The Red Monkey

Dodge announced 2010 Challenger Drag Pak availability, 2009 sold out

by Frank Filipponio (RSS feed) on Feb 22nd 2010 at 4:56PM

2009 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak driven by Don Garlits %u2013 Click above for high-res image gallery

The “more power” guys over at Mopar have released details about the 2010 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, and you better get your order in soon because these suckers are gonna go fast. Last year the company offered 100 Drag Pak Challengers and all were sold rather quickly. Heck, even legendary drag racer Don Garlits took the keys to one, coming out of a six-year (most recent) retirement to run his Drag Pak Challenger at the U.S. Nationals last year.

For 2010, Dodge is offering another lucky 100 folks the chance to get behind the wheel of a Challenger Drag Pak racer, which is built to compete in sanctioned NHRA Stock, Super Stock and Comp Eliminator classes. The Drag Pak isn’t street legal, but it should be worth every penny of its $39,999 pricetag. Underhood you’ll find the ubiquitous 6.1-liter Hemi V8 mated to your choice of a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.

The Stone White Drag Pak cars are based on the 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 and in Stock Eliminator configuration, they’re almost 1,000 pounds lighter than the street car. Imagine if the street SRT8 weighed just 3,200 pounds! To help pare that weight and make it more race-ready, the package includes a “composite lift-off hood with functional scoop, Dodge Viper-style front seats, polycarbonate door windows, a light-weight cooling module with electric fan, manual rack-and-pinion steering, a special cable-operated deck-lid release, special light-weight front-brake assemblies and special cable-operated throttle linkage and pedal assembly.”

If you’d like to get a Drag Pak for yourself, you need to submit a Dodge Challenger Drag Pak Application, which is available at www.mopar.com or from the Mopar Direct Connection Tech Line at 888-528-HEMI (4363). The full press release can be found after the jump and you can check out a gallery of the 2009 Drag Pak below.

Gallery: Don Garlits Dodge Challenger Drag Pak

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Gallery: 2009 Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package

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[Source: Chrysler]

Press Release

Mopar� Announces 2010 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak Program For Grassroots Racers

%u2022 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak built for sanctioned NHRA Stock, Super Stock and Comp Eliminator configurations
%u2022 Priced at $39,999, production to start this summer
%u2022 Applications now available at www.mopar.com
%u2022 First-year build program in 2009 sold out

Auburn Hills, Mich., Feb 22, 2010 – Following a first-year sell out of 100 factory-built program vehicles in 2009, Mopar announced its 2010 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak program.

For 2010, the non-street legal V-8 powered, rear-wheel drive Dodge Challenger is available with the 6.1 liter HEMI� that may be set up with a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission.

“We’re proud of our drag racing heritage at Mopar and we will continue to support our drag-race customers where they compete,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and Chief Executive Officer – Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care, Chrysler Group LLC. “The Dodge Challenger Drag Pak program was a success last year, and we’ll be carrying that momentum into our 2010 build.”

Based on the 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8� and finished in a Stock Eliminator configuration, Mopar engineers eliminated select production components and systems to reduce vehicle weight by approximately 1,000 pounds. To accentuate weight savings, the Dodge Challenger Drag Pak features unique drag-race components including: composite lift-off hood with functional scoop, Dodge Viper-style front seats, polycarbonate door windows, a light-weight cooling module with electric fan, manual rack-and-pinion steering, a special cable-operated deck-lid release, special light-weight front-brake assemblies and special cable-operated throttle linkage and pedal assembly.

The Dodge Challenger Drag Pak features a retro Stone White paint scheme and is sanctioned for NHRA Stock, Super Stock and Comp Eliminator drag racing. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price is $39,999 and production begins this summer.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak program commemorated the 40th anniversary of the legendary 1968 Dodge Hemi Dart and Plymouth Hemi Barracuda package cars. The ’68 Package Cars were sold as actual running cars with VIN identification. The 2009 and 2010 Package Cars are not running cars and do not come with VIN identification.

Orders for the 2010 Challenger Drag Pak must be submitted using the Dodge Challenger Drag Pak Application which is available now at www.mopar.com or from the Mopar Direct Connection Tech Line at 888-528-HEMI (4363). Customers should work with their local Dodge dealer to submit their application.

About Mopar
Mopar distributes approximately 280,000 parts and accessories in more than 90 countries and is the source for all original equipment parts for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles. Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles %u2013 a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide.

More than 70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words Motor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It also was widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960′s %u2013 the muscle-car era. The former Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “special parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division, called Mopar Performance Parts, in order to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Dodge, Racing

Tags: 2010 Challenger, 2010 Dodge, 2010 Dodge Challenger, 2010 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, 2010 dodge challenger srt8, 2010Challenger, 2010Dodge, 2010DodgeChallenger, 2010DodgeChallengerDragPak, 2010DodgeChallengerSrt8, challenger, Challenger Drag Pak, Challenger SRT8, ChallengerDragPak, ChallengerSrt8, dodge, Dodge Challenger, dodge challenger drag pak, Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package, dodge challenger srt8, DodgeChallenger, DodgeChallengerDragPak, DodgeChallengerDragRacePackage, DodgeChallengerSrt8, Drag Pak, DragPak, Mopar

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Beer lovers aren’t likely to turn away an ice-cold brew in a red plastic cup, but maybe it’s time to switch up to Riedel stemware %u2013 or even a snifter.

