[hydrashocker]

The death flash could be right but:
Dodge did do some crappy R/T models. There are some out there that didn't get the R/T heads/cam and only the program tune. Tommy yours came with the R/T heads and it shows when you throw the lower octane fuel in.
The heads for the original R/T were bored and a different cam was installed. Also included was the program tune. This was a true R/T model. Dodge used the regular parts in some of the R/T's and just through in the program. Now the cam introduces longer intake strokes and the heads allow that intake with larger intake ports. This is where you get your ping and your engine runs like **** without the extra octane that is needed because of the added compression.
Extra octane retards the timing allowing the detonation to occur at a later time thus stopping the PING. PING is the sound of combustion happening at the wrong time. This occurs when the piston is still at the slightest upward compression stroke and detonation happens. As the piston is forced down, the connecting rod is still moving upward so all that pressure goes no ware but into the rod bearings. There is some small clearance between the rod bearings and the crank. The PING sound that you hear is the rod bearings smashing into the crank.
You will notice this much more on a newer engine's than an older one's because the clearance is smaller and hasn't worn out from everyday wear. The older more warn out motors have more play in them because of wear and the piston will actually be in the right spot (or close to it) when detonation occurs, thus the SLOP in the motor will even things out. It depends on the drivers that owned the trucks and how they took care of them.
Now a true R/T motor cannot run on regular octane. If it can then the motor is worn or the parts were not ever put into the motor in the first place.