Wesley Motorsports is campaigning a 2018 Dodge Hellcat Widebody in numerous motorsports adventures for the 2018 season. Most notably will be Pikes Peak International Hill Climb as well as #GRIDLIFE time attacks, Global Time Attack, and if the Hellcat is still in one piece near the end of the year, both the SEMA and PRI events.
Bilstein has partnered with Kevin Wesley, who will hot shoe the Hellcat around the twisty courses this year, and provided a set of Bilstein’s MDS double-adjustable dampers. We all know the 6.2-liter Hellcat is no slouch in the power department, with 850-plus horses under the hood of Wesley’s modified racecar, but the trick for the team will be to get the heavyset Hellcat to turn and stop. Kevin Wesley says with the modifications they have made to the big Dodge, that shouldn’t be a problem, “The Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody is an amazing platform that handles unbelievably well.”
The team upgraded the front brakes with Viper ACR calipers as well as a Viper rear wing. “We’re looking forward to making our mark on the hotly contested TA1 class,” said Wesley, referring to Pikes Peak. “Using production based cars with drivetrain modifications and limited aero improvements, TA1 (Time Attack 1) is the perfect class to maximize Hellcat power as well as leverage aero developed under the Viper ACR program. Altitude demands lots of power to be competitive, Hellcat gives us that and the advantage of a reliable factory developed platform.”
Because the Hellcat will be run in multiple formats (road courses versus hill climbs) the adjustable Bilstein dampers will help the team tune the car for each course. “Bilstein’s off-road expertise and on-track performance has allowed us to provide innovative damping solutions to SRT’s high-performance light trucks and cars,” says David Lehman, Bilstein’s North American sales director. “This Wesley Motorsports Dodge Hellcat Challenger is no exception. Equipped with our MDS dampers, it is ready to take on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and #GRIDLIFE series.”
Wesley Motorsports is no stranger to time attacks or hillclimbs with multiple wins and records. Kevin’s most recent victory was piloting a Fiat 124 at the Mt. Washington hillclimb where he finished first in class and 6th overall. Kevin is hoping to combine his driving talent with the big-horsepower Hellcat as well as sponsor products, like Bilstein and Kumho Tire, to bring home as many victories as possible in as many different series as possible. Look for the Widebody Dodge at a track (or a closed-off mountain road) near you.