Tuned 392 Hemi helps this Dodge Challenger rocket down the poorly-prepped track in the mid-12s.
This collection of Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack taking on all sorts of competitors comes to us from the big_bluehellcat16 YouTube channel, run by Sam Chapa. While this YouTuber now has a built Hellcat, back in 2015, he was driving and racing a lightly-modified R/T Scat Pack Challenger. He took that tuned Scat Pack to the 2015 Lonestar Mopar Fest and he made nine runs – all of which are shown in the video above.
Sam Chapa’s Scat Pack
Back in 2015, Sam Chapa was racing a 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack with some basic modifications. The car had a cold air intake, long-tube headers, an engine tune and a set of stick Nitto 555R drag radial tires, so it had more power than stock – and it had the ability to put that power to the ground.
Unfortunately, when Chapa and his Challenger hit the track for their first run at the 2015 Lonestar Mopar Fest, he quickly learned that track prep had been saved for another day. The slick track made launching a challenge, but he was still able to run solid numbers and win a handful of races against other Mopar performance vehicles.
The Racing Action
The first race in the video above shows Chapa’s Challenger Scat Pack taking on a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. We can see that the all-wheel-drive SUV doesn’t have much of a problem with the track, blasting away from the starting line while the Challenger roasted the rear tires.
After that first race, the white Scat Pack blasted through a series of big wins, running in the mid-12-second range and beating a list of competitors that included a variety of Challengers and Chargers. Many of the runs result in closes finishes, but Chapa’s Scat Pack put on a solid show at the Texas Mopar event.
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"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.
