This week’s Truckin Fast Wednesday video features a Dodge Ram 1500 SRT10 Regular Cab pickup racing at Bandimere Speedway against a Dodge Challenger SRT8. The Challenger is an earlier model, which means that it is powered by the 6.1L Hemi V8 that sends 425 horsepower to the rear wheels. The Ram SRT10 is powered by the 8.3L Viper V10 engine with 500 horsepower sent to the huge rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. The Ram has the power advantage but it is heavier than the Challenger while also being more of a challenge to launch compared to the brawny muscle car.
As the two beasts roll to the starting line, you have to wonder which of these big power Mopar monsters will be the quicker down the quarter mile. When the race starts, the Challenger jumps out to a slight lead but the gear-banging Viper Ram stays right next to the coupe as the two blast down the quarter mile. The two stay side by side for the length of the race and while the Ram keeps things close – the Challenger pulls off the win in the battle of the SRT vehicles.
For those wondering why the times are so slow, keep in mind that Bandimere Speedway is in Colorado and it sits at 5,800 feet above sea level. That elevation leads to thin air, which makes it harder for engines to make power, which leads to slower quarter mile times. Were this Ram and Challenger to race at sea level, Im sure that they would be as quick as you would expect – but don’t let these geographically slow Mopars lead you to believe that they are just as powerful as the quicker videos floating around the internet.
"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.
