2024 Ford Mustang GT Drags Challenger Hellcat and the Unthinkable Happens. Twice!

These days, anyone who follows the American pony/muscle car realm knows that Ford will soon keep the Ice-powered banner up alone as GM and Stellantis are abandoning the cause. Chevrolet will retire (early, they say – November for Convertible and December for Coupe instead of January 2024) the sixth generation Camaro because it's such a slow seller, and there's no successor in sight.

They said this is not the end of the road for the iconic nameplate, but there's yet to be a timeline for something new, either. As for Dodge, the Challenger and Charger will be no more with the mighty Hemi V8 after 2023MY, and instead, we will see the production version of the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept with nine levels of Banshee EV prowess and perhaps also some inline-six Hurricane versions for ICE aficionados.

However, until they disappear into retirement, the Chargers and Challengers are still a menace for any S650 seventh-generation Ford Mustang that dares to cross their path. Here, let us give you an example via the YouTuber StangMode, who has been treating his new 'Papa Smurf' Mustang GT with nothing but love and affection – and by that, we mean lots and lots of prepped and unprepped races.

The latest video feature found the Blue Oval enthusiast at Maple Grove Raceway, a quarter-mile dragstrip located near Mohnton, Pennsylvania, just outside Reading. There, it appears that he was about to embark on a shocking journey – his blue Ford Mustang GT with 480 horsepower was set to compete against a 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody.

Since both cars were titled 'bone stock,' no one could deny that all bets would indicate the Hellcat as the natural winner. However, time and again, we said that nothing should be taken for granted at the quarter-mile racetrack and that we should always expect the unexpected. As such, shockingly (or not, because StangMode knew something we didn't), the first of two races ended in disaster for Mopar fans – the Mustang GT won the skirmish with a 12.1s to 12.64s.

After its Mopar was obliterated, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat driver wanted another try, and moments later, we are faced with a conundrum: can the David versus Goliath quarter-mile dragstrip scenario repeat itself? Well, as it turns out, while the start was umpteen times more balanced and the Hellcat even had the advantage, in the end, the Mustang GT again won the day!

Surprised? Not us, though, because if we pay attention to the explanations from our resident Blue Oval YouTuber, the mysteries are easily solved. First, the track was quite cold that day, and the Dodge came with bone-stock tires, too, whereas the Mustang GT had a nice set of Mickey Thompson street/drag radials. Secondly, the other race would have been an easy win for the Mopar driver if he had correctly identified the track's signs and let go a lot earlier than he was supposed to!

So, you see, the world of quarter-mile dragstrip racing is at times incredibly enticing even when you're looking at seemingly impossible odds – the little details can make or break a shocking win, sometimes. On this occasion, it was a combination of cold weather, a good choice of tires, and attentiveness.