(Auburn Hills, Michigan – Mopar PR) – Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand, will be taking to the Monster Truck Racing Series arena with the new “Mopar Muscle” Ram monster truck beginning with the Monster Jam event in Detroit on Jan. 11.

The Mopar-sponsored machine joins the Hall Brothers Racing’s championship winning trucks “Raminator” and “Rammunition” for six Monster Jam events in 2014. The Ram Truck brand has proudly sponsored the team since 2002.

“We’re excited to have Mopar make its first foray into the world of monster trucks by joining the Ram brand in this popular and competitive exhibition series with a such a passionate and loyal following,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO — Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “So much of what Mopar does is applicable to the general consumer, but occasionally we like to show just how capable our brand is of really extreme performance. This is a great and fun opportunity for us to do that with Mopar Muscle and the Hall Brothers.”

Mopar Muscle is the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) monster truck to be introduced into the Monster Jam series in more than a decade. Monster Jam is the premier monster truck racing event series, with a 14-race schedule that features traditional bracket racing and a freestyle competition.

Standing an imposing 10 feet high and weighing 10,300 pounds, Mopar’s 2000-horsepower monster truck is based on a 2014 Ram Heavy Duty truck. It is powered by a 565 cubic inch supercharged version of the iconic Gen II 426 HEMI® engine, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014. Mopar Muscle will sport a special orange 50th anniversary HEMI logo, launching a year-long tribute by Mopar to commemorate the introduction of the engine that has since seen much success and strongly impacted both the motorsport and automotive industries.

“We are very proud of our new Mopar Muscle Ram monster truck,” said Tim Hall owner and crew chief for the Champaign, Ill.-based team. “It looks really fantastic, and I can’t wait to see it run. Mopar has a long and storied history of winning across many forms of racing, so we intend on helping to make their
entry into monster truck racing just as successful.”

Hall Brothers Racing is no stranger to success. Driver Mark Hall has garnered eight “Driver of the Year” honors at the helm of Raminator, which is the 2013 winner of the coveted “Truck of the Year” award, claiming its seventh title since 2002. Along with Rammunition, driven by Mat Dishman, the team boasts a total of 20 season point championships.

Hoping to contribute to that success, Mike Miller will take the wheel of Mopar Muscle for the six events it will participate in this season.

“The Mopar Muscle Ram is a fantastic ride, and I am really looking forward to competing with it,” said Miller who has been with the team since 2011. “The iconic HEMI engine has won a lot of races across many categories in motorsports, and I intend to add to that list.

“On a personal level, not only have I been passionate about monster trucks since my childhood, but I am really honored to fly the Mopar banner. If you need any indication of how much I love the brand, my own son is named Hemi.”

Partnering with the Hall Brothers and extending Mopar’s reach into monster trucks felt like a perfect fit to Tricia Hecker, Marketing Director — Mopar, who sees the benefits of participating in a series that appeals to an audience with similar passion and core values as the brand.

“It wasn’t just the display of power and performance that made this a good fit for Mopar, but the environment is just so family-oriented,” said Hecker, who brings her own sons to Monster truck events. “With such a strong youth following, we see this as a fantastic way to have a new generation of fans grow up with the Mopar name.”

In anticipation of the Mopar Muscle’s first appearance on track, fans will be able to get their first close-up look at the new truck during Monster Jam’s “Party in the Pits” from 2:00-5:00 p.m. ET, Jan. 11 at Ford Field. The $10 pre-show experience gives aficionados access to the racetrack, the opportunity to meet Hall Brothers Racing drivers Mike Miller and Mark Hall, collect autographs, take photos, and explore the obstacles competitors jump over and eventually destroy.

Mopar Muscle will compete at the following events during the 2014 season:
• January 11 – Monster Jam in Detroit, Mich.
• February 22 – Monster Jam in Arlington, Texas
• May 16-18 – 4 Wheel Jamboree in Lima, Ohio
• June 21-22 – 4 Wheel Jamboree in Springfield, Mo.
• July 11-13 – 4 Wheel Jamboree in Bloomsburg, Pa.
• September 19-21 – 4 Wheel Jamboree in Indianapolis, Ind.

For Mopar and Ram Truck fans who can’t make it to Monster Jam® events in person, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 will begin telecasting the competition this January. Check local listings for broadcast times.

About Ram Truck Brand

The Ram Truck brand continues to establish its own identity and clearly define its customer since its launch as a standalone vehicle brand. Creating a distinct brand for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on how core customers use their trucks and what new features they’d like to see. Whether focusing on a family that uses its half-ton truck day in and day out, a hard-working Ram Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its commercial vehicles every day, Ram has the truck market covered. The Ram Truck brand has the most innovative lineup of full-size trucks on the market. Ram Truck has emerged as a full-size truck leader by investing substantially in new products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and features that further enhance their capabilities. Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package.

About Mopar Brand

Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand and distributes 280,000 parts and accessories. With the creation of the industrial alliance between Chrysler Group and FIAT SpA, Mopar is extending its global reach, integrating service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Mopar’s global portfolio includes more than 500,000 parts and accessories that are distributed in more than 130 markets. Mopar is the source for genuine parts and accessories for Chrysler Group brands as well as FIAT brands.

Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler Group and FIAT vehicles – a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at www.mopar.com.

Mopar-first Features

Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:
• Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with customers
• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format. First to offer complete vehicle-information kits in Spanish
• Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
• Wireless charging: first to introduce in-vehicle wireless charging for portable devices
• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with interactive vehicle tracking device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set parameters
• wiAdvisor: first to provide factory-connected tablet technology in the service lane for instant vehicle diagnosis
• wiTech: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network
• 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car

More than 75 Years of Mopar Mopar (a simple contraction of the words Motor and PARts) was trademarked for antifreeze product in 1937. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s – the muscle-car era. The former 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. The brand has expanded to include technical service and customer support.