-- Garlits' supercharged, nitro-burning, front-engine dragster features a
392 HEMI(R) crate engine from Mopar(R) Performance
-- The Mopar Wynn's Charger Dragster will be displayed in the Mopar booth
(#42427) located in the lower South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center
-- The SEMA Show, the annual showcase of technology, trends and products
representing the $36.7 billion automotive parts and accessories industry,
will be held from Oct. 30 - Nov. 2, 2007
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- To commemorate his long
association with Chrysler, Mopar(R) and Wynn's, 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits
supercharged a 392 HEMI(R) crate engine from Mopar with a vintage 6-71
blower to power his historic Swamp Rat XII dragster. Dubbed the Mopar
Wynn's Charger Dragster, Garlits' new adaptation will debut in the Mopar
booth (#42427) at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in
Las Vegas on Oct. 30-Nov. 2. The SEMA Show is the annual showcase of
technology, trends and products representing the $36.7 billion automotive
parts and accessories industry that will be held at the Las Vegas
Convention Center.
Garlits began the adaptation with his historic Swamp Rat 12-A, a
front-engine fuel dragster he ran in the '60s. Mopar provided the 392 HEMI
crate engine and related technical assistance to the project. To give the
engine classic AA fuel dragster treatment, Garlits supercharged and
converted it to nitro. The result is a modern HEMI engine with all the
nostalgia parts and components to spout ear-splitting terror. With Wynn's
sponsorship, Garlits restored the chassis and hand built the special parts
to adapt the engine to run on nitro with an 80 percent mix.
"We're in exciting new territory with this engine," says Garlits. "We
will creep up on it -- run cacklefests for now, then get into burnouts
later."
This 392 HEMI crate engine is the latest chapter in Garlits' long
HEMI-powered history with Mopar. It began in 1956 when he adopted the 331
cu. in. Chrysler FirePower HEMI V-8 engine. Then in 1957, he upgraded to
the then-new 392 FirePower HEMI engine to begin a long series of
record-breaking performances. Garlits added a 6-71 supercharger for the
first time in 1959 -- and never looked back.
Garlits' dominance in professional drag racing took the HEMI powerplant
to new levels of visibility and prominence. He was the first drag racer to
officially surpass 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, 260, and 270 mph. He was also
the first to top 200 mph in the 1/8 mile. Garlits's HEMI-powered Swamp Rat
XXX was enshrined in The Smithsonian Institution in 1987.
The new Mopar Wynn's Charger Dragster also marks the renewal of Wynn's
sponsorship of Don Garlits. The relationship began in 1960 when a Wynn's
decal first appeared on his Swamp Rat III. The name "Wynn's Jammer"
appeared on the Swamp Rat VII a few years later. The current name, "Wynn's
Charger," was on the Swamp Rat X and last seen on the Swamp Rat XXIII in
1977.
"Wynn's was the first company to sponsor me," said Garlits. "Before
that, the only help I got was free parts."
After SEMA, the Garlits' Charger Dragster will head to the Performance
Racing Industry (PRI) show in Orlando on Dec. 6 -- 8, 2007.
About Wynn's
Wynn's traces its history to 1939 when the original Wynn's Friction
Proofing Oil Treatment(R) formula was first developed and introduced to the
automotive market. Over 65 years following the introduction of that single
product, Wynn's has grown to become a leading worldwide manufacturer and
marketer of innovative, groundbreaking automotive specialty chemicals and
service equipment, as well as Complete Automotive Maintenance Programs. For
more information on Wynn's, log on to http://www.wynnsusa.com.
About SEMA
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, the annual
showcase of technology, trends and products for the $36.7 billion
automotive parts and accessories industry, will be held Oct. 30 -- Nov. 2,
2007 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The premier automotive specialty
products trade event in the world, SEMA draws the industry's brightest
minds and hottest products to the Las Vegas Convention Center and attracts
more than 100,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries in the
automotive, truck and SUV markets. Open to domestic and international
industry professionals and media, the 2007 SEMA Show will feature more than
2,000 exhibitors. More than 100,000 are expected to attend this year. SEMA
was founded in 1963. The industry provides appearance, performance,
comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational
vehicles.
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.
Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words
MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937.
It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its
mark in the 1960s -- the muscle car era. The 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 to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing
use.
Today, Chrysler LLC's Global Service & Parts division is responsible
for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar
replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep(R) and
Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and
durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict
adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.
For more SEMA news, visit media.chrysler.com.
SOURCE Chrysler LLC
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Related links:
http://www.chrysler.com
http://media.chrysler.com
CONTACT:
Patricia Georgevich of Chrysler LLC,
+1-248-512-4889, (cell) +1-248-514-1313, pg572@chrysler.com
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