Special Delivery: The Russell Family’s 1,379 HP 1979 Dodge Li’l Red Express

It’s one of those exclusive “if you know, you know” vehicles.

When Dodge released the special-edition Li’l Red Express pickup in 1978, the truck was hailed as the quickest American-made production vehicle of its era, posting a 0-to-100-mph time quicker than many of the Porsches and Ferraris available at the time. With its distinctive semi-truck-style exhaust stacks, real wood bed floor, and iconic gold graphics, the Li’l Red Express quickly became a legend.

For Rick “180” Russell, a 1979 Dodge Li’l Red Express has been part of the family for nearly two decades.

A Family Passion For Hot Rods And Trucks

Russell, a 69-year-old roofing sales and construction professional from Akron, Ohio, grew up around classic vehicles thanks to his father, Tom Russell.

“My family built and restored a hot rod 1952 Chevy 3100 pickup,” Russell recalls.

Although he spent years around hot rods and custom vehicles, it wasn’t until much later in life that he became heavily involved in drag racing.

That journey began indirectly through his brother-in-law, Billy Seminsky, who purchased the 1979 Li’l Red Express in 2005.

“He promptly brought it to the house and laid two black tire marks down their new concrete driveway,” Russell laughs.

After Seminsky passed away in 2008, Russell’s son, Big Ricky, brought the truck home and honored Billy’s memory by performing the same burnout.

From Street Truck To Race Truck

By the time Russell and his son took ownership of the truck they simply call “Red,” the original 225-horsepower, 360-cubic-inch V8 was long gone.

A 440-cubic-inch engine occupied the engine bay, but that combination was eventually replaced after Russell was introduced to drag racing in 2009.

“My son got me started in drag racing in 2009,” Russell says. “After a year of running that combination, we changed to a 440-based 496-cubic-inch engine with a hit of nitrous.”

The truck quickly became a consistent nine-second quarter-mile performer before disaster struck during the 2016 Shakedown at the Summit event at Summit Motorsports Park when a connecting rod exited the block.

That failure ultimately pushed the family toward drag-and-drive competition and inspired an entirely new build.

Building A Twin-Turbo Gen III HEMI

The foundation of the current combination is a stock 6.4-liter Mopar Gen III HEMI block sourced from a fire-damaged 2016 Ram truck.

Machine work was handled by Dean Gellner of Gellner Engineering, who also assembled the AFR 224cc Black Hawk Gen III HEMI cylinder heads equipped with AFR stainless valves and a Brian Tooley Racing spring package.

The engine build became a collaborative effort involving Russell, Big Ricky’s BR Engineering shop, and Rick Trunkett of Big 3 Racing.

“We’re using Wiseco pistons spec’d by Vic Ellinger, Molnar Technologies connecting rods, a custom Cam Motion camshaft, Manton pushrods and rockers, an ATI Super Damper harmonic balancer, and it’s all sealed up with Cometic gaskets and ARP fasteners,” Russell explains.

Since the truck was intended for drag-and-drive competition, reliability was a major focus. A Saldana Racing Products radiator keeps temperatures under control, while a 200-amp alternator ensures the electrical system remains ready for long road miles.

Fuel supply comes from a custom 15-gallon aluminum tank built by No Limit Engineering. Two internal MagnaFuel pumps and one external MagnaFuel pump provide E85 to Cleveland Injector Hospital fuel injectors during both racing and highway driving.

Twin HPT Turbos Deliver Four-Digit Power

The initial plan called for a pair of 60mm turbochargers, but the family eventually upgraded to twin HPT F3 7675 turbochargers.

Dual Precision 46mm wastegates, an M&M Transmission air shifter, and a Stroud Safety parachute are all operated by an onboard VIAIR 444C compressor system with a one-gallon air tank.

Charge air is routed through a Compuflow Performance Indy intake manifold paired with a Shearer Fabrications air-to-water intercooler and a custom billet adapter from Big 3 Racing.

“We’re using Stainless Works Hellcat headers, but Derek Oberlander at Oberlander Performance and Dan Russell fabricated all of the Stainless Works turbo piping, along with the new 3.5-inch-diameter twin stacks that replaced the smaller factory units,” Russell says.

The hot-side components are wrapped in Design Engineering EXO Series exhaust wrap, while BR Engineering fabricated the aluminum intake tubing.

A Drivetrain Built For Street And Track

Russell made one major departure from Mopar tradition when he replaced the factory-style transmission with a Turbo 400.

The TH400 was originally rebuilt by Rich Seminsky of Parma Transmission before later being refreshed by Bubba Rafferty at 501 Perfect Converter Company, which also supplied the converter and transbrake.

Additional drivetrain upgrades include:

• JW Performance Ultra-Bell housing
• Derale Hyper Cool transmission cooler
• Gear Vendors over/underdrive unit
• Custom Henderson Driveline driveshaft
• Strange Engineering S60 Dana 60-style rearend
• Revolution Gear 3.73 gears
• LPW Racing Products axle tube brace

Tuning duties are handled by Rick Trunkett through a Holley EFI system.

“On the Big 3 Racing hub dyno, it put out 1,377.8 horsepower and 1,242.6 lb-ft of torque to the wheels,” Russell says.

Chassis Upgrades For An Eight-Second Truck

With nearly 1,400 horsepower on tap, the 4,200-pound truck needed substantial chassis upgrades.

