(Image/Horsepower Wars)

Editor’s Note: As many of you might already know, Joe Hunt, the face of Horsepower Wars’ Team Midwest Mayhem died September 28 in a racing accident while competing in the Coffeyville Street Drags in Coffeyville, KS.

Hunt was 27.

Because many Horsepower Wars episodes were filmed before Hunt’s death, he will appear in today’s and future videos we will share. Everyone affiliated with Horsepower Wars, including our friends at Summit Racing, and everyone here at OnAllCylinders extend our deepest condolences, and certainly our thoughts and prayers to the Hunt family, and his many friends.

You can read more about Hunt’s passing in this Dragzine article.

In Episode 3 of the $10K Drag Shootout, the four teams begin fabrication work on the chassis, suspension, and roll cages on their cars.

Priority #1 is lowering the ride height to achieve proper weight transfer to, and making enough room for the Mickey Thompson 275 drag radials.

All four teams have independently chosen the Ford 8.8 rear, citing their wide durability, availability, and budget-friendliness.

Moser Engineering has supplied 8.8-inch housing ends for each team, sporting large 3.150-inch big-Ford bearing found in 9-inch housings.

Additionally, US Gear provided Lightning series ring and pinion sets to each team. While the tooth count varies by the team and its individual combination, each is using a 30-spline, standard rotation Lightning series gear.

According to Horsepower Wars, “The Dream Team has chosen a 4.30 gear ratio to go with its turbocharged 5.3L LS combination. Enemies Everywhere, with a single turbo 6.0L LS, opted for a 4.10 gear in its 8.8. Both planned on Second gear starts with their Turbo 400. Team Midwest Mayhem is also LS-powered with a turbo, but because the team has opted for a 4.8L setup, it went to a 3.73 gear to get it out of the hole quick when using First gear in their Turbo 400. Team Bigun, meanwhile, is the outlier of the group, with its big-block nitrous combination — they’ve used 9-inch-style axles and a 3.90 gear to help kill a little torque off the line.”

For those unfamiliar with the $10K Drag Shootout challenge, the concept is straightforward: four teams receive $3,000 in cash and a $7,000 Summit Racing Gift Card to modify their respective vehicles (on a tight timeline) and then beat all of the other teams on the track.

You can also check out Episode 1 here, watch Episode 2 here, and count down with us to the the late-October showdown by watching Episode 3 above.