Pairing craft brews with four-star food is all the culinary rage, to the point that you’ll find beer sommeliers popping up at restaurants around the country.

Beer-focused dinners and an emphasis on food-and-beer pairings are a main focus of Sacramento Beer Week, a veritable festival of suds starting Monday at pubs and restaurants in the area.

Along with pint specials at local watering holes and other beer- related activities, you’ll find beer in the presence of white tablecloths and amuse-bouche appetizers. Look for swanky beer dinners at such renowned restaurants as Mulvaney’s Building & Loan and Grange restaurant, along with beer brunches and breakfasts, as Beer Week soldiers along.

“People will be pleasantly surprised with how good beer is with food,” says Michael Tuohy, Grange’s executive chef. “The downside is you can get full fast with beer. But the beautiful thing about craft beers is they have so much flavor that you want to savor them.”

It’s too early to declare that beer is the new wine, but pairing craft brews with food has never sounded better. Beer’s carbonation adds palate-cleansing properties and a cooling factor for spicy foods. In such aromatic and complex ales as Belgian whites, flavors of citrus and coriander can enhance an array of dishes from seafood to cheeses.

“I used to be in a monthly cheese club in Atlanta, and the minute I tasted a good beer with cheese, I thought, ‘God, that’s perfect,’ ” says Tuohy. “It worked so well, rather than trying to literally fit a wine around the cheeses. When you have triple-milk cow’s cheese, there’s issues of weight and acidity” that work with beer.

Some local brewers keep food pairings as a prime consideration in their craft. Peter Hoey, founder of Sacramento’s Odonata Beer Co., specializes in complex beers that bring a culinary edge to the typical carbonated beverage. His Rorie’s Ale goes through barrel aging with tart cherries for an emphasis on fruitiness and flavor complexity.

Odonata’s Saison, a low-alcohol pale ale set for an April release, balances its hoppy character with a snappy, easy-to-drink body that Hoey believes will pair well with fish, and pasta with cream sauce.

“There’s nothing wrong with tailgating with a beer and a hot dog,” says Hoey. “We’re just trying to spread the idea that there’s something else out there. The intent of making these complex beers is to go with food.

“In fatty dishes, you can go for a young tannic cabernet, but the bitterness in beer can really help with that. Wine can also have a hard time standing up to the spices in Thai and Mexican food. Beer just works very dynamically with food.”

Back at Grange, Tuohy has been tasting Odonata beers to get a sense of what menu to pair them with on Feb. 25. As with a wine dinner, he’ll consider how the weight of these ales will match with, say, goat or lamb. He’ll note the beer’s balance, its flavor components %u2013 hoppy? spicy? %u2013 and overall body.

And after a busy night in Grange’s kitchen, you’ll probably find Tuohy winding down with a cold one in hand.

“After I put in a 12-hour day, and I’m hot and tired, what would I rather have, an ice-cold beer or a cabernet?” says Tuohy. “I find myself wanting to drink more beer than ever because there’s so many interesting styles.”

Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

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Buzz up!

McTwists Are Optional in the Olympics’ IT Department

Here’s a glimpse of “6,000 PCs, 800 servers, 800 networking devices and 130 terabytes of data” driving the Vancouver Olympics. There are no medals in this category of competition. [CNET via DVICE]

Send an email to Mark Wilson, the author of this post, at mark@gizmodo.com.

Without “us” in IT, you have nothing.

Next: A Severe Irony Deficiency

Previous: Democracy against Free Speech?

Public Schools = One Big Jobs Program

Posted by Neal McCluskey

Who said public schooling is all about the adults in the system and not the kids? Everyone knows it%u2019s even more basic than that: Public schooling is a jobs program, pure and simple. At least, that%u2019s what one can%u2019t help but conclude as our little %u201Cstimulus%u201D turns one-year old today.

%u201CState fiscal relief really has kept hundreds of thousands of teachers and firefighters and first responders on the job,%u201D declared White House Council of Economic Advisers head Christina Romer today.

Throwing almost $100 billion at education sure as heck ought to have kept teachers in their jobs, and the unemployment numbers suggest teachers have had a pretty good deal relative to the folks paying their salaries. While unemployment in %u201Ceducational services%u201D %u2013 which consists predominantly of teachers, but also includes other education-related occupations %u2013 hasn%u2019t returned to its recent, April 2008 low of 2.2 percent, in January 2010 it was well below the national 9.7 percent rate, sitting at 5.9 percent.

