Originally Posted by NHRAimport.com

Shaun in the sevens: Shaun Carlson and his Mopar SRT-4 became the third and newest member of the FWD seven-second club after clocking a 7.906, 180.67 right off the trailer in the first qualifying session. The new-for-2004 SRT-4 then followed up with an 8.010, 186.25 in the second qualifying session.

Armed with a Gary Stanton-built turbocharged 2.4L A855 4-cylinder engine, the SRT-4 has finally showed its potential after making its maiden runs at the NHRA event in Atco, N.J., three races prior. The 7.90 run also gave Mopar and Carlson the No. 1 qualifying position, but hopes for the first trip back to the winner's circle since the car's original debut in 2003 were cut short when Carlson was involved with a double disqualification in round one after he and Hoyos both rolled the starting line beams prior to the activation of the Tree.

The SRT-4 had originally reset the national Pro FWD record to 8.22, 181.70 mph at its competition debut in Gainesville in May 2003, but went through extensive modifications during the off-season in a bid to become the blueprint for the next generation of Pro FWD racecars. The result included a custom Weisman-built transaxle from a NuFormz/Weisman design that may revolutionize future transaxle designs for the class. The piece features a lightweight, compact billet case construction that belies the strength and durability it has shown thus far.