Legal Street Racing Event Returns

‘Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge' Returns Saturday, Aug. 14 — A Homecoming for Legal Street Racing

Returning to kick off cruise week for 2021, Roadkill Nights is back with legal street drags on Woodward Ave., sponsors Dodge and MotorTrend announced.

For the sixth year, Roadkill Nights powered by Dodge returns as the traditional kick-off to the Motor City’s weeklong celebration of classic cars and car culture with legal street drag racing, classic and modern muscle car show, interactive experiences and activities at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, on Aug. 14. Drivers will have the opportunity to drag race in front of spectators on historic Woodward Ave. as it is transformed from a street into a sanctioned, 1/8-mile drag strip.

“Roadkill Nights legal street racing powered by Dodge is back this summer,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand CEO – Stellantis. “Our Brotherhood of Muscle spoke that they were ready for it to return, so we’re doing it. Plus, this year we’re going to take it up a notch with a TV-versus-online build-and-race challenge. The ‘build rules’ are going to be really loose, so we should see some serious hardware being built to find out who’s faster: the TV or the Internet stars.”

Also returning for 2021 are Dodge thrill and drift rides in Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats, where participants can go for rides on the M1 Concourse skidpad and north loop portion of the track. Other returning activities include the high-octane virtual head-to-head racing in Dodge Challenger SRT Demon simulators; classic and modern muscle car show; dyno testing; “Roadkill” stunts; flamethrower, wheelstander, pro-mod exhibitions; family-friendly activities; and an array of food truck offerings (subject to change).

Roadkill Nights is shifting gears this year with a new celebrity showdown format providing four automotive social media influencers each with a Dodge Hellcat, $10,000 in cash for car modifications and one task: build drag racing machines capable of besting Eric Malone, star of MotorTrend’s series “Fastest Cars in the Dirty South,” in a drag race. MotorTrend will capture it all this year within a one-hour “Roadkill Showdown Special” to air on MotorTrend’s streaming service and on MotorTrend TV.

“After a COVID-19 hiatus in 2020, we are proud to partner with Dodge and bring back for our fans Roadkill Nights,” said Eric Schwab, MotorTrend Group’s Group SVP, Head of Revenue and Partnerships. “If you’ve ever dreamed of watching street-legal drag racing down Woodward Avenue, come to our event. We have Dodge thrill rides, a car show and street-legal drag racing. It’s going to be an absolutely epic day for anyone with a passion for cars.”

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By A.J. Hecht

A.J. Hecht is the managing editor of THE SHOP and host of the In Gear with THE SHOP podcast. Have an idea, a tip, or a question you’d like to see answered? Contact A.J. at ahecht@cahabamedia.com.