Ride along with a Chevrolet dirt drag truck powered by a 5.3L LS V8 as it rockets down the 300-foot track.
This isn’t your normal drag race, and it’s not your average drag racing vehicle. It takes a bit different direction than usual, as rather than a Camaro or Corvette speeding down a paved quarter mile, we are featuring a Chevy dirt drag truck racing in the mud. The video was posted on YouTube by Daniel Wheeley, who has uploaded this clip of the LS-powered Chevy dirt racer in action.
There are no details on the truck itself, but based on the dash, it looks like my grandpa’s old 1975 Chevy pickup. But from this perspective, it is impossible to know for sure what it going on around the outside of the truck. However, we do know about the engine, which sends its power to the wheels via an automatic transmission topped by a Hurst Quarter Stick.
Under the hood is a 5.3L LS V8 with a custom grind Bullet camshaft, an 850cfm carb, a Nitrous Outlet stinger plate setup to add around 250 horsepower, an Edelbrock intake manifold, an MSD 6LS ignition setup and a tune for E85. Everything else in the engine is stock, so this is essentially a 5.3L LS engine with a carbureted induction setup and a whole lot of nitrous, but this engine makes enough power to get the Chevy dirt drag truck down the 300-foot track in a hurry.
After carefully staging against another Chevy truck from the 70s or 80s, the LS-powered machine launches on green and the driver quickly shifts, working hard to keep the truck pointed straight as it blasts down the mud-lined track. The truck in the right lane gets the win, but this video offers a unique chance to ride along with a powerful dirt drag truck while in action.
"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.
