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The annual Mopars at the Strip events are always great celebrations of the Chrysler brands, but this year’s gathering was a bit more special. That’s because 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the Dodge brand of automobiles and probably more significantly, the 50th anniversary of the 426 Hemi elephant motor. So with those two milestones combined as this year’s theme, cooperative weather, amazing vehicles, and large crowds seemed to transform what is normally a sizable car event into a cultural festival.
This year’s special guests were none other than the original Ramchargers. This was a group of young Chrysler Corporation engineers whose off-duty passion for racing helped place Mopar at the front of the high performance automotive market in the 1960’s. They’re a bit older now, but that has not dimmed their passion for the sport nor their knowledge and understanding of how to make horsepower. Not only did they take lots of time to meet and greet the fans and provide autographs to everyone who stopped to see them, but they also gave talks on their history and more importantly how to get the most performance from your favorite Mopar engine.
Here are a couple of men who were as responsible as anyone for the development of Mopar racing. Tom Hoover, a.k.a. the godfather of the Hemi, and fellow Ramcharger, Tom Coddington, were on hand to share their years of expertise and experience with anyone with a question.
Wild Horses at the Strip
As usual, drag racing was a big draw for spectators and competitors alike. Staging lanes were a virtual beehive of activity with racing brackets that allowed participation to nearly everyone who wanted to race. Everything from diesel trucks to street machines to compacts to blown Super Comps were snarling and charging down the 1320. As the saying goes, if you’ve got the horses, you’ve got to let them run!
Cars and trucks of every make and description were found waiting in the staging lanes to get ready for Sunday’s eliminations.
It can be hard to fathom the existence of 12 second K cars and Omni’s but when you see them with your own eyes, you’ve got to believe.
An Exercise in Steering
There was lots more to do with your ride than go fast in a straight line. Autocross was a big draw for the folks that feel that a steering wheel should be used often in a test of speed. This year the Autocross parking area was packed with cars whose drivers were just itching to dance the heel ‘n toe across the pedals. Because the weather was so agreeable, racing action both on the strip and the autocross course were nonstop for the entire weekend.
The parking area was full of competitors waiting to challenge the Autocross course.
Hitting the Numbers
A new twist was added to the MATS experience this year. Personal Touch Dynamometers of Sierra Vista, AZ brought out their mobile dyno and offered event participants dyno testing of their cars and trucks for $50 each. Personal Touch also sponsored a contest in which the weekend’s top three horsepower makers for both normally aspirated and forced induction engines would receive prizes.
We saw a nifty Chrysler 300 from Utah pump out 465 hp at the rear wheels. According to the dyno master, that corrected to about 570 hp at the crank. We later saw that same fully equipped Chrysler busting off consistent 12.30 et’s down the quarter mile.
Hunting and Gathering
The manufacturers midway, swap meet, and car corral were as large as we have seen in recent memory. So too were the crowds of bargain and treasure hunters that prowled the sales stalls continuously throughout the weekend. Lots of bargains on new parts and tools could be found everywhere in the sales areas. There were also lots of rare and original parts available for the true pickers among us.
Lots more of the weekend’s action can be seen in the gallery. Jump in and take a look!
