Dodge and SRT Motorsports went to Las Vegas, to the Motor Speedway venue, yesterday to unveil the all-new Dodge Charger NASCAR racer for 2013 Sprint Cup series. This new generation of NASCAR racers look more and more like the street cars upon which they are based. Going back to the looks that people recognize, is a trick to increase the popularity of the sport.

In this case, the racer is based on the Dodge Charger R/T. As this rather cheesy promo video says, it’s pretty awesome to see a car you drive everyday to work, at work winning races.

“From the start, it’s been a collaborative effort with NASCAR,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO – SRT Brand and Motorsports.  “NASCAR provided the manufacturers with basic specifications, but offered encouragement to venture beyond the look of the current race car.  Our design and engineering group, working with Penske Racing, seized the opportunity.  We had a fantastic benchmark – the Dodge Challenger – introduced in 2009.  This endeavor goes beyond the trend the Nationwide Series Challenger started with a Dodge Charger that amazingly embodies many of the design features of the street version into the race car.  We’re extremely proud that the Dodge Charger street car is the only rear-wheel-drive model in Sprint Cup competition that is available with a V-8 engine.”