In mid 1968 Dodge released a Dodge Charger 500 for use on the ovals - they filled in the rear window so it was now flush and altered the front by using parts from a Dodge Coronet - this was to reduce drag and to create more stability at speeds over 150 mph. Later than year Dodge released the 1969 Dodge Daytona, taking the aerodynamics to the extreme, they added a large 23 inch rear spoiler and a large front nose cone. Both of these were designed by NASA for Chrysler. The Daytona won it's first race out of the box at the inaugural Talladega in 1969. The Dodge Daytona won the 1969 season. Most of the top Ford and Chev drivers did not participate in some of the races due to safety concerns with these new 200+ mph cars on the track!! In order to compete at NASCAR, each entrant needed to produce a minimum of 50 street cars. Dodge sold a total of 503 Daytonas in 1969.
Pete Hamilton won 3 races in 1970 with the number 40 Plymouth Superbird, both races at Talladega as well as the coverted Daytona 500. The Superbird was very similar to the Daytona in that it had a nose cone and rear wing. The rear wing was even taller than that of the Daytona. The real reason behind that was the fact that the trunk lid was so big, they needed a wing that would allow the boot lid to clear it when opening... In order to compete in 1970, NASCAR forced each entrant to release at least 1 street car for every dealership. Plymouth produced a total of 1,920 Superbirds during it's only year of production, 1970.
After the 1969 and 1970 seasons, both cars were banned from competition. ;J
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