It isnt a Dodge but its hard to be a Mopar lover who doesn’t love the roar of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. This week’s Truckin Fast Wednesday feature takes a look at one of those beastly Jeeps racing overseas on a mile long straight track (that also has a quarter mile timing system)against the Audi R8. Fortunately for Mopar fans, this particular SRT Jeep is fitted with a 426 cubic inch Hemi, a nitrous oxide setup and twin turbochargers so rather than 425 horsepower – this Grand Cherokee packs around 1,100 horsepower. The Audi has a little work done as well to offer up 600 horsepower but even with the decisive weight advantage – the supercar has no chance against the boosted and bottled SUV.
In the end, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 runs through the quarter mile in 10.469 seconds at 138.5 miles per hour while the full mile took him 27.202 seconds and at the end of the track, the 1,100hp Jeep was traveling at just over 170 miles per hour. The Audi turned in an impressive time and was even traveling at a higher speed at the end of the mile but the lead put together by the Jeep early on was too much for the Italian-designed German supercar to overcome. The R8 ran the quarter in 11.948 seconds at 120mph while the mile took him 29.511 seconds with a speed of 171.5mph.
The sounds of this Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 racing the Audi R8 are incredible so make sure to have your speakers cranked up when you watch this!
"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.
