DodgeForum just received a note that next week, Dodge and
SRT Motorsports will hold a conference to introduce “a new race venture”
featuring the 2013 Dodge Dart and a new driver to the Mopar race team.This announcement marks the introduction of
the brand new dodge Dart to the motorsports world and while there is zero
indication as to what type of racing this new venture could be, we can make
some speculations as to what SRT Motorsports will unveil next week.
To consider what type of racing will play host to the new
2013 Dodge Dart race car, we should look at the possible types of racing that
are out there.
The Dart race car
obviously isn’t going into NASCAR with the Charger and Challenger occupying
those racing series for SRT Motorsports but another mainstream possibility would be the
NHRA drag racing world.When the Dodge
Neon existed in the late 90s and early 2000s, the NHRA Pro Stock teams piloting
Dodge vehicles used the Neon and with the Dart filling the shoes of the Neon –
perhaps the Dart will replace the Avenger and be the next Mopar drag car.However, with the Pro Stock class being
heavily modified rear wheel drive vehicles, the NHRA wouldn’t offer much
potential to show off the production performance of the new compact sedan.At the same time…the NHRA wouldn’t be a new
venture as Mopar has dominated the ranks of the drag racing world since the
dawn of the original Hemi.
The other possibility is that the 2013 Dodge Dart will be
modified for use in one of the up-and-coming racing types such as time attack
or rally racing.These racing leagues
allow for a wide variety of different engines and drivetrain configurations so
aside from basic modifications for race use, the 2013 Dart could help the SRT Motorsport
division climb into the ranks of the rally or time attack world with vehicles similar to production models.This would also help ensure the coming of a future
SRT model based on the new Dodge Dart.
"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.
DodgeForum just received a note that next week, Dodge and