In the predawn hours, the silence was broken, one by one, as Hemi after Hemi was fired up as if to greet the sun in some bizarre ritual. From the lowliest, most basic stocker to the 8-second capable beasts that were force-fed their air-fuel mixture, the dawning of the day meant one thing: the Mopars were coming out to do battle. In convoys, they moved from the hotel parking lot to the gates of Milan Dragway. Perfectly shiny cars that could pass as show rides crept through Milan’s thorough tech inspection line before getting down to business. Intercooler tanks were filled with water and ice, tire pressures were checked, nitrous bottles were filled and sorted out, and at least a few people were running around, snapping pictures of what was going on.
Even though I was slated to race, I had to get photos…the action is worth it. Unlike, say, the Holley EFI Factory Super Cars group, you don’t have race cars that look like street rides. Here, you have street cars that have been made absolutely badass. You don’t know if the two-door Challenger, the four-door 300C, the Magnum wagon or the Grand Cherokee SUV will take the crown…hell, for all you know, the winner might be in a Ram pickup or some old-school muscle with a brand new heart. You never know, but there were plenty of examples to check out. There were familiar faces to BangShift readers: John Burleson’s “Badwagon” Kenne Bell-blown Magnum, Wendy Robertson and her “BRMSTK” SubLime Charger, Andy Wagner and the crew at East Coast Moparts who have graciously shared their pit space with a certain gold Chrysler, and John Lewis and his absolutely unbalanced Challenger, who provides entertainment, excitement, and an air of old-school berserk racer to the area.
The temperatures were high, the density altitudes higher, but Milan had bite and the cars were screamin’! Click on a photo below to check out the first gallery from Milan!
No love for yellow 68 Darts with a third Gen turbo setup running 8s? We may dis own you.Great pics just the same.
More articles coming:)
Damn no pics of my car either 🙁 thanks