While many younger Dodge and Ram fans may not remember the day when there was a V10 Dodge Ram pickup with a V10 engine that wasn’t sporting the SRT10 badge, older DF’ers will likely recall the Ram 2500 of the late 1990s and early 2000s that offered 310 horsepower and 450lb-ft of torque. While that was a far cry from the output of the Viper V10 from similar years – or the Ram 1500 SRT10 that would arrive a few years later – the older V10 Rams were among the most powerful available. Unfortunately, a low take rate for these V10 powered heavy duty Rams made them fairly scarce but we were able to dig up a video of one playing in the mud for this week’s Muddy Monday feature here on DodgeForum.com.
We don’t know if there has been any drivetrain work done to the 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 V10 at work in this video but we do know that it has a massive 8 inch lift kit and a set of beefy Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ tires that allow it to dig through the deep mud and water of this mud bog area. The V10 Ram easily powers through the first pool of mud and while it is slowed a bit as it departs the first swampy area – it is quickly able to pull itself out before storming through the second deep pool of mud. In the long run, this video serves as a reminder that not all V10-powered Dodge Ram pickups built in the 2000s were made to tear up the asphalt.
"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.
