2006 Racing Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com
2006 Racing Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com 2006 Racing Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com
Richard Petty raced to victory in 1974 and 1975 in the No. 43 (top); Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Dodge Charger (bottom). NASCAR CHARGERS HEAD TO HEAD 1970s Chargers Current Charger Engine 7-L Hemi V-8, cast iron 5.9-L Magnum V-8, block and cylinder heads Mopar cast iron block and aluminum heads Horsepower 550 horsepower 800+horsepower Top Speed 200 mph at Talladega 200 mph at Las Vegas Superspeedway Motor Speedway Weight 3,660 pounds (approx.) 3,400 pounds Length 206 inches 203 inches Wheelbase 115 inches 110 inches Flash forward to 2005: The Dodge Charger is back, and gearing up to build on the legacy. Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne lead the team, rounded out by the Dodge Charger stable of drivers Ryan Newman, Rusty Wallace, Kyle Petty, Sterling Marlin, Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Green and Travis Kvapil. Kahne shows flashes of stardom as he pilots his No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger to two consecutive poles and a win at Richmond in May. Jeremy Mayfield, Kahne’s hard-charging teammate in the No. 19 Dodge, co-sponsored by the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center, claims victory at Michigan International Speedway in August, his fifth career NASCAR Cup Series win. Mayfield takes ninth place in the Chase, his second consecutive Top- 10 finish. Capping his storied NASCAR career, Rusty Wallace drives his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger to the eighth spot in the Chase. DEEP RACING ROOTS Much of the commitment to pushing the limits in today’s Chargers stems from the car’s history. “When I hear the word ‘Charger,’ I think of Richard Petty and all those races he won,” Mayfield says. “If I can do half of what he did in the Charger, I’ll be all right.” Note to Jeremy: You’re doing better than “all right.” Mayfield and the other Dodge drivers and teams are ushering in a new era of Charger greatness. Since DaimlerChrysler announced that it was bringing the Dodge Charger back to NASCAR for the 2005 season, the excitement has been building. Want a little “something old, something new”? The Dodge Charger remains all that and more. The new car shows off the details that make it a Dodge: bold styling, signature grille and powerful performance. But it took its design cues from the new Charger production vehicle with its crosshair front grille, bold rear fascia and signature rear-side windows. The look retains the original design of Petty’s No. 43 STP Charger that dominated racing in the 1970s. And, of course, the name remains the same. “We never called it a Dodge,” says Petty. “We called it a Charger. The Charger sounds like racing to me.” The Dodge Charger’s racing history is storied. It was the first NASCAR racecar with a spoiler. It won a championship with David Pearson in 1966, then in 1970 with Bobby Isaac. Then Petty came along and won in 1974 and 1975. “When I came to Dodge in the late 1960s, it was all about the muscle cars,” recalls John Fernandez, director of Dodge Motorsports Operations. FACING PAGE: BILL SCHWAB 14 www.uawdcx.com
“Now, the muscle Charger is coming back. It just makes sense to get back to our heritage and bring the Charger back to NASCAR.” A HERITAGE OF EXCELLENCE In the showroom, Dodge fans can get an SRT8 version of the Charger that takes the optional 5.7-liter Hemi and upgrades it to a 6.1. Then there are great wheels, tires, wings and other options Dodge owners love. “They get a car that reflects the muscle that’s on the track,” says Fernandez. “It’s a real performance machine.” On the track, Chargers remain true to their racing roots — but with a whole new world of technological precision. “Racing engineering has come a long way, and the Chargers reflect that,” Fernandez says. “They pack more pure speed, with incredible aerodynamics and the