- Search Cartoons
- Comic Archive
-
Payne
Store
Henry Payne RSS
Roadkill Nights: Taylor defends Grudge Match crown, hot rods shine, pickups roar
Posted by Talbot Payne on August 17, 2022
Pontiac – Roadkill’s centerpiece Dodge Direct Connection Grudge Match was everything it was cracked up to with thrills, spills, and upsets.
But in the end, the favorite kept her crown for the second year in a row.
Defending champ Alex Taylor squared off against Westin Champlin is an intriguing showdown of opposites on Woodward Avenue. The diminutive lass from Arkansas versus the big “Redneck Science” driver from Kansas. Favorite versus underdog. 1955 Plymouth Savoy versus modern Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Tube-frame race car versus stock chassis with leather seats and AC. Shoulder-length hair might be the only thing the pair had in common.
But they put on a show for 40,000 fans that had descended on Detroit’s main street for a day of street legal racing in perfect drag racing conditions: an overcast, 65-degree August day that was hot enough for slicks to stick and cold enough for engines to breathe.
“To be able to come back and win was an intimidating task because I had a target on my back,” smiled Taylor, 25, afterwards. “To build a fast car like this in such a short time and win is a weight lifted off our shoulders.”
After taking practice runs earlier in the day, Taylor had to wait while the other eight competitors brawled for the opportunity to take on the queen. All nine racers had been given $10,000 and 30 days to build the race car of their choice as long as it was a Chrysler group product propelled by a 6.2-liter, supercharged Hellcat engine and 6-speed manual gearbox. The charismatic Champlin was a big underdog as he took on American Legends’ Tony Arme from Phoenix – the early favorite ina wicked-looking 1969 Barracuda complete with wheelie bar.
“Load up the nitrous!” yelled Champlin to his crew as he prepared for the shoot-out. Nitrous oxide boosted his horsepower from 1,000 to 1,250 – but the stress on the clutch meant that racers were careful on when to use it. Now was the time.
Champlin dusted Arme with a time of 5.35 seconds own the sticky southbound lanes at the corner of Woodward and South Boulevard.
Ricki Fernandez was next in his beautiful, red Dodge Viper – claimed to be the only Viper in the country with its stock, V-10 engine exchanged for a Hellcat V-8. No matter. The real Hellcat beat the Viper down the strip by a whisker, setting up the final match-up with Taylor.
“We made it a lot further than I thought we would,” roared Champlin as he emerged from his hellion.
The final would be no contest as Taylor’s Savoy hooked up immediately and rocketed down the 1/9 mile in just 5.09 seconds, leaving the Kansan behind at 5.6.
1,200-horsepower commuter coupe
In addition to the action on the track, the adjacent M1 Concourse infield showed off plenty of muscle car hardware in the Show ‘n’ Shine parade of cars.
Jake James, 33, drove his race-prepared, 2016 Challenger Scat Pak from Monroe – skinny front drag race tires and all – to take in the day’s festivities. And to support his man Champlin on the race course. James’ Leviathan Group does marketing for many of Roadkill’s YouTube racers.
James’ ride is no shrinking violet with turbo-boosted, 6.4 Hemi-V8. Cooled by a chiller located in the trunk, the Challenger makes a formidable 1,200 horsepower.
James recently tested at Milan Dragway – a legendary Michigan track dear to local racers’ hearts – that was recently left for dead. But under new ownership the track has been repaved and refurbished.
“It’s awesome,” said James.
Dragsters, Hellcats, hot rods … and pickups?
Dodge muscle cars are the stars at this weekend’s Woodward drag race-palooza, but sister-brand Ram is here for the first time with an off-road thrill-ride course to compliment the traditional, tire-squealing, rubber-burning Charger and Challenger Hellcat rides on M1 Concourse.
And why not? The Ram 1500 TRX (pronounced T-rex) is stuffed with same demonic, 700-horsepower-plus, 6.2-liter, supercharged V-8 as the as the muscle cars.
