How Bailey's High Performance Makes Late-Model Dodges Faster
A 4,200-pound Dodge Demon shouldn’t be flirting with 180+ mph seven-second passes, but that’s exactly where Chris Bailey takes the conversation. We head northwest of Fort Worth to learn what Bailey’s Hyperformance Services actually does day to day, how a drag racing upbringing shaped his approach, and why late-model Mopar performance has become its own high-tech world of fuel injection, data, and repeatable combinations.
We talk through the shop’s bread and butter builds for street-driven Dodge Challenger and Charger platforms, plus Durangos, Jeeps, and TRXs that need real-world reliability with real power. Chris also breaks down their 2018 Demon build, why it still matters to keep the factory-style eight-speed for certain overdrive transmission classes, and what “heavyweight” racing looks like when you’re required to scale at roughly factory weight. Along the way, we get into the wild reality of modern Hellcat power adders, from superchargers and nitrous to twin turbos and boost levels that put these cars deep into the 1,800 to 2,100+ horsepower range.
Then we pivot into grudge racing, where the rules aren’t casual at all. Chris explains no-time racing, negotiated “stips” that function like contracts, car searches to enforce power-adder limits, and the “punk out” money that keeps everyone honest. We also close with a quick hit of automotive history from the week and what to watch for next.
If you like drag racing, Dodge SRT engineering, and the behind-the-scenes reality of fast street cars, hit subscribe, share this with a Mopar friend, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show.
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00:00 - Welcome And Heading To Shop
01:10 - Growing Up In Drag Racing
02:38 - What Bailey's Builds Daily
04:37 - Turning A Demon Into A Racer
07:18 - Seven-Second Hellcat Power Numbers
10:12 - Grudge Racing And Overdrive Classes
15:51 - Stips, Searches, And Locked-In Bets
19:43 - Mind Games, Community, And Big Pots
25:03 - Veterans Day And Car Show Promos
26:09 - Automotive History Week Ahead
30:25 - Thanks, Where To Watch, Closing
Welcome And Heading To Shop
Mike MarrsWelcome back to In Wheel Time. Coming up, we're going to visit Bailey's High Performance and we're going to take a look at our automotive history feature. And then we're going to have a little bit about the weekend update about things going on. But right now, I'm Michael Mars, and we're going off to Bailey's High Performance, Northwest of Fort Worth. Chris. Hey, how are you, sir? Thank you for joining us today. Good. Thank you for having me. Appreciate it. So I I was kind of fascinated. I I love the way you did your high performance on your logo. It's H Y P E R instead of H-I-G-H. Nice touch there. And I take it to mean that because of all the technical aspects, because you do a lot of late model stuff that I'm saying on your website.
SPEAKER_01Yes, we do a lot of Dodge, late model Mopar performance specifically, is what we do. Yep.
Mike MarrsYes, I saw that. I was going, yeah, okay. We used to call it Mopar Magic back in my day, back in the time, but I'm not sure what all they call SRT. But anyway, uh, so let's start with you.
Growing Up In Drag Racing
Mike MarrsLet's start with your background, how you ended up getting in what interested you in automotive, particularly carrying into this aspect of it.
SPEAKER_01The uh so my family's been into drag racing for the longest time, um, ever since I can remember. Um, and they've been doing a lot of drag racing with NHRA, um, you know, grassroots style drag racing, things like that. But the family's been building cars, doing uh super gas mainly is what they did. Um, and it's just something I was born around. So it kind of came natural, I guess, in the genetics of uh you know what I do. Um, the best thing about this part is um I'm the only one in a Chevy household that uh works on Mopars. So um, you know, uh every time I uh meet anybody or anything, it's like, oh, here comes the Mopar guy. You know, yeah, yeah.
Mike MarrsThere's always gonna be one, you know, you're not a Ford, you're not a Chevy, you're gonna be the other guy sitting up there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's it. That's pretty cool. So um, and then that's it. I mean, we just uh they they were really good with carburetors, and we got really good with fuel injection, and then um, you know, just kind of ran with that there, and it all made sense to me. So, with with the history of what what we've done and and the family, it just kind of came together.
