This week’s Mopar Muscle Thursday takes a look at the modern “Chi-Town Hustler” Dodge Omni funny car in action against the “Flashback” Pontiac Firebird Trans Am funny car in some nostalgic racing action – with the Dodge Omni turning in a smoking fast quarter mile time.
The Chi-Town Hustle name has graced all sorts of Dodge drag cars since the 1960s and the modern Chi-Town Hustler is based on a Dodge Omni funny car body. This Omni is driven by Mike Minick, son of Pat Minick who drove the Chi-Town Hustler cars in the heyday of grudge racing back in the 1970s and while the technology of this Dodge Omni has changed a bit since the early days of the sport, the car today looks a great deal like the Chi-Town cars of the 70s and 80s.
Most importantly, Mike Minick’s Dodge Omni funny car is very, very fast. Presumably powered by a monster Chrysler Hemi engine topped by a nice big supercharger, Mike drives this vintage looking Dodge funny car down the quarter mile in just 5.77 seconds with a trap speed of 237.55 miles per hour. Is that fast enough to beat the Flashback Trans Am in the far lane? Watch the video below to find out!
"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.
