Twin-turbo & supercharged RAM TRX

Dontex Performance tested its new 1200rwhp, twin-charged package for the RAM TRX in the pressure cooker of Drag Challenge 2024

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Photographers: Chris Thorogood, Shaun Tanner, Noah Thorley

Drag Challenge is a real car breaker, with the 2024 event having 40 non-finishers from the 179 starters. For that reason alone, Mopar specialist and Dontex Performance head honcho Lee Forward saw it as the perfect arena to break in his twin-turbo kit for the factory-supercharged RAM TRX.

First published in the January 2025 issue of Street Machine

“We thought it’d be a good place to show it off and give it a good test, so four weeks out from the event, we started the build,” says Lee. “MPW Performance helped with the fabrication to fit the Turbosmart turbos, and since Drag Challenge, we’ve already fitted out two customer cars with the same kit.”

So, why twin-charge a RAM? “In a nutshell, it’s about driveability,” Lee explains. “We did a bigger blower on this TRX right before the turbos and didn’t see any worthy gains, so we put the standard 2.4L blower back on, and the turbos simply add the charge efficiency. It drives like it has zero turbo lag; they come on instantly, and I’d say it drives better than the standard car.”

The turbos sit near the transmission under the TRX’s belly, with a pair of 45mm Turbosmart wastegates to suit. Dontex runs off-the-shelf Pacemaker extractors from the engine, then the MPW-built turbo system picks up the fumes from the collectors. Once they’ve done their job, waste gases are routed out a standard Pacemaker cat-back system. So, it’s a true bolt-on affair that keeps the system as simple as possible, and without cutting the car.

Lee and the Dontex crew boost-proofed the TRX’s factory-fitted, 6.2-litre Gen III Hellcat Hemi with a set of Boostline rods and Diamond Hemi-2K pistons. The ECU, bumpstick, converter, heads, blower and crank are all as Stellantis intended.

Dontex added an IC Chiller interchiller to the blower to keep a lid on intake temps in lieu of an intercooler, and Lee has fettled the factory ECU to take a flex-fuel tune.

“We do that to ensure anyone who gets this kit fitted can drive it as a true daily, just like I do,” he says. “It cold-starts no worries with the flex, and there’s no detuning; I drive it around in the 1200hp format every day with the kids.”

The diff has been left standard, with the only other major modification being a Dontex Stage 2 strengthening package for the ZFHP95 eight-speed auto. “The 95 in the name stands for 950lb-ft [1288Nm] torque rating,” says Lee. “That’s a flywheel power rating, and we’re making 1450Nm to the rear wheels with this car. So, we upgrade the transmission, specifically the troublesome E-drum, to ensure longevity.”

Although Dontex’s TRX package was fresh for Drag Challenge, Lee encountered no problems across 2000km of road driving and four days of drag racing. “We got a fantastic reaction,” he says. “I remember getting a cheer from the crowd at Mildura on Day Two after running that 6.81 over the eighth-mile, which was awesome to see.”

The TRX ran a PB the next day at Dragway at The Bend with a 10.45@130mph, followed by a 10.58 and 10.59 on the fourth and fifth days, respectively, at Heathcote Park Raceway. That landed Lee in ninth spot out of 46 finishers in the Hare & Forbes Dial Your Own class. “It was a fantastic week, and to get a 10.45 out of a truck that weighs 6600lb [2993kg] is an awesome result for us,” says Lee.

He’s already keen for another crack at DC in 2025, either with a twin-turbo Jeep or maybe a Hellcat-swapped VH SL/E he’s plotting in the background. “I’m not sure yet, but I’ll bring something, because I had a blast,” he enthuses. “The people you meet and the experiences are unreal, so I’ll be down for a future one for sure.”

LEE FORWARD
2024 RAM TRX

Class:Hare & Forbes Dial Your Own
ENGINE
Brand:6.2L Chrysler Hellcat Hemi V8
Induction:2.4L IHI Hellcat supercharger
ECU:Standard
Turbos:Turbosmart 68/70
Heads:Standard
Camshaft:Standard
Conrods:Boostline
Pistons:Diamond Hemi-2K
Crank:Standard
Fuel system:1650cc injectors, Fore Innovations triple-staged pumps
Cooling:IC Chiller interchiller
Exhaust:Pacemaker
TRANSMISSION
Gearbox:Dontex ZFHP95 Stage 2
Converter:Standard
Diff:Standard
WHEELS & TYRES
Rims:Standard TRX 18in (f & r)
Rubber:Hoosier 325/45R18 (f & r)

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