What Bailey's Builds Daily
Mike MarrsKind of works that way. So let's let's start with uh let's start with the easy stuff. So day-to-day business, you know, what you do. Uh, I got a few pictures here I stole. I'm gonna see if I can put them up here while you're talking. We don't have to talk about them specifically, but it's just something about uh what you do.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's the same. Yeah, so our day-to-day um, our day-to-day is mainly gonna be, I'd say about 80 to 85 percent of it is gonna be streetcars. So taking anything from the RT, the 5.7, um to all the way up to the Hellcats from the Challenger Charger, Durango's, Jeeps, TRXs, anything, um, and modifying them and making them faster than out-of-the-gate factory. So um the cool thing with all that is that's a majority of our packages, that's a majority of what we do, and then you get into the race car stuff, which gets a lot of the attention, right? It brings all of the uh the streetcar guys to to see what we're doing and things like that. But the race car stuff is what really grabs everybody's attention online, and um, that's a smaller percentage, but definitely one of the fastest shops out there that are running in the Dodge game. So probably one of the most fun, too. I mean, I can see it. It is the most fun, it is the most fun, um, painful, and rewarding at the same time. Yep. So everything goes good when you're there, you're celebrating, and then uh when it doesn't go good, you're like, why do I do this to myself every time?
Mike MarrsIt's kind of like I tried to play golf once, and it was very quick to figure out this is why do you do this? Why do you chase this little white ball down the grass in the water, wherever? But but I think it's I think it's that that need for speed that some of us are born with. So let's go into the racing aspect of it a little bit.
Turning A Demon Into A Racer
Mike MarrsUm what what do you do you have a race car? I mean, I see the Baileys in the slides and stuff. Yeah, we do.
SPEAKER_01Um, so ours is a 2018 Demon. Um and it's kind of one of those ones of like, why did you um modify that one? You know, why would you go through and and take a classic one like that one right there? That's our demon. Yeah. Um, and it just kind of snowballed like everything, right? Um, it was like, well, let me put a cam in it and make it sound cool, and then go out to the track and play, and then you know, you get beat or you run a time, and you're like, Man, I wonder how what what would it take to go just a little bit more, a little bit faster. And so it went from full interior 2018 Demon to now it's completely stripped out. The uh body's original, the dash is original, but everything else is uh, you know, the remnants of a demon. So, yep. So, what kind of class does that put you in? Uh, so I stayed true to the uh eight-speed trans. So the original transmission that's in the car. Um, it is built, um, it's been upgraded, but there's some classes that we race in that are heavyweights and overdrive transmission classes. So they have to run the factory transmission that came in the vehicle. So the Ford 10 speeds, six speeds, um, GM six, eight, and ten speeds, and then the Dodge, you know, eight speeds are the the most common. So yeah, if it has an overdrive transmission, um, you can race in the class. Um, and there's some that show times, and there's some of those that don't show times that are some no-time events. So yeah.
Mike MarrsOkay, okay. When you start first started, I thought, okay, well, this is like a super super superstock, but it sounds like it's way beyond even that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so it's very similar to it. Um, it's like you know, almost kind of like a superstock. Um, but it's it's um it's uh they're still heavy. I think the car the last time it went was still cross the scales at 4200 pounds. Um, so they're still very, very heavy. And when we do events like TX2K, um uh, which is a heavyweight class, that has a weight requirement for it. So we have to weigh 4200 pounds minimum. Um and that's pretty close to factory, really close to factory weight.
Mike MarrsSo we're not really talking standard NHRA types drag racing in classes. Okay.
Seven-Second Hellcat Power Numbers
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
Mike MarrsSo what kind of times are you running in that?
SPEAKER_01The fastest that the demons have been has been a 7.7 at 186-ish mile an hour. Um, and that wasn't a twin turbo platform. Um, I have gone sevens, so 7.7, 784, 789, um, in every power adder platform that's available to the Hellcat. So um with a Whipple, a Magnuson, uh Supercharger, and a nitrous combo, and now twin turbos, all on an eight-speed trans, we've we've gone seven seconds, 180 plus mile an hour back to back. So yep. It's become a test mule that you know it's it's been it's been really good.
Mike MarrsSo in a 4200 pound vehicle is what you're doing this in.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, 4200 pounds. With a factory rear end, everything. Yep.
Mike MarrsSpeaking of factory rear ends, just out of curiosity, what kind of gear do you run?
SPEAKER_01Uh those are 309s from the 309s. 309s.
Mike MarrsOkay, because I think I think the it must have been the Hellcat came with a two something, 273, 278, 262s. Um, yeah, 262s. The first time I got to drive once, uh, Canisgus was there and I got to do an interview with him, and I was asking him, why don't you stick a 373 or a 411 in the rear end of this thing? You know, we were at a drag strip up in Portland, and uh he quickly explained to me because you couldn't get the tires to hook up. I mean, it would just be it wouldn't be the way to go, you know. They've already figured that out. So they proceeded to do some funny car style burn-offs just to show off to the crowd and all that stuff. So I believed him. I was just curious what you were doing with it. Because that car it originally came with over 800 horses, didn't it?
