Don’t get it twisted – horsepower means a lot in a drag race, but there’s more to consider than just ponies when it comes to blasting down the 1320. Gearing, vehicle weight, and driver skill can all play a critical role in the final ET and trap speed, as seen in the following matchup between a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS and 1972 Dodge Demon.
This drag racing video once again comes to us from the Cars And Zebras YouTube channel, giving us a walkaround for both vehicles, as well as a few runs down the track. If it’s just the racing that you’re after, go ahead and skip to the three-minute mark in the video below.
Let’s go over the cars, starting with the 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS. Covered in gorgeous green paint with two white racing stripes running down the spine, this Chevelle is running the base engine, namely a 402 cubic-inch V8 with a compression ratio of 10.25:1. Output was rated at 350 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 415 pound-feet of torque from the factory, which feeds a four-speed manual transmission and 3.31 rear gears. That’s some pretty good power, but it’s gonna need all of it, as the vehicle weight with driver onboard comes in at an estimated 3,966 pounds.
Then we have the 1972 Dodge Demon, which is running a 340 cubic-inch V8 engine with a compression ratio of 8.5:1 from the factory. As the video host points out, this particular example was upgraded per the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Racing rule book, and thus likely throws down more than the factory-rated 240 horsepower at 4,800 rpm and 290 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. Putting that power to the rear is a three-speed automatic transmission, with new 4.56 rear gears. The Demon is also considerably lighter than the Chevelle, tipping the scales at just 3,316 pounds with driver onboard.
So, which driver will walk away victorious? Hit play to find out:
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