Modded Dodge Demon Drag Races Nitrous Hellcat, Blows Drivetrain in Smoky Run

If you're not familiar with the ways of the drag racing world, you might expect those who seek Mopar sprinting glory to use a Hellcat rather than a Demon in their aftermarket adventure. After all, the latter comes with a 9.65s quarter-mile time from the factory, and its production was limited to 3,300 units.
Then again, there will always be enthusiasts who prefer to play with the drag strip-friendly tech fitted to the range-topper, which involves goodies like the Power Chiller, Torque Reserve, and TransBrake. However, as a recent shenanigan once again showed, such adventures are not without their risks.

The 1/4-mile confrontation we have here saw a modded Demon duking it out with an also-massaged Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye.

YouTuber Demonology, which brought this adventure to us, may or may not have mentioned the full list of custom goodies fitted to the pair of Challengers. Nevertheless, the Hellcat Redeye, whose 6.2-liter HEMI delivers 797 hp (808 PS) and 707 lb-ft (956 Nm) of torque in factory trim, had been gifted with a shot of nitrous—we can hear the vlogger purging the hardware just before he jumps into the race.

And, to put the extra power down, the machine features a special wheel/tire setup involving beadlock wheels and fat-sidewall tires at the back, as well as skinny front units.

Oh, and while we're on this subject, note that the driver seems to have a certain pre-race routine, which was also visible in some of his other quarter-mile adventures. You see, when sprinters prepare for battle, they need to cross a light beam sitting 7 inches (17.8 cm) behind the starting line, thus activating the pre-stage lights on the Christmas tree present at the drag strip. Then, crossing the second beam triggers the staged sensor, which in turn activates the automatic starting system's quick lighting sequence..

Whether behind the wheel of his now-highly-modded Demon, or the Hellcat used for this battle, the driver seems to take quite a bit of time between pre-staging and staging, which can sometimes confuse opponents who are unfamiliar with the said pause.

Returning to the competitive sprint that brought us here, the said Demon has left the factory IHI supercharger behind in favor of a Whipple blower while sporting an aftermarket carbon fiber driveshaft.

Now, you'll find the battle at the 12:10 point of the clip below, but you'll notice the Demon smoking heavily not too long after the start, with the vehicle showing clear signs of a malfunction.

Now, as the Demon driver described after the race, he felt something was wrong with the car as while he was completing the pre-battle burnout, with a strange noise showing up as he hit the 1/8-mile point. The problem? The driveshaft had given up and the eight-speed transmission had also been affected, as tranny fluid was sprayed across the Dodge's posterior, even though the exact state of the gearbox is not clear.

And, given the extra driveline stress caused by the added muscle and the track's prepped surface, such problems do occur at times. So, here's hoping this Dodge Demon gets the servicing attention it needs to get back in the arena soon.