As this is being written in late August, the political campaigns are ramping up, and there is much discussion of crowd sizes, where attendance of 14 – 15K people is considered a successful event. Keep that in mind as Benna Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (CDJR) tells you about the ninth annual RoadKill Nights in Pontiac, Michigan. Sponsored by Dodge, the event attracted over 40,000 people on the first night and 50,000 across both nights.
The event included the debut of the all-new Dodge Charger Daytona, which wowed the crowds with its Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system. Fans could avail themselves of Dodge Drift Rides and Dodge Hornet Rally Rides, as well as a chance to catch all the action in the $25,000 World Burnout Championship.
However, the main event was undoubtedly drag racing, which attracted over 100 competitors. The Dodge Direct Connection Grudge Race was a particularly special part of that event. This involved seven drivers dropping the recently available Direct Connection Hurricrate engines in their build projects in a quest for ultimate Dodge bragging rights. The Hurricrates are stand-alone versions of the Hurricane turbocharged Inline-6 engines making 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque, literally out of the box. The winner of the event was Morgan Evans, who dropped his Hurricrate into a 1987 Dodge D-150, which defeated the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon driven by Garrett Reed in the final round.
“We worked so hard over the last two months, and I can’t believe we got here and we ended up winning. The truck worked incredibly, and I couldn’t have asked it to do better,” said Evans.
The rest of the drag racing was split into Big Tire (over 275mm width) and the Small Tire (275mm width and under) categories, each of which saw competitors battle for bragging rights and cash prizes on the first-ever drag strip at M1 Concourse in Pontiac.
“For nearly a decade, we’ve brought the ultimate car culture celebration to life at MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge, and this year we introduced some thrilling firsts,” says Eric Schwab, MotorTrend Group’s Group SVP, Head of Revenue, Operations, and Partnerships. “For the first time, drag racing took place inside the M1 Concourse, offering walkable pits and enhanced viewing areas that brought fans closer to the action than ever before. With these new experiences, along with the worldwide debut of the all-new Dodge Charger Daytona, we welcomed over 40,000 fans for an adrenaline-fueled weekend, proving once again that Roadkill Nights continues to set the bar for action-packed automotive excitement.”
All in all, it was a fantastic celebration of horsepower, and it made clear that Dodge’s phasing out of Its Hemi engines in no way ends its muscle. You can see that for yourself by visiting Benna CDJR to see all the new Hurricane-powered models, plus the Hornet, which boasts the most power in its class.
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