This Truck Is Bringing a Viper V-10 Powerplant to Conquer Hot Rod Drag Week
For over ten years, Andy Savakinas has been a fan of the drag-and-drive lifestyle. Now, he’s aiming to compete in his second event of 2023 as he makes the trip from Pennsylvania to South Carolina to compete in his first Hot Rod Drag Week, and he’ll be doing it in a unique vehicle: a 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 pick-up with the Viper-spec V-10 engine.
“First time I watched (a drag-and-drive) in person was Hot Rod Drag Week 2019,” said Andy. “I signed up for 2020 but it never happened (event wasn’t held that year due to Covid concerns). I’ve watched the live streams since 2011, and always called them my ‘workplace productivity reduction week.’”
Now, at the helm of the Parts Online Network, Andy can take the time to attend a couple drag-and-drive events each year.
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The 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 pick-up was available to 3057 lucky buyers in 2004, and all of them were standard cab pick-ups packing a 505 cubic inch 10-cylinder engine packing 500 horsepower, the same engine used in the Viper sports car.
A T-56 6-speed manual transmission was hooked to the engine, and black, red or silver were the available color choices.
Andy’s example was purchased from the original owner with 33,000 miles on the odometer. “We affectionately call it parts truck because the initial version of it was built with parts laying around my shop,” he said, as his business specializes in this truck.
“The first build took place in June of 2020. The goal was to put a running / driving truck together in 30 days. We drove it on to the fairgrounds in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for the Chrysler Nationals in July of that same year.”
With the first build deemed a success, Andy shifted his focus to building a drag-and-drive truck that would stand out amongst the others. “It is still a Gen 3 Viper V-10, naturally aspirated, but ready for nitrous,” said Andy. “It was swapped to a Turbo 400 automatic, but is now a T-56 manual once again due to multiple issues mating the Turbo 400 to the Viper engine.”
A Ford 9-inch rear end with 4.10 gears is suspended by factory leaf-spring suspension, and long bars and double adjustable shocks help on the hooking department.
Andy first goal with the drag-and-drive-converted truck was Hot Rod Drag Week 2022, but due to complications, didn’t even make it to the starting track.
The truck was onsite for his next event, the 2023 edition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, and Andy survived two days in the Super Street class before a front pump seal failure on the drive to day three put him on the sidelines.
Now, with Hot Rod Drag Week in his sights, Andy heads to Darlington Dragway with two goals in mind. “I want to finish,” he said. “I’m also chasing the Naturally-Aspirated record for this platform, but that would be a bonus. The current record is 11.23, and my truck has been 11.39.”
But he most looks forward to spending a week with the drag-and-drive community once again. “The camaraderie, and your competition wants to see you finish the week, and that’s unheard of in competition of any kind,” said Andy. “Not to mention seeing 6-second, 7-second and 8-second cars driving down the street towing trailers. Who wouldn’t love that?
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and Parts Online Network.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com