Dodge Challenger Super Stock is Already in the 9s

Challenger had aftermarket wheels and tires and a one-seat interior, but was otherwise stock.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock was introduced last year as the most powerful full-production American car of all time. Delivering 807 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque, the Super Stock is kind of like a juiced-up Redeye, featuring some track-friendly features from the 2018 Demon. The package comes with 18-inch wheels and Nitto drag radials, similar to the Demon, along with Bilstein dampers which featuring tuning to shift the weight to the rear wheels on a hard launch. Add in the lightweight Brembo brakes and 3.09 gears and you have a stock Challenger that Dodge claims is capable of covering the quarter mile in just 10.5 seconds with a trap speed of 131 miles per hour. That is the quickest American car in production, with only the 2018 Demon offering quicker drag strip times.

However, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with 707 horsepower and the SRT Hellcat Redeye with 797 horsepower have both been proved to be considerably quicker than the official times with some very basic upgrades. Thanks to former Demon owner Ron Silva, we know that a few simple changes makes the Super Stock quite a bit quicker than 10.50.

In fact, Silva recently piloted his Hellraisin Mopar muscle car to a 9.956 at 136 miles per hour, making him the first to put a Super Stock into the 9s. Silva is no stranger to the 9-second club, having been one of the first 2018 Demon owners to run down the official Dodge times. This time, his Challenger is a whole lot quicker than the company-stated numbers.

Silva’s Challenger Super Stock

As you can see in the pictures here, this 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock is painted Hellraisin. It rides on Billet Specialties Win Lite wheels wrapped in Hoosier rubber rather than the stock wheels and tires. Those are the only aftermarket bits on this Challenger. He ordered this car with the factory rear seat delete option and he also removed the passenger’s seat, so the interior is configured similarly to a one-seat Demon. When he runs at the track, he runs Sunoco SS100 fuel, making sure that the supercharged Hemi is operating at full power under load. This prevents any risk of low-quality 93-octane pump gas causing the computer to pull timing and reduce power, but this car is not tuned for high octane fuel.

The First 9s

Silva became the first 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock owner to run in the 9-second range at Houston Raceway Park in mid-January, laying down back-to-back passes in the 9s. At first, he ran a 9.965 at 136.15 miles per hour, becoming the first Super Stock driver in the 9s. He backed that up with an even quicker run, which you can watch from his in-car camera in the video.

In the video, Silva and his Challenger Super Stock run a 9.956 at 136.00 miles per hour. On that run, the Super Stock pulled a 1.411 60-foot time, getting to the eighth-mile timer in 6.352 seconds at 108.96 miles per hour. As the first Super Stock in the 9s, Silva is also the quickest Super Stock owner in the world, but most importantly, he got there without any big changes. Many owners switch wheels and tires and removing the unused seat is a simple process. So, for those Super Stock owners who know how to drive a modern Challenger as well as Ron Silva, getting into the 9-second range is very capable without any power-adding changes.

Join the Dodge Forums now!

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

Facebook   Twitter