"The Agent hears that one of the reasons for the delay is that there will also be a new Mopar for 2005 and, since the body specs are so critical, neither GM nor Mopar wants to submit their information first, much to the frustration of Don Taylor, NHRA's Senior Director of National Technical Operations, who cannot get either car company to deliver. "

Source: http://www.dragracingonline.com

So a new Pro Stock car will replace the current Stratus Coupe! But does this mean it will be the new 2006 Dodge Charger Sedan? More than likely, since the car has already been submitted for NASCAR use!

redriderbob

 

they will not make the charger llok like that. there is no way teh charger will be identical to the stratus coupe which isnt even an american car in the sense it is made in mitsubishi factories. the charger will be distinct in its looks and styling.

 

I just put the picture of the 2003 Dodge Stratus Coupe Pro Stock car on there, so it gives an idea of what I am talking about, never said it was the new Charger!

redriderbob

 

God I hope not. That thing was a real disappointment. To bad they couldn't keep using the Neon, which was a better body for prostock.

I personally don't think the charger will be the replacement though. It's bound to way to big for a prostocker. It has to be something else.

 

Why do they want to change the model so quickly? This stratus hasn't been worth two cents since it debuted.....The "Hemi Neon" which always made me laugh when I saw HEMI on a Neon, was a much more competitive car......But the way Pro Stock has been lately, if you're not Greg Anderson, why even come to the track?
But I think the Charger will be to big a car to run in Pro Stock....since GM runs Cavaliers and Grand Ams. You never saw an Intreipd in Pro Stock.

Didn't Ford try an Escort in Pro Stock a few years back, with former Mopar driver Scott Geoffrion?

 

Alright as a fan to the NHRA forever, and my favorite NHRA class being Pro Stock... I am fimilar w/ the rules of the NHRA... for Pro Stock it is said that a team can run a model of car such as a Dodge Avenger, Dodge Neon, and Dodge Stratus for three years after the car has been discontinued, similar to NASCAR's rule which allow a car to be ran a year after it was discontinued. Now the Dodge Avenger had problems w/ not being competitive w/ the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird Pro Stock cars. So Dodge went to the 1995-1999 Dodge Neon body style, which was actually had a great areo package, and worked well w/ the new HEMI motors in the 2002 season. Now because 2002 would have been the third year of that Neon's demise, Dodge knew they had to change the car a year later, thus enters the 2003 Dodge Stratus Coupe Pro Stock car! The Stratus is not a bad car, in fact the car has run better than the Avenger ever did.

Another example of what I am talking about is what General Motors had to do for their entire program after the end of Camaro and Firebird F-body models in 2002. They can still run the car up until next year, but Chevrolet has gone w/ the Cavalier which will be replaced w/ the Cobalt next season in the Pro Stock class, and is currently switching all of their Funny Car program teams to the Monte Carlo instead of the Camaro. The Pontiac teams in Pro Stock have switiched to the Grand Am instead of the Firebird, however still run the Firebird in Funny Car... rumor has it that the GTO might take over funny car body for 2006, then will change again when the new American based GTO debuts in 2007!

As for Ford, they haven't but much into NHRA for the past few years... John Force's Funny Car teams are the only three cars backed by Ford Motor Company in the whole Powerade series. Ford did try to break into Pro Stock a few years ago, but not w/ an Escort... but w/ a Mustang GT! It was ran in a few races, but the team never took off!

redriderbob

 

Check out this link redrider, you were right about the mustang...however they replaced it with a Ford Escort ZX2, I think this was back in the 02 season.