NHRA Legend Paul Rossi Debuts New Dodge Challenger Super Stock Racecar

Paul Rossi’s white-and-orange 1970 Dodge Challenger 440 Six Pack racecar is one of the most recognizable Mopar_® drag cars from the original muscle car era. After capturing plenty of class wins in the 1970s, Rossi and his ’70 Challenger have become an installation at many events, such as Roadkill Nights, allowing modern race fans to meet a member of Mopar’s racing history. The familiar Direct Connection livery on his classic Challenger has not appeared in competition in 45 years, but that is all set to change when Paul Rossi’s new Dodge Challenger super stock racecar hits the track early next year.

Before getting into the new Direct Connection Dodge Challenger Super Stock build, we want to take a look at what made Paul Rossi so popular in the 1970s. Rossi was the last Direct Connection factory-backed drag racer with his 1970 Dodge Challenger 440 Six Pack, but prior to that, he drove the World’s Fastest Super Stock car – his 1968 HEMI^® ’Cuda – running in the 9.70-9.80 range. This was achieved in the final round at the world championships, which put Paul into the final round where he finished second in the 1975 championship standings, piling up class wins for years with various Mopar racecars. After retiring from racing, Paul Rossi was inducted into the Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

Of course, Paul Rossi’s on-track success in the NHRA earned him similar fame to any winning racecar driver, but his legacy was built further by his connection to the Mopar racing world. Rossi wasn’t just a great drag racer – he also traveled to dealerships around the country, holding clinics to show other Mopar racers how to make their muscle cars tear down the quarter-mile without spending a fortune. In an era where Mopar big blocks were lost in the shadow of the 426 HEMI engine, Paul Rossi wrote the cookbook on how to build a proper 440 for the drag strip and he shared that recipe with many sportsman racers around the United States. His efforts helped other racers around the country put the big block Mopar engine on the drag racing map, providing racers with a competitive, lower-cost alternative to the mighty HEMI. In short, Rossi showed Mopar racers how to take a 440 – considered by some at the time to primarily be an RV or truck engine – and build a high-powered monster on the drag strip.

If you go to any drag strip in the U.S.A. on an average race night in 2025, the odds are good that many of the classic Mopar vehicles in the field are powered by a big block. Paul Rossi laid the groundwork for the Mopar big block to be so popular and successful in the racing world by sharing his knowledge.

We had a chance to talk with Paul after the 2025 SEMA Show, and he provided us with the full details on his new Dodge Challenger Super Stock car and why he took on this project. He explained that he has fulfilled all of his racing dreams, so since he was running engine clinics at dealerships 40+ years ago, his goal has been to help other racers achieve their own dreams in the sport. This new Dodge Challenger build is intended to show how to build a fast, user-friendly Mopar that will excel in the drag racing world.

This build project began when Direct Connection sent a Dodge Challenger body-in-white to Paul Rossi so that he could create a modern take on his classic 1970 Challenger Super Stocker. The body-in-white was sent to PMR Race Cars in Franklin, Kentucky, to be converted to work with the class rules with tools from Multi-Jig. Super Stock allows the teams to “back-half” the chassis, replacing the rear suspension and differential with higher-performance components along with modifying the rear section of the chassis to accommodate massive rear tires while also removing lots of weight (required class weight is 3,150 lbs). Once the chassis was modified appropriately, this Dodge Challenger was fitted with suspension components from Santhuff Suspension Specialties, a rear differential that was hand built by PMR Racing and brakes/axle hub/axle shafts from Strange Engineering. To complete the rolling chassis portion of the build, this Challenger sits on Weld Wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompson rubber.

Next, it was time for this Dodge Challenger to get its powerplant, which came from the modern Mopar racing expert Geoff Turk at Blackbird Performance. Turk built Rossi a 354-cubic-inch HEMI engine, similar to the one used in the Factory Stock Showdown Drag Pak cars, topped by a 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger. The engine is built with components from Blackbird Performance, Milodan and ARP fasteners, and it is kept running smoothly with Mobil oils while making upwards of 1,400 horsepower. The car runs on a Holley ECU and uses a Racepak data system to log the runs, with a Coan Racing TH400 transmission sending the power to the wheels. Other key components of the build are Momo Racing seats and the new Optima Lithium battery.

The exterior design work was provided by Robin McQueen and Competition Graphics brought the design to life with the stunning wrap job. When Paul Rossi’s Dodge Challenger Super Stock car heads to car shows, the shine is provided by Mothers Polishes & Waxes.

While Paul Rossi debuted this car at the 2025 SEMA Show, its first track action will come at the Gatornationals, held March 5-8, 2026, at Gainesville Raceway in Florida. The car will be piloted by Tony Mandella in the FSS/A class, with the expectation of running in the mid-to-low 7-second range. For comparison, Rossi’s 1970 Challenger 440 Six Pack ran in the low 10s when he was dominating the Super Stock world in the mid-1970s.

In addition to NHRA events, Paul Rossi plans to attend a ton of car shows around the country, pointing out that on average, he travels about 20,000 miles a year just attending car shows and Mothers’ events with his 1970 Challenger. Key stops on the show schedule for Rossi and his new Dodge Challenger Super Stock racecar include Mopars in the Park, the Spring Fling, Muscle Cars at the Strip, the Atlantic Nationals, the 20,000-mile Mothers Performance Car Care Tour, Chryslers at Carlisle, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Moparty – so there will be many opportunities for Mopar racing fans to see this new racecar and meet Paul Rossi at all sorts of different events.

In closing, Paul Rossi wanted to thank the following people for playing key roles in this Dodge Challenger build: Tom Sacoman, Mark Whitney and Mark Malmstead of Dodge & Direct Connection, Geoff Turk of Blackbird Performance, John Phillips of Weld Wheels, Steve Sparkman of Holley Group, Chuck Spieser of JRT, Robert Florine of ARP Fasteners, Steve Morrison of Milodan Oil Systems, Jason Moulton of Mickey Thompson, Kyle Golab of Trademarking Resources Inc, Phil and Tony Mandella of PMR Race Cars, and Jim Holloway of Mothers.