The 2017 NHRA season started last week, as the fastest cars and drivers from around the world, including a fleet of Mopar-powered Dodge cars, gathered at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. The season started with a celebration of Mopar’s 80th anniversary, which will continue throughout the year.
The Dodge NHRA Funny Car team hopes to honor Mopar’s 80 years by securing a fifth NHRA Mello Yello Series in seven seasons. Dodge won last year when Ron Capps, a longtime driver of Mopar-powered cars, became the NHRA World Champion. Capps won five out of ten races last year to win the championship and will defend his title this year in a Dodge Charger R/T.
Another Mopar driver and World Champion, Matt Hagan, will also try for the championship again this year. He finished third in the 2016 point standings and set two national records. In August he set a new record for the lowest E.T. in Funny Car history at 3.822 seconds, and he broke the speed record in May at 335.57 mph.
These are just a couple of the many talented Dodge and Mopar drivers who will compete in the NHRA season. A number of HEMI-powered Dodge Darts will compete in the Pro Stock races, and Mopar pro and Sportsman drivers will try for a second consecutive NHRA Manufacturer’s Cup.
