Challenger That Burned at 2019 Woodward Dream Cruise Resets Redeye Record

Back in 2019, an F8 Green Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye made big news for catching fire and burning in front of a huge crowd during the Woodward Dream Cruise. This past weekend, while racing at the Modern Street Hemi Shootout HEMI’nsanity event the day after the 2021 Dream Cruise, owner James Golden laid down an 8.33 quarter mile, resetting his own record for the world’s quickest Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye variant.

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye

I was on hand for HEMI’nsanity and I caught the new record run on video. After the record run, I spoke with Golden, who provided all of the key details on his Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye which has transformed a great deal since that fateful day back in August of 2019.

Redeye Racing Dodge Challenger

When James Golden’s Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye caught fire at the 2019 Woodward Dream Cruise, he immediately went to work in rebuilding the car, but it wasn’t built back to storm form or even the modified form in which it caught fire. With the services of Jimmy Koutsoubis of True Street Performance and A.J. Berge of Hemituner Performance, Golden’s Challenger was quickly rebuilt to run in the low-9-second range. At that point, it was still packing a 6.2-liter engine and the original 2.4-liter IHI supercharger, but as time went on, he wanted more power.

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye

The solution to getting way more power was an elaborate build which replaced the supercharger with a pair of monster turbochargers while the 6.2-liter block was replaced with one measuring 7.0 liters – or 426 cubic inches.

That 426-cubic inch Hemi is equipped with a billet Winburg crankshaft, billet Callies connecting rods and Ross pistons, all of which are forged to handle the firing pressure of this big power build. This engine is also equipped with ThiTek cylinder heads, a custom Comp Cams camshaft, a custom Hogan intake manifold and a pair of 79-millimeter Garrett Turbochargers, all of which yields roughly 1,800 horsepower at peak boost levels.

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye

All of that power is sent towards the rear wheels by means of a Rossler 3 speed turbo 400, a carbon fiber Driveshaft Shop driveshaft and a Strange rear differential with a 3.50 Detroit TrueTrac setup and Driveshaft Shop axles. Menscer suspension bits, Weld wheels and Mickey Thompson tires play the final role in putting the power to the ground while Wilwood brakes and a Simpson parachute slow the Challenger Hellcat Redeye down on the big end.

Resetting the Redeye Record

Prior to this past weekend’s Modern Street Hemi Shootout event at Lapeer International Dragway in Michigan, the quarter mile record for the Redeye variation of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat was an 8.42 at 163 miles per hour. Unfortunately, it was miserably hot and humid in Lapeer on the day after the Woodward Dream Cruise, but that didn’t stop Golden from improving on his previous record.

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye

On his way to finishing second in the Demon Performance Super Pro class, Golden laid down an 8.33 at 164.47 miles per hour. No Dodge Redeye car has gotten down the quarter mile anywhere near that quick, so while his numbers are unchallenged, Golden has continued to get quicker. This car has literally risen from the ashes to become one of the quickest modern Mopar drag cars in the world.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

YouTube player

Discover more from Stellpower - that Mopar news site

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading