"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.
"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.
Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com
Saturday, June 13th, 2009 marked the 3rd annual Northern US Meet and Greet, and as opposed to previous years where we held our M&G at a small informal event, this year we based our event in conjunction with one of the biggest Mopar related car shows in the Detroit area. The Chrysler Employee Motorsports Association […] More »
Congratulations to both HammerZ71 and AF HEMI for winning the truck and car of the month for June 2009!! AF HEMI’s 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 QCSB Hemi 4×4 won over two Dakota’s, owned by Suoperdak05 and Varis, and a Ram owned by Redone 4×4. HammerZ71’s 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland won over Spudsteir’s 1968 Plymouth […] More »
Congratulations to both MOPWR2U and RubberFrog for winning the truck and car of the month for April 2009!! RubberFrog’s 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 4×4 QC won over two other Ram’s, owned by BEAR and RomeoSoldier03 MOPWR2U’s 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 won over L and R Two’s Charger.
The Production Challenger The 2008 Dodge Challenger is offered in one trim line, the well-known SRT8 designation. There were 4 choices for the lucky people who reserved a 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 before it was released. The first dealt with color, either Hemi Orange Pearl Coat, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat, or Bright Silver Metallic […] More »
The Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang are two of a handful of American performance cars that have secured their place in automotive history books. They both contributed to building the young performance market in 50’s and 60’s America, and then passed the test of time. The Pontiac Firebird, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Thunderbird, and Dodge Charger […] More »
Congratulations to both Lakota169 and ramhunter1 for winning the truck and car of the month for April 2009!! ramhunter1’s 2004 Dodge Ram Hemi 4×4 won over two Dakotas; one owned by snipingdudge and one owned by varsis. Lakota’s 1937 Plymouth Business Coupe won over Sabin420’s Neon.
It is assumed by some that the General Lee 1969 Dodge Charger in The Dukes of Hazzard was equipped with the 426 Hemi, but it was never stated nor implied. Exact numbers are not known, but the majority of the 309 General Lee’s were packed with the 383 big block; many of the engine shots […] More »
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