SPEAKER_01It did. What do you think you've got in it now? Uh to run the time that it's been running um at that level at the 7-7 was probably closer to 1800 horsepower range. Um yeah, that one was right at about 30 pounds a boost with the turbos. Um, but yeah, it's about 1800. And now we're that was a couple years ago, so now we're cresting into the 2100s plus horsepower range on factory blocks, factory gen three Hemi blocks. Yep. Yep.
Mike MarrsIt it it amazes me what technology's done to some of these cars and what people like you are now have taken that technology so much further than it than traditionally that it's ever gone.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, and now anything with a thousand horsepower now, they're rolling them out of the factory with a thousand horsepower. So, you know, you gotta stay ahead of the curve.
Mike MarrsYeah, particularly on the green light. So he also, when I was talking to Scott, and Scott gave me your information to get a hold of you.
Grudge Racing And Overdrive Classes
Mike MarrsHe was talking about you do some um grudge racing or match racing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we do grudge racing. So um grudge racing is really big down here in the south. So it's uh gambling on our on our cars against everybody else, you know. Um, and uh they're the same thing. They're they're cars that are overdrive. Um, the unique part of the grudge racing is they have what's what what they call too is like steps, you know, stipulations to the race. Um, and those could be, you know, you gotta foot break it. So you can't launch, you can't leave on a two-step, or you can't leave on a trans brake. So you gotta leave on foot break, stall it up like a foot brake, like a regular car, you know. Um if it's one power, two power adder. So does it is it blower, blower nitrous combos? Um you know, and then we kind of just get up there and race. The crazy thing, good. No, you go ahead. They they uh they they just gamble for a lot of money. Um, you know, we're we travel everywhere. We go, um, let's see, next week we're going to Alabama or we're going to Atlanta, middle Georgia. Um, we've gone to South Carolina, North Carolina, um, everywhere to travel with these races.
Mike MarrsYep. So it's an event. It's it's like somebody sets up this event, yeah, and then the steps requirements, yep, you know what you're going to, I guess. I'm I'm kind of fascinated because when I was racing for money, we were at the red light someplace at the wrong time, usually. Yep. And uh, and so now, but you're going to a track and and everybody's kind of knows what it is, and everybody's does the promoter or whoever sets it up set the steps, or or is it just kind of a generally accepted here's what you do in this particular class, if you will.
SPEAKER_01Uh so yeah, so it's it's uh it is done in promoter. The um Popeye Sailor Man is um the promoter that puts it all together. He does he does uh footbreak overdrive class, um, and then he does an overdrive extreme class. So Popeye's a big promoter in the new gen overdrive transmission stuff. Um, so he's provided a place for us to be able to go to race. Well, while we do have some cars that race in those classes, we also have cars that are specifically geared for the grudge side of those races. So these guys all the the steps are set up between drivers, and Popeye is the the DP man, so he holds the money um while the race happens and then gives it to the winner, you know. So he's he's uh the bookie, needless to say. He's he's our he's our booker. Uh, you know, we give him we give him all the stuff that we need. Um, and his job is to enforce the steps. So if we say we're racing by nine o'clock, you got to be in the lanes, you gotta do this, you're here and here and here, um, track rules, you know, three lights as a race. Um, if you break before the burnout, you pay punk out, kind of thing. And so it's it's very organized um uh racing, but it has to be uh you gotta be on your P's and Q's. Um, because it's the the steps are now law. So once you send money in that, that is law. You cannot change it, you cannot do anything unless you pay the punk out money to reset the race. And um punk out is like lock-in money, guaranteed money you're gonna get if someone breaks, doesn't show up, anything like that. It's guaranteed money. Yep.
Mike MarrsSo do you get to pick the matchup, or does Popeye take care of that? We get to pick them.
SPEAKER_01Um, sometimes we'll call him and say, hey, we really want this guy. Um, can you get him on the line? Can you can you make sure he's gonna be there or what's going on? Like we want to go, we want to race this guy, and he'll get him on the line, and you know, there's a little back and forth talking, negotiating, and then you know either we lock it in or we don't. Um, but once money is sent, that's it. You can't get out of the race. It's happening. Yep.
Mike MarrsOkay. So do you ever get to the right? And I'm this is fascinating. I'm sorry to keep you on it, but you get to the race, and then somebody gets talking trash in the pits or something, and something kind of builds up.
