It’s pretty high praise to see aftermarket parts on a factory-built drag car. And yet that’s just what we spied in a recent trip down to the home of some of the best built Dodge Challenger Drag Paks around at Blackbird Performance Products.
For the uninitiated, the Drag Pak was a quarter-mile-only package that Mopar created back in 2009, then carried through to 2011, 2015, and, finally, 2021. On Blackbird’s rack was a ‘21 model slathered in Hellraisin purple paint with Direct Connection’s livery down the side.
The final Drag Pak was arguably the best and under the front of this beautiful example was a Flaming River manual steering rack (P/N FR1515MPR16). Obviously, a purpose-built racing machine don’t need no stinkin’ power steering, so Flaming River’s rack is a perfect fit to free up horsepower while maintaining a good amount of track feel at darn-near 200 MPH.
It’s also lightens up the front end by eliminating the hoses, pulley, and pump that would come along with power assist. Furthermore, it’s great for a Drag Pak or many other high-performance modern Challengers because its shorter pinion shaft maximizes clearance around headers.
To sum it up, Flaming River’s rack is a bolt-in, made-in-the-USA piece that helps make more wheelies and we’re here for more wheelies. Give them a call at (800) 648-8022 to see if they can help get your Challenger’s front skinnies off the ground.
