Lightly-modified Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat covers the quarter mile in just 10.4 seconds.
One of the coolest things about the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is that with simple modifications, these cars run incredible quarter mile times while looking practically stock. This means that these street-driven, stock-looking Challengers can knock off purpose-built race vehicles and one example is the supercharged Mopar muscle car featured here, coming to us from the YouTube channel of David Abel.
The Redrum Hellcat
The dark red Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat shown above is owned, raced and street-driven by David Abel. The only upgrades to the engine include a Legmaker cold air intake, , an ATI lower pulley for a bit more boost and a Diablo tune, while a Driveshaft Shop driveshaft and a set of 17-inch Mickey Thompson Street ET R drag radials put all of that Mopar power to the ground.
We don’t know the details on the Datsun pickup in the far lane, but if you know anything about classis Nissan pickups, you know that they never sounded like this truck. It is likely that some variety of American V8 has replaced the original engine while the lightweight construction helps make the most of that power.
The truck is built for the track and the Hellcat is built for the street and modified to dominate the track – even when running against purpose-built race vehicles.
The Battle
After the Hellcat and the Datsun smoke the tires, they both ease to the starting line, taking their sweet time in getting into the beams. When the green lights drop, the pickup clearly gets the better reaction time and hops out to an early lead, but the Challenger slowly reels him in.
The Hellcat gets to the finish line first and sounds incredible in the process. On this run, Abel’s Dodge laid down a 10.4 at 134 miles per hour, beating a race truck with his street machine.
"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.
