World’s Quickest Hellcat Challenger Keeps on Getting Faster: Track Time Tuesday

Epling Garage Hellcat Challenger ran a 7.69 at 180 miles per hour to reset the record, again.

If you pay any attention to the quickest modern Mopars, you likely recognize the “007” Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat from the Epling Garage family race team. This modified muscle car has been the quickest Hellcat car in the world for quite some time, being the first in the 8-second range then the first in the 7-second range, along with repeatedly resetting the quarter mile world record for a Hellcat Challenger.

The team of Leon, Jason and Logan Epling recently headed to Atco Dragway in New Jersey for the final event of the 2019 Modern Street Hemi Shootout, and as is generally the case when the 007 Challenger hits the track, a new world record was set. The videos above and below from the Epling Garage YouTube channel show the latest record-setting run from two different angles, both of which show how well this Mopar monster gets down the track.

The Epling 007 Challenger

If you have followed our past coverage of the Epling Garage Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, you may be familiar with what makes this car so fast, but if not, here is a quick rundown.

While the entire car is heavily modified, this is a factory Hellcat Challenger with the original chassis and all of the original body panels. It is powered by a Hellcat Hemi that has been bored and stroked to 426 cubic inches, fitted with ThiTek cylinder heads, a 4.9-liter Kenne Bell supercharger, a custom Comp Cams camshaft, a Holley EFI fuel system, a Snow Performance water injection system, a nitrous oxide system and a tune for Q16 racing fuel from Tim Barth at Barth Tuning.

At its peak, the supercharged Hemi makes around 1,500 horsepower at the wheels. A pro-stock-style Liberty 5-speed manual transmission fitted with a Ram triple-disc clutch sends the power to the Strange rear differential, while 28-inch Mickey Thompson drag radials put the power to the ground. You read that right, Jason Epling is rowing his own gears while running in the 7-second range with a 4,000-pound Dodge Challenger.

Changes Since the Last Record

Most of the features of this Hellcat Challenger have remained unchanged since the team set their record of 7.84, but in addition to more suspension and engine tuning, the nitrous system has been modified a bit. The Epling Garage team added FAS Motorsports nitrous plates, which introduce the power-adding juice via a plate that goes between the cylinder heads and the supercharger housing.

When coupled with the great air at Atco during this run, the Epling Garage team was able to reset the record for a Hellcat car with a 7.69 at 180 miles per hour. Again, this car is obviously heavily modified, but it is a Hellcat block, a Hellcat body, Hellcat chassis and Hellcat VIN. Records aside, it is crazy quick, so 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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