This week’s Tire Smokin’ video features a stock 1988 Ford F-250 powered by a 351 cubic inch V8 engine. With just 210 horsepower, the 1988 F-250 was a little light on ponies, but thanks to 315 lb-ft of torque – this factory-stock pickup is able to smoke the hell out of the rear tires.
As the burnout begins, the tires of the 1988 F-250 are spinning and the 351 cubic inch V8 is making a bunch of noise, but we don’t see much smoke. Then, right before the 10 second mark, the engine RPMs come up and smoke begins to pour from the visible rear tire. The driver holds the F-250 in place for a few seconds as smoke engulfs the back end of the truck, the letting it drift forward – tires smokin’ away as he rolls past the camera.
The smoke show fades during the end of the exhibition, but the tires continue to spin and squeal way off into the distance.
"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.
