HEADLINES: The Newest Member Of The 4-Second Club
U.C.C. prep, big numbers at Thoroughbred Diesel’s dyno day, an emissions-friendly 700hp LML, and another 4-second player in Pro Street.
After years of trying—during which time he’d run every bottom 5 you can think of—Maverick Diesel’s Paul Cato broke into 4-second eighth-mile territory over the weekend. It happened at U.S. 60 Dragway in Hardinsburg, Kentucky, with the track recording a 4.93 at 158.73 mph and Paul’s Dragy saying 4.89 at 159 mph. It’s been a long road for the Oklahoma-sourced farm truck, with Paul’s grit and determination never allowing him to throw in the towel. Without question, this will add some intensity to ODSS events. Have side-by-side 4-second passes returned to the Pro Street category? Find out at Outlaw Diesel Revenge at the end of the month.
Drag Racing
Austin Denny’s 6.0L Gets Downright Serious
Since bumping up to the Pro Street category, Austin Denny and his wild, compound turbo’d 6.0L Power Stroke have been a little “overweight” in terms of meeting the 4,400-pound class minimum. Now, after being fitted with 9-inch axles front and rear thanks to the handiwork of Pro Mod driver, Austin Doidge, Austin’s F-250 is roughly 300 pounds closer to where he wants to be. Look for Austin to come out swinging with the new setup at Ultimate Callout Challenge May 31 – June 2, where he’ll be competing for the first time. Also look for him to make a run at a 4-second eighth-mile pass at some point this season.
RTDS 11 Canceled
In some of the most unfortunate news received thus far in 2024, RLC Motorsports recently announced that the Rocky Top Diesel Shootout has been canceled. In a press release that went out on May 15, RTDS founder Michael Dalton stated that, due to factors outside of his control, the 11th rendition of the event couldn’t be held. A coveted event for many, well-known for combining an ODSS drag race with a large, top-tier truck show, it’s a very disappointing development. However, in the same press release Mr. Dalton revealed that he and the team at RLC Motorsports were committed to bringing RTDS back in 2025—and that it would be bigger and better than ever. We can’t wait.
On The Rollers
Thoroughbred Diesel Throwdown
For 14 years now, Thoroughbred Diesel’s annual dyno event has brought dozens of high-horsepower trucks out of the woodwork. On Saturday, May 18th things were no different, and the heaviest hitter of all for 2024 proved to be Michael Brown and his UCC-bound dually. Secured to the Northwest Dyno Series’ SuperFlow dyno, Michael’s Ram laid down 1,256 hp on fuel (to set the tires and straps) and then proceeded to add another 1,000 hp to its bottom line courtesy of a couple big kits of nitrous. The final numbers read 2,270 hp and 3,189 lb-ft of torque—good enough for First Place in the Unlimited category.
Industry News
Thoroughbred Diesel Survive Or Thrive Conference
Thoroughbred’s dyno event was preceded by the Survive or Thrive conference, an event that’s geared toward helping to grow the light duty diesel repair and performance market. Some of the biggest names in the industry were on hand for two days of professional networking, strategizing on how companies can expand and improve their existing operations, and keynote speaking presentations, two of which included Merchant Automotive’s Eric Merchant and Power Hungry Performance’s Vinny Himes. The Survive or Thrive conference’s busy schedule concluded with the opening of a sizeable vendor hall and growing anticipation for Saturday’s Thoroughbred Diesel Throwdown.
Emissions-Friendly Horsepower
Meet Cold Front Diesel’s 700HP LML Duramax
This top-notch build from Cold Front Diesel might just provide an important glimpse into the future of diesel performance. The Rapid City, Michigan company put together an emissions-friendly LML Duramax that cleared 703 hp and 1,224 lb-ft on the dyno. The biggest pieces of the puzzle include an emissions-on twin-turbo kit from DuramaxTuner.com along with the company’s engine and transmission tuning, Wehrli Custom Fabrication high-flow piping and custom, twin-turbo high-flow up-pipes (with EGR integration), Exergy Performance 20-percent over injectors and 10mm CP3, a 165-gph FASS fuel system, Cold Front Diesel-built Allison 1000, a Banks intercooler, and ARP fasteners throughout.
Written by Mike McGlothlin
