"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
If you spend much time hauling a trailer with your Ram, you know that it can be tough to hook up at night in the dark with just the meager cargo light mounted atop the cab. Fortunately, DF member 2009dodgeram put together a DIY thread explaining how to install a set of HID headlights in […] More »
This week’s Tire Shredding Tuesday takes a look at a first gen Dodge Ram that I believe to be a Little Red Express clone fitted with a set of tires designed to burn bright red rather than the normal light gray. Those who follow the Tire Shredding feature might recall that we had a Plymouth […] More »
The Chrysler Group issued a statement this morning with the official news that so many Mopar lovers have been eagerly awaiting for months now – the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT with the Hellcat Hemi will pack at least 600 horsepower. That’s Right – the top of the line Challenger will be the second muscle car […] More »
We know now that there will soon be a Dodge Dart SRT that seems to be a sport compact that will take the performance market by storm – just like the Dodge Neon SRT4 did a little over a decade ago. With the introduction of the new Scat Pack program, we can expect that the […] More »
It is all but official that the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT and the 2016 Dodge Charger SRT will be powered by the same 6.2L supercharged “Hellcat Hemi” which will likely offer a power output somewhere in the range of 580 to 640 horsepower. Should the Hellcat be in that range for the Charger and Challenger, […] More »
It isnt uncommon to see the Dodge Neon drag racing, road racing or autocrossing but this week’s Muddy Monday features a Neon that has been modified to play in the mud alongside 4 wheel drive trucks. This Neon has been fitted with a set of ATV tires that allow it to dig through the dirt […] More »
While I have seen a great many Cummins powered Dodge Ram pickups at the drag strip, I don’t think that I have ever seen one performing coal rollin’ exhibitions – especially on what appears to be the return road while cars are going down the track. Based on the comments, this Ram is participating in […] More »