A new, wickedly quick, Mopar-powered National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car version of the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat has been let loose and is coming soon to a drag strip near you.

The new 2019 Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat NHRA Funny Car body will make its competition debut this weekend at the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Powered by Mopar at Bandimere Speedway near Denver, July 20-22. The Mopar and Dodge//SRT brands showed the new body for the first time during a pre-race press conference.

Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Funny Car driver Matt Hagan will be the first to harness the new 10,000-plus horsepower beast. The two-time Funny Car World champion will debut his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat at the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Powered by Mopar. Hagan’s DSR teammates, Jack Beckman, Ron Capps and Tommy Johnson Jr., will make the transition to the new Funny Car body during the 2018 season.

“Our job at Mopar is to put the best race car underneath our drivers and keep them winning. We know this new body, developed in collaboration with the Dodge//SRT brand and Don Schumacher Racing, will do just that,” said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA. “The changes made to this new Funny Car body will improve on-track performance and help us carry on the Mopar brand’s long tradition of success at the dragstrip.”

“The Dodge//SRT brand is all about performance, and the introduction of the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat NHRA Funny Car body showcases our commitment to performance and excellence at the dragstrip,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge//SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. “We are looking forward to celebrating our brand’s first year as title sponsor of the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Powered by Mopar by treating fans to the competition debut of the new Charger SRT Hellcat NHRA Funny Car.”

The Dodge//SRT brand’s involvement in 2018 also marks a three-decade milestone: it follows 29 years of title support by current presenting sponsor Mopar, making this the 30th consecutive season of FCA US event title sponsorship at Bandimere, which is also celebrating its 60th anniversary.   [07/19/18]

A lot has changed since the last time Deric Kramer raced at his home track, Bandimere Speedway. The Sterling, CO, native picked up his first career Pro Stock win earlier during the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and is now on the verge of earning his first career berth in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

All of it is a new feeling for Kramer heading into this weekend’s 39th annual Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, but it is a welcome one as he prepares to race in front of family and friends in his American Ethanol Chevrolet Camaro. The Pro Stock victory in Topeka earlier this season was a huge career accomplishment for Kramer, and he’s looking to have a career-best showing this weekend in Denver as well.

“The few races prior to (the win) was just shooting ourselves in the foot and making mistakes,” Kramer said. “We knew we had a good enough car and if I would do good enough behind the wheel we would have a chance to win rounds. That’s when we came out with the attitude of not trying to set the world on fire. We just wanted to go make good runs, and if we made good runs we would have a chance. Our motto became let’s just not screw up four times in a row on Sunday.”

Kramer is one of eight different Pro Stock winners in 2018.  (Ron Lewis photo)   [07/19/18]

For Brittany Force the 39th annual Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals will be a chance for the reigning Top Fuel champion to get her first win on the mountain and also highlight a new sponsorship partner with CARQUEST Brakes emblazoned on the side of her 10,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster as well as her parachutes.

CARQUEST is running a special promotion this month with Speed Perks members, who can get a discount on CARQUEST Platinum Professional Brake Pads from advanceautoparts.com.   [07/19/18]

After being the first to set a national record at the Hidden Valley Drag Strip last weekend, Modified racer Chris Farrell is looking to better his new marker at Alice Springs Inland Dragway’s Desert Nationals this weekend (July 21-22).

Farrell reset the national speed record for the A/MA bracket to 188.17 mph at the Nitro Up North event in Darwin. He hopes to continue a record performance at this weekend’s round two of the 2018/19 ANDRA Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series.

“It is certainly our goal to better the record again this weekend,” Farrell said. “We will be pursuing that and I know we can do it after our runs in testing. If the air is good and the track is good, which they should be, I am fairly confident we can do it.” (High RPM photo)   [07/19/18]

Drag Racing legends Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, and Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick will serve as the Masters of Ceremonies for the 65th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts World Series of Drag Racing at Cordova (IL) International Raceway on August 24-26.

The three will participate in pre-race ceremonies Saturday evening and will sign autographs for fans Friday and Saturday.   [07/19/18]