Record Crowd at Eighth Annual Motortrend Presents Roadkill Nights

This week the eighth annual Motortrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge took place at a brand new location in Pontiac, Michigan. The excitement was palpable for this event, drawing a record-breaking crowd of more than 42,000 drag-racing fans. The festival celebrated all things automotive and even featured an appearance from performer and actor Ice Cube.

“The eighth edition of MotorTrend presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge featured fresh new event elements, with a unique new downtown Pontiac event location, a new team format that increased the smack talk for the Direct Connection Grudge Race and an amazing performance by a world-famous artist to wrap up the day,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand and Ram brand CEO – Stellantis. “The bar just keeps getting higher and higher for our annual horsepower circus, because we know it’s what drives our Brotherhood of Muscle.”

2023 marked one of the most exciting years for this event so far. Newly expanded, the event featured street-festival entertainment with artists, musicians and much more. There were even on-site activations by event partners, such as Amazon, Mickey Thompson, Tremec and Aeromotive.

This year’s Roadkill Nights took place at the corner of Woodward and West Pike Street, the location undergoing a magical overnight transformation into a legal public-road dragstrip for some of America’s quickest street cars, where spectators could experience Dodge Hellcat drift rides and hot laps after the professionals were done racing.

This year’s Dodge Direct Connection Grudge Race featured six teams of mentors and rookies from across the country. In the head to head battle, Team Corruptt from Phoenix eventually came out on top, with veteran Grudge Race competitor Tony Arme and rookie Kayla Rundle.

“After spending the last few weeks working toward this moment, there was nothing but excitement when I finally got behind the wheel,” said Kayla Rundle. “I’ve always loved drag racing, and as a female racer, rookie and first-timer at Roadkill Nights, this was truly a dream come true.”

There were plenty of additional activities at the event, including a Dodge Direct Connection Alley area with Dodge Challenger SRT Demon virtual drag race simulators, Direct Connection crate engines, project vehicles and parts displays, Dodge Hellcat drift rides and hot laps, car cruise-in with classic and modern muscle cars, a display of the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept, RC car demonstrations, a Dodge Hornet ride area, music and entertainment.

“For the eighth straight year, we’ve brought car culture to life for gearheads at MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge, and this year we elevated the experience to unprecedented heights,” says Eric Schwab, MotorTrend Group’s Group SVP, Head of Revenue, Operations, and Partnerships. “With a new location in downtown Pontiac, we expanded and drew a record-breaking attendance of more than 42,000 automotive fans, treating them to a pulse-pounding day of white-knuckle drag racing, adrenaline-infused thrill rides, and a show-stopping musical extravaganza headlined by none other than Ice Cube, delivering on the excitement that Roadkill Nights promises year over year.”