Watch a 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 run a 9.55 and 9.53, setting the record for the world’s quickest 6-speed manual transmission Challenger.
David Crockett’s 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 ran a 9.53 last weekend at the Virginia stop on the Modern Street Hemi Shootout schedule, resetting his own record for the world’s quickest modern Mopar muscle car with a 6-speed manual transmission. Crockett first set the record a few weeks back at the LX and Beyond Nationals in Ohio, running a 9,55, but he backed that up and reset his own record at the MSHS event with a 9.53 at 148.44 miles per hour.
Crockett’s 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT is powered by an HHP/BES 438 cubic inch Hemi V8 topped by a ProCharger F1A-94 supercharger. This combination makes more than a thousand wheel horsepower thanks to the tuning magic Josh Schwartz of High Horse Performance. All of that power is channeled through a Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual transmission similar to the one that came in this Challenger from the factory, except this transmission has been beefed up to handle all of that extra power. Also, the stock rear differential has been replaced with a 9 inch DriveShaft Shop unit, with high strength axle shafts and a heavy duty driveshaft sending the power to the wheels and racing tires.
Finally, in addition to the monster drivetrain, this 2009 Challenger has a Hellcat Challenger front end, which allows for better air flow to the supercharged Hem, along with lightweight seats and a roll cage.
Prior to these smokin’ fast runs by Crockett’s Challenger SRT8, the record for the world’s quickest 6-speed manual transmission car was held by Bill Gamble, who ran a 9.64 with his 6-speed Hellcat Challenger. For those wondering about Leon Epling’s Hellcat Challenger which went 9.06 with a manual transmission, that car was equipped with a Liberty racing transmission. That transmission doesn’t require the same clutch-shift as Crockett’s Tremec, so this car ran a 9.53 banging through gears just like your average 3-pedal muscle car.
The run above shows his first record run of 9.55 while the video below shows the quicker, 9.53 run.
"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.
