---
title: "Mopar and Dodge SRT Double Down on the 2018 NHRA Season"
description: "The NHRA season opener is around the corner, and sponsors and teams alike are anxious to share the deals they've been putting together over the winter. One of the first to do so is also one the biggest, as Mopar and Dodge SRT just announced their sponsorship programs."
date: "2018-01-31"
modified: "2018-01-31"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/18110/mopar-and-dodge-srt-double-down-on-the-2018-nhra-season"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "dodge"
  - "Hot Rod"
  - "Mopar"
  - "NHRA"
  - "SRT"
---

# Mopar and Dodge SRT Double Down on the 2018 NHRA Season

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/01/nhra_2018_mopar_dodge_funnycar4fab0i56hb0mqu26u6n7ihnc18.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

The National Hot Rod Association season opener is around the corner, and sponsors and teams alike are anxious to share the deals they've been putting together over the winter. One of the first to do so is also one of the biggest—Mopar and [Dodge SRT](<https://www.thedrive.com/video/16707/the-2018-dodge-srt-challenger-hellcat-widebody-assaults-lime-rock-park>) just announced their sponsorship programs for 2018.

The venerable FCA brands will chase the title of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series by increasing their factory sponsorship of [Leah Pritchett](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/16459/leah-pritchett-brings-a-707-horsepower-hellcat-to-hoonigan-to-play-with>) of Don Schumacher Racing (DSR), who managed to score four victories and a fifth-place finish during the 2017 season. Pritchett's 330 mph NHRA Top Fuel Dragster will sport the automaker's decals at seven of 24 events on the 2018 NHRA schedule.

![message-editor%2F1517412065047-nhra\_2018\_pritchett\_dragsterso02o65d78dogis1sdgac3ev4n.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1517412065047-nhra_2018_pritchett_dragsterso02o65d78dogis1sdgac3ev4n.jpg>)
*Leah Pritchett of Don Schumacher Racing., *FCA**

Mopar and Dodge SRT will also renew their support of two-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan for a total of 14 events in 2018, marking the 10th anniversary of their partnership. “Where does the time go?” said Hagan. “Ten years, that’s a chunk out of your life. I was very fortunate to get hooked up with Don Schumacher. He surrounds himself with the best, and Mopar and [Dodge](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/15588/dodge-to-offer-707-horsepower-hellcrate-engine-at-last>) are key sponsors. It has been good for me to be able to carry that banner. It’s a huge honor."

![message-editor%2F1517412126072-nhra\_2018\_hagan\_dragster3s43f1n9u1db1a1gdbso68jrp4.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1517412126072-nhra_2018_hagan_dragster3s43f1n9u1db1a1gdbso68jrp4.jpg>)
*Matt Hagan of Don Schumacher Racing., *FCA**

The Mopar Contingency Program will continue in 2018. The program awards monetary funds to drivers who win or finish runner-up while sporting Mopar contingency decals or utilizing the brand's engine components.

The overall fan experience in person and online will also receive a boost in 2018, courtesy of a new 4,800-square-foot exhibit that merges each brand’s rig to create one of the largest displays on the NHRA Manufacturers Midway. Online, there will be a new one-stop site for all Mopar and Dodge racing news dubbed [Dodge Garage](<https://www.dodgegarage.com>).

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)