Last week, I had the opportunity to ride with LeMans champion Justin Bell in the new Dodge Viper ACR around a road course and, to say the least, driving with the champion road racer as he pushed the car to its limited was exhilarating.
In the past, I have been fortunate enough ride shotgun with both Ken Block and Tanner Foust in their rallycross cars, Vaughn Gittin Jr in a few different Mustangs and Brian Deegan in a stock and modified Raptor. In every case, the experience was breathtaking and I always jump at the chance to ride with a skilled pro driver in their vehicle of choice. However, I have found that many people with whom I discuss my thrill ride experiences are quick to say that they wouldn’t go for such a ride.
Even at the recent event where I rode with Justin Bell, most of the people in my group declined the high-speed ride around the 1.6 mile Bondurant road course, and that brings us to our Question of the Week.
If you had the chance to ride with a favorite race car driver in their racing vehicle and in a situation where they were going to drive as hard as they could – would you go for the ride?
"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.
