Flocks of Drag Radial-equipped race cars have broken into the six-second zone over the last handful of years years, and while they are all impressive for pushing the limitations of a small tire on 3,000-plus horsepower, there are a few that stand out from the crowd. How about a street driven, six-second drag radial car that has eclipsed the limits that many thought would be impossible on a factory suspension setup? Well, Sal Patel’s Outlaw Drag Radial Dodge Viper is exactly that.
Patel’s Viper started out life like so many others as a high horsepower factory muscle car/sports car, but the addiction for speed quickly took over. Along the way, the car has been in the trusty hands of Steve Drummond at Drummond Race Cars to keep Sal safe. Over the years, the 575 cubic inch V-10 has been pushed to the limits by a pair of 90mm Pro Mod turbochargers and is backed by a powerglide transmission. The combination still allows the Viper to be a certifiable street machine as well as a race car.
Patel’s rear suspension still uses the factory Independent Rear Suspension from Chrysler, which makes the numbers it produces all the more impressive. Almost a year ago Sal busted out a 7.11-second pass in the quarter mile to claim the overall IRS record, but he wanted to be the first to break the six-second barrier with such a combination.
Sal and his crew headed out to Maryland International Raceway last week for a test session to try and break the record, which had just been reset a week prior by Mark Carlyle and his IPS Motorsports Corvette at 7.09. The record fell on a great pass that began with a wheels-up launch, with the power really coming in strong early in the run. As the car went through the traps on the top end, 6.98 seconds flashed on the scoreboard, much to the excitement of the crew. Sal also went 207 mph on this pass and once he made the turn off the track, the Viper weighed in at 3,685 pounds with its full interior and street trim. Congratulations to Sal on his record as he has worked very hard to get to this point.