In our previous Black Fridays feature, we have looked at a bunch of smokey Cummins Turbo Diesel powered Ram pickups tearing up the competition on the drag strip but this week we look at a CTD sittin’ in front of the barn…sooting up a storm for the sheer joy of creating gobs of smoke. While this 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 has enough work done that it is likely capable of roaring down the quarter mile and beating some unsuspecting sports car, this week Black Fridays is truly all about blacking out the sun. This week…Black Friday isnt about a sooty Cummins going fast…it’s about a Cummins just creating a nearly endless flow of thick black diesel smoke.
The serious smokes starts roughly 14 seconds into the video and from there, we have 2 minutes and 12 seconds of nearly unadulterated diesel smoke from this 2001 Ram CTD. The videographer moves around a bit to show us just how much smoke is being created and in searching around for a video showing nothing but exhaust smoke – I was hard pressed to find one that could beat the Ram shown below.
One of the most entertaining parts of the video is the very end where the owner flashes across the screen “Believe it or not…I get 16-17 MPG”. I don’t doubt that for a second but in addition to getting pretty impressive fuel mileage, this guy also puts together one of the best quick “smoke out” videos Ive found online. 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.
