AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ --
- Dodge debuted the all-new 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition during the 11th edition of Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge
- Thousands of fans packed M1 Concourse for street-legal drag racing, Dodge Thrill Rides, the first-ever track shootout experience and fan meet-and-greets
- Dodge showcased bold customization with the Durango R/T Smokescreen Concept, Custom Color Paint program and new Tinted Dual Stripes
- Dodge Direct Connection Grudge Match racer John O'Malley won this phase of the Grudge Match in his modified 1,000-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack
- Nathan Slocum earned the Big Tire prize, Nicholas Diel took the Small Tire win, and Tom Bailey and Douglas Sherrill earned Quickest Dodge honors
- Mike Finnegan, Jeff Lutz, Matt Hagan and Adam Scherr headlined Scat Pack Showdown action on Woodward Avenue
- Monica Notaro performed the national anthem, while TSR autograph signings, WWE meet-and-greets and a Ram display added to the full-day fan experience
Dodge kicked off Woodward Dream Cruise week by bringing the heat to M1 Concourse on Woodward Avenue, where thousands of performance fans packed the 11th edition of MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge. The high-energy event delivered street-legal drag racing, Dodge fan experiences and the debut of the all-new 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition, putting Dodge performance and American muscle center stage.
Dodge also showcased more ways for fans to make performance personal, from the Durango R/T Smokescreen Concept to custom color paint highlights, including a Toxic Orange Durango SRT Hellcat and a Charger Scat Pack in Cha Ching Green.
"Roadkill Nights puts Dodge exactly where we belong: on Woodward, surrounded by passionate performance fans and street-legal drag racing," said Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO. "This year, we introduced the 600-horsepower 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition, the quickest, fastest and most powerful Super Bee ever, with 200 horsepower per liter, on-demand rear-wheel-drive capability and a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds. We also celebrated 60 years of Charger and gave fans a full day of Dodge performance, from thrill rides in the new Charger to the first-ever track shootout experience. The energy was incredible, and Roadkill Nights proves nobody connects with muscle-car fans like Dodge."
"Roadkill Nights returned to downtown Pontiac for its 11th year and raised the bar, with huge consumer attendance and new, bigger and more turbo-charged experiences than ever before," said Eric Schwab, senior vice president, sales & strategic development, Hearst Magazines. "This year's Roadkill really embodied the spirit and excitement of street-legal drag racing and delivered on high-octane energy through new race formats, expanded racing opportunities both on the track and on the iconic Woodward Ave. and more. We are thrilled to have made this year's celebration one for the books."
On Woodward Avenue, street-legal drag racing delivered a full day of competition and crowned winners across the Big Tire, Small Tire and Quickest Dodge classes. Nathan Slocum earned the Big Tire prize, Nicholas Diel took the Small Tire win, and Tom Bailey and Douglas Sherrill earned Quickest Dodge honors.
Track Shootout winners included Jon Roed (Forced Induction), Joshua Douglas (Naturally Aspirated 6-cylinder) and Brian Finch (Naturally Aspirated 8-cylinder+).
The Direct Connection Grudge Match returned with a new 2026 format that challenged eight online automotive builders to start with the same 550-horsepower, twin-turbo Dodge Charger Scat Pack foundation, then modify, tune and test the SIXPACK-powered platform for the next round of competition.
John O'Malley from Boosted Motorsports won the first phase of the Grudge Match in his modified 1,000-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack. O'Malley battled Bryan Kiefer of Kies Motorsports as the final two Grudge Match competitors on the strip and raced to the event win.
The Grudge Match season continues beyond Roadkill Nights with two more phases of competition. Racers will submit a local test-and-tune timeslip in September, then the field will narrow to a final-four showdown at the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals Powered by Dodge, scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2026. The winning Charger Scat Pack build is expected to take center stage in the Mopar/Dodge display at SEMA 2026.
By the Numbers: Eleven Years of MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge
MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge is an iconic, can't-miss event for horsepower enthusiasts, and the combined stats over 11 years tell the story of the growth and popularity of Roadkill Nights:
- 50+ automotive celebrities/influencers
- 170 Roadkill Nights competitors across two tracks
- 200 gallons of track prep compound
- 320+ vehicles showcased in cruise-in/Show N' Shine/Dodge Anniversary Alley
- 3,100+ Dodge Thrill/simulator rides
- $9,000+ raised for United Way for Southeastern Michigan
- 51,000+ Roadkill Nights event livestream views (continuing to grow across replays)
- 1.8 million pounds of K-Wall safety barrier
- 4.5 million+ Instagram views (and counting) of 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition reveal video
MotorTrend
MotorTrend has chronicled the auto industry's past, present, and future since 1949, catering to in-market shoppers and enthusiasts through authoritative, entertaining storytelling, world-class photography, and engaging video presentations. In addition to in-depth coverage of the latest in automotive technology, reporting on breaking news, and features on the biggest personalities, MotorTrend reviews hundreds of new cars every year, leveraging objective testing and the team's extensive expertise. Its renowned MotorTrend Car of the Year, SUV of the Year, and Truck of the Year awards are also internationally recognized as among the most prestigious in the industry. Follow MotorTrend on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Dodge
For 112 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Today, that legacy roars louder than ever in the lineup of Dodge, America's performance brand.
The arrival of the new 600-horsepower 2027 Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition - the quickest, fastest and most powerful SIXPACK Charger and the highest specific horsepower muscle car ever - is the newest addition to the award-winning Dodge Charger multi-energy lineup, which also features:
- SIXPACK-powered 420-horsepower Dodge Charger R/T with the most standard horsepower of any muscle car
- 550-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack, powered by the 3.0L twin-turbo SIXPACK high-output (H.O.) engine - the most powerful Hurricane engine in production
- Quickest and most powerful AWD muscle car in the all-electric 670-horsepower Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack
Every Charger comes standard with all-wheel drive and offers two-door coupe or four-door sedan configurations - because with performance comes choice.
The Dodge lineup is also fueled by the most powerful gas SUV ever, the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, powered by the legendary supercharged HEMI V-8 engine. The Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak breaks free from convention with the three-row SUV, unlocking more than 14 million potential customization combinations. The Dodge Durango R/T 392 delivers the most horsepower per dollar for a gas SUV, and the 360-horsepower 5.7-liter Durango GT HEMI AWD remains the most affordable AWD V-8 in the industry.
The purchase of a SIXPACK-powered Dodge Charger Super Bee Launch Edition, Charger Scat Pack, Charger Daytona Scat Pack or Durango SRT Hellcat model includes one day of performance driving instruction at Radford Racing School, the official Dodge//SRT high-performance driving school.
Follow Dodge and company news and video on:
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Dodge brand: dodge.com
Direct Connection: DCPerformance.com
Facebook: facebook.com/dodge
Instagram: @dodgeofficial
X: @dodge and @StellantisNA
YouTube: youtube.com/dodge, youtube.com/StellantisNA
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SOURCE Stellantis
