Saturday, June 13th, 2009 marked the 3rd annual Northern US Meet and Greet, and as opposed to previous years where we held our M&G at a small informal event, this year we based our event in conjunction with one of the biggest Mopar related car shows in the Detroit area. The Chrysler Employee Motorsports Association holds an annual car show at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and over the 20 years of the show, it has grown to be one of the biggest and best in the area. While there is a heavy Mopar presence, the show is open to all makes and models, making for a great mix of vehicles both new and old.
This year’s forecast was bright, but when the day of the show came, early morning rain dampened the spirits. Nonetheless, we packed up the Demon and headed to the show to set up the DodgeForum.com promotional tent. A handful of members spent the day talking with folks at the show, both at the display and around the event area, as we passed out candy for the kids and displayed the DodgeForum.com trophy that would be awarded for the Best Dodge in Show.
Despite the early rain, over 200 cars packed the Museum parking lot
and as the show went on the skies cleared and made for a great day for
a car show! Our own Dodgegirl19 was in the DodgeForum.com tent all day
passing out fliers with forum information, and we want to thank
everyone from the show who has stopped by to check out the forum!
Come
2pm, the time had come for the big announcement. I spent the day
going over every Dodge that registered for the show, and by the day’s
end it was clear which car was the Best Dodge in Show. Russell
Murray’s awesome 1964 Dodge Polara packing a 426 Max Wedge was easily
one of the best looking Dodges there, and when you consider the fact
that this slick looking ’64 ran in a 10.50 index class, Russell’s
Polara was the best pick.
From Amanda and I, as well as everyone
at DodgeForum.com, we would like to thank the CEMA group for putting on
another great car show, the car show patrons for coming out and
supporting the Museum, and for all of the DF members who came out to
hang out and represent DodgeForum.com!
"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.
Saturday, June 13th, 2009 marked the 3rd annual Northern US Meet and Greet, and as opposed to previous years where we held our M&G at a small informal event, this year we based our event in conjunction with one of the biggest Mopar related car shows in the Detroit area. The Chrysler Employee Motorsports Association holds an annual car show at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and over the 20 years of the show, it has grown to be one of the biggest and best in the area. While there is a heavy Mopar presence, the show is open to all makes and models, making for a great mix of vehicles both new and old.
This year’s forecast was bright, but when the day of the show came, early morning rain dampened the spirits. Nonetheless, we packed up the Demon and headed to the show to set up the DodgeForum.com promotional tent. A handful of members spent the day talking with folks at the show, both at the display and around the event area, as we passed out candy for the kids and displayed the DodgeForum.com trophy that would be awarded for the Best Dodge in Show.
Come
