"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.
While I usually don’t feature videos showing Dodge products losing a race, this week’s Truckin Fast Wednesday has a 1st gen Dodge Dakota getting beaten pretty soundly by a turbocharged Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. We don’t like seeing Dodges lose, but there is nothing wrong with getting beaten by one of the quickest SUVs in […] More »
While at the media launch for the 2015 Dodge Challenger last week, one of the Chrysler Group engineers jumped into a black Challenger SRT Hellcat model and pulled into the burnout box for the drag strip of Portland International’s quarter mile drag strip. While I am certain that no water was needed, they tossed down […] More »
Last week I flew to Portland Oregon for the media launch of the 2015 Dodge Challenger and included in the long list of vehicles available to drive were a collection of SRT Hellcat models. I drove a handful of new Challengers in Portland but let’s be honest – right now all any Mopar lover cares […] More »
Since the 2013 SRT Viper was the first in the history of the fabled supercar not introduced as a roadster, Mopar lovers and prospective buyers have wondered when we might see a topless version of the 5th generation Viper. The good news is that our first look at the new SRT Viper Roadster has come […] More »
This week’s Muddy Monday clip takes a look at a 1st gen Dodge Durango that looks to be pretty much stock driving through a swampy area that has mud and water intertwined with tree growth. Even with what looks to be the stock tires and a stock ride height, this 1st gen Durango has no […] More »
While vague pricing for the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat leaked earlier this week, the Chrysler Group has rolled out a much broader pricing rundown for the entire Challenger lineup – including more thorough details on the mighty Hellcat. We also get just enough of the option pricing to get our attention, with the rest […] More »
Most of our Black Friday clips feature a Dodge Ram powered by a Cummins Turbo Diesel engine in a confined location like on the dyno, in the mud or while doing burnouts but today, we have a Cummins Ram rollin’ coal while cruising down the road. While this video doesn’t have as much smoke as […] More »