LSA-Powered Dodge Ram Smokes Quarter-Mile in 8 Seconds

By Brett Foote - October 19, 2021

Built by a disabled vet in his spare time, this wicked Dodge Ram just keeps getting quicker as the years go by.

In spite of their obvious weight, aerodynamic, and inherent traction issues, trucks have become incredibly popular drag racers in recent years. And we aren’t just talking about compact pickups like the old Chevy S10, either, as big trucks have busted on the scene and run some pretty incredible numbers as well. Case in point – the subject of this week’s Track Time Tuesday presented by Nitto – Dan Mason‘s 2004 Dodge Ram, which uses LSA power to run 8s at the track.

Mason’s Dodge Ram is probably a familiar sight for some, as he’s owned it for several years now. The big truck has gone through a number of iterations since then, too. Previously painted a more subtle gray and powered by a 6.0-liter LSX making around 750 horsepower at the wheels, Mason upped the boost on that combo’s twin 76 mm Turbonetics turbochargers and added a Mustang II front suspension and custom back-halved rear with larger slicks to get the truck to 1,020 horsepower and 10 seconds flat.

“I bought the truck brand new and drove it for a few years,” Mason explained to DragZine at the 2021 LS Fest. “I tried to modify the 4.7-liter engine that was in the truck, but that really didn’t work out. I got the bug seven years ago to swap something into it and an LS engine seemed like a good idea. A lot of people told me I couldn’t do it, but I did it anyway. I originally swapped a stock LQ4 into the truck and things just progressed into what you see now. It makes well over 1,000 horsepower and runs deep in the nine-second zone.”

Of course, Mason – a disabled veteran – hasn’t stopped modifying his Ram and tweaking it to shave tenths off those times while also giving him something enjoyable to do in his spare time. Currently, the truck utilizes a pair of Pulsar turbos, LS3 heads, and E85 to make well over 1,000 horsepower. As we can see in this video from AGearHead4Life, that combo was good enough to propel him into the 8s at this year’s LS Fest, which is every bit as impressive as Mason’s determination to get it there.