Roadkill Nights Adds Racing Venue & All-New Direct Connection Grudge Match

Tickets are now on sale for the 11th edition of MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge, taking place on Aug. 8, 2026, back on Woodward Avenue at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan.

For the first time, the event will feature two live racing venues: street-legal drag racing on Woodward, as well as a first-ever road course track shootout for cash and prizes on a new closed course inside M1 Concourse, effectively doubling race opportunities, event organizers said in a press release.

Also on tap is an all-new Direct Connection Grudge Match format featuring the gas-powered, 550-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack with its SIXPACK High-Output (H.O.) engine, plus new product announcements from Dodge.

“Roadkill Nights is now in its 11th year, and we continue to grow, with double the racing opportunities this year, bringing more action than we’ve ever put on pavement,” said Matt McAlear, Dodge CEO. “From the intensity of street-legal drag racing on Woodward Avenue to the first-ever road course track shootout inside M1 Concourse, and updated formats to show the power and performance of the new high-octane burning Charger, we’re giving fans more horsepower, more competition and more reasons to show up and be part of it.”

“At its core, Roadkill Nights is a celebration of speed, horsepower and the people who live for both,” said Eric Schwab, senior vice president, sales & strategic development, Hearst Magazines. “This year’s event raises the bar with twice the racing, new competition formats and more opportunities for fans to get closer to the action than ever before. We’re proud to continue growing this event with Dodge and delivering a full-throttle experience that captures the energy and passion of the performance community.”

Twice the Racing Action

New for 2026, Roadkill Nights delivers dual racing experiences simultaneously for the first time, including:

• Woodward Avenue will be transformed into a street-legal drag strip, bringing Big Tire and Small Tire street-legal drag racing back on Woodward Avenue for head-to-head competition
• Just off Woodward and inside M1 Concourse, an all-new road course track shootout area at Roadkill Nights will open competition to racers in a diverse range of makes and models, battling in timed runs on a gate-to-gate course. Cash prizes will be up for grabs for the top three spots in three classes: Forced Induction, Naturally Aspirated and Under 3L N/A.

Dodge Charger Turbocharges Direct Connection Grudge Match

The Direct Connection Grudge Match will feature the twin-turbo, 550-horsepower SIXPACK-powered Dodge Charger Scat Pack in a new format across a multi-event season. The winning racer and Charger Scat Pack will take center stage at the 2026 SEMA Show. New race format features include:

• Each Direct Connection Grudge Match racer will prep, modify and compete in a Dodge Charger Scat Pack for head-to-head competition beginning at Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge
• Grudge Match competitors will receive technical help from Direct Connection, the Dodge, Ram and Jeep performance parts brand, throughout the build, as well as a build allowance from Dodge
• This year’s racers will compete in at least two events across the season, as well as submit a timeslip from a local test-and-tune event in September
• Direct Connection Grudge Match season will culminate in a final-four showdown at the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge scheduled for Oct. 29–Nov. 1, 2026
• Winning vehicle will be showcased in the Mopar/Dodge display at SEMA

2026 Direct Connection Grudge Match Competitors

• Demi Bagby — Returning Grudge racer, high-energy athlete and social media standout who turned a career-threatening injury into global influence, bringing fearless, stunt-driven intensity and a growing passion for motorsports
• Rob Dahm — A builder known for radical rotary engine creations, bringing engineering innovation and extreme performance to the event
• Bryan Kiefer (Kies Motorsports) — CEO/master builder behind Kies Motorsports, known for 1,000-plus horsepower builds, precision engineering and DIY performance expertise, brings high-tech tuning, fabrication innovation and serious power to the event
• John O’Malley — Owner and founder of Boosted Motorsports, known for extreme powertrain swaps, custom fabrication and high-performance builds
• Johnathan Rimbo — Dodge Badassador and HEMI-devoted builder and engine machinist known for his flame-throwing Challenger Scat Pack and deep Mopar roots, bringing authentic grassroots performance and hands-on expertise to the Grudge stage
• Evan Shanks — New Grudge racer and grassroots builder known for relatable DIY builds, drifting content and technical deep dives, combining hands-on car culture credibility
• Dave Sparks (“Heavy D”) — Diesel Brothers star known for building outrageous, high-horsepower diesel machines and over-the-top builds
• Titan Motorsports — Florida-based performance powerhouse and record-setting builder known for five-second quarter-mile capability, advanced in-house R&D and elite high-horsepower engineering, brings proven drag dominance and technical depth.

More Than Racing: Full-Day Fan Experience

• Dodge Charger 60th celebration highlights car show
• Dodge Charger Thrill and Drift Rides in SIXPACK gasoline-powered Dodge Charger muscle cars
• Ram Thrill Rides, performance truck-packed display
• NHRA stars Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan will perform burnouts on Woodward Avenue in their 12,000-horsepower Dodge Nitro-powered drag cars, with fellow NHRA Dodge racer Ida Zetterström also making an appearance at Roadkill
• Ram NASCAR drivers will make their first-ever Roadkill Nights appearance
• Celebrity appearances include: Roadkill stars David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan; media personality and Hemmings director of programming Mike Musto; builder and fabricator Suppy Wejpanich of Suppy’s Garage; pro-drifters and X-Comp drivers Corey Hosford and Micah Diaz, who will perform exhibitions in new Dodge vehicle builds debuting at Roadkill; and Dylan “Mamba” Smith, a popular NASCAR analyst and Dodge brand ambassador.
• Live announcing team will feature Brian Lohnes and KJ Jones
• Dodge vehicles on display will include the Dodge Charger lineup, HEMI-powered Dodge Durango lineup and more
• United Way Silent Auction will support charitable initiatives
• Exhibition runs, vendor midway, food trucks and more