The aerodynamic qualities of the 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T body have been validated by the 320-plus-mph runs being made by Don Schumacher Racing teammates Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, and Tommy Johnson Jr., and the crew chiefs can vouch for the strength of the construction done at Roush Composites. The drivers, however, can’t stop raving about the visibility.
“The design really improved how much of the track we can see from the cockpit,” said Capps. “The first time they dropped it down on my, I could see things in front of and next to me that I wouldn’t have been able to see with the other body.”
Hagan made the initial runs with the body during testing in Norwalk and Indy last season. Now, all four DSR Funny Cars are outfitted with it. The reason for the increase of visibility is the windshield and greenhouse being moved back from the previous version. In addition to bringing the front of the canopy area closer, the doghouse that is constructed above the supercharger is significantly smaller.
“Between the windshield being so far out there and having a doghouse that’s a couple inches taller for the driver to see over, there was a pretty small area that we could look through going down the track,” said Johnson. “The new body really opens that up.”
Of the prospect of going back to the old-style body, Beckman says, “It would be like using an air tool and going back to a manual ratchet. It’s a matter of quantity, because the other one is the backup until more get produced. I’ve used the air tool, and I don’t want to go back to the ratchet. It’s night and day.
“I think it’s going to prove beneficial for groove management. I think being able to see lower and sooner is going to help us react quicker when the car is moving around.”
