This week’s Throwback video features the introduction of the 305 horsepower 1998 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. 1998 marked the introduction of the LS1 engine to the Camaro lineup and with 305 ponies packed under the hood, the Z/28 was a real beast in the late 90s performance market while the revised exterior gave it a more modern and more aerodynamic look.
This commercial shows the 1998 Camaro Z/28 rolling down a secluded section of road when the driver comes up on a rough looking group of motorcyclists who are clearly nogoodniks based on their appearance. As the bikers give the Camaro a nasty look, you think “oh no…the terrible bikers might do something bad.”
However, the LS1 Camaro Z/28 is so tough that rather than waving the car around in the empty other lane, the inside lines swings out into the other lane as to let the Camaro come up between the two rows of motorcycles.
A few of the bikers give the Camaro driver “the wave” as he accelerates through them before bursting out away from them to attack the vast open road.
"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.
