This week’s Black Friday video takes a look at a purpose built, Cummins powered 2nd generation Ram race truck as it prepares and attacks the quarter mile for some “shakedown runs”. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see this rear end monster make any full passes but even in letting off around half track and coasting through the top end, this monster is able to dip into the 12 second barrier – all in a thick cloud of diesel soot.
As you can see in the early portion of this video, what looks to be a 2nd generation regular cab/short bed Ram 1500 is actually a race chassis tucked under a funny car body engineered to look like a half ton Ram pickup. There probably isn’t a single component of this nasty fast race truck that actually came from the factory on a Ram 1500 RCSB but that doesn’t make this truck any less impressive as the driver makes some short test runs. While we don’t see a full pass (that would likely dip into the 8 second range), we do get to watch this drag truck do some incredible burnouts and some equally impressive launches before shutting off around half track and coasting the rest of the way. Of course, there is also plenty of thick diesel smoke throughout the video that helps to make it worthy of consideration for our Black Friday feature spot. Enjoy!
"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.
