parts covered under the 2011 Mopar Contingency Program are the Mopar aluminum carrier, intake manifold, valve cover, cylinder head and engine assemblies—with a 10 percent increase in payout in 2011 for aluminum carriers and intake manifolds.

Heading into its 11th season, big changes are on tap for the Mopar HEMI Challenge Race Series. The popular NHRA Sportsman event, which brings Super Stock/A-HEMI (SS/AH) 1968 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracudas drivers together in competition, will feature events in that Mopar race fans will not want to miss. Stay tuned to Mopar Magazine for schedule and series information.

For more information on Mopar-powered drag racers, visit www.moparspeed.com or www.nhra.com.

CIRCLE TRACK

USAC Mopar National Midget/USAC Mopar .25 Midget Series

The best midget racing in the world will once again take place under the Mopar banner, as the brand will return as title sponsor of the USAC Mopar National Midget and USAC Mopar .25 Midget Series in 2011. Mopar’s off-road announcement in April will also include details of an even greater presence for Mopar, Dodge and Ram in both Mopar-sponsored USAC Series.

The full throttle, high-speed battles of the USAC Mopar National Midget Series will feature 27 dates in 2011 and visit eight states spanning the U.S. High-profile stops include the “Night Before the 500” at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the “4-Crown Nationals” at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio and the series finale at the 71st “Turkey Night Grand Prix” at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway on Thanksgiving night. The USAC Mopar National Midget slate, now in its fourth year of Mopar sponsorship, will also include the five-race “Indiana Midget Week” events on June 8–12.  

The up-and-coming young racers of the USAC Mopar .25 Midget Series will participate in a 12-race slate of events and travel to nine states to determine champions ranging in age from five to 17 years old. Venues for the series include stops in Milwaukee, Wis., in conjunction with the IndyCar series and USAC’s Silver Crown and Mopar National Midgets, the “Battle at the Brickyard” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the “Dirt Nationals” finale in the shadow of famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

USAC SPRINT

It’s always a bonus when you can welcome a USAC Triple Crown Champion back into the fold, and that’s exactly what Mopar did when it announced it was returning as an associate sponsor in 2011 on Jerry Coons Jr.’s No. 69 Hoffman Auto Racing USAC National Sprint car.

Driving Mopar-powered vehicles, Coons Jr. has been on the USAC winners stand four of the last seven years. He helped campaign the famed Mopar-powered No. 69 Hoffman car to the 2004 USAC Sprint Car championship while also claiming a solo USAC Sprint Car title in 2008. Switching over to a Mopar-powered Midget vehicle, he seized both the 2006 and 2007 USAC Mopar National Midget Series championships.

“Mopar is very excited to resume our association with the storied Hoffman Auto Racing Sprint Car team,” said Pietro Gorlier, President & CEO, Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care – Chrysler Group LLC. “The victories and championships that the Hoffman team and Jerry Coons Jr. have racked up at circle tracks across the country have served as a powerful testament to the performance, durability and reliability of Mopar performance parts. We look forward to another successful campaign in 2011 with the Mopar-powered Hoffman Auto Racing team.”

“I’m looking forward to having Mopar back on board,” said Coons Jr., one of only five drivers to capture the USAC Triple Crown. “We’ve won a lot of races and championships with Mopar powerplants. We’re all as focused as ever, and with Mopar coming back it would be a great time to win a championship and bring home another title for Mopar.”

NASCAR

A trio of Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/Ts will compete in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, will steer the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge. At press time Busch had already proven his mettle in the first events of the 2011 season, capturing early wins in the Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade Duel at Daytona.

Brad Keselowski, the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champ, will take the wheel of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge formerly driven by Busch, his Penske Racing teammate. Robby Gordon will once again earn the Dodge Boy moniker, piloting the No. 7 SPEED Energy Dodge Charger R/T in Sprint Cup competition. Keselowski and Sam Hornish Jr. will also compete in Dodge Challengers on the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

For more information on Mopar-powered circle track racers, visit www.moparspeed.com, www.usacracing.com or www.dodgemotorsports.com.

ROAD RACING

DODGE VIPER CUP

Following a successful inaugural campaign, Dodge Motorsports will keep the momentum going in 2011 with the second season of the Dodge Viper Cup series.

“The first season of Dodge Viper Cup series was simply awesome and a great learning experience,” said Ralph Gilles, President & CEO, Dodge Car Brand – Chrysler Group LLC. “We’re going to keep building on that momentum in 2011 with an expanded contingency program, a reduction in entry fees and the continuation of our successful celebrity driver and charity payout programs to once again generate lots of serious excitement for all Viper enthusiasts.”

The series contingency program sponsored by Dodge Motorsports and Mopar has been revamped for 2011 to expand the number of payouts to the top-10 drivers. Drivers from each race will earn payouts in cash and Mopar vouchers awarded as credit toward the purchase of Mopar parts and accessories. Celebrity drivers also will be back competing in the Dodge Viper Cup series in 2011. In 2010, Dodge Motorsports donated close to $50,000 to various charities as part of the program, which included Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock star Allen Johnson as a guest driver.

Dodge Viper Cup competitors do battle in the Dodge Viper ACR-X, which combines the best performance attributes of the record-setting, street-legal Dodge Viper American Club Racer (ACR) and the safety equipment of the championship-winning Dodge Viper Competition Coupe.

FORMULA DRIFT

Drift courses across the country, beware—Mopar-powered two-time Formula DRIFT champion Samuel “The Crazy Swede” Hübinette is prepared to once again unleash his get-sideways talents on you!

Hübinette will campaign his Dodge Motorsports Dodge Challenger, powered by a Mopar A8 Sprint Car engine, on the 2011 Formula DRIFT Series. It will mark the eighth consecutive year that Hübinette has competed in a drift vehicle fueled by Mopar power. The owner of Samuel Hübinette Racing (SHR) will also field a two-car team this season, with a driver yet to be determined piloting the Mopar-powered Dodge Viper SRT10® for SHR and Dodge Motorsports.

For more information on Mopar-powered road racers, visit www.moparspeed.com, www.viperheadquarters.com or www.formulad.com.

OFF-ROAD

Mopar fans who love the thrill of extreme racing will want to pay attention in early April, as the Mopar, Dodge and Ram brands will announce a major new off-road racing initiative. Plans were still taking shape at press time. Look for complete coverage of the brands’ new off-road venture in the May/June issue of Mopar Magazine.

For more information on Mopar’s 2011 off-road plans, visit www.moparspeed.com in early April.

FAN ATTRACTIONS

Team Mopar will keep its fans entertained both on and off the track at select events this race season. The brand is upping the “wow” factor at its Mopar Direct Connection display rig by debuting even more attractions and contests to engage and energize enthusiasts.

At some races the Mopar display rigs will feature a variety of engaging activities such as a fan trivia game, where participants answer questions about Mopar for the chance to win a Mopar Pride Pak. A Mopar kiosk will also appear at some events, allowing fans to register to win a valuable Mopar coupon and offering free Mopar literature, including copies of Mopar Magazine. Race goers will also have the chance to sign up and participate in special driver autograph sessions at select events throughout the year, with the chance to win Mopar apparel autographed by Team Mopar stars.