2010 Dodge LC22R Challenger Drag Pak - Retro Racer Revealed

No Bostrum A100 van seats here, Drag Paks feature two driver-side Viper bucket seats. The stock Challenger rear seat, hand brake assembly and center console are deleted. Roush enlarges the transmission tunnel to accommodate anything from a 727 TorqueFlite to a Jerico, but it’s up to the purchaser to cut a shift handle access hole to suit his specific needs. The circular heater and A/C controls and dash outlets are dummies since the HVAC system is omitted to shave pounds.

Unlike the 2009 Challenger Drag Paks (which shipped with an empty manual or automatic transmission case), 2010 Drag Pak Challengers are shipped without a transmission. The trio of lightweight pedals and the installation of a clutch slave cylinder identify number 2010003 as being intended for use with a manual transmission. 2010 Drag Paks ordered for competition in automatic drag classes do not have a clutch pedal and employ a wider brake pedal pad.

While previous 1965 Coronet and 1968 Dart Race Hemi package cars required trunk-mount battery conversion kits, happily every new V-6, R/T, and SRT8 Challenger comes factory stock with a trunk mounted battery. No Drag Pak modifications are made to the stock tray though it’s certainly too small for a vintage 100-pound Mopar Super Stock battery. This angle offers another view of the Roush-fabbed metal differential cover panel. The Brampton body plant intentionally minimized the application of seam sealer and sound insulation padding to reduce mass—and mess—during welding.

Though some 2009 Drag Paks feature the 160-mph SRT8 speedometer, 2010 models use the stock Challenger 140-mph speedometer. None of the gauges function, and the steering wheel air bag (and all others) is deleted. Other deletions include thumb button stereo and cruise control stalk functions and the elimination of the column mounted turn signal indicator/windshield wiper switch assembly. At Roush, a separate Mopar Performance switch panel is installed in the place normally reserved for the stereo system.

The rear seat area is intentionally arranged to ease rollcage fabrication. The rectangular cover panel over the rear axle hump is not OE Challenger architecture. Rather, the formed metal cover is provided to allow clearance for a Dana 60 live axle. Temporary rivets secure the cover for easy removal during race chassis fabrication. The open area between the interior and trunk compartment must be closed for NHRA compliance. All transmission tunnel, floor pan, and other chassis modifications to the unibody are performed by Roush personnel in Livonia, Michigan.

Though 2009 Drag Paks were ostensibly offered with your choice of a 275hp 360 small-block (PN P5MOPP197), 305hp 5.7 Hemi (PN P5MOPP190) or 390hp 6.1 Hemi (PN P5MOPP189), the 2010 Drag Pak supplement sheet lists all of these engines plus a new 375hp 6.4 liter Hemi (PN P5MOPP794). However, a quick chat with Dave Hakim (one of the Drag Pak “chefs” during his tenure at Mopar Performance), confirms that the vast majority of 2009 and 2010 Drag Paks are equipped with the 6.1-liter Hemi shown here. Despite the 12.6:1 compression ratio and hot .584/.552 lift hydraulic roller cam, the NHRA rates the 6.1 Hemi at 390 hp (385 with manual transmission). Real world output is a tad higher.

Shipped minus a transmission, the solid motor mounts safely balances the Hemi during delivery. The lightweight aluminum Moroso oil pan is notched to clear the removable (bolt-in) frame crossmember. The customer must source his own flywheel, clutch, blow shield, headers, etc. The paper plugs stuffed into the exhaust ports are newspaper scraps from the Thursday, November 26, 2009, edition of the Lexington, Kentucky, Herald.

Worms eye view of the underbody shows where Roush personnel massaged the driveline tunnel for increased transmission, driveshaft, and rear axle clearance. All surgery scars are protected by a coat of white paint. Unlike the 2009 Drag Pak, the 2010 models ship without a dummy transmission so they lack the yellow temporary transmission support crossmember used in ’09.

A quartet of plastic plugs replace the factory knock sensors in the block. Though every Drag Pak engine is fitted with premium goodies from Mopar Performance, ATI, Scat, Diamond, Moroso and others, engine disassembly and blue printing is recommended before competition use.

2009 Drag Pak Challengers were shipped with a stock rear suspension cradle—minus brakes, differential centersection, and axle half shafts. Since the entire unit was destined to be replaced by a live axle for drag racing, it was a wasteful scenario. For 2010, Chrysler simplified matters by substituting this temporary rear axle unit that’s made by Al-Ko of Elkhart, Indiana, and is secured to the underbody by four bolts. The white paper sticker on the axle tube reads: “Shipping bracket only, discard.” Again, note the Roush-modified axle hump area. It’ll fit anything up to a Dana 60 rear axle.

Another change for 2010 is the substitution of the Mark Williams front disc brakes (PN P5MOPP203) used in 2009 with similar items from Strange. Either way, they’re several pounds lighter than the Challenger’s stock 14.2-inch front disc brakes. It is up to the owner to plumb the entire brake system since no lines or hoses are provided.

Many early 2009 Drag Pak Challengers rolled on Goodyear T175/90D17 temporary spare tires mounted on 17-inch gloss black steel rims with 18 small circular holes. Late 2009 cars and all 2010 deliveries switched to 15-inch utility trailer wheels fitted to ST205/75D15 Load Star K550 tires. Some of the rims are painted gray while others are white with red and blue pin stripes.

The Drag Pak’s ’70 Challenger T/A inspired hood and scoop are rendered in lightweight carbon fiber. External air is channeled directly into the foam-sealed throttle-body pan via the square hole seen here. A larger hole would allow pressurized air to escape, degrading the ram effect. Thoughtfully, the 12 Dzus hold-down fasteners are supplied loose so they can be installed after the hood has been painted.

A box in the trunk includes the items shown here. The stock Challenger wiring harness is included but is not intended for direct use. Rather, the instruction book suggests “harvesting” the terminal ends for use in the minimized race car electrical system.

To learn more, grab a copy of Jim Schild’s 2009 Dodge Challenger LC22R Drag Pak Authenticity Guide from Auto Review publishing (www.theautoreview.com or jschild@htc.net). Note the 17-inch temporary spare tires and wheels installed on the 2009 Drag Pak cover car.