Though he managed to free himself from the toxic trap at the burned out fuel center, Charger did not escape unscathed. A dislocated vertebre leads to a dismal qualifying effort and a decision to sit out the second race of the new season. But when Team Rexcor's car #909 mystery driver is revealed as the mutated Lyle Owens, Charger is not about to give his would-be assassin the satisfaction of seeing him sidelined. The Collector is determined not to let Charger win another race, making several attempts to wreck him, including a final try on the last lap when his own barely functional car is a lap down. Yet Charger prevails, again snatching the checkered flag from Redline's grasp, this time thanks to an expert landing of his Rescue Racer on the hood of O'Roarke's car.
