Not NASA, our 2012 World-Challenge and Grand-Am cars

[Don Walker]

Once again we will be running our two Mazda RX-8 Touring Cars in World Challenge, with drivers to be named shortly. We have run these cars with NASA a couple of times and done fairly well with them.


And new to us is the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT-8. This car runs in Grand-AM GS and World Challenge GTS classes. It is powered by a 6.4 litre (392cuin) V8 and weighs 3250 in Grand Am trim, 3400 in World Challenge GTS trim. In World Challenge it also gets a front splitter and rear wing. Pictured is the first car, built by Atlantic Autosports who did a truly great job with the car. They changed directions about the time we were gearing up to build, so we bought the car, and along with it all the development work done by them.

Pics of the Challenger:
On display at the PRI show in Dec-
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc259/dwalker460/Challenger/100MEDIA_IMAG1513.jpg

In Grand-AM trim-
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc259/dwalker460/Challenger/DSC_0239.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc259/dwalker460/Challenger/DSC_0227.jpg

Would you believe stock? actually stock with a 60mm restrictor?
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc259/dwalker460/Challenger/100_0161.jpg

Fuel goes here-
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc259/dwalker460/Challenger/100_0143.jpg

Switches, lots of switches-
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc259/dwalker460/Challenger/100_0136.jpg

Still a big car-
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc259/dwalker460/Challenger/100_0160.jpg

And the RX8 at Mid-O last year with Dan Clarke driving.

Looking forward to a great season!
Cheers!

[delirium45]

Thanks for sharing Don, boy that Challenger sure is a large vehicle !

[Bullfrog Racing]

Trans Am revisited. Grand Am GS is really interesting to watch, live or on TV.
Keep us posted on how much fun you have.

[Don Walker]

Hey thanks guys! And YES! It is very much like 70's Trans-AM in World-Challenge GTS- cars that started as cars, factory involvement, 1 hour sprint races, no pit stops, just a fistfight from start to finish! I fully expect GTS to have a very high car count- 20 or so average per event- and a huge depth of field.

EDIT- Also, we are working very hard to put Gary Savage, son of Swede Savage who drove with Dan Gurney in the factory Hemi Cudas in TRANS-AM to be in the car. Its quite poetic that a legacy driver returns in the modern day version of the car his father drove. There is also a very real chance that the original Dan Gurney Cuda will be able to make a few events and we will have it parked next to its modern descendant. How cool is that?

[raybob9289]

Don,
How in gods green earth did they get that Challenger down to 3250? Holy Sh*t!!!!
Having Swede Savages kid in the Challenger, Donahues kid in the Camaro and Parnelli's kid in the Boss 302 would be epic.....
Good Luck with the Big Dodge, I'll be watching.
Trans Am Lives,,

[Don Walker]

We can get it lighter, it still has all real glass windows and the cast iron block. The aluminum motors save, literally a 100lbs :)

Also, its all metal, no carbon or FG panels, even the hood (whats left of it) started out life as an OEM part.

[delirium45]

i'd love to see any details on the build-up if you have/can share any.

[raybob9289]

We can get it lighter, it still has all real glass windows and the cast iron block. The aluminum motors save, literally a 100lbs :)

Also, its all metal, no carbon or FG panels, even the hood (whats left of it) started out life as an OEM part.

If there is an Aluminium 5.7 Hemi (which I've never heard of) thats what I'd run. You would probably need less Restrictor plate.

[Don Walker]

The legal race motor is actually an all-aluminum dry-dumped 6.4litre motor. I suppose we could build a 5.7 using the same block.

[MHISSTC]

sweet.

[Special Ed GT]

Yeah, that Challenger is sweet. Can we maybe hope to see it at a NASA event? :)

Hank

[Don Walker]

Anything is possible...

[95sprtcpedrvr]

Just came across this post, but I wanted to state that if the hood on the Challenger is stock it is aluminum. And YES, bring that puppy to a NASA RM event. We can all wash it with our drool!!!
I have seen the all aluminum hemi's and they are available in the 5.7 and the 6.4 liters.