One of the specially themed parking areas along the mile long Mustang Alley at the Woodward Dream Cruise was reserved for the high performance Roush Mustangs and while Jack Roush’s name hasn’t appeared on as many Mustangs as the likes of Carroll Shelby – the Roush crowd still came out in force. While the Roush area was predominantly S197 models, there were a few Roush-tuned New Edge models and even a couple Fox Bodies that didn’t seem to have any real relation to the crowd but they were good looking cars nonetheless.
The gallery below offers up a look at every Mustang in the Roush area when I visited Mustang Alley around 1pm on the day of the Woodward Dream Cruise. The Roush Mustangs vary from those models that are just fitted with an appearance package and some mild performance modifications all of the way up to the awesome 427R Trak Pak Mustang and the new RS3 package. The majority of the cars in the Roush display were 2005 and newer but this collection of tuned up Mustangs offers a great look at the many different forms of the Roush Mustang offered over the past 15 years.
"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.
