{"id":87913,"date":"2025-05-16T07:42:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T11:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/?p=87913"},"modified":"2025-05-15T09:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T13:00:02","slug":"alex-shenkin-spicy-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/owners-clubs\/2025\/05\/alex-shenkin-spicy-power.html","title":{"rendered":"Alex Shenkin Spicy Power"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I met Mr. Shenkin for what he called a pre-show \u201cMeat\u201d and Greet at Panther City BBQ – and let me tell you, do yourself a favor: if you\u2019re ever in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, go there<\/em>. Get the burnt ends. Seriously. You can thank me later – OH MY GOD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We kicked things off talking about how he got involved with Dodge and his current car, but honestly? My ability to focus on anything other than the food disappeared with my first bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast-forward a few hours, and I\u2019m sitting shotgun in Alex\u2019s 2017 Charger SRT\u00ae<\/sup> Hellcat in the parking lot of the Mopar\u00ae<\/sub> Heaven host hotel. Because let\u2019s be real: everyone knows the hotel lot is where the real<\/em> show starts. And this SRT Hellcat? It\u2019s a conversation starter, to say the least – stock is definitely not a word that applies here.<\/p>\n\n\n

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As Alex hits a switch, the air suspension lets out a hiss and lifts the car from street-scraping stunner to road-ready brute. Each rise and fall of the bags triggers flashbacks of pit stops – rapid-fire, race-day adrenaline moments as air jacks launch cars up for lightning-fast tire changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI bought it in 2018 with 7,000 miles,\u201d Alex says, eyes darting over the contusion blue paint, shimmering even under the light dust kicked up by the Mopar crowd. That finish? Credit Dodge\u2019s paint team – and a next-level ceramic coat that keeps it looking slick.<\/p>\n\n\n

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But Alex\u2019s Mopar journey didn\u2019t start with this beast. Like many, he began with what he could afford. \u201cI\u2019ve only driven Dodges since 2011. My first Charger was a V6 – that\u2019s what I could swing back then.\u201d That humble beginning eventually evolved into a Scat Pack, and finally, into this fire-breathing Hellcat, now pushing a spicy 926 horsepower to the rear wheels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I asked what it took to get there, Alex reeled off a list that would make any gearhead lean in: upgraded pulleys, larger injectors, Four Innovations Racing fuel system, HP Tuners setup, E85 conversion. The build, done by Bailey\u2019s Hyperformance, is a study in extracting maximum muscle from the SRT Hellcat platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But make no mistake – this isn\u2019t a trailer queen or dedicated strip monster. \u201cI didn\u2019t build it for the drag strip,\u201d Alex says. \u201cIt was more about building something for me.\u201d That said, he\u2019ll admit to stretching its legs on quiet, late-night roads – strictly within the speed limit<\/em>, of course (wink).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon fiber touches throughout the interior pair with a slammed, aggressive exterior: Gorilla splitters, side skirts, rear diffuser. Out back, Weld Racing wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompsons do their best to wrangle all that power to the pavement.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Yet, beyond the numbers and mods, this SRT Hellcat is a reflection of Alex\u2019s deeper connection to the Mopar world. As a show judge and long-time enthusiast, he\u2019s seen the community grow – and it\u2019s something he\u2019s proud to be part of. \u201cMopar Heaven? It\u2019s the biggest show there is. I love what Dodge is doing with these cars.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s next? No hesitation. \u201cThirteen hundred horsepower,\u201d Alex says. First step? Ditch the bags. Then it\u2019s onto a bigger blower, ported heads and a throttle body upgrade that should squeeze out another 60-70 horses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike others chasing the next build, Alex isn\u2019t letting this one go. \u201cThis one\u2019s staying with me,\u201d he says. He\u2019s got his eye on a Redeye Charger, but even then, it\u2019s all about four doors. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019d ever drive anything but<\/em> a Charger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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That kind of brand loyalty is the heartbeat of the Mopar community. Alex talks about impromptu BBQ meetups where Chargers, Challengers and Durangos gather, turning parking lots into rolling car shows. \u201cYou don\u2019t see that kind of bond with other brands. At least, I haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As our conversation winds down, I ask him what makes Dodge and Mopar so special. He nods toward the SRT Hellcat\u2019s long, sculpted hood. \u201cFrom the driver\u2019s seat, it feels like you\u2019re in command. For a car this big, it drives like a go-kart – a ridiculous<\/em>, powerful go-kart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an era where automotive enthusiasm feels increasingly fractured, Alex\u2019s story stands out. His journey from a humble V6 to a 926-horsepower street legend is the kind of tale that fuels the Mopar spirit: passionate, loyal, relentless. Whether adding power or building community, Alex Shenkin\u2019s contusion blue Charger is more than a car – it\u2019s proof that the Brotherhood of Muscle is alive and thriving.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I met Mr. Shenkin for what he called a pre-show \u201cMeat\u201d and Greet at Panther City BBQ – and let me tell you, do yourself a favor: if you\u2019re ever in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, go there. Get the burnt ends. Seriously. You can thank me later – OH MY GOD. We kicked things off talking about how he got involved with Dodge and his current car, but honestly? My ability to focus on anything other than the food disappeared with my first bite. Fast-forward a few hours, and I\u2019m […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":87922,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2624],"tags":[519,2227,605],"class_list":["post-87913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-owners-clubs","tag-charger","tag-mods","tag-srt"],"acf":[],"custom_fields":{"post_thumbnail_image":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SoSpicey_Feature.jpg","social_image":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SoSpicey_Social.jpg","icon_selection":"article","external_link":"","featured_article":[],"upload_background_image":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87913"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87913"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87989,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87913\/revisions\/87989"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}