Have you ever wondered how quickly you can sign up for a one-way ticket to DESTINATION SPEED VIOLATION? Let’s grab some different Dodge Charger-based 0-60 times to illustrate how quick this trip can be.

• 2022 Charger SXT: 0-60 in 6.4 seconds
• 2022 Charger R/T: 0-60 in 5.2 seconds
• 2022 Charger Redeye: 0-60 in 3.5 seconds

**Your 0-60 time may vary depending on driving conditions. We cannot be held responsible if you are trying to set a time on bald Polyglas tires during white-out conditions at 13,239′ elevation heading up to the summit of Pikes Peak.***

If we do simple math, it’s not hard to see none of us have long to enjoy the sonorous notes pouring from our Charger of choice when the loud pedal is on the floor. The question you should be asking right now is, “Sean… where can we take our Charger/Challenger/300/Grand Cherokee/Pacifica/(insert your Mopar_® vehicle of choice here_____________________) to experience every ounce of performance my Mopar vehicle is capable of?”

I thought you’d never ask! What took you so long? I have ZERO doubt most of you can’t resist leaning on the big pedal on the right, at least slightly more than the law will allow. (If the Smokey and the Bandit theme started playing in your head toward the end of the previous sentence, we just became best friends.) I’ll get to the reason I’ve gathered you all here today. What if I told you there are hundreds of places to take your Mopar vehicle for a wide-open throttle therapy session with zero fear of blue lights in your rearview mirror. Have a look at the three choices below. You will find links to organizations sanctioning these events at the end of the article. Remember to let us know your favorite events and places for wide-open throttle therapy in the comments below!

Autocross

Have you heard about autocross? For those who have, bear with me for a moment while I explain what this is to everyone who has not. In short, autocross is typically set up in a somewhat large parking lot. A course is laid out with about 150 mid-sized orange cones. Features such as slaloms, Chicago Boxes (I didn’t make up that name, don’t judge!), pivot cones, sweepers and several others are put into place. Vehicles are classed by power to weight, and subclasses are set up for prepared and modified cars. Typically speeds at an autocross will not exceed 70 mph for even the best-prepared, highest-horsepower vehicles. Don’t let the lower speeds fool you. This is precision driving on a knife edge. What looks tame outside the car is typically a white-knuckle ride through a sea of pavement and orange cones. Autocross is low-speed, high-performance driving. It is also one of the best places to learn the fundamentals of high-performance driving. Would you rather learn how to control terminal under or oversteer at 35 mph with only the possibility of hitting a 2′ tall traffic cone or at 120 mph after you missed your braking zone and ticked every box in the “I tried to break physics and physics broke me” handbook of mistakes at your local road course? Let me answer that for you. Choose 35 mph to learn these skills! It will pay MASSIVE dividends when you decide it’s time to head to the road course of your choice.

Road Course/Track Day

No matter where you are in the United States, there is more than likely at least one decent Road Course within a 2-3-hour drive. But Sean… all we’ve ever heard or read about our late-model Mopar vehicles is how heavy they are. They can’t possibly be any fun on a racetrack. I hear you. I listened to that for several years while touring the country with a fantastic group of insanely talented people running the SRT^® Driving Experience. Having had the incredible opportunity to put all manner of LX platform SRTs and the WK Grand Cherokee SRT through their paces on track, I shall answer your last question now. DON’T LISTEN TO ANYONE TRYING TO TELL YOU THESE CARS AND SUVs WON’T TURN! Anyone spouting that nonsense has either never thrown one into a corner or is simply regurgitating the silly statements they’ve heard time and time again. From the Pentastar to the SRT Hellcat, these vehicles are a blast to toss around a track. If you prefer something a tad more nimble for track duty, there is a pre-owned Viper with your name on it! I highly recommend hopping on your web-browsing device of choice and looking up “Track Days” or “High-Performance Driving Events (HPDE)” in your area. You will find something either right next door or within easy driving distance. Every track day organization has something to offer everyone. From complete novice to seasoned track veteran and everything in between, you can find a suitable class to experience your Mopar vehicle in a safer-than-on-the-street environment with qualified instructors to help you get the most out of the car and yourself.

Drag Racing

This is where many of you have already been. It’s a simple straight shot of blacktop or concrete (concrete is better) with a place to legally do a burnout, followed by a Christmas tree and then an eighth- or quarter-mile of good times waiting for you as soon as the yellow lights on the Christmas tree go out and the green lights come on. There are HUNDREDS of drag strips scattered throughout every state. Open THE GOOGLES and type “Drag Strip”. There is one within an hour of over 75% of the United States’ population. Go ahead. Do the research. If I’m wrong, I’ll give you a crisp American dollar for your troubles. I’m not wrong!

You simply have no excuse. Get out there and have some LEGAL fun with your Dodge/Chrysler/Ram/Jeep_®/Plymouth or other Mopar vehicle. The most significant danger any of these events entail is setting their hook so deep in you, you start figuring out ways to participate multiple times per month. Now, get out there and have some fun! Always remember… a smoking tire is a HAPPY tire!

If you are looking for an event in your area, please ask for some help in the comments section. We will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Track Days/HPDE links:
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
Chin Track Days
National Auto Sport Association

Autocross:
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
GRIP Autocross

Drag Racing:
Drag Strip List