The Dodge Charger

Makeover shows are a big part of television programming these days. Onany given night, you can see homes, yards, cars, motorcycles, and evenpeople all getting "massaged" into a new and better form. A majorautomobile manufacturer and NASCAR competitor had its own makeover ofsorts when Dodge parked the Intrepid body style and replaced it with theCharger this year. Veteran stock car racing fans know the new car willhave plenty to live up to, as the nameplate romped its way to 140 NASCARvictories from 1966-1977. In an effort to give some perspective on themakeover of the new Dodge Charger that will take to the track thisseason, let's take a look back at the history of this vintage Moparracer.

1966-1967
The Dodge Charger, with the famed Chrysler 426 Hemi under thehood, debuted in NASCAR competition in 1966. The radically designedfastback replaced the Dodge Coronet body style the manufacturer hadcampaigned the year before. The Charger was an instant hit, winning the1966 NASCAR Manufacturer's Championship. Earl Balmer piloted the car toits first win on February 25 when he captured one of the two 100-milequalifying races for that year's Daytona 500. In April, David Pearson,wheeling a Cotton Owens prepared Charger, gave the nameplate its firstNASCAR points race victory by winning at Hickory, North Carolina.Pearson and the white No. 6 Charger visited victory lane 15 times in1966 with Sam McQuagg and LeeRoy Yarbrough scoring the nameplate's twoother wins that year. Pearson won two more races in a Dodge Charger, asthe design and shape of the car went basically unchanged in 1967. Whatdid change that year was the car's success as it won only five eventsall season. Additionally, the '66-'67 Dodge Charger didn't fire theimagination of the buying public, as slightly over 52,000 of thevehicles were sold in two years. Just 586 of those cars came outfittedwith the potent 426 Hemi. In an era where winning on Sunday truly meantselling on Monday, the '66-'67 Dodge Charger was a bust.