As for the racing program, I spoke with a handful of drivers who have run Roadkill multiple times and they had far fewer complaints about the organization of the program. Cars were lined up and run off in an orderly fashion, and unlike 2017, there were no early wrecks or repeated rain showers to break up the action.
The only problem this year was a failure in the starting line timing system, as the “Christmas tree” was damaged by the exhaust forces of one of the quickest cars in the field. As a result, they went to an arm-drop format, but that didn’t make it any less fun for anyone. Aside from the timing system issue, Roadkill 2018 went off without a hitch from the time that the gates opened at 10 am until 7 pm or so.
Racing Program
Despite the initial problem with the lighting system, the racing was still pretty great at Roadkill 2018. While Roadkill is sponsored by Dodge, the event is open to all makes and models, and this year, cars from other brands were the some of the quickest in attendance.
With tens of thousands of dollars in cash prizes on the line, some of the fastest street cars in the world came out to Roadkill, including machines like Tom Bailey’s “Sick Seconds” Camaro. The fastest run ever at a Roadkill event was turned in a blue Pontiac GTO, featured in the video below. But among actual street cars the racing program was dominated by Dodge, mainly Hellcat Challengers and Chargers.
Show ‘n Shine
The racing program is the centerpiece of the Roadkill Nights events, but the Show N Shine program was also a huge draw. Hundreds of vehicles of all makes and models lined the portion of the M1 road course that wasn’t being used for the thrill rides. While it was Dodge-heavy, there is always an impressive mix of other vehicles, and 2018 was no exception. We have included a collection of show cars in the gallery below.
"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.
