Jeremy Mayfield, front, will be one of 10 drivers racing the new Dodge Charger this season, and any one of them would be happy to finish with the 10 wins Richard Petty, back, and his 1974 Charger experienced 31 years ago.

By GODWIN KELLY
MOTORSPORTS EDITOR

Last update: January 12, 2005

DAYTONA BEACH -- The Dodge Charger, one of the most successful nameplates in stock car history, returned to one of its favorite stomping grounds Tuesday.
Dodge will use the Charger brand this season in NASCAR Nextel Cup Series competition, replacing the Intrepid, which debuted at Daytona International Speedway in 2001.

Richard Petty, Dodge's old racing ringleader, was at the track for the Charger unveiling Tuesday morning before the start of NASCAR's Preseason Thunder test session, the opening stock car salvo of the 2005 season.

"We never called it a Dodge," Petty said. "We called it a Charger. The Charger sounds like racing to me."

Chrysler debuted the original Charger during 1966 Speed Weeks, and Earl Balmer captured a 100-mile qualifying race in a car owned by local mechanic Ray Fox.

Charger's last victory was in November 1977, with Neil Bonnett at the wheel at now-defunct Ontario Motor Speedway.

Before Chrysler mothballed the Charger from NASCAR duty, it won 124 Cup races and took three drivers to five championships.

Petty won three (1972, 1974-75) of his seven titles and earned 37 victories behind the wheel of a Charger.

"Hopefully some of the Charger tradition will rub off on the team," Petty said. "I know our crew is excited. Hopefully the name will excite the fans, too."

Jeremy Mayfield, who drives a Charger for Evernham Motorsports, was the fastest Dodge in Tuesday's morning session. He posted a quick lap of 184.506 mph over the 2.5-mile tri-oval course.

Only the Chevrolets of Jeff Gordon and Boris Said were faster, breaking the 185-mph barrier.

"I think it's going to be a good car," Mayfield said. "It looks good. It looks racy. It's going to be cool. You've got a lot of history behind the name Charger, and that's really the neat part."

John Fernandez, director of Dodge Motorsports Operations, said the new stock car is the result of intense research and development.

"I think we're going to win a lot of races this year," he said. "The Charger name has charisma. It takes you back to the early days of NASCAR, and we're excited about it."

Dodge provides factory support to four Nextel Cup car owners, represented by 10 drivers, including Kyle Petty, Richard's son.

The Charger's last victory at Daytona came in the 1977 Firecracker 400 with Richard Petty behind the wheel of the Petty Enterprises Inc. No. 43.

Many of today's best young drivers were born after the Charger name was retired in 1977.

"I kind of missed the Charger era," driver Ryan Newman said. "But I understand as a NASCAR historian what it was like. I think it's cool, and we'll just have to play around with it and see what happens."

godwin.kelly@news-jrnl.com

redriderbob

 

the muscle car era is coming back. they dont look as good as they did in the 60-70's but there coming back to kill these junk 4cylinder jap cars. dodge is got to make a 2006 challenger if they make that i will be first on line to get one.