This week’s Truckin Fast Wednesday feature takes a look at an awesome regular cab 2nd generation Dodge Dakota pickup in action on an eighth mile drag strip – with a resulting time of 7.29 miles per hour. A simple conversion shows that this Dakota would be capable of running in the 11.30 range in the quarter mile provided that the mechanic setup (rearend gearing, transmission, etc) would allow a run down the longer track.
We don’t know anything about the 2nd gen Dodge Dakota shown in the video below but we can tell by the throaty roar of this truck as it prepares to race, the skinny tires up front, the big fat tires out back, the significant suspension work visible under the truck during the burnout and the roll cage extending out the back of the cab that this is most certainly not a stock Dakota…or anywhere near stock. This truck could have come with a 360 Magnum V8 that, when built, would be more than capable of pushing this midsized pickup down the 8th mile track in the low 7 second range but without further details – we are forced to speculate.
However, no speculation is needed to know that this 2g Dakota is one Truckin Fast Dodge pickup. 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.
