Hellcat Challenger Runs an 8.68 Quarter-Mile

Even with traction issues on the top end, the Epling Garage Dodge Challenger has reset the Hellcat quarter-mile world record.

Even though most drag strips around the United States and Canada are covered with snow and closed for the season, the Epling Garage Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat keeps on breaking records. The family team of Leon, Jason and Logan headed to one of the few tracks that is still open this past weekend and with the cooler air, their supercharged Mopar muscle car was able to reset the world record for the quickest Hellcat-powered car to blast down the quarter mile.

The Epling Garage Challenger

This isn’t the first time that we have talked about the Epling Garage 007 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Over the course of the past year, the family-campaigned muscle car has claimed and reclaimed the title of the world’s quickest Hellcat car. It was the first to break into the 8-second range and last month, the Epling team laid down an 8.71 to beat the previous record of 8.883 by a healthy margin.

The most impressive aspect of this particular Hellcat Challenger is that the engine has never been opened up. Every internal engine component is stock, with the only power-adding changes being a smaller blower pulley, a beefed up fuel system, a nitrous oxide setup and a great tune from Barth Tuning. Behind that supercharged Hemi is a Liberty racing manual transmission, a pro stock-style clutch, a Driveshaft Shop rear differential and lightweight 15-inch Holeshot wheels wrapped in Hoosier racing slicks. The Epling Challenger also has a custom coilover suspension setup and a bit of interior weight reduction, but unlike many of the quickest Hellcats – this engine hasn’t been touched since it left the factory.

The New Record

After setting the record back in November with a run of 8.71 at 157 miles per hour, the team hasn’t made any changes other than tuning tweaks. However, the cooler air and more seat time for Jason Epling made the difference this past weekend, with the 007 Hellcat rocketing down the track in just 8.68 seconds.

Best of all, on that record run, the got loose at the top end of the track, forcing Jason Epling to chase it around a bit. That caused the car to slow down a touch, so it “only” trapped 155 miles per hour, but it still ran a new world record ET. This means that if the team can make a pass without those traction issues on the big end, an even quicker elapsed time could be in their future.

These two videos come from the YouTube account of Logan Epling and in addition to showing off a world record, they offer a great example of the Hellcat Hemi’s roar, so crank up your speakers and enjoy!

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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