In 1959, the Ramchargers were formed when a group of engineers and auto enthusiasts from Chrysler banded together to go drag racing. Starting with a ’49 Plymouth business coupe, the Ramchargers eventually went on to dominate the NHRA Super Stock and Stock classes with their string of Mopar entries.
The Ramchargers are credited with helping to start the Funny Car class in the mid-1960s, and they also led the charge to install the 426 Hemi engine as the staple of nitro racing. In short, the Ramchargers’ contributions to the sport are too numerous to mention, but it’s not an exaggeration to suggest that NHRA class racing, at least in its current form, would not exist today without their influence.
Given the Ramchargers storied history, it’s no surprise that David Thomas chose to honor their trademark red and white “candy stripe” paint scheme when he debuted his V-10 powered Drag Pak Challenger. Thomas asked for permission and received the blessing of the Dave Clabuesch and Mike Wagner, the two most recent owners of the Ramchargers trademark, who also added their autographs to the car.