Ned Dunphy has been on the brink of HOT ROD Drag Week glory before. He’s tasted the heartbreak that comes with long highway stretches, searing heat, and the unforgiving demands of racing one of the wildest street cars in existence. But in 2025, Dunphy and his crew chief Jey Clegg are putting it all together with their 3,000-hp twin-turbo Dodge Viper – and with just one day left to go, they’re on the cusp of resetting the all-time HOT ROD Drag Week record.
After four days, Dunphy has laid down passes of 6.178, 6.114, 6.166, and 6.216 seconds – a staggering 6.167-second average across nearly 900 miles of road driving. That puts him within striking distance of Jeff Lutz’s legendary 6.1918-second mark from 2016, a record that has stood for nearly a decade. By most estimates, a run quicker than 6.31 on the final day will put Dunphy in the history books.
Dunphy himself put it best in a note he shared during the week:
“We are having our most fun Drag Week to date and not because of our position in the field, but all of our mechanical parts are behaving. Most of our time is spent on maintenance and we actually had a dinner at a reasonable time last night and early bedtime. Feeling really good about where we stand on day three and before the week is out, we have to get a 5 second lap. We set our goals very high to average 5 and it’s not impossible yet but we need two killer days to make the math work. Day 4 and Day 5 will cement our destiny. Realistically finishing with the fastest average time in history will be an absolute honor and we’d love to click a 5 off for the crowd on a car we just drove 660-plus miles.”
That’s the dichotomy of Drag Week – the near-impossible pursuit of a five-second average, paired with the grind of simply surviving the miles. For Dunphy, the fun has come not only from being in contention, but from experiencing the camaraderie of fellow racers.
“The fans, the tracks, and the staff of Hot Rod Magazine have all been top-notch. Also, the fellow racers is the greatest group of co-car enthusiasts you could ask for with people pulling over on the side of busy highways to see if you need any parts and check in on you. We are overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity. Such a fun event and I highly recommend some of my hardcore drag racing buddies build a car and come give it a try. It’s something totally different and I would argue even a bigger challenge.”
Heading into the final day, Ned Dunphy’s Viper isn’t just one of the most striking cars in the lanes – it’s one of the most important. With one more clean lap, history is in reach.
(Photos courtesy of Mike Galimi/HOT ROD)
This story was originally published on September 18, 2025. 
