Monday
Dodge Challenger Returns To Competition At Daytona International Speedway
Press Release“Challenger Will Make First Appearance In NASCAR Competition Since The 1980s”
The Dodge Challenger race cars carry the distinctive front-end styling of the production Challenger. It was the same almost 30 years ago; the Challenger had its own identity.
Virginian James “Chubby” Arrington fielded Dodge race cars throughout the 1980s, including the Challenger with such drivers as Satch Worley, Joe Thurman and Jimmy Hensley. Worley finished 15th in Arrington’s No. 29 Dodge Challenger in the Late Model Sportsman (now Nationwide) event at Daytona in February 1983.
Arrington, a driver himself in the 1960s before focusing on ownership, gave his Challenger a unique look by necessity. “We were running a little low on funds and just about everybody that worked on the car would bring something to the shop to help out with the race car. One of the boys who worked in the school system, he brought some yellow paint. That’s how the yellow paint scheme got started.”
Arrington’s Challenger was painted yellow, but they certainly weren’t slow. The lone Dodge in the field at most races, Arrington’s drivers raced hard and up front.
It will be no different this weekend at the “World Center of Speed” as both Keselowski and Allgaier have been hard-charging since the teams unloaded for the season opener in February. In 16 starts at the wheel of the No. 22 Dodge from Penske Racing, Keselowski has three poles, three wins and a string of 15 straight top-10 finishes, 13 of which were top fives. The only finish outside the top 10 was a 13th in that first race at DIS. Keselowski currently has a 247-point advantage over Carl Edwards in the season standings.
Allgaier picked up his first career win in the Nationwide Series earlier this year at Bristol along with five top-five and nine top-10 finishes. He is currently third in the point standings, best among Nationwide regulars.
When Arrington needed a race car, he was off to the junk yard looking for a wrecked Challenger, which the team would strip down and rebuild for the track. While it wasn’t always easy to find a Challenger, that didn’t sway his loyalty to the Dodge brand. “I just liked being different,” he said. “Most of the time I had the only Dodge at the track. That’s kind of the way it is now, just two or three Dodges, but they are running up front. That’s the way we were with the Challenger. They knew we were there.”
Although he retired in the mid-1990s, there’s been plenty of activity in the Rocky Mount shop. Arrington and his son, Arnie, have recently restored a 1974 Dodge Challenger. .”We had the build sheet, put it back exactly the way it was,” he said. “We did add a few extras to make it a little streamline, but could put it back to stock without any problem. That was the last year Dodge built the car, 1974, the last of the hot rods. It’s light blue, a real pretty car.”
The Nationwide Series will be on the track Wednesday at 1 p.m. for a four-hour practice session. Two more practice sessions are scheduled for Thursday with qualifying Friday at 1:05 p.m. The 100-lap, 200-mile race is set for 8 p.m. Friday night.
Dodge has several special events scheduled during the weekend:
Concert at Daytona Dodge – The New York City-based rock band Atomic Tom will perform at Daytona Dodge on Thursday. The concert begins at 7:15 p.m. The group’s first single was “Take Me Out” and their upcoming debut album includes “We Were Never Meant To Be” and “The Moment”. Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep is located at 1450 North Tomoka Farms Road. Beach 92.7 FM will be on remote at Daytona Dodge from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday.
Dodge Challenger Owners – More than 50 Dodge Challenger owners will be the guest of Dodge during the weekend including the concert at Daytona Dodge on Thursday night and the racing activities at DIS on Friday and Saturday. The owners will be staying in the Daytona Beach area, and the cars can be seen as they move around the city throughout the weekend.
Dodge Trackside Display – The Dodge Interactive Display will be open throughout the racing weekend featuring a variety of Dodge Challengers and activities for the fans, including visits by the Dodge drivers. The display is located just outside turn four at DIS.
About Chrysler Group LLC
Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 from a global strategic alliance with Fiat Group, produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Mopar brand vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete effectively on a global scale; the alliance builds on Chrysler’s culture of innovation –first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925 – and Fiat’s complementary technology.
Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group LLC’s product lineup features some of the world’s most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Challenger and Ram 1500. Fiat will contribute world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small and medium-sized cars, allowing Chrysler Group LLC to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.
- Dodge Motorsports Press Release
Article Tags: Brad Keselowski, Chrysler Group LLC, Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, DIS, Dodge Challenger, James “Chubby” Arrington, Jimmy Hensley, Joe Thurman, Justin Allgaier, Satch Worley, Subway 250
