A fourth-generation Mopar man and a lifelong Dodge devotee, Craig Maddox knew right from the very moment he first spotted the pristine 1968 Dodge Dart that he needed to add it to his collection and let it do exactly what it was built to do: race.

Like so many others, Maddox got his start in drag racing as a teenager. “My dad drag raced back in the 1960s and ‘70s but gave it up. When I got to be 16, I started racing at Julesburg Dragstrip in the high school class,” said Maddow of when he first hopped behind the wheel and experienced the thrill of mashing a gas pedal to the floor.

Over the years, Maddox has piloted everything from a Dodge Daytona to a Plymouth Prowler in Super Gas, a 2010 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak in Stock Eliminator, and many dragsters, and he built a respected reputation as a Dodge driver.

Maddox spends his days running his Dodge dealership, Maddox Motor Company, which his great-grandfather founded in the 1930s. “We have a great group of people that allow us to go racing when we need to, but I try not to go too often so we don’t strain our employees’ lifestyles,” shared the man who also balances his racing with his family life, as he and his wife, Shea, have two boys and a girl all under the age of 12.

With no tracks near his home in Sidney, Nebraska, every outing to the track is a significant endeavor, and he often travels 1,000 miles or more to a race. “I’m very loyal to Dodge. I enjoy the fact they aren’t the easiest to race because it can be hard to get parts, so you have to get a bit more creative. If I had to race a Chevrolet, I wouldn’t go to the track,” said Maddox, jokingly. “That’s why we built the Prowler… so we had something to race in Super Gas that wasn’t a Corvette.”

It was 2021 when he found his current 1968 Dodge Dart. “When I saw it, I knew I had to have it,” proclaimed the faithful follower of all-things-Dodge. He sold off a Mullis Race Cars-built dragster he owned, and with assistance from Jim Holland, acquired the eye-catching car from Bill Gibbs.

Focusing on the Super Stock (FGT/C,H) category in series including NHRA and the now-defunct NMCA, Maddox’s new acquisition was perfect for the task. Already outfitted with everything he needed, the Dodge was a turnkey toy that required no further adjustments or modifications by Maddox other than some minor changes to things like wheels and decals.

On the outside, the beautiful B&B Race Cars-built Dart was a picture-perfect representation of the era in which it had originally rolled off the production line in Detroit. “It was acid dipped, and B&B handled the paint and bodywork process to perfection,” noted Maddox. “When it’s at the track next to my Drag Pak, which is cool, people will walk right by the Drag Pak to look at the Dart!”

With its stock front suspension and four-link-style rear suspension, Maddox’s daring Dart sits elegantly atop its Goodyear rubber-wrapped Race Star Wheels. Tucked neatly between the Mark Williams rear axles is a matching, upgraded Mark Williams rear end. Similarly, Mark Williams brakes can be found at all four corners, as Maddox trusts the brand not only to handle the Mopar’s power transfer but also to keep him safe.

However, things aren’t always as they seem: despite the period-correct exterior appearance, Maddox’s Dodge has a modern twist under its hood – a 5.7-liter Gen III HEMI. The potent powerplant was called into duty in an all-motor configuration, so airflow was key to maximizing its output, and a set of TTi Performance headers were added onto each of the engine’s banks.

A Holley HP engine management system had been previously wired in to control the combination, and the computer made sure that the HEMI’s horsepower was properly managed on its way out to the Bogner Automotive TorqueFlite 727 automatic transmission and A-1 Performance torque converter.

After earning a win and a Wally with his Prowler in Super Gas at the 2021, NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas with his Prowler, Maddox debuted the Dart and ran it with its 5.7-liter HEMI for several seasons in Super Stock trim. In 2024, though, he switched the Dodge to a larger, naturally aspirated 6.4-liter Gen III HEMI from Stanfield Racing Engines.

Starting with an aluminum block from Gen 3 Performance Products, Stanfield added a set of eight JE pistons to beef up the rotating assembly, then inserted a Bullet cam. Next, OEM Gen III HEMI cylinder heads were blessed with Jesel valvetrain components and bolted onto the main base.

“The 392 (6.4-liter) has a lot more torque and it’s a brute, but it’s factored at 430 horsepower which puts us at a disadvantage against the COPO and Cobra Jet entries as we have to weigh more,” explained Maddox, whose 1968 Dodge Dart runs on Fuel Factory 25 115-octane leaded race gas. “Aaron Stanfield and his team treat me very well, and that’s hard to find in an engine builder lately. I even tune the car by myself most of the time, because Aaron does help me a ton, but he also makes me learn for myself, and that’s the best thing someone can do.”

In August of 2024, while racing at the NMCA All-American Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, Maddox ran in the 32-car NMCA vs Buckeye Stock/Super Stock All-Stars Shootout class. Featuring the top contenders from the two eliminators, Maddox bested the rest through five fierce rounds of competition and made his way to the finals. There, he and Andy Kronebitter both ran quicker than their dial-ins, and Maddox had to settle for second best when he went 9.04 on his intended 9.06.

Weighing in at 3,200 pounds with driver and in unfavorable air in September of 2024 at Indianapolis, Maddox’s 1968 Dodge Dart has run as quick as 8.88 seconds in the quarter-mile with an impressive 1.22-second 60-foot time, and as fast as 148 mph. In good air, he’s confident it could run 8.70s.

Maddox has earned accolades at plenty of other races, too, including the 2024 NHRA Divisional race in Phoenix with his Dart. “We’ve won a couple of NHRA national events and several divisionals with four different cars and in multiple classes,” added Maddox. “But none of it would have been possible without my father – racing is his life and what he lives for, other than his grandkids, of course!”

From Vegas to Indy, Phoenix, and anywhere in between, whenever Maddox races, his father and crewman, Bill Maddox, is right by his side to celebrate the successes and new personal bests. Of course, the man who raised and inspired him deserves a place of honor, so Bill’s name is artfully scripted onto the front fenders so he can ride along with his son for every pass.

“My father loves this car because it reminds him of what he raced and sold off the showroom floor back when he was younger,” said Maddox. “Hopefully, my sons will race this car in the future, too.”

Maddox ultimately hopes to pick up an NHRA Division 5 championship title and to finish in the Top 10 in season points on a national level. His favorite part of his eye-catching classic 1968 Dodge Dart isn’t anything tangible; it isn’t a particular part or component, or the feeling he gets when he launches. Instead, Maddox simply loves that “it’s a cool, old-school car that people can relate to… and it’s a HEMI!”