In my weekly search for crazy Cummins Turbo Diesel powered Ram trucks blackening the sky, I frequently come across clips of Cummins powered dragsters and this week, we look at a Dodge Charger funny car in action on the drag strip with a heavily modified Cummins tucked under the lightweight composite body.
We don’t know much about this engine shy of the fact that it is said to be a Cummins Turbo Diesel and it is putting some serious torque to the ground under the chassis of this Charger funny car. After the driver spends some time letting the massive turbochargers spool up with the starting light blazing green, the diesel powered dragster rips away from the line only to lose traction for a split second. That caused the driver to lift but he climbs back into it and even with more obvious tire spinning as the car screamed down the track – this is one seriously quick diesel powered vehicle. The launch and traction issues caused this run to be a bit on the slow side and while the time board is hard to read, it appears as though this Charger funny car ran through the 8th mile in the 6 second range.
Of course, this super modified Cummins Turbo Diesel spews tons of thick, black diesel smoke as it rockets down the drag strip so regardless of the fact that the run is far from perfect AND its hard to tell what this Charger ran – there is enough soot pouring from the side exhaust to make this Charger very fitting of our Black Fridays feature. Enjoy!
"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.
