The Challenger Drag Pak from Mopar is the most powerful and the quickest of all of the production Chrysler Group vehicles and for the 2016 model year, Mopar introduced the new 354 cubic inch topped by a 2.9L Whipple supercharger. This is the most powerful Drag Pak engine and with this mill, the new Challenger drag car will run well into the mid 8-second range. Of course, if you prefer your Challenger Drag Pak to have a bigger, naturally aspirated Hemi, there is also an NA 426 cubic inch mill that is slightly less powerful – making those cars slightly slower.
As the most powerful and the quickest of the Mopar Drag Pak Challengers, these new factory built race cars were a hot commodity as soon as they went on sale. As of last month, all 60 of the 2016 Challenger Drag Paks were sold to dealerships around the country and the first units had already been delivered to buyers. This means that you can no longer order a new Drag Pak Challenger, but there is a good chance that if you have deep pockets, you can find one available for sale around the country. The NA 426 model starts at $99,426 while the supercharged models start at $109,354, and if you find one for sale at a dealership around the country, you may run into a markup as well.
During the brief production run of the 2016 Challenger Drag Pak, the Mopar team built 35 examples with the supercharged 354 Hemi while the other 25 had the NA 426 Hemi. All of these cars are equipped with a 3-speed race-duty automatic transmission and all of the items needed to pass tech inspection at any NHRA or IHRA event.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