Of course, retaining all of these teachers might be of value to taxpayers if having so many of them had a positive impact on educational outcomes. But looking at decades of achievement data one can%u2019t help but conclude that keeping teacher jobs at all costs truly isn%u2019t about the kids, but the adults either employed in education, or trying to get the votes of those employed in education. As the following chart makes clear, we have added teachers in droves for decades without improving ultimate achievement at all:

(Sources: Digest of Education Statistics, Table 64, and National Assessment of Educational Progress, Long-Term Trend results)

Since the early 1970s, achievement scores for 17-year-olds %u2014 our schools%u2019 %u201Cfinal products%u201D %u2014 haven%u2019t improved one bit, while the number of teachers per 100 students is almost 50 percent greater. If anything, then, we have far too many teachers, and would do taxpayers, and the economy, a great service by letting some of them go. Citizens could then keep more of their money and invest in private, truly economy-growing ventures. But no, we%u2019re supposed to celebrate the endless continuation of debilitating economic %u2013 and educational %u2014 waste.

You%u2019ll have to pardon me for not considering this an accomplishment I should cheer about.

Neal McCluskey %u2022 February 17, 2010 @ 2:11 pm
Filed under: Education and Child Policy; Tax and Budget Policy
Tags: christina romer, economy, education, employment, job, money, national assessment of educational progress, public school, public schooling, public schools, service, stimulus, students, taxpayer, teachers, unemployment

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• Research Shows $100 Billion Ed. Stimulus Likely Hurting Economy
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• Those Who “Serve” Us Celebrate
• The Government IS Creating Jobs
• Can Unemployment Benefits Create Jobs?

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• De-fund the Detroit Public Schools
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So imagine that. Throwing money at something does not fix it. Smaller class sizes that has been drummed into our heads has accomplished nothing. Maybe its time to rebuild the system and get rid of the tenure system. Allow teachers to flunk children instead of being scared to be sued. And quit holding back the smarter kids because you don’t want the dullards feeling bad.

Maybe instead of more teachers and staff we should extend the school year. Right now kids are in class less than 180 days and many teachers do not work much more than that.

Obviously what we have been doing is not working so its time to try something else.

No this is not from the Death Star of the cockpit of a Tie Fighter. Its the new observation deck on the International Space Station.

I can understand some of the green screen but why even bother with actors anymore?

Who Keeps A Lion In The Garage!? Wait, What?

Quick! Call animal control, there’s a lion in the garage! Okay, it’s a bit on the small side, but still… “LION IN THE GARAGE!” I hope he doesn’t see us. Oh hell, he’s turning around! …wait a minute.

This is an example of either the most tolerant dog ever, a maniacally funny garage owner or little Suzy giving Rusty the dog the funniest novelty haircut we’ve ever seen.

[via Reddit]

Send an email to Ben, the author of this post, at ben@jalopnik.com.

Are you ready?

In less than one week Sacramento Beer Week will celebrate our rich Sacramento beer culture with more than 200 events, including our Inaugural Gala.  Check our event calendar for daily details, and stay tuned as more events are added!  You can also join our mailing list to make sure you get all the updates you need to plan your week.  Several towns outside of Sacramento are joining us, including Davis, Roseville, Folsom, Auburn, Nevada City and beyond, so check to see who is celebrating near you!

Scavenger Hunt

In addition to daily activities, we have a week-long scavenger hunt in Sacramento%u2019s beer-centric locations.  Great prizes for winning teams!

Lodging Specials!

• Stay at Amber House Bed & Breakfast in Midtown Sacramento, walking distance from many events at Sacramento Beer Week.  The Inn offers all visitors and participants a special rate of $149 (plus tax) which includes accommodation for two persons, parking, wifi, early morning beverage tray and a two course breakfast served until 11 am.  Please reserve with the Inn directly by calling (916) 444-8085 and ask for the Beer Week Special.

• The Residence Inn at Capitol Park is offering Beer Week celebrants $99 (plus tax) rooms within walking distance of dozens of events throughout Sacramento Beer Week.  Urban suites with full kitchens with complementary hot breakfast buffet and wireless internet.  Onsite parking available.

• The Sheraton Grand Sacramento is pleased to offer a special $99 rate (plus tax) for Sacramento Beer Week participants and attendees. $10 Valet parking is also available for guests staying on this special rate. The Sheraton Grand is located in the heart of Downtown close to many Beer Week venues. With 503 beautifully appointed guestrooms and an exciting lobby bar, we are the perfect place to gather with your friends before and after Beer Week events.  Click here to reserve online.

• 

Fiero Enthusiast Tyler Shipman Passes Away

Tyler Shipman, the young Fiero enthusiast with cancer who finished his project car in December with the help of the Fiero community, passed away last night.

As you’ll remember, Tyler Shipman was working on his project car when he was diagnosed with a debilitating cancer. After failed chemo and radiation treatments Tyler elected to spend his days at home with friends and family. When the fellow mid-engined Pontiac lovers at the Fiero forums heard his story they gathered parts and a crew together to complete the car in a weekend.

It’s a touching story and, though Tyler is no longer with us, the well documented build includes a lot of photos of an extremely happy car enthusiast. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and fellow Fiero fans who were joined together by this very brave young man.

[Fiero.nl, CaringBridge.org, TylersToy.com]

Send an email to Matt Hardigree, the author of this post, at matt@jalopnik.com.