This week’s Black Friday segment takes a look at a 3rd gen Dodge Ram Megacab pickup powered by a twin turbocharged 5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel engine as it competes in the Gaylord County Fair burnout competition. Little is known about this bright yellow 3rd gen Megacab Dodge Ram shy of the fact that is owned by a guy named Frank Stuckman but based on the amount of diesel smoke and how easily it destroys the huge 37 inch mud tires – I would guess that Frank has more than a couple mods under the hood.
Our Black Friday features usually show a little more black soot from the Cummins powered Ram trucks but with the black smoke billowing from the dual smoke stacks at the beginning of the video and the nasty, nasty burnout that lasts almost a full minute – this Ram seemed like a worthy vehicle to be included in the Black Friday festivities. Around the 38 second mark, the video pans to the rear of the Ram and you can see little bits of rubber flying out of the fray, leaving little trails of smoke behind as they head back to earth. Also, when the burnout ends and the flagman walks away from the tire shredding Ram heavy duty – the smoke pouring off of his body is priceless.
"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.
