The $10K Drag Shootout Returns and More in Horsepower Wars Season 5

Following the triumphant return of Horsepower Wars last year, an old favorite will rejoin the mix for Season 5 – the $10K Drag Shootout, presented by Summit Racing. This legendary battle pits four teams against each other in a budget build-off of drag racing infamy. Welders and tempers heat up in the quest for $10,000 and ultimate bragging rights.

In years past, competitors have duked it out with radials, limited power adders, and even no-prep. $10K Drag Shootout: The Reckoning is even grittier than ever, with small tires and nitrous in an eighth-mile format. The builds will take place at Big 3 Racing in West Salem, Ohio and move right to Darana Dragway after dyno testing. Limited build time and limited budgets, but not limited imaginations! It will take creative thinking to make the best use of Summit Racing gift cards and cash to maximize the combinations. 

Also new for this year, teams will bring a roller of their own choosing in the $10K Drag Shootout. Applications will be accepted later this month, as each team will submit their team and vehicle for review to the Horsepower Wars team. Like prior years, four teams will compete, and each team will be reviewed by a committee. One team will be selected by the fans via an online vote.

Season 5 of Horsepower Wars will feature two other series to continue brand rivalries. In the latest evolution of the popular LS vs Coyote series, heavyweights will square off in L8T vs Godzilla, also presented by Summit Racing. Chevy’s 6.6L small-block powers the 2500 series trucks and has become known for its power potential, making it a fitting rival of Ford’s 7.3L Godzilla (also used in heavy-duty trucks). For the first time ever in this series, Ford could have the cubic-inch advantage. The full rules will be released later this year, however, this will be a naturally aspirated shootout between renowned LS/LT builder Katech Performance and Booze Brothers Performance, multi-time drag racing champs and naturally aspirated all-motor masterminds.

Fox v Ferrari will open Season 5 of Horsepower Wars, rekindling the rivalry of horses made famous by the legend Carrol Shelby. Can you build a Fox body to take on exotics? That’s the question in the ultimate challenge of built versus bought. Follow the build of a ‘91 Fox body Mustang from the ground up, all the way to the track where it takes on the likes of a Ferrari F430, Porsche 911 Turbo and GT3, and maybe even a Lamborghini Gallardo. The Fox will have a strict build budget less than their $125,000 market value. Their cars were engineered in Maranello and Stuttgart. Ours will be built in a garage.

Fox v Ferrari has everything: roll racing, slalom, speed-stop, and the important “date night” test. We were tempted to strip the car down to nothing and bring a rocket launcher to a knife fight, but we’ll be nice (for now). The build rules are simple: off the shelf parts, 200 treadwear tires, pump gas or E85, and a total build cost less than the market value of the exotics.

Season 5 of Horsepower Wars will open with L8T vs Godzilla in August to September, roll into Fox v Ferrari in the Fall, and wrap with the $10K Drag Shootout in January of the new year. Stay tuned!