The NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series hit Kansas

This past weekend, the NASCAR world turned their attention
to the Kansas Speedway where the Camping World Truck Series made its 4^th
stop of the season while the NASCAR Sprint Cup took to the track for the 8^th
event of the 2012 season. 

The Saturday Camping World Truck Series race was the SFP 250
and of the 36 trucks in the qualifying field, just three of them were Ram Truck
brand race vehicles.  A pair of Rams
occupied the 6^th row in the starting grid with Parker Kilgerman’s
#29 Reese Towpower Ram on the inside in 11^th place while Brad
Keselowski’s #119 Ram sponsored by Waste Management/ “Hiring
Veterans” / Checkered Flag Foundation starting on the outside of the row
in 12^th.

Overall, it proved
to be a good day and good race for the Ram teams piloted by Keselowski and
Kilgerman as they were in the top ten throughout the day – with Keselowski
finishing 3^rd and series regular Kilgerman finishing 8^th.  Kilgerman’s strong finish didn’t prevent him
from dropping spot in the season standings, now sitting in 6^th.  Jennifer Jo Cobb’s #10 Mark One Electric Ram
pickup was the third Ram entry in the field, starting 36^th (last)
and although she finished 7 laps down, she finished 25^th.  This moved Cobb up 7 spots in the season
standings to 36^th. 

On Sunday, things were looking very bright for the Dodge
racing program as AJ Allmendinger claimed the pole position in his #22 AAA
Dodge Charger.  Allmendinger was joined
by teammate Brad Keselowski who started 11^th with his #2 Miller Lite
Charger and Sam Hornish Jr in the #12 SKF Dodge Charger who started 10th.  Allmendinger had big hopes for the STP 400,
leading 44 laps early but things went south in a hurry when his engine began to
run poorly around lap 76.  This engine
issue would lead to lengthy periods in the pits forcing Allmendinger out of the
running, with a disappointing 32^nd place finish 10 laps off of the
pace.  Keselowski had a fairly strong week,
finishing in the same 11^th place spot where he started while
Nationwide Series regular Sam Hornish Jr struggled throughout the day en route
to a 19^th place finish – one lap down.  Hornish stayed out during a late-race pit
session, allowing him to lead a few laps before handing over the lead as he
headed into the pits for fresh gas and tires. 

On the season, Brad Keselowski remains in the 15^th
position in the running for the championship while Allmendinger dropped 4
positions to sit in 23^rd. 
After his first race of the Sprint Cup season, Hornish Jr sits in 49^th
place in overall standings.  Hornish
currently holds the 4^th position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series was off this past weekend but
it will rejoin the Sprint Cup group this coming weekend in Richmond for the Virginia
529 College Savings 250 on Friday night. 
The Sprint Cup cars take to the track this Saturday for the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series 400.  The Camping World
Truck Series runs next on May 18^th in Charlotte. 

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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