The Super Stock Hemi cars you see wearing the SS/AH designation on their windows are magical machines. These cars helped usher in a new era of drag racing and are legends in the NHRA’s sportsman drag racing ranks. Tony Depillo is a Hemi man, so campaigning the 1968 Barracuda known as the “Honkin Hemi” is a dream come true.

Depillo ran around with a crowd in high school that was all about classic Mopars and racing. After paying his dues and working hard, Depillo finally had the funds to build the car he always wanted, a Hemi-powered Super Stock Barracuda. For Depillo, anything Hemi-powered is a disease, and once you get one you can’t go back to anything else.

The original plan was for Depillo to race his 1964 Barracuda, but he wasn’t happy with how the rules were playing out, so it was time for a change. Depillo was given the opportunity to trade his car for the familiar Honkin Hemi, and he pulled the trigger on the deal. The Barracuda was then shipped to the SS/AH gurus at John Holt Race Cars to get a 7.50 e.t. chassis upgrade.

If you plan on racing a SS/AH car and want to attend events like the Dodge Hemi Challenge, you better be packing a strong engine under the hood of your ride. The elephant engine that powers the Honkin Hemi started life as a spare mill for SS/AH standout Jimmy Daniels. Depillo purchased the engine through Ray Barton Racing Engines. The only thing that remains from that engine when Depillo purchased it is the block and intake — everything else has been changed.

Depillo builds his own engines, outside of the block honing, which is done by Spike Fleming. The Hemi that Depillo has built is optimized within the SS/AH rules. Depillo uses a crank and rods from Charlie Westcott, and his own piston design that’s manufactured by Diamond Pistons. The Heads Up cylinder heads that Depillo added to the engine have been outfitted with a Ray Barton rocker arm system. Depillo bangs gears each pass through a G-Force 2400 transmission. The Honkin Hemi has run a best of 8.51 at 159 mph with this engine and transmission package.

“I’ve gotten a lot of help from Ray Barton and Charlie Westcott to get this car where it is today. We’ve been able to move from a bottom-of-the-pack type of car to a contender with this setup, and that makes me happy. Hopefully, we’ll be able to pick up some wins and help our customer Russ Campbell score a Dodge Hemi Challenge win soon,” Depillo says.

The next time you’re at an NHRA event take a walk through the sportsman pits and see if you can spot one of these SS/AH cars like the Honkin Hemi. Make sure you talk to the crew and driver to learn about the car and its history, as chances are, you’ll hear some cool stories about the glory days of NHRA racing.