Dodge Hustles Harder: Introducing First Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection, Bringing HEMI Power to New Charger Race Car

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --

• For the first time ever, a race-prepared version of the next-generation Dodge Charger unites with SRT race HEMI® power to create all-new 2026 Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection
• Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak's lightweight body adds next-generation street DNA to the drag-car version, bringing the heritage-inspired look and feel of the all-new Charger to NHRA Factory Stock Showdown drag racing
• Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak is constructed with select carbon-fiber components, creating a new race car that is 100 lbs. lighter than the previous Challenger Drag Pak
• Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak is powered by a championship-proven supercharged 354-cubic-inch HEMI V-8 engine and is turnkey capable of sub-eight-second elapsed times
• Engine upgrades include new GEN III aluminum HEMI engine block, all-new H-beam connecting rods, Diamond aluminum pistons, forged-steel eight-counterweight crankshaft and new high-performance lightweight billet supercharger belt tensioner
• Serialized 50-unit run of Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection to be produced, with plaque on billet supercharger cover calling out production number
• 18 high-impact exterior color options include classics, such as B5 Blue, Frostbite, Go Mango, Sinamon Stick, Sublime and Plum Crazy, along with optional graphic packages
• Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak is the first race car to be produced under the umbrella of the newly reestablished SRT Performance division
• Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak will be race-prepared in Mooresville, North Carolina, by legendary race car builder Riley Technologies, which has a long history of collaborating with SRT on championship-winning race cars
• Dodge to offer $26,000 for first NHRA Factory Stock Showdown event win in all-new 2026 Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak as part of NHRA Contingency program
• Reservations for the Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak open on Oct. 31, 2025

Dodge launches its first Dodge Charger Drag Pak: the all-new 2026 Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection. The brand's newest purpose-built race car unites SRT race HEMI® engine power with a drag-race-ready version of the new Dodge Charger.

Only 50 serialized units of the 2026 Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection, the most technologically advanced Drag Pak race car to date, will be built. The limited-production drag car is engineered for grassroots NHRA Sportsman drag racers, with each of the 50 race cars NHRA-approved for Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) competition.

The Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak is the first race car to be included under the umbrella of the newly reestablished Street and Racing Technology (SRT) Performance division, responsible for SRT high-performance models, Direct Connection performance parts and American brand motorsports initiatives, including Dodge competition in NHRA and the Ram brand's recently announced plans to return to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2026.

Mopar's Hustle Stuff catalogs in the 1970s were the racers' guide to performance, including lightweight and performance upgrades. That spirit of racing technology and the search for the last 10th of performance lives on in the Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak.

"The Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak is mission-engineered to equip our FSS drivers with an upgraded, championship-winning, supercharged HEMI race engine wrapped in a next-level race car incarnation of the all-new Dodge Charger," said Kevin Kidd, motorsports competition director for Stellantis American Brands. "The Challenger Drag Pak's swan song was back-to-back NHRA Factory Stock Showdown crowns, and this first-ever Charger Drag Pak is purpose-designed to extend Dodge's legacy of drag strip domination."

Key features and component upgrades for the first Charger Drag Pak include:

• All-new exterior look and feel of the bold, heritage-inspired design of the new Dodge Charger
• Upgraded version of the championship-proven, 354-cubic-inch HEMI V-8 engine, developed by SRT engineers
• Special plaque on billet cover of the 3.0L Whipple supercharger indicates production number on each of the limited-edition, turnkey drag cars
• Engineered with upgrades, including newly designed GEN III aluminum HEMI engine block, all-new H-beam connecting rods, Diamond aluminum pistons, all-new forged-steel eight-counterweight crankshaft and more
• Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak capable of sub-eight-second elapsed times
• All-new, upgraded and strengthened four-link rear suspension with Mark Williams Enterprises 9-inch rear axle and 4.30:1 final drive ratio
• Reduction of both static and rotating weight throughout for increased performance compared with the previous-generation Challenger Drag Pak
• Hustle Stuff equipment includes all-new, lightweight, carbon-fiber front fascia, hood, doors and hatch — new Drag Pak is 100 lbs. lighter than the last generation
• Engineered with lightweight K member and front and rear bumpers
• Three-speed Coan Racing transmission with micro polished internals and lightweight aluminum driveshaft for maximum strength and performance
• Double-adjustable coilover shocks developed specifically for the Charger Drag Pak
• Holley EFI Dominator ECU and Racepak 6.86-inch digital dash display
• Fully programmable Racepak Smartwire power distribution module

The Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak is delivered standard in White Knuckle exterior color, with a rainbow of 18 additional high-impact hues available, including classic colors, such as B5 Blue, Frostbite, Go Mango, Plum Crazy, Sinamon Stick and Sublime, to name just a few. Three optional graphic packages, including a red-and-blue striped version that features the Direct Connection logo on the hood, are available.

