This week’s Muddy Mondays feature looks at what appears to be a fairly stock 2005 Dodge Ram Quad Cab powered by the 5.7L Hemi V8 in what is more of a small pond than a big mud puddle. This Ram appears to be of stock ride height with some aftermarket wheels and mud tires – which almost weren’t enough to allow this half ton Ram to dig out of the deep mud.
When this 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 eases into the mud and water, it only takes some 15 seconds for the nose to dip into the water as the truck appears to be stuck. Through some fairly poor camera work (seriously – what is the cameraman looking at?), we see the driver of the Ram wiggle back and forth a bit before just letting the Hemi rip with the four wheel drive system slowly pulling the truck out the other side of the deep mud pit.
While it started off looking like this Ram might need some help climbing out of the mud, the Hemi kept digging and this Dodge beat the mud pit – all while creating a pretty impressive mud geyser off of the driver’s side front wheel.
"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.
