"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

SEMA Review: Thumbs up to HXC Performance

Over the past few years, I’ve spoken with a guy who runs a company called HXC Performance, and he went on about how his company would be offering a “Cuda” once the Dodge Challenger production models hit the streets.  However, this guy could never produce any proof that he had ever been involved in a […] More »

By: | November 12, 2008


SEMA Review: 2009 Hurst/Hemi Challenger

Hurst Performance has made a name for itself by offering their quality performance shifters, and in their long and prestigious history, they have even dabbled in special edition trimlines, such as the Chrysler 300 Hurst and the Hurst Oldsmobiles.  The 2008 SEMA Show revealed to the world the newest installation in the Hurst legacy with […] More »

By: | November 11, 2008


SEMA 2008 Review: Dodge Challenger Blacktop

The Mopar display was hard to miss at the SEMA Show, and the handful of dressed up and built up Challengers may have made this one easy to miss.  Near the back corner sat the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T named “Freda”.  This model was referred to by a Dodge press release as the Challenger Blacktop, […] More »

By: | November 10, 2008



What’s this hiding under the cover?

The Mopar display of SEMA 2008 featured a panel of Mopar Performance celebrities, from NHRA Funny Car Champ Gary Scelzi to drift champ Sam Hubinette.  Behind them, this dimly lit stage with a menacing form hidden away under the car cover.  The Mopar folks were tight lipped about what was under the cover, telling media […] More »

By: | November 4, 2008


SEMA Begins Tomorrow!!

The beginning of the SEMA Show 2008 is less than 24 hours away, and we are getting word of some of the last few show cars that will show up there.  The Challenger isn’t the official car of the 2008 show, but there will be a tremendous amount of Challengers displayed by both Dodge and […] More »

By: | November 3, 2008


Greatest Dodge Muscle Car?

The new Dodge Challenger has allowed Dodge enthusiasts a chance to buy a new “muscle car”, with the definition of rear wheel drive, front engine, V8s.  However, models like the Charger SRT-8 and Dodge Viper SRT-10 have filled the gap in Dodge performance, although in other segments, and both have proven to be very successful. […] More »

By: | October 30, 2008


First Nissan-Dodge Joint Hits Sao Paulo, Brazil

Nissan and General Motors are doing battle for the ownership of Chrysler, but the first of the joint venture models between Chrysler and Nissan debuted at the Sao Paulo Motor Show.  Wearing the ‘Trazo C1.8by Dodge’ name, this rebadged Nissan Versa gives Dodge new access to the compact sedan market in Latin American markets.   […] More »

By: | October 29, 2008



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