In the heart of St. Louis, Missouri, Dale Arnold has carved out a legendary reputation in the drag racing world, piloting what is arguably the fastest 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT® Demon ever to hit the strip. His journey from a stock SRT Demon to a 2,700-horsepower record breaker is a testament to passion, perseverance and an unbreakable bond with his car.
In 2018, Dale Arnold walked into a Dodge dealership and drove away with a brand-new Challenger SRT Demon. At first, Dale raced it stock, utilizing just the factory race ECU. Soon, he added a 350-shot of nitrous, paired with a ported supercharger, and a Southern Hotrod 8-speed clutch pack transmission.
The SRT Demon’s stock components struggled to keep up with all of the added power. Rear differentials, axles and driveshafts were going one after another. Then, in 2019, disaster struck during a race. The engine blew, creating an unwanted window in the side of his block and sparking a fire. Fortunately, an engine diaper contained most of the oil and prevented him from losing control. Dale escaped unscathed but the setback only fueled his determination.
Dale rebuilt his SRT Demon with a BES HHP 426-cubic-inch engine, featuring a Jokers ported supercharger, and ported factory heads. This setup propelled him into the Heavyweight class at street car events like Texas 2K, NMCA and Modern Street HEMI® Shootout, where he competed with top-tier racers like Josh Schwartz. Dale’s SRT Demon was a force, clocking low 9-second quarter-mile times. However, a disqualification at an event for lacking a roll cage highlighted the need for further upgrades to meet safety and class requirements.
The final event with this setup came at the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl in St. Louis, where a freshly built 8-speed transmission failed catastrophically, oiling the track and triggering the airbags in the dash and steering wheel. It was a low point, but Dale saw it as an opportunity to go all-in.
Dale made a bold decision for this rebuild as he tore the car down to its bare bones. Out came the cage, speakers, seats, dash and sunroof. Everything that wasn’t essential was removed. When asked why he didn’t start with a different Challenger body, Dale’s answer was simple: “I have an emotional attachment to this car. I couldn’t imagine doing it with any other one, even if it meant cutting up a rare Demon.”
Today, Dale’s SRT Demon produces an astonishing 2,700 horsepower to the wheels. The heart of the beast is a Noonon billet Gen 3 HEMI engine sourced from Desoma Racing Engines in New Jersey, topped with a 121 ProCharger and HHP billet heads. A Proformance Racing Transmissions Turbo 400 with a trans brake delivers power to a Moser floater rear end, while a FuelTech FT600 system with every imaginable sensor ensures precision control. The suspension, featuring Santhuff struts and Menscer shocks, is optimized for grip with Mickey Thompson ET Street RT 295 tires. The entire build was crafted in-house by JE Speed in Chalfont, Pennsylvania, and is tuned by Eric Holiday of HPJ EZ Does It Tuning. Michael Zacheis of HPJ also played an important role with all his knowledge and track support. Dale found that it’s not just the go fast part that he loves about racing, it’s sharing the experience with friends like Michael and Eric that make it special.
While Dale hasn’t yet run a full quarter-mile with this setup, the SRT Demon has already posted a blistering 4.011-second eighth-mile at over 170 mph. A time that suggests low 6-second quarter-mile potential. As he prepares for the Yellow Bullet Nationals in September, Dale is refreshing the car with new rear gearing and suspension tweaks to push the limits even further.
Off the track, Dale runs a successful appliance business in St. Louis, specializing in household major appliances. His entrepreneurial spirit has allowed him to fund his racing passion, including owning and selling three SRT Demon 170s. When comparing his 2018 SRT Demon to the 2023 SRT Demon 170, Dale praises the 2018’s widebody design while praising the 170’s flex-fuel system, noting its unique sound without catalytic converters and a tune. “The downshift from a 170 sounds like nothing else on the road,” he says.
Dale Arnold’s journey with his 2018 Dodge SRT Demon is more than a tale of horsepower and elapsed times. It’s a story of dedication, resilience and an unbreakable bond with a Mopar®. From stock runs to chasing Leah Pruett’s record to taking on the Limited Drag Radial class, Dale has pushed his SRT Demon to heights few could imagine. As he gears up for Yellow Bullet, the drag racing world watches, knowing that Dale Arnold and his SRT Demon are ready to rewrite the record books once again.
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