We might be going a touch overboard with the preliminary coverage of ChallengerFest 7, but when you have a show that brings cars in from all over the country to one location….Bowling Green, Kentucky, where else?….you might want to perk up and take notice. We did, and we will be on-site April 8th and 9th for the entire event, from the car show in the parking lot of the local Holiday Inn through the racing. And the racing is going to be great, with two solid days of racing and four classes of racing, including the Six-Speed Shootout sponsored by The Driveshaft Shop, the Unlimited Shootout sponsored by Modern Mopar Forum, and the A2Speed/B&G Performance bracket race category. But it’s the new, fourth category, sponsored by OSTDyno and HRH Performance, that is going to be the one to watch, because the prize is an engine:

OST/HRH Performance Short Block Prize Engine
A 6.4 VVT based 426 short block designed for boosted applications.
Build description:
Clean and inspect engine block
Bore cylinders
Proprietary hone with torque plates
Proprietary oiling system modifications
Custom Wiseco or Manley pistons
Manley H-beam rods w/ARP 2000 bolts
Manley crankshaft
Line Bore Engine block
ARP Main studs
Main, rod and cam bearings
Balance rotating assembly
Double key crank for supercharger application (Damper modification winners responsibility)
Assemble short block

As if that wasn’t enough, during the charity auction that benefits Racing4Vets.org, a Charlie 1 Horse hat donated by Petty’s Garage and signed by The King himself will be up for auction!

Late-model Mopars might not have the same immediate recognition as the LS engine that many love to hate but many more love (the record-breaking crowds at last year’s LS Fest proved that) but the power levels that these guys play with are something to behold. We saw Procharged Jeeps running deep 9-second quarters. We saw six-speed cars banging gears like it was the good old days. We heard Hellcats scream for the heavens, and we saw each and every show-quality car that we had written off as “too pretty” line up and run the track in pure, unadulterated anger. All late-model Chargers, Challengers, 300s and anything powered by a late-model Mopar under the hood are welcome to come try their luck on the strip, and we are taking up that challenge by bringing the Angry Grandpa Chrysler 300C out to the track for some bracket-racing work! If you’re near the area, want a good Spring show of power, or maybe you’re just sick of LS fanboys and want to see something different for a change, come on out to Bowling Green!

For more information on ChallengerFest 7, including a schedule of events and links for signing up, be sure to check out the official web site at Challengerfest.net!