For 11 years, JRT has helped transform Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge (RKN) from an audacious idea into a full-throttle marketing phenomenon. Today, RKN brings the unmistakable attitude of Dodge performance to life through an integrated experience that taps nearly every JRT discipline: enthusiast brand marketing, live event planning and production, digital marketing, communications strategy, digital technology development, creative ideation, and video and photography production. The result? A one-of-a-kind brand experience built for enthusiasts — and built to make noise far beyond the event itself.
What began as a one-night street takeover on Woodward Avenue has grown, year after year, into one of the automotive industry’s most anticipated enthusiast events and distinctive brand activations. For 2026, JRT built on more than a decade of momentum, continuing to evolve the enthusiast marketing, live event experience, content and digital storytelling that have made Roadkill Nights synonymous with the Dodge performance identity.
The continued growth of RKN demonstrates the power of JRT’s Enthusiast Brand Marketing approach: understand the audience, tap into the culture and create experiences enthusiasts genuinely want to be part of. By bringing the attitude and performance of Dodge to life across live, digital and social channels, RKN extended its reach and impact far beyond the event itself.
Big Tire Winner Tom Bailey and Direct Connection Grudge Match Winner John O’Malley capped off an action-packed day by celebrating their hard-earned victories alongside Dodge CEO Matt McAlear.
This is about more than what happens on the track. Roadkill Nights is where Dodge performance meets the fans. It gives Dodge enthusiasts unprecedented access to the personalities who live and breathe performance. The Tony Stewart Racing team — Matt Hagan, Leah Pruett, Tony Stewart and Ida Zetterstrom — along with the Paul Rossi team, connected with fans at the autograph table in Direct Connection Alley, one of the hottest enthusiast touch points within the RKN activation.
Dodge Badassadors Megan, Garrett, Duwan, Jonathan, Sal, Tony and Rochelle also turned out in full force, bringing their individual personalities, passion and unmistakable energy to the event. Even the onsite activation team got in on the action, helping turn every interaction into part of the RKN experience.
Roadkill Nights has become more than a destination for Dodge performance — it’s a stage for what comes next. The day before the main event, Dodge CEO Matt McAlear pulled the cover off the most powerful Super Bee ever. An icon of the muscle-car era, the Super Bee returns with track-ready hardware, modern performance and a bold visual identity worthy of its legendary name. Engineered for drivers who push the limits, the Charger Super Bee features larger turbochargers delivering a targeted 600 horsepower, backed by a heavy-duty cooling system engineered to support performance on the track. Dodge Badassadors Rochelle and Megan got an up-close look at what this new Bee brings to the hive. Immediately following the Super Bee reveal, Dodge turned the spotlight to the Direct Connection Grudge Match, unveiling each racer’s unique build. Demi Bagby poses alongside her powerful creation.
The energy of Roadkill Nights continues to reach well beyond the traditional drag-racing audience. Amateur drag racers from across the country came to compete in RKN street-legal drag racing, putting grassroots participation at the heart of the experience. At the same time, a growing community of car-culture creators and stylists brought new audiences, new perspectives and new energy to the event. Together, they’re helping JRT and Dodge expand the reach of RKN while keeping the experience firmly rooted in authentic enthusiast culture.
There’s watching Dodge performance. And then there’s experiencing it from the passenger seat. Dodge Thrill Rides once again put fans directly into the action, delivering one of RKN’s most visceral and sought-after experiences. Fans waited for their chance to strap in for a ride they won’t soon forget, while Charger SIXPACKs delivered the kind of performance that kept the excitement — and the lines — going all day long.
The Tony Stewart Racing team didn’t just show up. They shook Woodward Avenue. Exhibition runs from both the Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster unleashed the sound, speed and spectacle of professional drag racing, giving fans a demonstration of extreme performance that could only feel at home at Roadkill Nights.
Roadkill Nights may have performance at its core, but the experience extends far beyond the drag strip. RKN has something for every kind of automotive enthusiast, creating a true festival of car culture packed with experiences throughout the event. From Ram’s mechanical Ram and the Mopaw’s dog tag station to racing simulators that put fans behind the virtual wheel, every activation gave attendees another way to get closer to the brands, the culture and the action.
As RKN accelerates into its second decade, JRT remains focused on the integrated approach that has helped make the event what it is today: enthusiast brand marketing, live event production, digital and social storytelling, technology, content and onsite creative working together as one connected experience. It’s a multi-channel playbook more than a decade in the making — one that continues to demonstrate how JRT can help an iconic performance brand show up authentically, connect deeply with its enthusiast community and turn a live event into an experience that resonates far beyond Woodward Avenue. Full 2026 attendance, impressions and earned media figures will be incorporated as final reporting is confirmed.