Dodge Motorsports Pro Stock Truck response to decision

Dodge and Mopar Repsonse To NHRA Pro Stock Truck Decision

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (July 25, 2001) -- The following is an official response from Dodge and Mopar Motorsports drag racing program manager Brett Fischer on NHRA's decision to reclassify the Pro Stock Truck category to Comp Eliminator concluding the 2001 NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series season.

"While we support NHRA's business decision, we're understandably disappointed for our teams -- Eaton Enterprises and Patterson Racing -- for all their hard work and dedication in bringing our Dodge Dakota R/T Pro Stock Truck program to the high-level of competitiveness that it's at now. You can't put a dollar figure on that type of dedication and hard work."

"As far as our investment in the class goes, the Dodge Dakota R/T development program helped our Dodge and Mopar engineers garner some valuable information," explained Fischer. "You don't lose that information because the category ends. The things we learned by developing the Dodge Dakota R/T will be with our engineers forever -- which is one of the reasons Mopar and Dodge are involved in drag racing and motor sports in the first place. The engineering details we have learned developing the new R/T body and the new P5 Magnum head will end up in other programs, production or racing."

Phoenix-based Eaton Enterprises, campaigns the Mopar Parts Dodge Dakota R/T of Dale Eaton and the Dodge Motorsports Dakota R/T of Craig Eaton. Todd Patterson, driver for Patterson Racing of Augusta, Kan., wields the other Dodge Motorsports Dakota R/T Pro Stock Truck entry and currently sits sixth in the Winston Pro Stock Truck title chase.

-Dodge Motorsports