Billet engines and turbos, high-rpm fueling, cutting-edge electronics, and the fastest oil-burners in the world…the diesel industry arrives in force at the 2024 PRI Tradeshow.
Diesel’s presence at the Performance Racing Industry trade show is undeniable at this point. Each year, compression ignition seems to consume more and more real estate at the renowned affair in Indy, and 2024 was no different. The biggest names in diesel were there, strategically scattered throughout the Indiana Convention Center—and they brought the latest performance parts and some of the fastest vehicles with them. Brand-new engines and turbos, high-rpm fueling components, and plug-and-play wiring solutions were unveiled, the truck and tractor pulling, drag racing, dyno, and street scenes were all well represented, and many competitors and manufacturers revealed their plans for 2025. Ten miles of walking and 750,000 square feet later, this is what we came across at this year’s PRI show.
It was a huge year for Paul Vasko, and he and his record-setting dragster finished things off with an appearance in the Wagler Competition Products booth at PRI. Not only did Paul and team claim the quickest and fastest eighth-mile record for a Duramax (a 3.83 at 193 mph), but on the very same pass the rail also became the first diesel to ever run a 5 in the quarter-mile. The 5.91-second pass came on the heels of a 1.001-second 60-foot, but with sub-1-second 60-foots regularly achievable it’s an ET record that could likely be improved upon with relative ease. That said, Paul will pull power out of the dragster for the upcoming season, where 6.10 ET’s are the quickest you can run in the NHRA’s Top Dragster category. For eighth-mile action, look for Paul to shake things up in the PDRA as well as ODSS in 2025.Tucked symmetrically into the rear of a Precision-built chassis, you’ll find Wagler’s LBZ-based, billet-aluminum replacement engine. Not to be confused with the company’s DX460, this version of a Duramax is both lighter and smaller (i.e. more packageable). S&S fueled, the engine takes its cues from MTKB Racing and Hardway Performance by way of a MoTeC stand-alone ECU. Boost is supplied by Stainless Diesel in the form of a 102mm GT55-based turbo. A 10-inch billet-steel Neal Chance converter and M&M TH400 provide efficient engine-to-rear end power transfer, and Hot Shot’s Secret provides the rail’s fluids.We were pleasantly surprised to run into Craig Dickey at the Wagler booth, driver of the iconic Super Stock GMC known as “Cummins Killer III.” Standing next to the billet-aluminum, P-pumped masterpiece that made him NTPA Grand National Super Stock Diesel 4×4 Champion in 2024, Craig told us the triple-turbo DX460 is now sporting an 18mm Wimer injection pump. He also divulged that the engine performed trouble-free all season running between 36 and 40 degrees of timing. Then, for one last hurrah, a considerable bump in timing took place before Diesels In Dark Corners. The 4,400-plus horsepower engine responded with a Second Place hook in Georgia at the expense of finishing off a few bearings.For hot-rods and drag ‘n drive applications that are short on space, Wagler’s latest engine creation may be the answer. Lightweight, compact, and ingeniously coined the “1/2-Maxx,” this billet-aluminum block piece boasts half of a Duramax-based crankcase (which can be wet or solid), a Duramax cylinder head, and factory valvetrain, injectors, lines, and rail. It displaces 3.3L and the Wagler team is targeting 8,000 to 10,000 rpm. Working with S&S Diesel Motorsport, early testing has yielded a CP3 capable of supporting 8,500 rpm so far.Things have come a very long way in CP3 technology in recent years, and S&S Diesel Motorsport just took things a step further. Its latest 14mm CP3, called the Ordnance 650, is the highest speed pump yet to hit the diesel market. Shown here equipped with the company’s optional gear-driven SP3000 supply pump, the Ordnance 650 boasts a 650 liter per hour maximum flow rate at 6,000 rpm, an integrated G-force block to eliminate