SPEAKER_01Always. Um, that's uh so that's kind of the unique thing about grudge racing because I've done every single one. I've been to the NHRA events with family, they've done all that. That's a very unique thing about grudge racing is um it you never know exactly what you're running because they're all no time, so you don't know exactly the times that they're running, right? So you have no measuring stick. So it's straight heads up, whoever gets to the end first. Yep, yep. You don't you don't ever know like how fast they truly run because they've never posted times, and then and the rule is you can't have times posted for an entire year, so you got a year that you can't, you know, most people can do drastic changes in a year, sure, and um you never know what they're running, but because of that, the end game is getting in here, right? So if you can if you the the trash talking, the the poking back and forth, that kind of comes with it, but you gotta understand they're they're trying to throw you off because they don't, you know, you're gambling on what you don't know, but if you can cause an error, then you get your you you better your chances, you
Stips, Searches, And Locked-In Bets
SPEAKER_01know what I mean?
Mike MarrsRight, right. Um so you have to go and look at this guy's car, or is there or is there a requirement for them to tell you a certain amount of information about their car?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there's they don't have to tell us a lot of information about it, but if we were to lock in a race where it's one power adder, so they can't have nitrous or anything on it, um, then there is a a part of that step that says we have to search, right? So we can search the car, um, we can look inside, in the hood, the trunk, anywhere. Um and make sure that they don't have nitrous hidden somewhere. Um, or if it was a if it is a uh car that can go back and forth on nitrous and not, then our job is to make sure that they're unplugged and ready to go. So there is some some searches and things like that that go on um per the stip. And you know, that's we just have to be hope that we can find it. I've found nitrous before in a car that wasn't supposed to have nitrous, they had it hidden pretty good. Um, and in that instance, they have to pay the punk out. Um, and the punk out money can be you know 500 bucks to you know five thousand dollars. So yeah.
Mike MarrsOkay.
unknownYeah.
Mike MarrsSo there's not really an inspector like you would go through at a track before you can go, you know, they weigh your car and they do all these other, make sure it's meets all the specs for that particular class that you're in. You have to do that, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we have to. So yeah, and and you know, you can set up in the STIP like who it is that's going to search, like a specific. When I say like like this is the law, like when you write this out or you send steps or agree on a STIP, it is law. So if they have that I that I'm the search and I get sick and I can't be there, or something happens, or I can't be there, or someone else is searching, like that can't happen. If I'm the one that is in there that's supposed to be the guy that's searching, that's it, you know.
Mike MarrsSo it's a contract.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's it's contract. It is it is set in stone, done, and finished. Yeah, you've got lawyers, you've got like track attorneys. Oh, yeah, it's it's serious. Yeah, yeah.
Mike MarrsWell, there must be some serious money in this because I mean this sounds as bad, if not worse, than NHRA at one of their national meetings.
SPEAKER_01Yep, and it almost is, you know, it it almost is. It's it's uh these guys are gambling for a lot of money. And you know, it's uh it's a it's a good, it's a different kind of adrenaline rush and a different kind of challenge because I've never met uh such a fast group of cars um that that have really um changed my approach in how these cars are. Because I went out there first time and I thought I was you know going from winning, you know, time defense and championships and stuff like that in my car. I went, I'm not gonna lie, I went out there with a chip on my shoulder and said, Oh, y'all are slow. He was backyard build cars. I'm not worried, like y'all can't touch me. I've I've won championships, I've got decorations, you know. And um, nope, they've uh uh they turned around and knocked me in my teeth, and I was like, Man, these guys are fast.
Mike MarrsIt's kind of build what you want, right? I mean, I mean, sure, there's some safety regulations, I assume, in there somewhere for that kind of speed.
SPEAKER_01Yep, yep. It's all eighth mile racing. So, you know, these guys are going fast, and and um I've what I thought was fast and everything else that was winning, and I'd beat, you know, I'd beat Z01 Camaros all the time. I would do these things, and then to go in on my first race and get my butt handed to me by a Z01. Like, what are we talking about? What just happened here?
Mike MarrsWhere did this guy come from?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I'm like, okay, so now I need to figure out how to make more power.
Mind Games, Community, And Big Pots
SPEAKER_01And uh really the grudge scene, it's uh gets gets a lot of weird publicity because people don't understand the talk the back and forth um banter. Um, but the grudge scene really has pushed me to progress this platform in a way that I've never thought was possible in a year and a half's time.
