Wicked SRT Jeep Stomps a Camaro Then Things Go Wrong
Jeep Grand Cherokee runs in the 8s on the first pass but crashes before the race in the next.
The video below from the Drag Racing and Car Stuff YouTube channel shows the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 that is campaigned by VanDrake Racing. This Grand Cherokee, known as Suspect 2.0, is legitimately one of the world’s quickest Jeeps, covering the quarter mile well into the 8-second range. It is also the fastest Jeep in the world, reaching top speeds near 200 miles per hour in a half mile. This boosted, Hemi-powered SUV is a top contender in the Modern Street Hemi Shootout series, but the team also competes in various other events around the country.
Recently, VanDrake headed to Bradenton Motorsports Park for the Street Car Takeover. This is the kind of event where this monstrous Jeep shines brightest and in the early going, this turbocharged SRT8 was working its magic. Unfortunately, things sent south during the burnout, resulting in the wicked-fast Jeep crashing into the center lane divider and the starting tree.
VanDrake Racing Jeep Grand Cherokee
You can tell by looking at this Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 that it is not your average SUV, but without seeing the parachute on the back or the exhaust venting through the hood, you might not realize just how wicked this machine really is.
Under the custom hood is a Demon/TKM 420-cubic inch Gen III Hemi, featuring a 6.1-liter iron block, a fully-forged bottom end, ThiTek cylinder heads and the Demon Performance custom intake manifold. That manifold is connect to a massive Precision Gen 2 XPR ProMod 94 turbocharger, helping this SUV make upwards of 1,500 horsepower at all four wheels. Putting that power to the ground is a fully-custom drivetrain featuring the best parts on the market, including an engine and transmission from Paramount Performance.
Of course, this Jeep features a long list of other upgrades needed to make the most of that power, along with a full spread of safety items needed for a vehicle running the quarter mile in the 8s.
Street Car Takeover
While participating at the Bradenton Street Car Takeover event, the VanDrake Racing Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 took on a fourth generation Chevrolet Camaro. We don’t have any details on the Camaro, but based on how it looks and sounds while “bumping” at the starting line, we are going to assume that it is running some variety of turbocharged, LS-based V8.
When the green lights drop, the Jeep uses the advantage of four-wheel-drive to come tearing away from the starting line, immediately putting bus lengths on the Chevy. The Camaro doesn’t appear to be making good power on the launch, presumably in an effort to get better traction. By the time it is finally moving, the Grand Cherokee is way too far ahead to be caught.
On the big end, the Jeep wins with an 8.87 at 155.9 miles per hour while the Camaro runs a 9.75 at 161.6 miles per hour. The Camaro was closing on the top end, but not quickly enough to make a difference, giving the win to the Jeep.
Unfortunately, on the next run in the video, things don’t go as well. While preparing for a race with a Dodge Charger, the Suspect 2.0 Jeep was doing a burnout. As the vehicle came away from the waterbox and hit the stickier area around the starting line, the Grand Cherokee got just enough traction for just a second to whip the rear end around. It slowly slid into the middle divider, pushing it out of the way and coming to rest against the base of the starting tree.
We confirmed with a friend of the driver that he was unharmed, as was the Jeep after some minor bodywork.
Side and engine images courtesy of the VanDrake Racing Facebook page. If you like this Jeep, their page has a ton more pictures and videos of this beast in action.
Join the JK-Forums now!
