This week’s Truckin Fast Wednesday video features the smoking fast 2nd gen Dodge Dakota R/T owned by DodgeForum.com member and Dakota expert SinCityR/T. This truck packs a massive 408 cubic inch stroker motor, a nitrous setup and a host of other modifications under the hood and under the truck that help it blast down the quarter mile quicker than most modern muscle cars. On this particular run, the wicked Dakota R/T has a “slow run” for him, tearing up the silver Dakota in the right lane as he runs through the quarter mile in 12.1 seconds at 111 miles per hour.
After watching SinCityR/T’s 2g Dodge Dakota do a nice, smoky burnout, he stages and rips away from the starting line – and the other Dakota. This is one incredibly fast truck and, honestly, I’m surprised that I’ve not use featured this truck in the past as part of our Truckin Fast segment. In any case, this stroker motor powered Dakota sounds as good as it runs, so crank up your speakers and 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.