Mike MarrsReally?
SPEAKER_01Like it's oh yeah.
Mike MarrsA lot of people, whenever they think about grudge racing, there was a lot of early TV stuff, you know, street racers out there on the middle of the night in the cars, and everybody's going, Oh, there's street racing. You know, they got TV cameras and stuff out there, and there's lights. So, I mean, a lot of that was staged, but that's what people, a lot of people I know think of when they go to grudge racing, or like me, 50 years ago, we would pull up to a red light and throw 20 bucks or down and off we'd go.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, these these guys uh leading up to is always kind of a big um tension buildup, you know, um, because we're we're constantly trying to to get in other people's heads and they're trying to do the same with us all the way up to. But man, after after a race, they're cooking out, they're grilling. If they took our money, then we're going over to eat with them because we ain't got no money to eat. So, you know, we're coming to your you're coming to your tailgate to eat. Yeah, we're you better have that chicken ready because we're gonna go over there and eat. Yep. And that's it's that's that's the whole fun part about it, you know. Do they ever say everybody's having fun?
Mike MarrsYeah, that's the whole point of it. So at the do they ever come to Texas? Do you have events like that in Texas?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so we were supposed to do one um in April, but it got rained out. Um, so next year uh is April again with Popeye's event. Um, and he's got a fifty thousand dollar uh shootout race that's happening. Yep. So um hopefully we'll be competing in that one for the big pot. Um, but that's gonna be a mix of 32 cars. And uh if if we get it, like it's gonna be it's gonna be a good time.
Mike MarrsSo so when you say that, and we're running out of time here, but when you say that, so it'd be only 32 cars, it wouldn't be like 300 sportsman racers at an NHRA event.
SPEAKER_01Only 32 cars. Wow. Yep, only 32.
Mike MarrsSo in fast cars.
SPEAKER_01Very fast. Yes. Yep. And it's uh it's they're very fast cars. And I'm I'm uh new to this. So you know the guys have been the grudge scene in general has been a kind of clo close no close knit group. And um they've been they've been awesome. Uh some of the best guys I've ever raced against, dealt with. Um, they've been great in letting someone like us per se in and you know, do their do our do our thing. We've been true to their rules and unspoken guidelines, you know. So it's been a good time. I've it's I've had some of the best racing at these grudge events. So yeah, it's definitely a challenge.
Mike MarrsI have never heard of it in such an organized manner, and that's what really surprises me. And I can see where that would be take away all the stuff from NHRA, IHRA, or whoever you want, and just say, okay, we're going racing. And it's a matter of from here to there, whoever gets there first.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah. And I think that's great. These these guys, these guys were, and I I was with you on that. Like, I never thought it was that organized. I just thought it was these guys just show up and try to gamble. These guys would rival some of I would say some of these professional teams. I mean, they've got guys that are lining them up, they've got spotters, they've got guys that are reading the track, they've got teams that are like, you know, I we raced a guy, he blew the intake manifold off and melted a valve, everything, right? They were there wrenching on it, fixing it, turned it around, and was out there the next night racing. Wow. And like they have full teams. It's amazing at what it is. You would never think it was that organized, and it is so fun to race with them because it is that way. These guys are these guys take it serious, you know.
Mike MarrsThey're there for the racing and they're serious about it. Yep. I I imagine there's a uh a team out of Houston, they run superstock and stock. It's a team, they're up to four or five cars whenever they go. Big, nice guys, and great. But when we talk to them, it's the same thing. They launch, they're heading down there, they're watching their time. They may have to hit the brakes before they get to the green, you know, because they can't break out in their superstock class or stock. And I'm thinking, no, you guys are going for the end of the track, and that's it. Yep, yep.
SPEAKER_01I love it. Raw power, it's a lot of fun. Yep.
Mike MarrsWell, Chris, I definitely appreciate you joining us and explaining all this stuff. Sorry to keep you a little bit long, but again, this is Chris Bailey. Bailey's high performance services. Is that right? Yep, yep. All right. The website is at uh bh factory, bh factory.com. Yep.com. All right. I'm trying to get it all in there. You're good. But I appreciate it, sir, and thank you so much. And I hope to talk to you again. I may have to uh check with you after you get back from Alabama and see how that worked out.
SPEAKER_01I would love to. Yeah, it's been a pleasure.
Mike MarrsThank you, sir. Thank you.
Veterans Day And Car Show Promos
Mike MarrsWe're going to take a quick break and we will be back after these few words.