“The Ram ride might be better, because you get air,” said Nick Urhauser, 53, who came all the way from Chicago to see the spectacle with his son, Nicholas, 18.
The Ram ride hits two jumps – the second at about 40 mph that vaults the truck 30 feet down a dirt jump. The experience wowed young Urhauser, though he insists he’s still a car guy. Dad (a truck guy) has his eye on buying a TRX so that may change when Nicholas gets behind the wheel.
Judgin’ the Grudge
There was a lot of anticipation – and worry – before the Grudge Match as competitors agree that the course – and manual transmissions – were wildcards.
“The track is rough and peaked – with the peak sliding you into the right wall,” said Freddy Hernandez of the Tavarish YouTube Channel after a practice session down the Woodward’s southbound lanes. He was competing in a racer that is half-Dodge police car and half-pickup truck.
“The manual transmission is different, it’s unusual in a drag car these days,” said Herman Young of the Demonology YouTube Channel. “These high-horsepower engines are tough on clutch discs, and some competitors may limit their practice runs so they don’t blow up their clutch.”
Young competed in an ‘09 Dodge Challenger – hastily assembled starting with a raw, body-on-white along with build partner Jack Pennington.
“The track is rough and peaked — with the peak sliding you into the right wall,” said Freddy Hernandez of the Tavarish YouTube Channel after a practice session down the makeshift, 1/8-mile dragstrip in Woodward’s southbound lanes. He is competing in a racer that is half-Dodge police car and half-pickup truck.
“The manual transmission is different, it’s unusual in a drag car these days,” said Herman Young of the Demonology YouTube Channel. “These high-horsepower engines are tough on clutch discs, and some competitors may limit their practice runs so they don’t blow up their clutch.”
Young competed in a 2009 Dodge Challenger — hastily assembled starting with a raw, body-on-white along with build partner Jack Pennington.
Saturday fun day
That wasn’t an earthquake you felt this morning. It was dragsters on Woodward.
Roadkill Nights powered by Dodge kicked off at 11 a.m. with every Detroit motorhead’s dream: legal drag racing on public roads. Thousands of spectators gathered to watch 1,000-horsepower monsters dash down Detroit’s most storied street on a makeshift, 1/8-mile drag strip at the corner of Woodward and South Boulevard north of St. John’s hospital.
Shawn Fink, all the way from Casper, Wyoming in his bright orange,1955 Chevy Bel-Air drag racer staged as one of the first down the strip. The bright-orange beast sported a 526 cubic-inch, hemi-head Chevy engine under the hood. He recently won Sick Week in Florida, a tour of multiple Sunshine State dragways.
“We’re on the road a lot,” said Fink, flanked by his son who helps him crew. “You have to travel to a lot race tracks in street racing.”
When the fans weren’t enjoying Woodward drag races, they were pouring into adjacent M1 Concourse for thrill rides around Champion Motor Speedway in 700-horsepower Dodge Hellcats.
EVENT INFO
Where:
M1 Concourse, 164 South Blvd. West, Pontiac
When:
Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Schedule:
10 a.m. — Gates open to the public, event begins
Photo opportunities as muscle/vintage/classic cars enter M1 Concourse
Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge event activities begin — Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat thrill and drift rides, dyno testing, and Ram TRX Thrill Ride Experience off-road course
11 a.m. — Drag racing begins with open qualifying session (all drag racing can be viewed via livestream at DodgeGarage.com,Dodge.com,Dodge and MotorTrend YouTube channels)
4:45 p.m. — Dodge Direct Connection Grudge Races begin
5:45 p.m. — Top Eight shootout driver announcements
6:15 p.m. — Opening ceremony
6:30 p.m. — Top Eight shootouts begin (Small Tire & Big Tire)
8:30 p.m. — Top Eight winners’ awards ceremony
9 p.m. — Event concludes
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.