This week’s Muddy Monday feature takes a look at a 1st generation Dodge Durango digging its way through a watery mud hole but unlike most of our videos that show a Dodge or Ram vehicle climbing its way through the slop and then stopping – this guy goes back and forth through the deepening mud pit. More importantly, he never turns around…he just throws it into reverse once he gets through it and tears through the mud backwards…only to go back at it once again.
There arent many details on the 1st gen Durango in action in the video below but we do know that it is powered by the 360 cubic inch 5.9L Magnum V8 and it certainly sounds as though this Durango has some sort of aftermarket exhaust system. It has what appears to be beefier than stock tires and it may be sitting a bit high which would indicate that there is an aftermarket suspension setup but any modifications have been done subtly enough that this Durango isn’t just a purpose built mud truck.
Im not really clear on why he keeps pulling the 1st gen Durango back and forth through the mud – whether he is trying to mix up the mud for more slop slinging fun or just simply showing off how well his Dodge SUV will go through this deep mud hole in forward and reverse gears.
"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.
