Street Performance Tips For Your Dakota

While many may lament the fact that most of the passenger cars in the present DaimlerChrysler lineup are front-wheel drive machines with less than eight cylinders, the current truck line from Dodge fills that need for speed quite well, thank you. Dakota trucks offer a great deal of opportunity for people who want traditional V8 performance, not to mention a nice comfort level and a mean look even when standing still. For those of us of the rear-wheel drive persuasion, one sure way to prove the prowess of our machines has always been in straight-line acceleration--drag racing.

In decades past, trucks would have been considered an unlikely candidate for such activities. Today, that's no longer the case. For instance, at the largest drag race of the year, NHRA's U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Dodge Dakotas scored top qualifying spots in both Stock and Super Stock--quite a feat considering that there were almost 400 other vehicles in the two categories--plus, the Dodges posted several class victories. Today's Magnum engines are far more advanced in their as-built modes when compared to the 340/360 mills of yesterday, and, as a result, will respond very well to changes for better racing and street performance.

Of the racing-oriented "truckers," few are more knowledgeable than Mopar Performance Tech Line's Jack McCormack. Jack has raced for years, fielding a wide variety of both new and old Mopar iron. His wife, Judy, driving a 2000 model Dakota, was the #1 Stock qualifier at Indy this year. Recently, we asked Jack to give us a rundown on what would be needed to get a truck ready for racing action.

While Jack runs most of his entries in Stock Eliminator competition, these tips give anybody who wants to go bracket racing some great baseline changes. Indeed, some of the changes listed here would not be legal in Stock racing. While some of the Mopar Performance parts are listed in the catalog as warranty items, that program has been discontinued (so these are not considered authorized service replacements). You might want to check with the dealer on what the changes below will do to your warranty. That said, here's what it takes to traverse the quarter-mile in your Dakota quicker than a speeding bullet...er, ticket.