"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 it isn’t a muscle car by any definition, the Chrysler LeBaron GTS was an impressive performer in the mid to late 1980s. It was so impressive in Chrysler’s opinion, that the American automaker decided to pit it against the 1985 BMW 328e in a head to head performance shootout on an aircraft carrier and […] More »
This week’s Truckin Fast Wednesday clip features a Dodge Ram SRT10 regular cab pickup in action on the 8th mile drag strip against what appears to be a 1970 Pontiac GTO. We don’t know anything about the GM muscle car in the right lane, but we do know that the Ram SRT10 in the right […] More »
The SRT Viper Time Attack model allowed the Chrysler Group to reclaim some track records briefly held by the Chevrolet Corvette thanks to a specially tuned suspension setup, unique aero bits and a lower curb weight thanks to the fact that the Time Attack model is based on the base SRT Viper and not the […] More »
While remote start is offered on new Ram pickups, it isnt standard and that means that a great many 4th generation Dodge Ram (or just Ram) pickups don’t come with this handy feature. Whether you are trying to warm your truck up on a winter’s morning or you are trying to cool down the cabin […] More »
The Dodge Ram SRT10 Quad Cab was powered by the 8.3L V10 from the Dodge Viper SRT10, sending 510 horsepower and 525lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels by means of a 4-speed automatic transmission. The bigger Quad Cab Ram SRT10 wasn’t quite as fast as the regular cab models due to the added weight […] More »
The quickest and easiest modification to make to your new Dodge Ram truck is a cold air intake. This component can add a little performance, improve fuel economy, spruce up the engine bay and improve the sound of your Ram but picking one for your truck can be difficult with so many options on the […] More »
This week’s Muddy Monday clip features a lifted 3rd gen Dodge Ram 1500 RCSB making a pass through a very long, very deep and very wet mud pit. As a result, this Patriot Blue Ram changes from metallic blue to gloss brown right before our eyes as it slings mud everywhere. While this clearly isnt […] More »