Dodge is also giving NHRA Sportsman racers 26,000 reasons to earn the first NHRA Factory Stock Showdown event win in the all-new Drag Pak. As part of the NHRA Contingency program, Dodge will reward the racer who captures the first victory in the 2026 Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak with an unprecedented $26,000 payday — the highest payout ever offered under the contingency program.

All-new Charger Looks, Hustle Stuff Lightweight Body

The all-new Dodge Charger Drag Pak takes a page out of the original Hustle Stuff catalogs and incorporates multiple lightweight parts in the next-generation race-ready drag car. The Charger Drag Pak brings the look and feel of the all-new Charger to NHRA drag racing for the first time ever in a package that is 100 lbs. lighter than the previous Challenger Drag Pak.

The new Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak includes carbon-fiber versions of the hood, doors, front fascia and hatch of the all-new gas-powered Dodge Charger. The hood bezel of the production Charger is also replaced by an exclusive "Drag Pak" logo. The Fratzog logo, Dodge's newest symbol of performance, takes center stage on both the front and rear fascia.

The muscular widebody race car has been further enhanced with a lightweight front suspension K member, front and rear bumpers, driveshaft loop, chromoly safety cage, 10-foot cross-form parachute and wheelie bar with wheels inspired by the iconic Fratzog logo.

The Drag Pak's interior maintains elements of the new production Charger's driver-focused design and incorporates distinctive Drag Pak ID through a unique HUSTLE STUFF badge on the instrument panel. The removable steering wheel features a carbon-fiber-styled Fratzog logo in the center, offering another nod to the all-new Charger.

The full interior includes carbon-fiber instrument panel closeouts and an SFI 25.5/7.50 ET NHRA-certified chromoly roll cage, Sabelt lightweight SFI-certified seats embroidered with Direct Connection and Hustle Stuff logos, Sabelt SFI-certified safety harnesses and a window net.

Powertrain of Champions

The Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak is fortified with an upgraded version of the NHRA-approved, 354-cubic-inch HEMI V-8 engine that currently holds the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown sub-7.60-second elapsed time world record and has helped claim the past two NHRA Factory Stock Showdown championships.

Key features and upgrades of the new Charger Drag Pak include:

Engine

• Whipple 3.0L twin-screw supercharger
• Newly designed cast aluminum GEN III HEMI engine block includes select six-bolt main metal caps for added strength
• All-new race forged-steel eight-counterweight crankshaft
• All-new high-performance forged H-beam connecting rods
• New high-performance, lightweight billet belt tensioner
• Diamond aluminum pistons
• Mopar spec camshaft with 0.675-inch lift
• Jesel solid roller lifters and rocker arms
• Billet aluminum, 109mm throttle body
• Stainless-steel long-tube headers
• Holley EFI lightweight Dominator ECU
• Racepak Smartwire power module, 6.86-inch display, V300SD data logger
• Wet sump oil pump, fabricated aluminum pan, C&R lightweight radiator and cooling fan, electric water pump

Transmission 

• Coan Racing XLT three-speed automatic transmission with internal accumulator and lightweight 300M internals
• Coan Racing 9.65-inch (245mm), high-performance, bolt-together torque converter
• CNC machined billet aluminum stator and billet aluminum cover
• Cast deep aluminum pan, Reid SFI case and GEN III HEMI bellhousing
• M&M aluminum three-speed safe neutral shifter

Suspension 

• All-new rear suspension geometry for improved performance
• Four-link adjustable rear suspension with diagonal link
• Custom Drag Pak double-adjustable coilover shocks
• Adjustable anti-roll bar with spherical ends and adjustable ride height rear spring perches 
• Front suspension features lightweight race designed front knuckles
• Adjustable camber shims and toe links
• Lightweight wheel bearing assemblies
• Aluminum upper and lower control arms with steel spherical bearings
• Lightweight front suspension K-member with integrated engine mounts

Wheels/Tires 

• WELD Racing lightweight forged-aluminum 17-by-4.5-inch front wheels, WELD Racing Double Beadlock, lightweight forged-aluminum 15-by-11-inch rear wheels
• Mickey Thompson ET Front 27.5 X 4.0-17 front tires, Mickey Thompson ET Drag Pro Drag Radial 30.0 x 9.0 R15 rear tires

Gears/Axles/Driveshaft 

• Mark Williams Enterprises modular 9-inch custom Drag Pak axle
• 9-inch aluminum center section
• 40-spline superlight gun-drilled and pocketed axles 
• Micro polished and lightened ring and pinion for reduced rotating weight, delivering a 4.30:1 final drive ratio
• Lightweight 4-inch diameter 7075 aluminum driveshaft, 0.125-inch wall thickness

Brakes/Pedals 

• Mark Williams Enterprises quick change four-piston, aluminum brake calipers with machined lightweight billet pistons
• Mark Williams Enterprises lightweight cross-drilled rotors and CNC machined aircraft alloy aluminum brake hats with slot-drive rotor attachment system 
• Lightweight racing overhung throttle pedal and mounting system
• Tilton aluminum brake pedal, balance bar and master cylinders
• Line lock and brake pressure switch

