Redneck Science – Two Week 1500HP Demon Drag Car Build

August 13th, 2022

You have a brand-new Demon crate motor, a Hellcat body and two-weeks until you must be live on the dragstrip at Roadkill Nights in Detroit. Could you do it?

That’s the situation for Westen Champlin and his team of Redneck Scientists. Despite being in the midst of a mud buggy conversion for the Hellcat, Wes and crew believe they can make the two-week deadline. They have the front and rear suspension systems. With a big upgrade to the rear suspension/differential unit, these Redneck Scientists have made their Hellcat a “roller”. A set of Weld Racing wheels give this build a hint of sophistication.

Early in the video, Westen makes a confession. The Demon crate motor (provided by Mopar Performance) has been upgraded a skosh. Roadkill rules state that the engine block must be stock. So, Wes swapped the cylinder heads out with a set of ported heads from Texas Speed. He upgraded the camshaft along with some engine internals and fasteners – but the block remains stock. Giddy up! Add an ice water intercooler, a custom pulley setup, a triple fuel pump system and a huge shot of nitrous and you are ready to tame the Motor City. The transmission is a fully-built 6-speed manual rated at 2,000hp.

From there, it’s off to the paint shop with a detour down to Georgia and the dyno/tuner. The results are in: 1,250WHP on nitrous and race fuel. Wow! Time to go to Detroit.

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