Today’s Cool Thread feature takes a look at one of the longest and oldest threads on DodgeForum.com – our 2nd generation Ram section thread entitled “What Did You Do To Your 2ND GEN RAM Today?” This thread is as simple as it sounds, with Ram owning members posting whatever they did to their 2nd generation Dodge pickup on any given day and since being started on August 5th 2007, this thread has covered 653 pages with 13,055 posts and a stunning 586,861 views.
This surely isnt the kind of thread that most Ram owners are going to sit down and read (unless they have a few weeks to kill) but if you own a 2nd gen Ram and want to share with the rest of the 2g Ram section what work you did to your baby today – whether it be something as simple as changing the oil or something as intricate as swapping in a high performance engine – this is the thread to brag about your conquests in the automotive world.
"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.
