Travis Pastrana and the Red Bull/Discount Tire Dodge Dart
rally car had hoped to have a better outing this past weekend than they had in the
first event of the season but even though Dodge fielded two cars for the Texas Hoon
Kaboom, the team had a worse weekend than they did earlier this year.
Travis Pastrana and his #199 Red Bull/Discount Tire Dodge
Dart took to the track for Heat 1 and while it wasn’t an awful race – it wasn’t
enough as he finished 3rd with the top two moving onto the final
race.Pastrana was joined by new
teammate Felipe Albuquerque who piloted the #99 Red Bull/Discount Tire Dodge
Dart in Heat 3 after only 4 test laps.Albuquerque
was running a strong second in his first outing in the new Dart rally car but
late in the race, he nearly lost control as he sped through the “car wash” –
dropping to third.Like Pastrana, Albuquerque
would have to settle for the last chance qualifier (LCQ).
In the first LCQ, Travis Pastrana was running well and
leading the way when he took the large jump too big.As the Dodge Dart slammed down and Pastrana
began to prepare the car for the hard hairpin turn – his shoulder separated and
he crashed into the tires.His Dart
rally car was not affected but Pastrana was left unable to drive so he quickly
pulled his car off of the track.Because
of this, he failed to qualify for the final race.After the race, Pastrana apologized to his
team and his sponsors for being so fragile and promised that he will fix the
shoulder and be ready for the next race.
In the second LCQ, Felipe Albuquerque was turning in strong
laps when Subaru driver Bucky Lasek spun directly in front of him as they
approached the large jump.Lasek went
off of the side of the jump ramp and Albuquerque stopped in time to avoid
colliding with the Impreza while, at the same time, the new driver found that
he didn’t have enough power to make the jump. Like Pastrana, Felipe Albuquerque did not qualify for the final race.
In the final race of the Texas Hoon Kaboom Global RallyCross
event, the Ford rally team continued its dominance of season with Marcus
Gronholm winning (again), Tanner Foust finishing second (again) and Brian
Deegan finishing third.
"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.
Travis Pastrana and the Red Bull/Discount Tire Dodge Dart