This Dodge Charger runs in the 8s, rips the wheels up on launch and it does so without any type of forced induction.
The Dodge Charger is one of the world’s best performance sedans, but this particular Mopar muscle sedan is one of the quickest we have seen. It also does the biggest wheelstands we have seen from a modern Charger and, most impressively, it runs in the 8s and launches with the wheels high in the air with a high-revving, naturally aspirated Hemi. This Hemi-powered beast is appropriately named The Red Baron and owner/driver Jeff Sherwin provided us with some info on this wicked super-sedan.
The Red Baron Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger on display here is owned and driven by Jeff Sherwin, who has fittingly named it The Red Baron. This Mopar monster is powered by an all-aluminum, naturally aspirated, 449-cubic inch Gen III Hemi with 15-to-1 compression, a .653-lift camshaft and a Q16 race fuel tune. This incredible Hemi twists to 8,500rpm and with the help of a TH400 transmission, it runs the quarter mile in the low-9s and high-8s.
The record run for this Dodge Charger was an 8.98 at 148.5mph, and you can ride along for that run in the video below. It doesn’t offer a very good look at the car or the awesome wheelstand, but if you watch the front wheel – it is clear that this car is way up off of the ground on launch. However, since the on-car footage doesn’t offer a great look at the wheels-up launch, we included the video above from trackside. Both of these videos come from the budoboy YouTube channel, which is chock full of videos of this car in action.
In addition to the high performance Hemi, this Charger has a heavily-modified suspension setup, including a rear cradle from a 2009 Challenger, Spohn adjustable control arms, solid cradle bushings, drag racing shocks (front and rear) from Santuff. This setup allows the car to make use of all of that power while also carrying the front wheels high in the air on launch, but it still pulls 1.2X short times with the wheels in the air.
"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.
