Dodge Intrepid Race Car, 2001
Dodge Intrepid II
Dodge Intrepid II•
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Auction: Indy 2021
Auction date: May 22, 2021
Lot No.: F187
$120,000 | High bid
- Exterior: Red
- Interior: Black
- Body: Race Car
- Bill Elliott’s pole winning car for the 2001 Daytona 500
- Elliott finished 5th in the 2001 Daytona 500 in this car
- Elliott won the Daytona 125 Qualifying Race and finished 3rd in the 2000 Daytona 500 in this car
- Superspeedway Chassis No. LRP 03 00 0754
- Owned by Championship winning crew Chief Ray Evernham since 2001
- Originally built by Laughlin Racing Products as a Ford Taurus
- Converted to a 2001 Dodge Intrepid by Evernham Motorsports
- Red No. 9 Dodge Intrepid livery
- This car marked Dodge’s return to NASCAR competition after a 25-year absence
- The car has been in the possession of Ray Evernham since 2001
- Retains original parts including the drivetrain used by Evernham Motorsports
- Original 358 CI Dodge R5-P7 V-8 engine
- Tex Racing T101 4-speed manual transmission
- 5-gallon oil system
- Original 9-inch Ford-style NASCAR rear end built by Evernham Motorsports
- 22-gallon fuel cell
- 4-wheel disc brakes
- The car is still operational, but is no longer NASCAR approved
After a multi-decade hiatus, the return of Dodge to the NASCAR series in 2001 was a huge event. The brand had selected top-rated drivers and done extensive development to get to this point. The very special Dodge race car being offered here was owned by Championship-winning crew chief Ray Evernham since 2001 and has been in the possession of Evernham since that year. In hindsight, this car was perhaps one of the most important development vehicles of that era, initially built as Superspeedway Chassis No. LRP 03 00 0754 by Laughlin Racing Products and bodied as a Ford Taurus.
Bill Elliott won one of two Daytona 125 Qualifying Races and then finished third in the 2000 Daytona 500 in it with the seasoned Ford equipment. The following season, when Evernham agreed to take on the challenge of leading Dodge's return to NASCAR competition after a 25-year absence, his crew at Evernham Motorsports converted 0754 into a 2001 Dodge Intrepid. Painted in bright red and lettered as No. 9 with race livery, the car represented the brand’s determination from day one.
After months of engine and aero development in both the North Carolina racing shops and Chrysler headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, the first Dodge was tested at Talladega in October 2000 and ready for Speed Weeks the following February. There, driving this very car in Dodge Dealers/UAW livery just as seen here, Elliott took the pole for the 2001 Daytona 500 and then finished fifth in the 2001 Daytona 500. Preserved by Evernham in memory of this debut, the car retains its original racing parts including the drivetrain used by Evernham Motorsports.
This includes the original 358 CI Dodge R5-P7 V-8 engine, which had been developed directly with input from Dodge’s best platform engineers and refined in the NASCAR truck series in the months leading up to 2001. A Tex Racing T101 4-speed manual transmission, 5-gallon oil system with dry sump, original 9-inch Ford-style NASCAR rear end built by Evernham Motorsports, and a 22-gallon NASCAR fuel cell are all part of this. Of course, the 4-wheel disc brakes, NASCAR-type chassis, race interior and racing tires are still intact as well.
This unique Dodge is still operational, but is no longer NASCAR-compliant for racing, which is fine, as there would be little reason to change its historical significance. Dodge’s return was unfortunately brief, ending in 2012 with the Cup Championship of Brad Keselowski’s No. 12. Rusty Wallace clocked an unreal 228 MPH Talladega test lap driving a similar car in 2004, a fitting finale to the brand’s legacy of speed. With a racing lineage featuring big names and a unique history as a developmental vehicle, Indy 2021 will be the site of this car’s potential change in ownership and preservation. For that honor, may the best man (or woman) win.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/462054/2001-dodge-intrepid-race-car/
