Many Dodge owners have experienced the thrill of making a quarter-mile pass and for many SRT^® Hellcat owners, a trip to the drag strip with a good set of tires and decent air is likely to yield a 10-second time slip. Of course, as is the case with any rear-drive car with more than 700 horsepower, it can be tricky to get traction on the launch and keep that grip down the length of the track, requiring some measure of driving effort to keep the car straight and in the groove.

Now imagine making a 10-second pass in a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat while you are blindfolded. For Alaskan Sheldon Wilson, that is the reality of every trip to the track, as Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis has left him almost completely blind since he was a very young child. However, thanks to the support of family, his boss and a very trusting friend, Wilson has run a 10.95 quarter-mile in his B5 Blue SRT Hellcat Challenger, making him the quickest blind SRT Hellcat owner/racer in the world. In fact, in talking to a few experts in the world of drag racing, we believe that Sheldon Wilson is very likely the quickest blind racer to ever storm down the quarter-mile in any type of vehicle, as we have been unable to find any proof of other blind racers running better than a 10.95.

Best of all, Wilson currently has a Challenger SRT Super Stock on order, so he plans to go even faster in the near future.

Drag Racing Blind

As mentioned above, Sheldon Wilson was diagnosed with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis when he was just two weeks old. Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis is a disorder that affects the retina, leading to blindness or severe vision loss. In Wilson’s case, he is technically not completely blind, but he only has limited light perception and on very bright days, he cannot see anything at all. Due to this issue, Wilson is not permitted to drive his cars on public roads, but luckily, a local drag strip allows him to make passes in his cars with help from a friend riding shotgun.

Wilson does his racing at Alaska Raceway Park, but there is more to it than just finding a track that allows a blind man to race. This unique racing experience requires a very trusting friend who rides shotgun and serves as Wilson’s eyes during the run. This co-pilot will also provide steering assistance when needed, but as you can see in the video below, Sheldon Wilson does an excellent job of keeping the car straight without being able to see the track.

Sheldon Wilson’s Dodge Challengers

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Sheldon Wilson’s first Dodge Challenger was a 2014 SRT8 in Jazz Blue with gray stripes and Black Chrome Vapor wheels. He added a Legmaker carbon fiber cold air intake, a full Stainless Works exhaust system with longtube headers, a set of 3.73 rear gears, Stop Tech brakes and an array of Billet Technology dress-up accessories under the hood. That car wore the license plate “HEMI”.

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Wilson’s second Dodge Challenger was a 2018 SRT Hellcat in B5 Blue and although it packed far more stock power than his Jazz Blue SRT8, he got right to modifying this supercharged muscle car as well. He added a Legmaker carbon fiber cold air intake, a full Stainless Works exhaust system with longtube headers, a 3.09 rear gear set, a one-piece aluminum driveshaft, a Bwoody differential brace and a set of widebody-style 20-inch wheels from Factory Reproductions wrapped in Michelin rubber, but for race day, he runs a set of 18-inch rear wheels with Hoosier drag radials. Finally, Wilson’s supercharged Challenger was tuned by SRT Hellcat expert Tim Barth.

It was this B5 Blue Hellcat Challenger that Sheldon Wilson piloted into the 10-second range, making him the world’s quickest blind SRT Hellcat owner and possibly the world’s quickest quarter-mile time by a blind driver. To be specific, Wilson ran a 10.95 at 125.5 miles per hour with this tuned SRT Hellcat. Also, prior to serving as Wilson’s copilot, Brandon Reason made a pass in the car and ran a 10.88 at 127 miles per hour in the Alaskan air. The video below shows Wilson’s 10.95 pass, giving us a great look at how Reason assists in the run down the drag strip.

Setting New Goals

While Sheldon Wilson once had two HEMI^® engine-powered Dodge Challengers, he is currently without a muscle car. He recently sold the 2014 SRT8 and the 2018 SRT Hellcat before buying a 2021 Challenger SRT Super Stock. He made one trip to the track with that car, running an all-stock 11.00 at 130 miles per hour with Chad DeVore riding shotgun before selling it and ordering a 2022 Super Stock. Once that Super Stock arrives, Wilson plans to add a few modifications and hit the track, which will likely allow him to improve on his best time of 10.95.

On top of more quarter-mile action, Wilson and Devore are already planning a trip down to the Lower 48 where they can take the Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock to a mile-long track for some high-speed runs. The current top speed record for a blind driver is held by Dan Parker, a drag-racer-turned-land-speed-racer. He hit a top speed of 211.043 miles per hour in a Chevrolet Corvette that was equipped with a high-tech audio guidance system. Sheldon Wilson would like to break the 200 mile per hour barrier without any fancy technology – just good old supercharged HEMI engine horsepower and a very trusting friend riding shotgun.

Mind you, the Super Stock comes with an electronically limited top speed of 168 miles per hour due to the speed limit on the factory drag radials, but with an aftermarket tune and a touch more power, Wilson’s next Dodge muscle car will easily be able to top 200 on a long track.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the people in Wilson’s life who have helped him achieved his high-performance goals. In addition to the people who serve as his co-pilot, he thanks his mother, Chad and Ashley DeVore, and Michelle Maynor – owner and president of Alaska Raceway Park.