Over 44,000 people flocked to Pontiac, Michigan for the fourth annual Roadkill Nights powered by Dodge to celebrate performance car culture and participate in legal street racing on historic Woodward Avenue. The event, hosted by Roadkill, a show produced by the Motor Trend Group for Velocity, saw 128 street-legal cars compete in high-powered drag racing.
It also featured “Fast and Loud” star Richard Rawlings spectacularly send his Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat into a wall when he decided to go head-to-head with Leah Pritchett. Rawlings smoked the tires while staging but lost control when the car gained traction and began to rotate. Instead of letting off the gas, he floored it.
Needless to say Rawlings lost the Celebrity Showdown Challenge. Bill Goldberg emerged victorious and without incident. He donated the $10,000 prize home to his charity Ahero, which connects veterans with patriotic members of local communities by organizing outdoor events and social activities.
“Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge is an absolute larger-than-life event that represents what Dodge is all about: power, performance and excitement,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge//SRT, Chrysler, and FIAT, FCA – North America. “Going beyond the need for speed, this event offers an incredible opportunity for pure enthusiasts to come together and share their passion for classic and performance car culture in a sanctioned environment.”
Thrill rides and Drift ridealongs were offered in the Charger SRT Hellcat or Challenger SRT Hellcat. Additionally, enthusiasts could get behind the wheel of a Challenger SRT Demon simulator which ranked the fastest virtual ¼-mile times.
The car festival also included a chance to check out more than 250 custom and classic cars in a show ‘n shine and to watch freestyle motocross dyno, flamethrowers and wheelstander exhibitions. Leah Pritchett in her Top Fuel Dragster and Matt Hagan in his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat NHRA Funny Car wowed the crowd with an exhibition run.
A section of Woodward Avenue was transformed into a specially prepped 1/8-mile drag strip for legal street racing. Cars competed in the Big Tire or Small Tire class to win the cash purse of $30,000. However, heavy rain ended the races early, so 16 total finalists split $20,000.
Additionally, $5,000 was awarded to the Quickest Dodge (Small Tire), Peter Bokedon from Michigan in his 1972 Dodge Dart. Earning $5,000 and the title of Quickest Dodge in the Big Tire class was James Pranis from Pennsylvania in his 1968 Dodge Charger.
Top 8 Finalists (Big Tire)
- Gary Box, Ohio: 1965 Chevrolet Corvette
- Craig Groebner, Minnesota: 1971 Chevrolet Nova
- Leon Hudson, Virginia: 1965 Plymouth Barracuda
- Jimmer Kline, Michigan: 1966 Pontiac GTO
- Jim Kline III, Michigan: 1996 Chevrolet Arcadian
- Mike Mislivec, Michigan: 1982 Pontiac Trans AM
- Bryan Rosario, Michigan: 1972 Chevrolet Camaro
- Mark McGill, Michigan: 1978 Chevrolet Camaro
Top 8 Finalists (Small Tire)
- Peter Bokedon, Michigan: 1972 Dodge Dart
- William Gill, Michigan: 1966 Shelby Cobra
- Adam Hodson, Indiana: 1973 Chevrolet Camaro
- Kenny Laflower, Indiana: 1970 AMC Javelin
- John Lopez, Ohio: 1988 Ford Mustang
- Justin Spiniolas, Illinois: 1991 GMC Sonoma
- Carl Stancell, Michigan: 1984 Chevrolet s10 Blazer
- Rick Steinke, Pennsylvania: 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle
Fans from all over tuned in to the livestream of Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, totaling 4.1 million views of the event.
You might also like
Pure Stock Muscle Car Drags 2025 : Going Fast With Stock Parts
We're talking about the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drags, an event where the most valuable cars of the super car era are not behind velvet ropes, but burning rubber on the drag strip
