Dodge and SRT Motorsports announced today an all-new 2013 Dodge Dart rally
car piloted by four-time Rally America Champion and 17-time X Games Gold
Medalist Travis Pastrana will compete in the 2012 Global RallyCross Championship
(GRC) Series.
"At Dodge, racing is an integral part of our heritage and embodies our
competitive spirit, so we're very excited to announce the next chapter in racing
for Dodge with our all-new Dodge Dart," said Reid Bigland, President and CEO -
Dodge Brand. "The new Dart Global RallyCross Championship car with 600
horsepower and driver Travis Pastrana takes our passion for performance to all
new heights."
Pastrana, 28, is a four-time Rally America champion and owner of multiple
supercross and motorcross championships. He also owns Nitro Circus, an empire
that includes a television show, live tours and 3D feature film project.
Pastrana is one of the most searched athletes in the world (6 million Google
searches in 2010) and he has more than 3.5 million Facebook followers.
"When I first heard about GRC, I was really interested, and after watching some
of the rounds last year and then actually competing at X Games I was hooked!"
said Pastrana. "Now to be able to partner with Dodge to field my own program
this year is a dream come true. The new Dodge Dart offers the perfect platform
for rally cross, and I look forward to putting it on the podium all season
long!"
Ralph Gilles, President and CEO - Street and Racing Technology Brand and
Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC, said that having Pastrana piloting a Dodge Dart
and competing in GRC is a natural fit.
"Travis is a living example of what action sports activities are all about, so
he fits in perfectly with the youthfulness and passion for performance of the
Dodge brand and the SRT Motorsports team," said Gilles. "He's proven that he can
handle just about anything with wheels, so it's going to be great to watch him
pilot our new Dodge Dart in Global RallyCross."
The Dart rally car is custom built specifically for Global RallyCross racing,
but shares a few traits with the production Dodge Dart. Both vehicles have
exceptional aerodynamics, are agile and fun to drive and will add a little
excitement to their segments. Powered by a purpose-built, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder,
16-valve turbo-charged 600-horsepower engine mated to a Sedav 4-wheel drive gear
box that puts out more than 550 lb.-ft. of torque, the Dart rally car is ready
to go.
The 2013 production Dodge Dart features three state-of-the-art powertrains that
produce up to 184 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque and a sporty,
fun-to-drive experience. The Dart features an athletic, sporty exterior, a
world-class interior with high-quality materials, state-of-the art technology
and enough exterior and interior color and material choices to fit any customer.
David Bailey, Senior Engineering Manager for SRT Motorsports, knows the new
Dodge Dart rally car is equipped to handle the intense racing conditions.
"The sport is extremely exciting and the on-track action can be brutal on the
drivers and the cars," said Bailey. "The cars are jumping higher than ever and
landing safely. The Dart rally car is lightweight with a very powerful motor.
The zero to 60 mile-per-hour times are incredible, as low as 1.9 seconds, so
with Travis behind the wheel, we can't wait for the season opener."
Global RallyCross is a spin-off of the X Games rally races. It combines the
skill of rally racing with the excitement of X Games. The revolutionary
motorsports series enters its second season and features high-flying extreme
competition between cars that are relevant to today's youth. The series consists
of seven racing events in closed-course rally tracks and incorporates
bumper-to-bumper competition among 600 horsepower all-wheel drive vehicles.
There are 70-foot jumps over racing traffic, creating a "motocross with cars"
action.
The series begins May 26 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and concludes Sept. 29 in
Las Vegas. Also included are races at X Games scheduled for June 30-July 1 in
Los Angeles. It's one of the most anticipated stops on the schedule. The ESPN
family of channels will broadcast live coverage of the entire 2012 race series.
2012 Global RallyCross Race Schedule:
* May 26 - Charlotte Motor Speedway
* June 10 - Texas Motor Speedway
* June 30 - X Games, Los Angeles
* July 1 - X Games, Los Angeles
* July 14 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway
* Sept. 1 - TBD
* Sept. 29 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway
