Challenger SRT 392 Makes Short Work of Police Course: Track Time Tuesday

Adaptive suspension, Brembo brakes and SRT power help this Challenger get around the track in a hurry.

The Dodge Challenger doesn’t get much credit for its handling, with many people passing the modern Mopar muscle car off as nothing more than a big, heavy drag strip car. Sure, they are unquestionably the best car on the market for someone who wants to dominate the drag strip with a factory-stock car, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t turn. In this week’s Track Time Tuesday video, coming to us from the MiHiHemi YouTube channel, we see that the brawny brawler handles a curvy track well in SRT 392 form.

The Machine

In the video above, we get to ride along with Greg Enger as he blasts around the Colorado State Patrol training facility in his 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT 392.

This car is nearly stock in the video, packing a 485-horsepower, 392-cubic inch Hemi mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, along with SRT adaptive suspension and a big Brembo braking package. The only upgrades are the KW adjustable lowering springs, which provide a more aggressive stance while helping in the corners, along with the 285/35/20 Continental Extreme Contact Sport tires at all four corners.

For those unsure, the SRT 392 package comes with similar wheels, tires, brakes and suspension to that of the Hellcat, but rather than the supercharger 6.2-liter V8, this car has the naturally aspirated 6.4-liter mill. Enger is currently in the process of building a naturally aspirated 426-cubic inch stroker motor, but when he went to the Colorado State Police track last September, the car was stock shy of the springs and tires. Even with that in mind, this 6.4-liter Hemi-powered Mopar muscle car gets around the track in a hurry.

State Police Training Track

Enger explained to me that his local Challenger club is heavily involved with the Colorado State Police fallen officers fund, so the authorities are kind enough to share their training track with the club. The footage above comes from one of those days, with the club exercising their Mopar muscle cars on the same track where the local police learn to chase down bad guys.

In the video, we can monitor vehicle speed, engine RPM, gear selection, throttle input, brake input, G forces, lap timing and a track map. We can see that this is a track that caters to big-speed cars like the SRT Challenger, with a series of straightaways separated by a couple hard turns and one larger chicane. The big, black muscle car roars down the straights, but it also has no problem getting slowed down for the hard turns or carving through the higher-speed turns.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

Photos: Screenshots

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Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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