Mopar's footprint on motorsports history is iconic. Manufacturer-supported teams like Petty Enterprises, Ramchargers, Sox & Martin, Don Schumacher Racing, and Tony Stewart Racing have all earned titles and trophies representing the Mopar brand. Drag racing and stock car racing are integral to Mopar's DNA, and its rebellious image only fueled its drive to win. Mopar and its associated brands, drivers, and teams have never turned down a challenge or a fight, surviving bouts of bankruptcy and being outlawed by sanctioning bodies.

Mopar has long had a presence at tracks—both dirt and asphalt— though the manufacturer's involvement and support for its race teams fluctuated throughout the years. Fans and brand loyalists, however, make up a good portion of the sportsman classes on drag strips everywhere.

Unfortunately, Mopar ended its NHRA Pro Stock program in 2016 and shifted its factory-backed focus toward Factory Stock/Drag Pak in 2018. While its presence began to trickle out of Funny Car, Dodge shifted focus from Don Schumacher Racing to Tony Stewart Racing in 2022. Dodge's manufacturer support in Funny Car is limited these days to only Tony Stewart Racing and Cruz Pedregon Racing.

Dodge's involvement in NASCAR has also see-sawed. It exited in 1977, returned in 2001, but left the series again after a decade. The hiatus occurred again post the 2012 season, despite Team Penske's Brad Keselowski's No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge bringing home the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title that year.

Dodge exited NASCAR a second time due to some teams switching to different manufacturers. SRT brand CEO Ralph Gilles stated, "The pieces didn't quite come together," as Dodge attempted to piece together talent and a team, according to MotorTrend. Fortunately, Mopar fans can rejoice once again as Ram announced its intent to return to NASCAR's Truck Series in the 2026 season.

While Dodge/Mopar/Plymouth earned success through the years, its secret ingredient was on display for the world to see, hear, and chase: The Hemi remains one of motorsports' most iconic engines and is still the foundational makeup for Funny Car and Top Fuel engines raced today.

Does Mopar still have tricks up its sleeve to keep teams, grassroots racers, and fans enthused into the next generation?

The Hemi

After Pontiac's days of motorsports success were cut short in 1963, the position for a new NASCAR hero became vacant. Enter the young and adept 26-year-old Richard Petty. His No. 43 Plymouth Belvedere took first place at the 1964 Daytona 500. The second and third place finishers were also Plymouths. And fifth, and 10th. Petty led 183 laps out of 200. After the major achievement, it was official: The 426 Hemi immediately turned heads.

The 426 Hemi's success had a lot to do with its namesake hemispherical-shaped combustion chambers. But there was more: The Hemi's heads utilized five bolts per cylinder, increasing the clamp force, while retaining a 35-degree intake valve angle and a 23-degree exhaust valve angle. The "impact-extruded" aluminum domed pistons had valve reliefs cold-forged from the factory, prepared for a race-tolerant 12.5:1 compression ratio. Forged steel connecting rods utilized floating pins. The crankshaft was also forged steel, nitride-hardened, and hand-lapped, using 2.75-inch main journals and 2.375-inch rod journals, according to sources at Hemmings.

In 1965, Bill France Sr., founder and manager of NASCAR, had no choice but to address the "elephant" (the Hemi's nickname)in the room. As a result of the Hemi's dominance during the 1964 season, NASCAR mandated that all engines competing in NASCAR must have production availability on the "showroom floor." In 1964, the 426-cubic-inch Hemi was a race engine only. Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth respectfully removed its factory teams. Abiding by the rules, the brand took its manufacturer teams (and its NASCAR fans) to compete in the AHRA during the 1965 race season, according to Hot Rod magazine. Exiting stock car racing, at least for the moment, Petty drag raced a Plymouth Barracuda aptly named "Outlawed."

In 1966 Chrysler debuted a street version of the Hemi and made it available in several Plymouth and Dodge models, including the all-new Dodge Charger. Petty returned to NASCAR for the 1966 season and became the first driver to win the Daytona 500 twice. In 1967 Petty secured his "King Richard" nickname by piloting his 1966 Belvedere to a second NASCAR championship after winning 27 of 48 races, 10 of which were back-to-back.

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