The history of motorsport is filled with “firsts” and “bests,” but few Chrysler cars carry a heritage like this one. The Charger Daytonas of 1969 took race wins, but this example was the very first car ever to officially top 200 MPH on a closed course circuit. On March 24, 1970, at the recently opened Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS) in Talladega, factory driver Buddy Baker set an official lap speed of 200.447 MPH with it. That, however, is just the start of its history. A Chrysler “Development Car,” this Dodge carries Serial No. DC-93. Rebuilt by Nichels Engineering from a Charger 500 press car, assembly of this as an aero test car was overseen at the company’s “Woodward Garage” race shop by Bob Tarozzi at the direction of Larry Rathgeb just as Charger Daytona development was getting underway. Known in test documentation as the “blue car” and authenticated by Chrysler Racing Engineer George M. Wallace on April 7, 2001, it was first driven by Paul Goldsmith in the 1969 Daytona 500 as a Charger 500 model before being converted to test use. Driven as No. 88, Charlie Glotzbach sat on the pole for the inaugural Talladega 500 in September 1969 in DC-93, qualifying at 199.446 MPH, itself a world record. As a result, Baker was tagged to drive DC-93 to deliberately attempt to top the 200 MPH barrier six months later at the same track during a private test. Among the other drivers of DC-93 are Bobby Allison, Dan Gurney, Bobby Isaac and James Hylton, but the proven chassis was longest-used by Iowa racer Don White in USAC Stock Car competition, driven for several seasons before retiring it in the mid-1970s. After extensive research, historian Greg Kwiatkowski located the car and purchased the remains from White in 1998. Eventually, the result was a comprehensive multiyear restoration by Ray Evernham and his team in Mooresville, North Carolina, to what you see here. A note of importance: DC-93 was in use when the first tests of the actual Daytona Charger aero package took place at the company’s Chelsea Proving Grounds in July 1969, attaining Wallace’s documented 205 MPH. The Daytona package on DC-93 resulted in a zero-lift vehicle with a drag coefficient of 0.29, and further testing resulted in many innovations used on future Chrysler circle track vehicles. This included directional fins to direct airflow to the radiator, underbody paneling from the nose to the K-frame for better aerodynamics, Chrysler’s first use of a dry sump in NASCAR, engine bars added from the shock towers to the firewall for chassis stiffening, and refined cowl air induction though the base of the windshield. Exterior aero enhancements by Chrysler Engineering added a body rake to the chassis by 1.5 degrees and flared quarter panels in front of the rear tires for better aerodynamics, the steering gear attached for better handling and more speed, and the entire front end “drooped” forward of the front tires for less drag. Inside is the race-based interior, the square fuel tubing seen on the right-side floor pan that was originally used to attach temporary data recording equipment, and an innovative rear axle cooler for better efficiency. Painstakingly researched before lifting a wrench, this accurate restoration includes a 426/575 HP Hemi EX-144 V-8 engine complete with a Holley Dominator carburetor on a bathtub Hemi intake, the car’s “Put a Dodge in your garage” front air plate and period speed parts. It is backed by a 4-speed manual transmission, and the car has period-correct body parts, paint, racing wheels and a Letter of Authenticity from George M. Wallace verifying the provenance of DC-93. A truer icon on superspeedway development and success would be difficult to find. It was used to develop the first Charger Daytona, attended the controversial first Talladega superspeedway event, topped the 200 MPH record and was then hidden for decades—this is the one and only DC-93 No. 88.
