This week’s Mopar Muscle Thursday feature takes a look at one seriously fast Dodge Neon SRT4 engaged in some drag racing action with an also pretty quick Honda Civic. The Neon in question is owned by Mr. Kevin Van Natten and it is powered by a Darrell Cox Racing 2.6 Stroker motor mated to a Darrell Cox Racing automatic transmission and while we do not know what was done to the Civic – it is clear to tell from the video that it is heavily modified…just not modified enough.
At first glance, this might look like a bracket race with the Civic in the far lane getting a head start but it actually appears to be a heads-up race where the Neon SRT4 didn’t get off of the line as well as the Honda. This gives the boosted Civic a massive lead and at half track, it looks like the SRT4 is going to lose the battle. However, in the last few hundred feet of the race, the Neon pulls hard and gets around the Civic – running a 9.83 at 158 miles per hour to the Honda’s 10.22 at 114 miles per hour.
One other thing…while this video is fun to watch both because of the super fast Dodge Neon SRT4 and the fact that it comes from behind to beat a Honda Civic…it should be noted that this Neon has gone much, much quicker. The information on the video indicates that Van Natten’s nasty fast SRT4 has gone a best of 8.83 at almost 170 miles per hour. That’s awesome.
"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.
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