No Joy in Mudville – or Bristol – for Dodge Global RallyCross Fans

There was Global RallyCross action this past weekend from Bristol Motor Speedway as the drivers took to the track for the 5^th event of the 2013 season and for the 5^th time this year – there wasn’t much to celebrate about for Dodge rallycross fans.  For the 3^rd time in 5 races, Timur Timerzyanov was filling in for Travis Pastrana who was busy running his Roush Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.  Timerzyanov was joined by series regular Bryce Menzies and while both cars showed glimmers of hope, Menzies once again failed to qualify for the final race and Timerzyanov completed just one full lap in the final race – forcing him to settle for a 8^th place finish.

The first Dodge Dart to hit the track in Bristol was the #199 car piloted by Timur Timurzyanov as he went head to head with Liam Doran, Patrik Sandell and Dave Mirra.  Timur got a solid start and spent much of his heat race in the 2^nd spot before spinning in the joker chicane on the 5^th lap of the race as he battled with Liam Doran.  That allowed Doran to claim the 2^nd transfer spot to the finals and Timur was sent to the Last Chance Qualifier.

Things went much better for Bryce Menzies as he used a great start in the 3^rd heat race of the day to grab the early lead.  Menzies would spend the first few laps in the lead with only a touch of pressure from the Ford of Steve Arpin but when Menzies took his “long cut” joke chicane that is required once per race, both Arpin and Sverre Isachsen got around him.  Menzies would finish 3^rd and would also be forced to deal with the Last Chance Qualifier.

In the Last Chance Qualifier, 3 of the 7 racers would advance to the final race and both Bryce Menzies and Timur Timerzyanov started on the first row.  The action was hot and heavy early on and when the smoke cleared, Timerzyanov found himself running in the 2^nd spot behind Brian Deegan with Tanner Foust running close behind in 3^rd.  Tanner was able to get around Timur on the 2^nd lap of the race and that was pretty much the end of the LCQ as Deegan drove to the easy win in front of Foust and Timerzyanov.  Timerzyanov qualified for the final race but with his 5^th place finish – Bryce Menzies did not.

At this point, there was still a big race to be had for the GRC Bristol win but Timur Timerzyanov would not be a factor.  The #199 Dart ran into mechanical issues early in the final run and Timerzyanov was only able to complete 1 full lap in the final run.  Fortunately, Liam Doran broke even earlier to Timur didn’t have to finish last but his 8^th place finish with little consolation for Dodge GRC fans.

The Global RallyCross drivers will hit the track on August 4^th for the Los Angeles X Games and with any lucky, Travis Pastrana will find the time in his schedule to come race his Dart.  In his two races this season, Travis has easily been the best Dodge GRC racer but his commitment to NASCAR money has left Dodge fans without a real chance of celebrating victory in most of this year’s races.

GRC Bristol Final Results:
1. Toomas Heikkinen
2. Ken Block
3. Brian Deegan
4. Sverre Isachsen
5. Patrik Sandell
6. Steve Arpin
7. Tanner Foust
8. Timur Timerzyanov
9. Liam Doran

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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