Admirable Cars:: Blog for Car Lovers

Mike Accavitti, Director of Dodge Motorsports and SRT Marketing, Chrysler Group said:
вАЬDodge is ready for the challenge at Bristol, and we think the Dodge Avenger is the car to beat. We believe that the Avenger can bring Dodge a championship in the future, and we can’t wait to start that campaign this weekend."

вАЬAnd, for the first Dodge driver to win a COT race, we will donate an all-new Dodge Avenger to the charity of his choice,вАЭ he added.

The 2008 Dodge Avenger is equipped with a Word Engine that offers an improved fuel efficiency and low exhaust emissions without affecting the car’s powerful performance. The 2008 Dodge Avenger also comes with quality interior parts like those VW GTI parts found on the VW GTI model.

The drivers of major Dodge teams are excited on the racing debut of the new 2008 Dodge Avenger. They are pleased to join the 2008 Dodge Avenger at the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow racing events. Here is what they said.

David Stremme, driver of the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge:

вАЬYou can test it all you want, but we’re not going to know what we’re really dealing with until we race it. Some of the guys have been complaining about it, but I’m anxious to race it. Anything can and usually does happen at Bristol, so it should be a very interesting race for the competitors and a very entertaining one for the fans.вАЭ

No. 2 Miller Lite Crew Chief Roy McCauley:

вАЬWith the Avenger there’s a large window of opportunity, and the people that do their homework the most will exploit that window of opportunity initially. The garage area is full of the smartest racers in the world, and they will catch up. Everybody will catch up, but I think a couple of cars will be dominant initially because they’ve done their homework ahead of time.вАЭ

Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge and former Bristol winner:
вАЬI think we’re all excited about getting the Avenger on the racetrack for the first time and to carry it to Bristol of all places, we’re definitely going to test its durability and how it holds up under pressure. Bristol is an action-packed race, and it’s always a tough race. Being the first COT race in the history of NASCAR makes it even more exciting."

вАЬEverybody will bring their best stuff. You want to get started on the right foot. The Avenger is a great tool. We feel like Dodge has done a great job giving us everything to work with correctly. Hopefully, we can put it all into motion and have a good weekend." he added

Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge:

вАЬThat will be the first bigger track we have with the Avenger. It’s going to be an eye-opening weekend. It’s going to be tough to make that car work there. It’s going to be much different than what it’s been in the past, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I think Darlington is going to be a bigger change in the way cars run than Bristol. I think Bristol will be similar to what it’s been in the past with the COT, and Martinsville will be similar. Darlington will be a big change, and that’s when all 43 drivers and teams will figure out the cars are a lot different than what we’ve been racing.вАЭ

Lastly, Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Avenger who won last year’s Food City 500 commented:

“I just always get a spring in my step when we come back to Bristol. I enjoy this place like no other. At this place, 500 laps is without a doubt the hottest ticket in NASCAR. We’re definitely excited about the Dodge Avenger and what it can do for our team. Having the first COT race at Bristol will be just like jumping into a full tank of sharks and swimming around with them. It’ll probably come down to survival.”

The Dodge Avenger NASCAR car though is making a challenge to the domination of Chevrolet with back-to-back second place for Ryan Newman who is driving the Number 12 Dodge Avenger.

At the Pocono 500, the Dodge cars fielded for this year’s Nextel Cup Series has been fitted with new noses in the hope that the change will give Dodge its first win of the season. Unfortunately though, critics pointed out that the new nose installed may have cost Dodge a win at the race.

Mike Accavitti, the Director of the Dodge Brand and SRT Marketing and Communication, has this to say about the new nose having put them behind the competition: вАЬWe tested the nose together several times last year. We all came to a conclusion. We all reached an agreement that it was the right thing to do. Every team had an input and every team agreed to that. When we put the nose on the car, it affected the suspension setup more on those downforce tracks than we had anticipated. It’s taken a little while to get our arms around what the issues were and get some action plans in place.вАЭ

Accavitti also pointed out that aside from focusing on the performance of their current cars, they are also exerting effort on improving their performance of the Car of Tomorrow which is also known as the COT. вАЬAt the same time, we’re trying to figure out the COT, so that’s really what kind of got us behind the 8 ball. We feel like we’re really picking up some steam now in our performance, average finish performance is showing it,вАЭ he said.

One of the most promising young drivers this season driving a Dodge is Kasey Kahne. The 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year has not finished in the top ten since the first race of the season. Normally, it would cause for concern for Dodge. Accavitti though is confident that Kahne has what it takes to perform well for the remainder of the season. вАЬKasey is the real deal. We have the utmost faith in Kasey and the Evernham Motorsports Organization. They’re a class act team, and they’re going to do what they need to do to get Kasey back in victory lane,вАЭ says Accavitti.

While Kasey Kahne is struggling, Ryan Newman, another Dodge driver, is performing well. He seems to be coasting in the most recent races of the season as if he is driving a Dodge cold air intake system-equipped Dodge Charger. Accavitti addressed the success of Newman compared to the lackluster performance of other Dodge cars saying: вАЬThis is one of the biggest issues we’ve had. We can go incredibly fast as a group for one lap. We saw this actually last year. Last year the hypothesis was that it’s a clean air issue.вАЭ

With the Dodge cars receiving modifications and improving their performance, it would be easy to believe that a Dodge victory will be coming soon.

Thanks in part to new ownership [Daimler Benz purchased the Chrysler Corporation in 1998] a fresh infusion of great looking Dodge models have hit a showroom near you. Additional models are soon to appear and the makeover that Dodge has been receiving is nothing less than astounding. Here are some of my favorites:

Magnum - Who said that a station wagon should resemble a family hauler? The Magnum sure doesn’t. With an intimidating grille and a rakish exterior, the Magnum is a true man pleaser while also giving women a bit extra room in the back to haul stuff. Throw in a Hemi and the Magnum truly rocks!

Charger - Okay, so the new Charger has four doors. Well, you can’t have everything. You can have macho looks, a powerful engine, and a car that is certain to compete with anything that Japan or Germany throws its way. Word has it that DaimlerChrysler is considering a coupe version. Now, wouldn’t that be cool!

Caliber - Bye, bye Neon. The Neon served Dodge well, but it isn’t in the same caliber as the Caliber. Pun intended. To be introduced in Spring 2006 as a 2007 model, the Caliber will have three engine choices: 1.8, 2.0, and 2.4 I4s, a continuously available transaxle, and all wheel drive. In addition, 2.0L diesel engines will be available outside of the North American market - why not here? - as DaimlerChrysler sets to introduce the Dodge name into new markets.

Other Dodge vehicles that are getting noticed include the Ram and Dakota pick up trucks, the Durango SUV and the soon to be introduced Dodge Nitro, the division’s version of the compact Jeep Liberty. Oh, yeah, who could forget the 510-hp V10 Viper? Can you say, Corvette beater?

One word you can’t associate with Dodge anymore is the word, "boring." Exciting cars, trucks, and SUVs for a market craving these types of hot vehicles. I guess the "ram" insignia really does befit the name