Center Line, Mich. - MoparR, Chrysler Group LLC's Parts division, is ready to bring the "boom" back to Thunder Mountain. The ultimate Mopar Nation celebration is set to blast off next weekend at the 30th Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, the longest continuous running sponsorship in the NHRA. The event is scheduled for July 10-12 at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo.

Mopar's headline event has become an iconic stop on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Fans, professional racers and grassroots racers alike have flocked to Mopar's "home track" for more than 50 years to watch and compete in no-holds-barred racing action at the quarter-mile built by John Bandimere Sr. The drag strip, set 5,800 feet high in the picturesque Rocky Mountains, presents a unique challenge to racers and crews as they work to make power in the thin-air environment.

Mopar HEMIR-powered drivers have proven especially adept at solving the challenges presented by Thunder Mountain. Team Mopar NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson has advanced to the finals in each of the last two years, claiming a Mopar Mile-High victory in 2007. Mopar-powered NHRA Funny Car driver Jack Beckman matched Johnson's feat, triumphing in 2007 with a runner-up finish in 2008.

"Mopar is proud to continue its long and successful partnership with the NHRA, Bandimere Speedway and the Bandimere family," said Jim Sassorossi, Director, Global Parts Sales & Marketing - Mopar Parts. "Their tireless work has built Thunder Mountain into a can't-miss stop on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The fact that Mopar's sponsorship of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals is the longest, continuous running sponsorship in the NHRA is a point of pride for everyone at Mopar and Chrysler Group."

"Bandimere Speedway is very pleased that Mopar is continuing in its role as sponsor of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals," said John Bandimere, Jr. "We are thankful of the long-standing relationship we have with all of the people at Mopar, Dodge and Chrysler Group LLC, and are proud to be the 'home track' for Team Mopar."

Mopar will once again get the party started in style with the eighth annual Mopar Big Block Party, scheduled for Thursday, July 9, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. MDT on the streets of downtown Golden, Colo. The Mopar Big Block Party, the "Official Starter" of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, will feature a driver autograph session with Mopar-powered drivers including Allen Johnson, Johnny Gray, Rickie Jones, V. Gaines and Mopar racing legend Judy Lilly, plus many more. Fans can also check out Mopar race cars and NHRA drag race machines while local band Rated M Rocks kicks out the jams from the Mopar Stage.

SpeedFreaks TV and radio hosts Kenny Sargent, Crash Gladys, Statt Mann Caruthers and Chris Jacobs will be on hand to emcee the Big Block Party proceedings. Admission to the event is free, with local Golden restaurants and eateries providing food and drinks available for purchase.

More than 70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It also was widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960's - the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth "package cars" equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of "special parts" for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Today, Chrysler Group LLC's Parts division is responsible for the distribution of nearly 350,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, JeepR and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.

Courtesy of Darren Jacobs