Derek Oberlander fabricated the truck’s 8.50-certified roll cage, while Big Ricky helped box the frame and tie the chassis together for additional strength.

The stock-style leaf-spring suspension remains, but now incorporates:

• Calvert Racing CalTracs
• Funkhouser brackets
• Trick Chassis anti-roll bar
• Trick Chassis custom A-arms
• Ron G. Afterworks coilovers and shocks

The factory steering box was rebuilt and modified by Red-Head Steering Gears, while Strange Engineering four-piston disc brakes were installed at all four corners.

The truck rides on Holeshot Holepro wheels with double beadlocks in the rear, Mickey Thompson Sportsman tires up front, and Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial Pro tires out back.

Keeping The Classic Li’l Red Express Look

Inside, the Russell family retained much of the truck’s original appearance while adding modern race-ready components, including a Holley digital dash, AutoMeter gauges, race seats, and DJ Safety five-point harnesses for both driver and passenger.

“That’s my favorite place to be, sitting in the seat and looking through the windshield going down the road or track,” Russell says.

The exterior remains largely faithful to the original Li’l Red Express design. Aside from a US Body fiberglass hood and two-inch wheel tubs completed by Rick and Dan Russell, the truck maintains its classic appearance.

Fresh red paint was applied by Charlie Minerovic and Jeff Lilly, fellow members of the family’s Rat Pack racing group.

Drag-And-Drive Success

Russell made his first nine-second pass in the truck during 2016 at Kuhnle Motorsports Park, recording a 9.997 at 130.14 mph.

The combination continued to improve, eventually producing a personal-best pass of 8.609 seconds at 153.98 mph with a 1.275-second 60-foot time during Summit Motorsports Park’s Turn & Burn event.

Russell entered his first Hot Rod Drag Week in 2021 before suffering a crash at Dragway 42 the following year.

After repairs were completed, the truck returned to competition at Sick Week in 2024.

“We broke the rear-end pinion on day one,” Russell says. “The incident also took out my driveshaft, and that was when we took the opportunity to add the Gear Vendors unit.”

The truck’s popularity continued to grow. Tom Bailey selected it for display at the Sick Week exhibit during the 2024 Detroit Autorama, where it won first place in its class.

In 2025, the truck earned a second-place finish at Holley MoParty. During the 2026 Turn & Burn event, Russell finished second in the 275 Drag Radial class, missing the win by just one hundredth of a second. He also advanced deep into eliminations at the 25th Annual Gasser Reunion at Kuhnle Motorsports Park.

Built With Family And Friends

Today, Russell continues to enjoy drag-and-drive events, NHRA and IHRA bracket racing, and spending time with his son Big Ricky, who campaigns a 1996 Chevrolet Blazer.

Along the way, the family has relied heavily on their local Rat Pack racing group for assistance with fabrication, wiring, suspension setup, and countless other projects.

“Our local group of racers, the Rat Pack, have been such a huge help,” Russell says.

He specifically credits Charlie “Dr. Chop” Minerovic, Jeff “One More” Lilly, Jay “Butter” Honsaker, Ken “Splash” Deacon, Mike “Dubs” Dawes, Tom “Speedo” Dawes, and Gary Thompson.

As for Russell’s nickname, “180” originated after he spun out his 1952 Chevrolet show truck at Dragway 42 in 2006.

With nearly 1,400 horsepower, twin HPT turbochargers, and a Gen III HEMI under the hood, the Russell family’s 1979 Dodge Li’l Red Express is far more than a restored classic truck. It’s an 8-second drag-and-drive machine capable of embarrassing just about anything on four wheels.

And tucked safely under the passenger seat is Billy Seminsky’s favorite JEGS hat, a reminder that the man who introduced the family to the truck is still riding along on every pass.

CAR: 1979 Dodge Li’l Red Express
CHASSIS: 8.50 cert by Derek Oberlander of Oberlander Performance
ENGINE: 6.4L Gen III HEMI machined by Gellner Engineering
HEADS: AFR 224cc Black Hawk Gen III HEMI
CRANK: Stock Gen III HEMI
RODS: Molnar Technologies
PISTONS: Wiseco
CAM: Cam Motion
VALVETRAIN: AFR valves, Brian Tooley Racing spring kit, Manton rockers and push rods
POWER ADDER: Twin HPT F3 7675 turbochargers
ENGINE MANAGEMENT: Holley EFI
FUEL SYSTEM: Cleveland Injector Hospital injectors, No Limit Engineering tank, MagnaFuel pumps
TRANSMISSION: 501 Perfect Converter Co. TH400
CONVERTER: 501 Perfect Converter Co.
DRIVESHAFT: Henderson Driveline & Axle
REAR END: Strange Engineering S60
SUSPENSION: Afterworks coilovers (front) and shocks (rear), Calvert Racing CalTrac traction bars, Trick Chassis A-arms and anti-roll bar
BRAKES: Strange Engineering
WHEELS: Holeshot Wheels Holepro 15×12 (beadlocked rears)
TIRES: Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R (front), M/T ET Street Radial Pro P275/60R15 (rear)
HORSEPOWER: 1,377.8 whp
TORQUE: 1,242.6 lb-ft
BEST 60’: 1.275 seconds
QUICKEST ET: 8.609 seconds (1/4 mile), 5.475 seconds (1/8 mile)
FASTEST MPH: 153.98 mph (1/4 mile)