HEADLINES: Diesels To The Front!

In just seven years, compression ignition has gone from being virtually nonexistent in radial tire drag racing to being a formidable contender. Now, diesel technology is winning races—and perhaps no one has been more instrumental in making that happen than Ryan Milliken and the team at Hardway Performance. Over the weekend, Ryan took the X275 class win in the rescheduled Snowbird Outlaw Nationals final round—and he brought a friend with him… Jared Ring’s ’15 Ram took the W in the No Time Truck category, capping off an incredible showing for diesel propulsion. Both rides benefit from Cummins power plants built at Freedom Racing Engines, S&S Diesel Motorsport fueling, and MoTeC control.

Drag Racing

Sick Week & The Duramax Chevelle

Drag and drive events are diesel’s bread and butter, as Rick Fletes and his Duramax-powered ’70 Chevelle have demonstrated time and again in recent years. This week, Rick is at Sick Week 2024, and this is the timeslip he collected on Day 1 in Orlando. The only thing better than seeing his street car boogie through the quarter-mile in 8-second intervals is the fact that it does it in squeaky-clean fashion. The wheels-up Chevelle will hit four different tracks (on five different race days) before all is said and done—and it will likely see 30-mpg during its track-to-track commutes.

Upcoming Event

Open House—At The Drag Strip

This is the way you host an Open House! Due to physical limitations encountered in previous years—and not to mention the company’s affinity for hitting the track—Maverick Diesel will host its annual get-together at I-57 Dragstrip in 2024. The Benton, Illinois drag strip will be up and running all day on March 2^nd, and for $10 you can run open time trials. On top of that, Maverick’s Mustang chassis dyno will be on site measuring horsepower ($80 for three rips). There is no event entry fee and free food (provided courtesy of Maverick Diesel). It doesn’t get any better than this, so cross your fingers for an early spring and warm temps the first weekend in March.

Product Development

S&S Expands Its Line Of Disaster Prevention Kits

Thanks to the resounding success of its disaster prevention kits for the CP4.2-equipped 6.7L Power Stroke, S&S Diesel Motorsport has begun developing similar systems for other platforms. Soon, its all-inclusive fuel system (and even engine) saving kits will be available for VW TDI’s, the 3.0L EcoDiesel, and even the BMW X5 35d (F15). A prototype system is currently in place on the latter make and model and is undergoing vigorous testing. When these kits hit the market, expect the same, effective design, with high quality, OE-style quick-connect fittings and low-micron, high-efficiency fuel filters as standard equipment.

Emissions

What Exactly Changed In Cummins’ Recent Software Update?

Back on the eve of Christmas Eve, news broke that Cummins reached a $1.675 billion settlement with the EPA for alleged emissions defeat devices on more than 630,000 6.7L-equipped Ram trucks. Cummins is recalling all affected vehicles for a software update, which is designed to bring them back into compliance with the Clean Air Act. To find out what exactly is being changed, PPEI and Hardway Performance are teaming up for some independent testing of their own. Before and after tests will be conducted on select ’13-’19 model Rams. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for this one…their findings may surprise you.

Sam Gabel Passes Away

Sam Gabel, a lifelong diesel enthusiast, former U.C.C. competitor, and owner of Sam’s Diesel Repair, passed away unexpectedly on January 19 at the age of 26. Within the diesel industry, he was known for pushing the limits of the 6.4L Power Stroke, and made one of the quickest quarter-mile passes ever recorded for the ’08-’10 platform—an 8.99 at 154 mph (in a 5,000-pound standard cab Super Duty, no less). A talented mechanic, a horsepower junkie, and a loving family man, Sam will be missed by everyone who knew him, and even others who didn’t. He was laid to rest on January 28 in Pemberville, Ohio.

Written by Mike McGlothlin