Why The NHRA Banned 2023 Dodge Challenger Demon 170 On Drag Strips

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As we all know from the 70's, when a MoPar is successful it becomes extinct, NASCAR or NHRA.
 
1025hp on e85 and 900hp on gas. We've come a long way from the days of the 350hp SBC on the cover of every CarCraft and HotRod mag.
 
The NHRA rules have said this well before any new platform was designed. I'm guessing the average owner will not be laying down the numbers the Mopar guys have in testing. So some of this may be moot. The Stocker and Super Stock teams do this anyways with all their competition cars.

I have ran against 2 Hellcats that on paper are supposed to be sub 9.9 seconds. My 10 sec Duster once I saw amber? I didn't see the Hellcats again. They were closer to 11 flat. (Still damn fast for that heavy of a street car.)
 
It's clickbait. There is no ban. That's why the word is used in quotes in the article. These same rules apply to any other car running those kinds of elapsed times. This is a repeat of the same clickbait stupidity from when the original Challenger Demon appeared. "NHRA BANS DEMON... SAYS IT'S TOO FAST!" and other such nonsense. No, it just needed a cage, same as a real Demon would were it that fast.

Don't think Stellantis marketing isn't balls-deep in this. They're pushing it to every two-bit car-related site they can.
 
Something that always pissed me off.
Racers put Chevy, Ford and Toyota on the valve covers of their HEMIS.

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Still don’t understand why they are promoting a platform they are no longer offering after this year.
 
Dfr360cuda said:
Something that always pissed me off.
Racers put Chevy, Ford and Toyota on the valve covers of their HEMIS.

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Chrysler once put out a advertisement in there MP news magazine that said something like;


We’d like to that all of our competitors for using our engine, the Hemi to power there cars.

The above pictured Chevy Ford and Toyota cars use a Crysler based Hemi engine. They just cast their part number into it and claim it’s there’s.

We all know that is a crock pot full of bullshit!
 
The topic is alittle moot in today's engine designs. It's true that fuel cars do use a Chrysler 426 hemi design. But that's really where the topic ends. And it's not argued because Chrysler's 2 valve hemi is not the best design available to make power. NHRA drew the line there so the top engine development teams just don't runaway from all competition. Multivalve engines are more efficient with larger head flow potential. Combined with direct port injection systems can produce more power while keeping the 500 cubic inch maximum engine size requirement. A turbine design would even have higher potential.

The point? NHRA wants a more even playing field so not all teams require NASA level engineering teams to compete. And at the time of this concept (I believe) was decided in the mid 60s. Where Chrysler Hemi was king in the 2 valve, single cam design platform.
 
The 2018 Demon was originally banned for the same reason the new Demon 170 is. The car simply does not meet the safety requirements of the NHRA based on ET and MPH. The NHRA has since amended its rule to allow the 2018 Demon and similar late model cars to be legal to 9.0 or 145mph in the 1/4 mile. My Super Stock is one of the cars that are allowed. We have real specific requirements to be able to run in the 9's without a cage including having to get a competition license in the car.

The Demon 170 is good to 9.0 under this rule. It's not allowed to run in the 8's as advertised though.
 
The driver is the REAL limiting factor here. The wrecking yards are getting their fair share of Hellcat, Demon powered wrecks.
 
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