Back in June 2022, we learned that Dodge secretly built a Durango Hellcat Redeye. The shocking news came from drag racer Tom Bailey, who bought the one-off SUV from Dodge. Two months later and the world’s only Durango Redeye is no more.
No, Bailey didn’t crash and super-fast SUV, but he took it apart to create something even more ridiculous. If you know Tim Bailey and his drag-racing antics, you probably already know I’m talking about a dragster. Meet the Durango Drag Pak!
The rig is far from ready to hit the track as of this writing, but Bailey’s team has already removed everything but the body panels from what once was a one-off creation. While it still looks like a Durango, it now features a race-spec roll cage, drag-ready wheels (with incredibly meaty rear tires), and had its floor panels removed.
And yes, that’s a massive HEMI popping out of the engine bay. Okay, it’s just a mockup for now, but Tom confirmed it will be as massive and ridiculous. It’s not going to be a run-of-the-mill blown HEMI either, because he’s building a screw-blown powerplant. That’s something no one’s done on a Gen III HEMI yet.
When are we going to see it running and ready to hit the drag strip? Well, Bailey says he aims to have the ludicrous hauler ready in time for SEMA Show 2022. This means we’ll probably see it in all its glory in early November.
Of course, you’re probably all wondering why Tom just ruined the only Durango Redeye ever built. Well, the thing is he actually ordered a “regular” Hellcat for this dragster project, but the SUV got stolen off the Dodge corporate lot.
And because the company had already halted production of the SUV, there was no replacement for Bailey to take delivery of. Dodge sent him the Redeye “prototype” instead and he simply went ahead with his initial plan to turn it into a drag car.
I know, it’s a bit sad to see the unique Durango dismantled and transformed, but at least we’re getting a super cool and possibly super fast hauler instead. And knowing what kind of cars come out of Tom Bailey’s shop, the Durango Drag Pak will probably set a few records once it hits the drag strip.
But if you’re still sad about the only Durango Redeye having gone into the history books so fast and brutal, maybe Dodge’s decision to revive the Hellcat-spec SUV for the 2023 model year will include a surprise. With the Hellcat engine on its way out of the market, Dodge might actually offer a limited-run Redeye version for a proper send-off.