Hellcat versus Drag Pack in Challenger Duel: Track Time Tuesday

Challenger Drag Pak struggles for traction and still wins by a comfortable margin.

Since the Dodge Challenger Drag Pak debuted at the 2019 SEMA Show, we have seen a surprising number of comments from people who don’t understand the purpose of that car. People who don’t understand the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class can’t make sense of what Mopar built a supercharged Challenger that isn’t a Hellcat. The bottom line is that the Drag Pak is a purpose built, track-only race car while the Hellcat is street legal.

The Drag Pak is also a whole lot quicker in the quarter mile. This week’s Track Time Tuesday video comes from the Wheels YouTube channel and it shows the difference between the Mopar-built Challenger and a Hellcat. Even if you don’t understand the NHRA racing classes, this video makes it very clear how these two muscle cars differ in performance capabilities.

Challenger Two Ways

The Challenger in the near lane in the video above is a third generation Drag Pak. It is powered by a 354-cubic inch Hemi topped by a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger. Mopar doesn’t offer official power numbers on these track-only cars, but once the race teams get ahold of them, they are making over 1,000 horsepower. That power is sent to the rear wheels by a race-ready 3-speed automatic transmission, a heavy-duty differential and drag slicks. The interior is bare aside from a racing seat and a roll cage. The suspension is engineered to offer the best launch grip possible.

In competition, the third generation Challenger Drag Pak is capable of covering the quarter mile in the high-7-second range.

In the far lane, we have a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. It has drag radials, but its track times suggest that it is otherwise stock. This means that it is powered by the 6.2-liter Hellcat Hemi, topped by a 2.4-liter IHI supercharger. This mill sends 707 horsepower towards the rear wheels by means of an 8-speed automatic transmission. The interior is packed with premium features and the suspension setup is designed to offer the best combination of ride comfort and handling.

According to Dodge, the Hellcat Challenger is capable of running a high-10-second quarter mile with drag radial tires.

The Battle

After each of these Dodge Challengers cleans off their tires, they carefully stage at the starting line. When the green lights drop, both Mopar muscle cars attempt to launch. Unfortunately, the Drag Pak quickly loses traction, forcing the driver to lift. This allows the Hellcat to get out to a big head start, but this is where the video gets interesting.

After essentially spotting the Hellcat a couple lengths, the Drag Pak easily cruises to the win. The race car runs a 10.58 at 148 miles per hour while the street car runs an 11.29 at 123 miles per hour. The difference in performance is clearly displayed as the Drag Pak strugglesat the line, yet still easily beats the Hellcat.

Finally, the video ends with a clip of the Drag Pak making a clean run against a Chevy. The Challenger gets good traction and stops the top end timers with an 8.93 at 153 miles per hour.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

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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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