The re-introduction of the Hemi engine as a street vehicle gave today's truck owner more power and drew the inevitable reminiscing from race fans about the days gone by. Of course, while not powered by Hemi engines, Dodge Motorsports has been winning on oval races in Sprint Cars, dirt Late Models, Winston Cup, and the Craftsman Truck Series.
We recently had an opportunity to put our Long Haul Hemi face to face with one of the elite trucks in the powerful Craftsman Truck Series ranks. Through the cooperation of Ultra Motorsports, crewchief Gene Nead, and driver Ted Musgrave, we can give you a side-by-side view of how these trucks compare. If you want to go fast, go with the Craftsman Truck, but it won't serve you well if you want to pull a trailer.
 NASCAR Craftsman Truck driver...  NASCAR Craftsman Truck driver Ted Musgrave stands between his 700hp racing truck (left) and our Long Haul Hemi. |  Brendan Gaughan, fresh from...  Brendan Gaughan, fresh from a NASCAR Craftsman Truck win at Texas Motor Speedway, exhibits the Dodge power and dependability with his Orleans Racing Ram. |  |
| Dare To Compare |
| | NASCAR Craftsman
Truck | Long Haul Hemi |
| Engine displacement | 358 ci | 354 ci |
| Compression ratio | 12:01 | 9.6:1 |
Estimated
horsepower | 700 | 345 |
| Estimated torque | 500 | 375 |
| Max rpm | 8500 | 5800 |
| Fuel | Racing fuel | 89 octane |
| Fueling system | Carburetor | Fuel injection |
| Oil capacity | 20 quarts | 7 quarts |
| Coolant capacity | 16 quarts | 18.7 quarts |
| Fuel capacity | 22 gallons | 35 gallons |
| Gearbox | 4-speed manual | 5-speed automatic |
| Brakes | 4-wheel disc | Antilock 4-wheel disc |
| Air conditioning | No | Yes |
| Seating capacity | 1 | 6 |
| Tires | Slick | Treaded |
| Wheelbase | 112 inches | 160.5 inches |
| Length | 204 inches | 249.7 inches |
| Width | 80 inches | 79.9 inches |
| Height | 59 inches | 75 inches |
| Weight | 3400 pounds | 6000 pounds (est.) |
| Radio | * | Infiniti AM/FM CD
Cassette |
| Top speed | 190+ | ** |
*- None in truck. Driver provides radio. Tuned to talk.
** - Can run above posted speed limits, but adherence to laws is advised. There are no speed limits in NASCAR.