This week’s Truckin Fast Wednesday clip features a 1989 Dodge Dakota that has obviously had some serious work done under the hood in action on the quarter mile against what looks to be a rough and ready altered wheelbase car with wheelie bars and a parachute. Unfortunately, there are no details on this 1st gen Dakota, but we can tell before the truck even cleans the tires off that this isnt your run of the mill midsized Dodge pickup. The styling is subtle – with only a low rise hood and a roll cage poking through the back of the cab – but when the green light drops, this Dakota gets away from the line in a big hurry.
As the lights come down, something seems to happen to the car in the near lane while the Dakota gets a solid launch – ripping away from its competitor and roaring down the track with the quickness. At the top end of the track, this 1st gen Dakota runs through the traps with a speed of 118.51 miles per hour and an elapsed time of 11.414 seconds – that’s truckin fast. This Mopar powered sport truck sounds great as it screams down the track so make sure to 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.
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