One Mopar muscle car owner is working to see how quickly he can run the quarter-mile without any power-adding mods.
When Dodge introduced the Challenger SRT Hellcat, they stated that with drag radial tires, the 707-horsepower muscle car would run the quarter-mile in just 10.8 seconds, while a Hellcat Challenger with the stock tires can run in the 11.20 range. We have seen proof that both of those numbers are very beatable with seat time and good air, but one Mopar owner is working to see how low his ETAs can go without any power-adding modifications.
So far, his numbers are very impressive. This past weekend, Malcolm Zack and his Hellcat Challenger ran a 10.39 at 135 mph, which is the quickest run by any stock-power Hellcat car. The video above, posted on YouTube by Malcolm Zack, shows this incredible record run at his local drag strip in Ontario, Canada.
We should point out that this Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is not stock with drag radials – it has stock power. Zack has added a stronger driveshaft, a set of 3.09 gears and he has removed roughly 450 pounds from the car, including lightweight brakes, a bare bones interior and skinny front wheels. This combination of weight reduction, sticky tires, steeper gears and a whole lot of seat time allowed Zack to run in the high 10.40s last month, but this past weekend, he was able to pilot his 707 horsepower Challenger down the quarter mile in just 10.39 seconds and, more impressively, he did so with a trap speed of 135.58 miles per hour. On that run, he pulled a 1.5072 60-foot time and his 8th mile numbers were 6.69 at 107mph.
Again, this is a car that has a fully stock engine, so with just those modifications listed above – Malcolm Zack’s Hellcat Challenger has run 10.30s without adding any extra power.
"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.
