Dodge Demon Pair Square Off in ‘Old vs. New’ Duel of Fate

Stock 2018 Challenger actually gets a run for its money against the heavily-modified 1971 Dart in this Dodge Demon drag race.

The 2018 Challenger SRT Demon marks the second time that Dodge has offered a “Demon,” with the 1971 and 1972 Dart coming in Demon form. While they share a name, the two cars are very different, with the Challenger packing an 840-horsepower, supercharged Hemi while the 1971-1972 version’s most powerful engine option was a 340-cubic inch small block with 275 horsepower.

In stock form, a 2018 Dodge Demon would slaughter a 1971 model, but the classic Mopar muscle car in the video above has been modified, making it a much closer drag race than you might expect.

Dodge Demon Competitors

This video comes to us from the RZNHELL Demon YouTube channel, operated by Dodge Challenger SRT Demon owner Chris Nelson. Nelson’s Challenger has the crate components, including the skinny front wheels and the race gas PCM that unlocks all 840 horsepower and 770 lb-ft of torque on 100-octane race fuel. He also has a stickier set of rear tires, running Mickey Thompson Street ET Rs rather than the stock Nittos. Other than those tires, the crate parts and a Per4Mance Development differential brace, the 2018 Demon is stock.

The details on the 1971 Dodge Demon in the far lane aren’t quite as detailed, but we know that it is owned and driven by a gentleman named Kevin Petty. For those wondering, he is related to “The King”, Richard Petty and his old school Mopar muscle car features a 440-cubic inch Mopar big block mated to a Chrysler 727 automatic transmission and a Dana 60 rear differential. This classic drag race has around 600 horsepower, but we can bet that it is substantially lighter than the two-ton Challenger. For example, I own a 1972 Demon 340 with some weight reduction and it weighs under 3,000 pounds, so with the big block and the safety items, the classic in the video above is likely around a half-ton lighter than the newer car.

Battle

After the two Dodge Demons stage and the green lights drop, the classic gets a bit of an early start, lighting the red bulb and handing the win to Nelson in his 2018 Challenger. However, both drivers stayed hard in the throttle, making for a great head-to-head drag race.

In the end, even with the classic Dodge getting the early start, Chris Nelson and his 2018 Dodge Demon got to the finish line first, running a 10.154 at 134.81 miles per hour while the 1971 Dart ran a 10.572 at 125 miles per hour. On this run, Nelson pulled a 1.463 60-foot time and got to the eighth-mile marker in just 6.498 seconds at 107.77 miles per hour. Mind you, that is a 10.1 in the heat of the summer, so with cooler air, this new Demon is definitely a nine-second car.

In addition to being a cool race between old and new Dodge Demons, this video has some great sounds, so crank up your speakers and enjoy!

Parked Photo for DodgeForum: Heather Mayer Photography

Wheels Up Photo for DodgeForum: A. Robb Photography

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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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