Matt Blasco’s black 1972 Dodge Dart is a fan favorite at Hot Rod Drag Week. Packing a big block Mopar engine boosted by a pair of massive turbos, this car has been rumored to make over 2,000 horsepower at the wheels. Engine management duties are handled by the MS3Pro ECU, keeping this monster in check down the strip and on the long road drives between tracks.
2015 Drag Week Performance
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Class: Modified Power Adder
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Five-day average: 9.596 @ 153.33 mph
Matt entered Drag Week 2015 against some of the fastest competitors in the class, including fellow DIYAutoTune customer Tom McGilton in his Larson Race Cars–built ZL1 Camaro. From the start, Matt’s Dart proved it had the pace to dominate.
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Day 1 – St. Louis, MO: Matt opened strong with a 7.876 @ 184.93 mph, leading the field. McGilton was close behind with a 7.946 @ 189.39.
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Day 2 – Indianapolis, IN: Blasco turned it up with a 7.706 @ 184.35 mph, retaining his lead, although his rivals closed the gap with quicker ETs.
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Day 3 – Union Grove, WI: Matt set his quickest pass of the week, 7.702 @ 185.33 mph, while his competition stayed within a tenth of a second. The tightest battle of the event was on.
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Day 4 – Cordova, IL: Disaster struck. A broken transmission limited him to a 16.98 pass. Without time for another run, Matt dropped to fifth in class. Still, he repaired the trans and stayed in the event.
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Day 5 – St. Louis, MO: Blasco finished strong with a 7.719 @ 178.99 mph, cementing a fifth-place finish overall.
Why It Matters
Although the transmission failure cost him a shot at the win, Matt’s performance in the first half of the week proved just how competitive his setup was. Running consistent 7.7-second passes at nearly 185 mph and finishing the grueling Drag Week is an achievement that highlights both driver and machine.
This Dart showcases the durability and capability of the MS3Pro ECU when managing extreme power levels, and it remains one of the standout Mopar builds to ever tackle Drag Week.