Third-generation drag racer Blaine Johnson campaigns an impressive screw-supercharged 1968 Dodge Dart in the Pro 275 radial-tire ranks — a classic, original Mopar with a modest history that he’s transformed into a 3.6-second, 4,000 horsepower, thoroughbred racing machine.

In 2015, Blaine — following in his diehard Mopar, NHRA hall of famer grandfather’s footsteps — purchased the Dart from a seller in Texas. Originally a bracket car that ran 9.60s, he brought it home to overhaul. With his father’s help, they spent five years saving up money and upgrading the chassis, converting it into a Pro 275 contender.

The original wedge motor was replaced with a 540 cubic inch Noonan Hemi, built by Carl Stevens and tuned by Blaine’s brother-in-law and fellow radial-tire racer, Mark Benston, Jr. Paired with a PSI C-rotor screw blower, the car now generates the horsepower needed to run deep into the threes to the 1/8-mile and has been legged through the 1/4-mile in under six seconds at nearly 240 mph.

Blaine’s goal, beyond turning on win lights, is to break the Pro 275 elapsed time record. With strong performances already under his belt, he’s pushing for quicker and faster laps to challenge as a frontrunner in Pro 275. He runnered-up at the Yellow Bullet Nationals in Maryland in September, and recently clocked a career-best 3.69-second elapsed time.

His father has experience with driving and tuning in the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks, and together with Benston’s support, they have embraced modern EFI technology in their 1968 Dodge Dart. A Haltech Nexus R5 VCU manages the car’s electronics, simplifying the wiring process and optimizing engine management by allowing them to tune individual cylinders. As Blaine continues refining the car, his sights are firmly set on setting records and winning races in the highly competitive Pro 275 radial-tire ranks.