SPEAKER_00It's that time again. Fire up those engines. Heroes and Hot Rods is rolling into Bassrap for Veterans Day weekend. Friday night, cruise downtown. Saturday, 400 of the coolest rides in Texas, take over Main Street. Honor our veterans, enjoy local food and shopping, and help support local charities and scholarships. Presented by Craig's Jewelry and over 200 local sponsors, November 13th and 14th, Downtown Bastro.
Mike MarrsIt's Back to the Past. Cruise back in time Saturday, October the 17th for the SBISD Alumni Association's annual Back to the Past Car Show. See classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more as automotive history comes alive at the Cornerstone Academy, 9016 West View Drive in Houston. Bring the family, check out the rides, and enjoy a great day celebrating the vehicles that we remember and the memories that go with them. That's Saturday, October the 17th, Back to the Past, 9016 Westview Drive in Houston.
Automotive History Week Ahead
Mike MarrsTime now to take a quick look at automotive history, the week ahead. We're going to start off with October the 11th, 1969. A group of automotive enthusiasts and researchers gathered at the Antique Automobile Club of America headquarters in Hershey PA. So they decided to establish the Society of Automotive Historians. Now, it was to go beyond, this wasn't about collecting old cars so much as preserving automotive history. They wanted to make sure there was a historical record. They wanted to encourage people to do research and document the lesser-known vehicles and manufacturers. A lot of them didn't last very long in the early 1900s. Then we're going to step over here to October the 12th, 1981. Third generation of the Camaro production begins. Now, this is for the 1982 model year. Now the new Camaro got rid of a lot of the long-running styling that the predecessors had. So it was a little bit lower, a little more aerodynamic hatchback design. And it was more of a reflecting the changing times because buyers could choose between a four-cylinder, a V6, or even a V8. And in 1987, they brought the Camaro convertible back after an 18-year absence. Stepping back to October the 13th, 1902, the Ohio Automobile Company officially became the Packard Motor Car Company. Now, brothers James and William Packard, they established this company after supposedly James was dissatisfied with his Winton automobile and decided he could do something better. But instead of focusing on the growing uh market for the inexpensive cars that could reach out to the masses, they decided to concentrate on the premium engineering and luxury. So by the early 20th century, Packard would become one of America's most prestigious automobile names, eventually competing right alongside Cadillac. Moving on to October the 14th, 1982. Now, this was a uh an engineering marvel because one of America's most difficult highway projects reached completion when the final section of Interstate 70 through Colorado's Glenwood Canyon was officially opened. It was a beautiful place, but you've got to think about they had to squeeze this four-lane interstate through this canyon that already was occupied by the Colorado River. It had a railroad and it had an existing highway. It was about a 12-mile project and took dozens of bridges, viaducts, tunnels, and they had to actually do some retaining structures to minimize the environmental damage. And from there, we're going to go down here to October the 15th, 1958. I found this really strange. October the 15th, 1958, testing traffic began rolling on a specially constructed highway complex near Ottawa, Illinois. And this was a road test. And so there were six test loops, including hundreds of pavement sections using different combinations of concrete, asphalt, base material, and different thicknesses. Heavy trucks were supplied by the Defense Department to repeatedly travel a course until testing ended in 1960. Two years worth. Engineers measured exactly how different pavements responded to repeated heavy loads. And this was really part of what influenced and helped establish the methods used to design pavement thickness and durability for the interstate highways. October the 16th, 1950, the Hudson Hornet. If nothing else, you gotta love the name the Hudson Hornet. Unusual step-down construction because what it did was the it was we used to call it channeling. The body kind of sat down over the frame. The inside the floor pan was lifted up just slightly. But what this did, it gave the big sedan a lower center of gravity and it improved handling. Now it had a 308 cubic inch inline six, and it really became one of the most successful machines in early stock car racing. This is back whenever they had win on Sunday sell on Monday type mentality. This car became the fabulous Hudson Hornet. It's basically a racing legend because it'd be on 27 to 34 NASCAR Grand National Racing 1952.
Thanks, Where To Watch, Closing
Mike MarrsThat's just a few of the things we found in automotive history this week. Want to thank you again for joining us today. And we want to really thank our guest, Frank Clam, with the Back to the Past Car Show coming up on the 17th, as well as Chris Bailey with Bailey's High Performance Services. We hope that you'll join us again next week, streaming on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and our website inwheeltime.com. And of course, you can find our podcast on your favorite podcast provider, or you can go to inwheel timepodcast.com. So thank you again. We hope to see you next week. And until then, travel safe.
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