Brad Keselowski and his #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger headed
to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Victory Lane for the third time this season last
Sunday in Kentucky and on the weekend – no Dodge stock car finished worse than
ninth in the Sprint Cup or Nationwide Series.
On Saturday, there were only two Dodge Challengers in the 43
car field for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Feed the Children 300 at Kentucky
Speedway with Brad Keselowski’s #22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger starting 3rd
while Sam Hornish Jr’s #12 Wurth Dodge Challenger started in the 4th
place as Team Penske dominated the second qualifying row.Unfortunately, qualifying went a bit better
than did the race itself as Hornish was finished in the 6th spot
while Keselowski settled for a 7th place finish.Austin Dillon won the race in his #3 Bass Pro
Shops Chevrolet Impala.In finishing in
the 6th place, Sam Hornish Jr. held steady in the 4th
place in the battle for the 2012 Nationwide Series championship.
In Sunday’s Quaker State 400, Brad Keselowski and his #2
Miller Lite Dodge Charger started in the 8th spot while his
teammate, AJ Allmendinger, started in the 16th position with his #22
Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger. Allmendinger ran well all day and by the end of the race, he had managed
to position himself into the top ten with a 9th place finish.Things went much better for Brad Keselowski
who was around the front of the field all day and although Kurt Busch led the
most laps with his #18 Toyota Camry – Keselowski led the only lap that matters
as he held off Kasey Kahne for his third win of the year.
Keselowski’s 3rd win of the season unfortunately did
not move him upwards of his current 10th place position but the
important part is that he is in the top group that will participate in the
Chase for the Cup.AJ Allmendinger has
some work to do as he currently sits in the 23rd position.
"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.
