The actual launch shown in this week’s Mopar Muscle Thursday by the vintage Dodge Challenger probably only took about 2 seconds in real time but super slow motion spreads it out across 39 seconds. During those 39 seconds, we get an absolutely incredible look at what goes on during a huge wheels up launch as this Challenger shows just how much Mopar Muscle is has tucked under the hood. The video starts fairly calmly, with the car not moving until the 15 second mark or so – but once this Challenger gets moving we get a real show.
As the Dodge Challenger launches, we see that it effortlessly rips the front wheels off of the ground and you can actually see the suspension system pull the wheels in as the nose heads north. As the Challenger rolls out, the rear tires wrinkle hard under the force of all of that Mopar torque and as the car nears the camera, we can see that it pulled the front wheels up so quickly that they didn’t ever starting spinning. The front wheels turn for the first time about 32 seconds in as they come back down to earth – at which point we can see how much abuse the front end goes through as the components flex as the car lands. This is short…but it is incredible. Enjoy.
"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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