HEADLINES: The Production 12-Valve Common-Rail Is Ready For The Dyno

How could you not be captivated by Willie Holden’s rare, 12-valve common-rail Cummins find? The Dong Feng, China-sourced Cummins nearly overwhelmed social media servers when he unveiled the project three weeks ago. Now, Willie and his team at Holden Bros. Diesel are almost ready to hit the dyno with it. For the first round of testing, Forced Inductions kicked in one of its ball bearing, race cover S300 turbochargers. The last step in making the 12-valve run-ready is converting the rear flywheel housing-mounted crank sensor to a front balancer configuration. Once that gets lined out, it should be making some noise in the dyno cell, and we’ll finally know what kind of power this unique Cummins is capable of. Stay tuned.

Drag Racing

NHRDA Releases Its 2024 Race Schedule

The National Hot Rod Diesel Association has released its 2024 season race schedule. Once again, things kick off in Arizona (by way of Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park) and conclude at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas, but the NHRDA picks up a new venue for 2024. The second race on the calendar will bring diesel drag racing to Pine Valley Raceway in Lufkin, Texas, a quarter-mile facility that was revamped and reopened in the spring of 2023. Hot Shot’s Secret—a company that’s all-in on diesel drag racing—will present the 2024 NHRDA racing series.

The Fastest Woman In Diesel To Speak At PRI

PRI is fast approaching, and the fastest woman in diesel will be there. Mattie Graves of Mattie G Motorsports will be speaking at the “Women in Motorsports” panel on December 8, on the NHRA stage on December 9, as well as signing autographs in the Hot Shot’s Secret booth (#4005) on December 7. Mattie’s presence at the PRI Show comes on the heels of earning the ODSS Pro Dragster championship in 2023. The Women in Motorsports panel aims to highlight the impact various racers, company owners, and communications professionals have had on and off the track.

New Safety Regulations Coming For ODSS Drag Racers

As diesel drag racers continue to break new ground in terms of trap speed and elapsed times, expect to see more safety requirements appear. Such is the case for the 2024 Outlaw Diesel Super Series season, which will now mandate an onboard fire-suppression system for every “Pro” category (excluding Pro Dragster). The new rules call for a minimum of a 10-pound fire extinguisher onboard and two nozzles on the driver. In partnering with SPA Technique, HammerTech Racecars was quick to offer comprehensive fire suppression systems that come with everything you need to in order remain legal next season. HammerTech is also offering SPA’s “4 Fire” (not the familiar Novec) fire-suppressing agent, which all but eliminates the possibility of re-ignition, is non-corrosive, and that is also water soluble.

OEM News

Stellantis Recalls 32,000+ Jeep Wranglers Due To Fire Risk

Following an internal investigation that discovered eight plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) fires, Stellantis has recalled an estimated 32,125 U.S.-based ’21-’24 model year Jeep Wrangler 4xe SUVs. Of the eight instances of vehicles catching fire, all were parked and turned off while six were connected to chargers. No injuries related to the fires have been reported and Stellantis has stated that potentially affected vehicles can be driven, but the automaker is advising owners to refrain from recharging their hybrid 4xe Wranglers. Owners are also encouraged to park their vehicle away from structures, as well as other vehicles, until the potential fire risk is remedied.