C7Z leaves Challenger SRT Hellcat in its wake in a high speed battle.
Right now, the two big dogs in the world of American performance cars are the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The Corvette is powered by the supercharged 6.2L LT4, packing 650 horsepower and 650lb-ft of torque. The Challenger is also powered by a supercharged 6.2L V8. Though, yup, she’s got a Hemi. A 707 horsepower and 650lb-ft of torque Hemi.
Obviously, the Challenger has the horsepower advantage, but the Corvette weighs about thousand pounds less than the big Dodge. As this video shows, that advantage in weight gives the Corvette Z06 the edge in speed. Throughout the course of a half mile, and this top speed battle the ‘Vette takes the win.
This video comes to us from the YouTube account of TheBayAreaRacing. The BAR boys were at one of Shift Sector’s airstrip events, where cars go head to head in a half mile long, high speed duel. Like quarter mile drag racing, the idea is to get to the finish line first. However, these half mile races focus more on top speed at the finish line than an actual elapsed time. This is why each of the cars in this video appear to launch relatively softly, getting on it a short distance up the track.
In other words, the start isn’t very exciting, but the action heats up as the two American monsters head down track.
Even with the gentle start, the Corvette hops out to an early lead and from there, the Dodge is forced to play catch. The Z06 crosses the finish line with a small lead in the end. Then the speed numbers pop up – 147 for the Corvette and 145 for the Challenger. the Challenger was going to need far more than a half mile to catch the supercharged Chevy.
"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.