development of chassis and tire sophistication.” Of course, Buddy Baker knows all about the fast part. His speed record of 200.447 mph at Talladega on March 24, 1970, ignited unprecedented buzz about the Dodge Charger. It remains a milestone in NASCAR history. “One of the first laps was 199.8 mph,” says Baker. “And that was just warming up.” The record-breaking No. 88 had modest beginnings. It began as a loaner vehicle, available to journalists looking CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 Ralph Gilles, lead designer for the 2006 Charger. Ralph Gilles is a lot like the cars he creates — confident, daring and a bit risqué. As lead designer for the 2006 Dodge Charger, he dusted off a racing gem with a legendary NASCAR past that has everybody talking — on and off the racetrack. “Design has to be polarizing,” says Gilles. “To come up with vanilla is generic. But controversy, well executed, can work in your favor.” The 35-year-old Canadian-born designer has been polishing the Chrysler Group’s power image since his arrival in 1992. Credited with also leading the design on the Dodge Magnum and the Chrysler 300 sedan, the wunderkind of Studio 3 at the DaimlerChrysler Technology Center is fearless in making creative statements. Gilles boasts that the design of the Charger is full of character and flavor — with an in-your-face attitude that only an American car can get away with. He’s referring to the distinguishing features like the “fender kick-up” at the side windows, the bold rear-fender detail and the furrow-browed front nose that accents the Charger’s aggressive posture. “We asked ourselves, ‘Are the lights too angry’? If we get uncomfortable during design, that’s a good thing,” he says. “But that’s why I love this job, because we don’t shy away from risk-taking.” Sketching over old cars as a kid, Gilles had visions of future greatness. His parents were concerned that he spent too much time drawing and not enough thinking about a “real” career. But even while living in his parent’s basement with no job, Gilles was DESIGNER SETS FAST PACE set on designing Chrysler cars. “I fell in love with the Viper,” he says. “I saw this company committing a lot of capital to a new building and a new image, and I knew that design was still a very powerful tool for this company.” After graduating from Detroit’s College for Creative Studies, Gilles landed his dream job at Chrysler and watched his stock skyrocket as he became one of the top designers in the auto industry. Gilles’ achievements as an African American in a field dominated by white designers are noteworthy, but he downplays race as a barrier to his success. He prefers to let his track record speak for itself. “The doors aren’t closed to African American designers,” says Gilles. “It’s just the consciousness is not there. Sometimes it does help (being an African American). It makes people listen differently mainly because they’re intrigued. In hindsight, it has been more of a benefit.” Despite the kudos Gilles has gained for his three prize vehicles, he is quick to point to the combined efforts of his team of designers and engineers. “I’m just one member of a really great team. In high school, it was easy being the best. You come here, and everybody’s good.” Currently, Gilles is settling in to a new challenge — truck design. His latest creation is under a tight lid, but judging by his Charger credentials, NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series better watch out. A new racing icon might be waiting in the wings. — Tanisha Perez Read more about Ralph Gilles on the UAW-DaimlerChrysler NTC Web site at www.uawdcx.com/ publications/tomorrow.cfm. TOMORROW SPECIAL RACING 2006 15
- Page 1 and 2: 2006 SPECIAL RACING ISSUE LOOKING A
- Page 3 and 4: LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHR
- Page 5 and 6: DODGE TAKES TWO Dodge roared into t
- Page 7 and 8: Fans attending the UAW-DC 400 at LV
- Page 9 and 10: WHAT CAN YOU HEMI? At the Chrysler
- Page 11 and 12: RACING FOR THE FUTURE Toledo’s Ju
- Page 13: &NOW Past and present: Richard Pett