Fuel System/Steering 

• ATL SFI-certified drag race fuel cell
• Aeromotive brushless racing pump with dual inline filter
• Flaming River 15:1 ratio manual steering rack

Options/Packages 

• 18 exterior color options and three wrap/graphic options
• Lightweight Engine Component Package includes Blackbird performance front cover and external oil pump kit
• Rear anti-roll bar provides a softer rate bar, droplinks and arm kit
• Available Data Package includes Holley V300SD logger, suspension travel sensors, O2 sensors, transmission temp, transmission pressure  
• Racetech Lightweight Carbon Seat Kit achieves an estimated 20 lbs. in weight savings
• Driveline Lightweight Package includes a carbon driveshaft, transmission sump pan, aluminum rear axle yoke to achieve an estimated 7 lbs. weight savings    

Hustle Up and Reserve Your Order

The 2026 Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection is for track use only and will be available at a starting U.S. manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $234,995 (pricing excludes taxes and fees).

The Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak will be race-prepared in Mooresville, North Carolina, by legendary race car builder Riley Technologies, which has a long history of collaborating with SRT on championship-winning race cars. The Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak will make its racing debut at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, scheduled for March 5-8, 2026.

Customers can email [email protected] starting October 31 to be added to the wait-list to reserve a one of 50 Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak on a first-come, first-served basis. Full information on the Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak is available now at www.dodgegarage.com/drag-pak-experience/2026.

The Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak will be on display at the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals Powered by Direct Connection on Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, and at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas on Nov. 4-7.

Generations of Drag Strip Domination

The all-new 2026 Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak traces its lineage to the early 1960s, when factory production of Max Wedge package cars began. In 1968, 426 HEMI-powered Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda package cars were unleashed on the strip; those vehicles continue to compete in the Super Stock/A-HEMI (SS/AH) NHRA Sportsman class.

Dodge and Mopar ushered in the rebirth of the modern-era package car in 2008, now continuing with the introduction of the first Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak.

• 2008: V-8 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak debuts as the first factory-prepped package car in 40 years. The program saw a first year sellout of all 100 race cars
• 2010: Dodge Challenger Drag Pak program offers racers an available 6.4-liter HEMI engine; in 2011, a race-ready V-10 package car option is added
• 2015: Third-generation Challenger Drag Pak introduces the first supercharged 354 HEMI, as well as a naturally aspirated 426 Gen-III HEMI; Leah Pruett captures the 2018 NHRA Factory Stock Showdown championship in her Dodge Challenger Drag Pak
• 2019: Fourth-generation Dodge Challenger Drag Pak debuts at the 2019 SEMA Show with loads of suspension, powertrain and chassis upgrades; racer Mark Pawuk takes the Drag Pak to back-to-back NHRA Factory Stock Showdown championships in 2024-2025
• 2025: First-ever Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak debuts at the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals powered by Direct Connection, marking the first all-new Drag Pak in more than five years and first modern-era Drag Pak to be built as a Dodge Charger

Direct Connection

The Direct Connection portfolio, available online and through Dodge dealers, includes modern performance, crate engine, race and vintage muscle high-performance products for performance vehicles, offering factory street, strip and track performance parts developed by SRT engineers and backed by a Mopar warranty for peace of mind.

Performance enthusiasts and racers can access the Direct Connection hotline at (800) 998-1110 for technical and race support. More information on Direct Connection is available at DCPerformance.com.

SRT

Street and Racing Technology (SRT) is the Performance division of Stellantis' American Brands. Rooted in a rich heritage of muscle cars and motorsports, SRT vehicles are engineered for enthusiasts who crave visceral, uncompromising performance. Every SRT model reflects the spirit of American ingenuity, featuring powerful engines, precision-tuned suspensions, race-inspired braking systems, proper tire applications and bold design.

SRT continues to redefine the limits of performance, seamlessly merging undeniable credibility with track and trail capability. Backed by elite engineering teams that fuel a subculture, every SRT vehicle delivers an adrenaline-fueled experience—on pavement or off-road—that's as thrilling as it is authentic.

Dodge

For 111 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge, America's performance brand, shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of its segments.

The new, next-generation Dodge Charger multi-energy lineup is led by the 670-horsepower Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack – the world's quickest and most powerful muscle car. For 2026, the all-new 550-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack, powered by the 3.0L Twin Turbo SIXPACK H.O. engine, expands the Charger lineup, powered by the most powerful Hurricane engine in production.

Dodge also keeps its foot on the pedal as a pure performance brand with the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful gas engine SUV ever, and best-in-class standard performance in the compact-utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge//SRT and company news and video on:

Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

Direct Connection: www.DCPerformance.com

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial

Twitter: www.twitter.com/dodge and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, https://www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

 

 

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SOURCE Stellantis