Challenger Hellcat runs a 10.94 at National Muscle Car Association’s event with only a cold air intake and a set of drag radials.
New for NMCA is the Dodge/Mopar Hemi Shootout at the 2018 NMCA All-Star Nationals April 5 to 8 at the Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia. The Plum Crazy Hellcat Challenger shown here won the 11-second class. This car is driven by Thomas Smith, whose supercharged Dodge posted the quickest average of three runs in that time class, allowing him to take home one of the first NMCA Hemi Shootout trophies.
This video comes from the YouTuber Jet Speed 302 and it showcases the quickest run of the event by Smith and his Hellcat Challenger.
Simple Mod List
This Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is nearly stock, with the only changes from factory form being a cold air intake and a set of drag radial tires. So, this supercharged Mopar muscle car is making a little more power than stock and with the sticky tires, it has a bit better grip than a car with the factory tires.
As it turns out, Smith would need that extra grip at the NMCA event in Atlanta.
Hemi Shootout #1
At the first NMCA event of 2018 to feature the Dodge/Mopar Hemi Shootout, Smith and his Plum Crazy Hellcat Challenger were able to run an 11.14, an 11.13 and the 10.94 shown above. That 10-second run is his best to date and it played a key role in his three-run average of 11.07.
The Hemi Shootout class is not a head-to-head class but instead, cars run against the clock and the quickest average of three runs in each second-bracket wins. In this case, Thomas Smith and his Dodge Challenger won the 11-second class with three solid runs on the slippery track.
In addition to the plaque shown here, Smith took home a check for $100 for turning in the quickest average time of the 11-second Hemi-powered cars at the Atlanta NMCA event.
"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.
