With $50,100 looming in front of small-tire, drag radial racers, many teams have made the jump to Radial vs. The World/Pro Drag Radial trim in hopes of getting their hands on the richest payday in radial racing history in just two months during Duck X Productions: Lights Out 7 at South Georgia Motorsports Park. One of the latest trends has been cars leaving the no-time/grudge world and putting on the ‘skinnies’ and heading into radial action.

First, it was Stevie Jackson piloting NHRA Top Fuel crew chief, Phil Shuler’s ‘The Shadow’ that went straight to the bottom 4-second range with its old nitrous powerplant and busted the 3-second barrier in September with it’s now huffing screw-supercharged combination. Soon after, Jeff Sitton from SEI Industries in Texas blasted onto the scene with ‘Hyde,’ a famous force in the big-tire, no-time game and, like Jackson, went straight to the top of the game on drag radials at some of the world’s most competitive events.

Jeff Sitton also owned another grudge car, a complete twin to Hyde that was named ‘Jekyll’ and ran a nitrous oxide combination under the hood scoop and focused primarily on no-time/grudge events. Local Texas racer, Rodney Whatley contacted Sitton and wanted to purchase Jekyll in hopes of moving into Radial vs. The World in 2016. Sitton agreed to sell the car and once Whatley took possession of it, the updates began.

Primarily the biggest difference is the change in powerplant — instead of the huge nitrous flames that you’re accustomed to seeing from this vehicle, you’ll now listen for the blower belt whine over the bone shaking zoomies that come off the AJPE 400 cubic-inch small-block, billet powerplant stuffed between the framerails.

Jekyll’s appearance will be completely different with a huffing supercharger sticking through the hood instead of a carbon fiber hood scoop.

Whatley bolted a huge C-Rotor screw blower on top of the Alan Johnson small-block which is already stirring on the rumor mill to be a tough competitor in Radial vs. The World competition when the big money is up for grabs in two months. In talks with Whatley, he told is that he is planning to hit Lights Out 7, the Outlaw Street Car Reunion in Memphis, and will run the Radial Tire Racing Association (RTRA) series and a few other events, also while competing with his X275 supercharged Camaro.

Keep your eyes open and ears plugged for the debut of this hot rod and many others in the radial game as a $50,100 pay day looms just two short months away.

Photo Credit: Chris Graves / MaxCacklePhotos.com