Demon Gets “Race Hardened Parts”

The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is going to be a serious machine on the drag strip and while the supercharged Hemi, the race-ready suspension and the Nitto drag radials will all play a key role in that on-track excellence, FCA understands that durability is just as important as speed. To emphasize their effort to improve the longevity of the new Demon, Dodge has announced that it will have “Race Hardened Parts” in their 8th teaser piece, which was released today.

Drag cars are good at breaking things, but many Hellcat owners who have modified the car for bigger power have found that the driveshaft, axle shafts and rear differential are the most common items to fail on the track. To prevent that, Dodge has improved each of those components for the new Demon, which will make the car more durable and better at getting off of the line.

The Demon’s driveshaft is comprised of high strength steel, the sub shafts are heat treated and the walls of the tube are 20% thicker, leading to an overall increase in torque capabilities of 15% (compared to the Hellcat Challenger). The Demon’s rear differential housing has a new construction, with heat treated aluminum alloy in the case and new, stronger gears inside – both of which work together to increase torque capabilities by 30%. Finally, the Demon’s half shafts are 41-spline units made from high strength steel, improving the torque handling capabilities by 20% compared to the Hellcat half shafts.

Once the components were all set, the Dodge team took to the task of cutting down on wheel hop or, more importantly, cutting down on the damage to the driveline during violent wheel hop. To do this, the Demon features a unique Launch Assist system which uses the wheel speed sensors to recognize a loss of traction. When one tire begins to slip, the Launch Assist system pulls power just long enough to settle the tires down and prevent any damage from the rear end bouncing against the sticky track.

Between the new race hardened driveline components and the new Launch Assist system, the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon should be willing and able to rip away from the starting line in a hurry – without breaking any of the key components south of the transmission.

Finally, today’s announcement also explains that the new Demon can be fitted with a 4-point harness bar which was developed by the crew at Speedlogix. This bar bolts in where the rear seat would go, allowing the driver to add the race harnesses needed for racing a lightning-quick drag car. This item won’t come from the factory, it seems, but those racers who want that added protection will be able to add it after buying the car and since it was designed for the Demon – there is no cutting or drilling needed to install the harness bar.

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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