- Page 17 and 18: AN AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE HERITAGE Exp
- Page 19 and 20: Driven to Succeed What Mayfield and
- Page 21 and 22: JEREMY MAYFIELD PHOTO TO COME Don
- Page 23 and 24: RISING RACING STARS GETTY IMAGES Ev
- Page 25 and 26: Evernham drivers get unconditional
- Page 27 and 28: PRIDE ON DISPLAY American automakin
Richard Petty raced to victory in 1974 and 1975 in the<br />
No. 43 (top); Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Dodge Charger (bottom).<br />
NASCAR CHARGERS HEAD TO HEAD<br />
1970s Chargers<br />
Current Charger<br />
Engine 7-L Hemi V-8, cast iron 5.9-L Magnum V-8,<br />
block and cylinder heads Mopar cast iron block<br />
and aluminum heads<br />
Horsepower 550 horsepower 800+horsepower<br />
Top Speed 200 mph at Talladega 200 mph at Las Vegas<br />
Superspeedway<br />
Motor Speedway<br />
Weight 3,660 pounds (approx.) 3,400 pounds<br />
Length 206 inches 203 inches<br />
Wheelbase 115 inches 110 inches<br />
Flash forward to 2005: The Dodge<br />
Charger is back, and gearing up to build<br />
on the legacy. Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey<br />
Kahne lead the team, rounded out by the<br />
Dodge Charger stable of drivers Ryan<br />
Newman, Rusty Wallace, Kyle Petty,<br />
Sterling Marlin, Casey Mears, Jamie<br />
McMurray, Jeff Green and Travis Kvapil.<br />
Kahne shows flashes of stardom as he<br />
pilots his No. 9 Dodge Dealers/<strong>UAW</strong><br />
Dodge Charger to two consecutive poles<br />
and a win at Richmond in May. Jeremy<br />
Mayfield, Kahne’s hard-charging teammate<br />
in the No. 19 Dodge, co-sponsored<br />
by the <strong>UAW</strong>-Daimler<strong>Chrysler</strong> National<br />
Training Center, claims victory at<br />
Michigan International Speedway in<br />
August, his fifth career NASCAR Cup<br />
Series win. Mayfield takes ninth place in<br />
the Chase, his second consecutive Top-<br />
10 finish. Capping his storied NASCAR<br />
career, Rusty Wallace drives his No. 2<br />
Miller Lite Dodge Charger to the eighth<br />
spot in the Chase.<br />
DEEP RACING ROOTS<br />
Much of the <strong>com</strong>mitment to pushing<br />
the limits in today’s Chargers stems<br />
from the car’s history. “When I hear<br />
the word ‘Charger,’ I think of Richard<br />
Petty and all those races he won,”<br />
Mayfield says. “If I can do half of what<br />
he did in the Charger, I’ll be all right.”<br />
Note to Jeremy: You’re doing better<br />
than “all right.” Mayfield and the other<br />
Dodge drivers and teams are ushering in<br />
a new era of Charger greatness. Since<br />
Daimler<strong>Chrysler</strong> announced that it was<br />
bringing the Dodge Charger back to<br />
NASCAR for the 2005 season, the<br />
excitement has been building. Want a<br />
little “something old, something new”?<br />
The Dodge Charger remains all that and<br />
more. The new car shows off the details<br />
that make it a Dodge: bold styling, signature<br />
grille and powerful performance.<br />
But it took its design cues from the new<br />
Charger production vehicle with its<br />
crosshair front grille, bold rear fascia<br />
and signature rear-side windows.<br />
The look retains the original design of<br />
Petty’s No. 43 STP Charger that dominated<br />
racing in the 1970s. And, of course,<br />
the name remains the same. “We never<br />
called it a Dodge,” says Petty. “We called<br />
it a Charger. The Charger sounds like<br />
racing to me.”<br />
The Dodge Charger’s racing history<br />
is storied. It was the first NASCAR<br />
racecar with a spoiler. It won a championship<br />
with David Pearson in 1966,<br />
then in 1970 with Bobby Isaac. Then<br />
Petty came along and won in 1974 and<br />
1975. “When I came to Dodge in the<br />
late 1960s, it was all about the muscle<br />
cars,” recalls John Fernandez, director<br />
of Dodge Motorsports Operations.<br />
FACING PAGE: BILL SCHWAB<br />
14 www.uawdcx.<strong>com</strong>
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