2006 Dodge Charger NASCAR

Kyle Petty

Kyle Eugene Petty was born on June 2nd of 1960 in Randleman, North Caroline. He is the son of Richard Petty and the grandson of Lee Petty, making this a family of racing legends. Growing up, Kyle excelled in sports, including football and basketball and was offered scholarships to many colleges. For this reason, he did not want to follow in the family business. Eventually, he went with tradition and won his first stock race at the ARCA 200 event at the Daytona International Speedway in 1979. He tried his luck at the Winston Cup Series, but he crashed during qualifying in March, May and July. He qualified for the Talladega race in August and managed to finish the race in an impressive ninth place. He raced as much as he could during the 1980 season, using spare cars when they were available.

In 1985 he left Petty Enterprises to join the Wood Brothers Team. A year later he had secured his first Winston Cup victory at the Richmond International Raceway. A short time later, in 1997, he formed his own team in partnership with Petty Enterprises, which he dubbed PE2. PE2 later merged with Petty Enterprises with Kyle sitting as the CEO.

Charging Off the Line in NASCAR Nextel Cup Competition

After a 30-year absence, Charger returns to the track beginning in February 2005. The historic Dodge Charger nameplate returns to NASCAR Nextel Cup competition as the successor to the race-winning Dodge Intrepid race cars of 2001- 2004, and to the storied Dodge Charger race cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s that earned several national championships.

Following the adage that 'racing improves the breed,' motorsports competition has long been part of the Dodge heritage. From engineering labs in Auburn Hills, Mich., to shop floors in Charlotte, N.C., Dodge, its teams and its dealers live the philosophy it takes to be successful in the ultra-competitive world of racing.

'We're very excited about the new Charger. Not only does it bring back one of the great names in racing history, but it also reinforces the racing heritage of the Dodge brand,' said John Fernandez, Director — Dodge Motorsports Operations, Chrysler Group. 'Our goal is to return the Charger to the winner's circle, which is where I first saw it as a boy watching Richard Petty, Buddy Baker and Bobby Issacs dominate the early days of NASCAR.'

Charger to Build on Dodge Presence in Passenger Car Market

With a U.S. market share of approximately seven percent, Dodge is the fourth-largest nameplate in the United States and the eighth-largest nameplate in the automotive industry. In 2004, Dodge sold more than 1.1 million vehicles. Dodge continues to lead the minivan market segment with a 20 percent U.S. market share and maintains an 18 percent share of the highly competitive truck market.

A Modern Interpretation of a Legend

The 2006 Dodge Charger races forward with modern coupe styling and four-door functionality.

A bold front, strong shoulders and fastback grab the attention of muscle car enthusiasts, while the car's performance, handling and power complete the package.

'The all-new Dodge Charger is here – with a bold and stunning design, and the performance to back it up – and it's worthy of the Charger name,' said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President — Design, Chrysler Group. 'The muscular body form, bold front end and coupe-like profile make the new Charger very fresh and contemporary in its execution.'

The Dodge Charger interior has a driver-oriented cockpit designed with a performance mind-set. It is sporty, functional and simple, featuring a sleek instrument panel and Viper-inspired tunneled gauges highlighted with white faces and satin silver accent rings.

A silver trim bezel surrounding the shifter and additional silver accents in the center stack add just the right touch of brightness to the comfortable interior. The two-tone interior features a darker upper color and a lighter lower color, giving the cabin an open feeling.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2007