Last week, a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat at Cecil County Dragway ran an amazing 9.29 at 147 miles per hour – setting the new quarter mile record for the entire Hellcat community. This is the same Hellcat Challenger which set the current quarter mile record when it ran a 9.46 back in August, but with a little tuning, a little seat time and cooler air, this supercharged Mopar muscle car went from running 9.40s to running a 9.29 thanks to the crew at High Horse Performance.
This Hellcat Challenger has the stock block, heads and blower, but it has been fitted with new pulleys for increased boost, a full exhaust system, a Nitrous Outlet 75hp kit, a 1500hp HHP fuel system and a good tune from Josh Schwartz from HHP for Q16 race fuel, along with a new 9 inch rear differential, a carbon fiber driveshaft and a set of lightweight wheels wrapped in racing slicks. Finally, this Challenger has a roll cage and a parachute to keep it legal for running times in the 9s.
Crank up your speakers and watch the record run in the video below!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
