The Car So Fast NASCAR Forced A Rule Change

The Dodge Charger Daytona Was So Fast NASCAR Made A Rule Specifically To Stop It (It Didn't Work) In March 1969, Chrysler's NASCAR program was losing. Ford's Torino Talladega had won 30 races to the Charger 500's 18. Richard Petty had defected to Ford. The engineering team at Dodge had roughly 170 days to design, build, and race 500 street-legal homologation specials before the next season started. What they produced in that time broke the 200 mph closed-course barrier, dominated two full NASCAR seasons, and eventually forced the sanctioning body to rewrite its own rulebook. The rule worked on the track. It didn't work at Bonneville. This is the full story of the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona: the six-month panic build in a borrowed facility, the wind tunnel that shaved 23 percent off the drag coefficient, the qualifying run at 199.466 mph on the first race, Buddy Baker's official 200.447 mph record on March 24, 1970, the 1971 displacement rule that killed the car's NASCAR eligibility, and Bobby Isaac taking the banned machine to the Bonneville Salt Flats in September 1971 to set 28 USAC-certified world speed records — some of which still stand. We also cover what 503 cars that sold for $3,860 and sat unsold on dealer lots are worth today. The Charger Daytona was never designed to be a collector's item. It was designed to win races at any cost, including a per-unit manufacturing loss of $1,000 to $1,500 on every car built. Dodge sent telegrams to dealers urging them to talk customers out of ordering one. The wing looked bizarre on a street car. Buyers called it clownish. Some dealers pulled the wings off the Superbirds entirely just to move inventory. The car that no one wanted in 1969 sold for $3,000,000 at auction in 2024. Chapters: 00:00 March 1969 — Chrysler Is Losing 05:00 The Six-Month Build 09:30 Talladega: The First Race 13:00 Verified Facts — What the Record Confirms 16:30 200 MPH: March 24, 1970 21:00 The Rule That Ended It 25:30 Bonneville: 28 Records After the Ban 30:00 What the Cars Are Worth Now References: Buddy Baker breaks 200 MPH barrier on closed circuit. This Day in Automotive History. automotivehistory.org Chasing 200 MPH: How the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona Changed Motorsports History. This Day in Automotive History. automotivehistory.org March 24 in NASCAR History: Buddy Baker breaks 200 mph barrier. NBC Sports. nbcsports.com Engage! The story of the 200+ mph Dodge Charger Daytona. Allpar Forums. allpar.com The first Charger Daytona to hit 200 mph was stolen, recovered, and lost again. Hagerty Media. hagerty.com How A NASCAR Driver Set 28 Speed Records With A Banned Car And Lots Of Beer. Jalopnik. jalopnik.com Champion Plugs Power Bobby Isaac to NASCAR and Bonneville Speed Records. Mopar Connection Magazine. moparconnectionmagazine.com Bobby Isaac. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org Car of the Week: 1969 Dodge Daytona number one. Old Cars Weekly. oldcarsweekly.com The Dodge Charger Daytona Was so Dominant NASCAR Had to Ban It. MotorBiscuit. motorbiscuit.com The Reason NASCAR Banned The Legendary Dodge Charger Daytona. SlashGear. slashgear.com Wings and Things: A Quick History of the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird. OnAllCylinders. onallcylinders.com 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona. HowStuffWorks. auto.howstuffworks.com Dodge Charger Daytona. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona muscle car sold for record $1.43 million. Fox News. foxnews.com Bobby Allison's 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona Nets $1.3 Million at Auction. autoevolution. autoevolution.com Dodge Charger Daytona Market. CLASSIC.COM. classic.com 440 Six Pack Charger Daytona. DodgeGarage. dodgegarage.com A Wing and a Prayer: The Dodge Charger and Charger Daytona. Ate Up With Motor. ateupwithmotor.com NASCAR Cup Series history and rules. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org