Labor Day is approaching fast, and that means that it’s time for the 62nd Annual NHRA U.S. Nationals. This year, the nationals are taking place from August 31 to September 5, and will feature six different events leading into the Championship playoffs. This year, Dodge and Mopar are showing up to the scene with a special Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak that will be piloted by Erica Enders during the School of Automotive Machinists & Technology Factory Stock Showdown at Indy.

While this is the first time we’re looking at a Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, this version will feature official Dodge and Mopar graphics and has been prepped by none other than Joe Welch Racing. Pietro Golier, Head of Parts and Service at Mopar, said, “We are thrilled to have an NHRA champion like Erica Enders carry the Mopar and Dodge colors into competition not only in Pro Stock but also in the Factory Stock Showdown. The U.S. Nationals event provides a great opportunity to put Erica in the seat of a supercharged Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak and reach a wider audience of fans at one of the most prestigious events on the NHRA circuit.”

Tim Juniskis, the Head of Passenger Cars for Dodge, SRT, Chrysler, and Fiat, said, “Dodge already has the most powerful muscle cars on the street with the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats, and now America’s performance brand brings even more muscle to the track with the supercharged Drag Pak. The ‘Domestic. Not Domesticated.’ Dodge spirit will be at full throttle for racing fans to see at the NHRA U.S. Nationals.”

So, it’s certainly shaping up to be a fun-filled weekend. We won’t get to see Enders and the Drag Pak hit qualifying until Friday night, but she’ll be tearing up Lucas Oil Raceway starting on Wednesday in preparation. With that said, let’s take a good look at the Drag Pak that will grace the Nationals this year.

Continue reading to learn more about the Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak.

What makes the Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak special

So, we know the new Challenger Drag Pak is being prepped by Joe Welch Racing, but outside of that, the only other real thing we know is that it will feature the 354 Hemi V-8 with a 2.9-liter, Whipple twin-screw supercharger. To date, we have yet to receive official output numbers or performance figures, so we’ll definitely be watching next weekend to see what kind of figures the Drag Pak runs on the track. The engine itself has a cast iron block with steel main caps, a bore and stroke of 4.060 inches by 3.400 inches, mechanical roller lifters, and aluminum heads. The Drag Pak traditionally comes with a 4.11 rear end, so expect that to be the setup here as well.

The big news here will be the exterior design of the car. It will feature a black and white livery with red accents. The roof, hood, and rear bumper are black as are the top of the fenders, the top of the doors, and a small portion of the rear quarters. More black will encompass the front lip and side skirts with a white finish for the front bumper the intermediate sides, and most of the rear quarters and deck lid. A red pin stripe runs from the front, along the side to just past the door seams where it takes a sharp turn upward to meet with the upper edge of the rear windscreen. Two slanted, red stripes are oriented on each door, and there is another red pinstripe that runs from the rear wheel arch upward, across the rear deck lid.

“Dodge” lettering can be found above the rear wheel arches while “Joe Welch Racing” can be found above the front wheel arches. The Mopar insignia and lettering can be found between the doors and front wheel arches. Finally, an “Elite” decal is placed on the rear quarter glass, and Erica Enders name is applied to the front door glass. Mopar letting can also be found on the front and rear fascias to go with a Challenger across the top of the windshield and a Drag Pak decal across the top of the rear glass.

As far as the interior goes, there’s nothing to really speak of. The car should be prepped with the standard NHRA-required safety equipment including a racing harness and a proper roll cage, among other things. Either way, this car is all about hitting the track and looking pretty, so who really cares about the interior, right? All told, the car has an excellent exterior design and will certainly look good flying down the track.