Building a Brick Into a bullet Train
With the Ram's rather pedestrian aerodynamic qualities, keeping it on the ground at high speeds could have been an issue. KORE Performance supplied a complete suspension system that dropped the ride height 2 inches in the front and 4 inches in the rear. Other touches included a full rollcage, instrumentation, four race seats, and orange and white cosmetics for highlights.
Speed Rated Tires
Brad's American Racing 22-inch forged-aluminum Vengeance wheels were wrapped with 305/40R22 Toyo Proxes S/T tires rated at 149 mph and 2,601 pounds a piece. During competition, Brad swaps on a set of Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico 305/45R22 tires that are rated at 168 mph and 2,915 pounds. What he really needs though is a set of Dodge Ram SRT-10 production Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires that are rated at 186 mph.
133MPH Passenger Seat
Brad called the author this past summer to con him into joining Brad on a Cannonball Rally-type event in Northern Nevada. The author had never heard of such an event, and told Brad "you're crazy." A redundant comment in retrospect. Brad had mentioned that Bonneville was his long-term plan for the truck, but he wanted to shake the diesel down at the Silver State Classic open road rally first.
The Silver State Classic is a 90-mile run down Nevada's Highway 318, and is actually sanctioned by the Nevada State Department of Transportation. Highway Patrol personnel shut down the road for the entire day of racing. The 318 is a beautifully scenic stretch of road that is conducive to running wide-open. However, there are some big sweeping bends that can be scary when you're sitting in the outboard seat of a Dodge Ram 4x4 doing better than 120 mph.