G-force issues during launching, and reduces return flow by 50-percent. All pumps are built from brand-new, 6.7L Cummins-intended CP3’s from Bosch. Expect to find them fueling some of the fastest drag racers and strongest running pulling trucks this coming season.On top of its cutting-edge fuel system components, S&S has become a household name in stand-alone ECU calibrating, diesel-specific firmware, and wiring. But for the competitor that prefers a DIY approach or simply doesn’t need a complete, custom wiring job, S&S engineers developed this modular MoTeC harness. It’s designed to help make wiring issues easier to diagnose and address, even when working remotely. Completely plug-and-play, the system utilizes all Deutsch connectors, making parts availability a non-issue. Once it was noticed by PRI officials, the system won a spot in PRI’s Top 25 Featured Products Showcase.As far as direct, drop-in replacement turbos go for late model diesel trucks, it doesn’t get any better than Fleece Performance Engineering’s Cheetah line of variable geometry units. Come early summer, this unit will be available for L5P Duramax owners. Expect to find Fleece’s signature 63mm FMW compressor wheel as well as a high-flow turbine wheel. And, as with all Cheetahs, expect to retain your quick spool up while also enjoying a turbo that can support at least 650-rwhp up top. Fun fact: To date, Fleece has sold more than 34,000 turbochargers bearing the Cheetah name.At the SuperFlow booth, we spotted this polished piece: a Fleece Performance Engineering competition billet-aluminum block topped with a billet Wagler head. It’s a similar crankcase to what you’d find in Ryan Milliken’s radial tire Nova and Jared Ring’s Pro 275 Cadillac. Machined out of a solid forging, the block features billet-steel main caps, ductile iron cylinder sleeves, Jesel tie bar roller lifters, lifter service windows, and an ultra-light, billet-aluminum dry sump oil pan. A Fleece billet-aluminum front cover accommodates two 14mm CP3’s from S&S, as well as a dry sump oil pump gear housing. Also notice the sizeable, 4.8-inch (inducer) turbo from Hart’s Diesel hanging from the manifold.Nothing promotes a brand better than filling up a PRI booth with an example of what you do best. For Scheid Diesel, it’s both drag racing and truck pulling. Last year, Keith Witt’s triple-turbo, Super Stock puller (“American Pride”) got the call. This time, it was the iconic, 295-inch Spitzer chassis dragster’s turn, and rightfully so. It was a big year for the Scheid rail, with the team lining out the new centrifugal clutch setup as the season drew to an end (thanks in large part to Tony Derhammer) and driver Jared Jones running a 3.93-second eighth-mile at 193 mph—a new best for the storied dragster.As for quarter-mile action, the Scheid rail didn’t improve on the mind-blowing 6.005-second pass it made in 2023. However, it still holds the quarter-mile trap speed record for a diesel at 242 mph (Paul Vasko’s wild, 5.91-second ride mentioned earlier clocked 229 mph). Interestingly enough, wheelman Jared Jones told us the rail’s 88mm/134mm compound turbo arrangement forced an insane 219 psi of boost through the P-pumped Cummins on that 6.00 pass. After seeing that kind of abuse, we think it’s safe to say that Scheid has its billet-aluminum block program figured out. We also think their 3,300 hp engine dyno figure is 100-percent legitimate.We can’t wait to see this truck out and about in the New Year. Nick Bell’s fresh Pro Mod build was on display, front and center in Yellow Hall, courtesy of Hot Shot’s Secret. We’re not sure if Nick plans to run in the ODSS’s newly created Super Diesel class or its new Pro Truck category. What we do know is that Nick will have to add weight to get to 3,600 pounds… We also know what he’s packing under the front clip: a Wagler CX series 6.7L Cummins-based, billet-aluminum engine, complete with S&S Ordnance injectors, 12mm CP3’s, and a stand-alone MoTeC ECU running S&S firmware (and tuned by Ben Shadday). A Stainless Diesel GT55 will supply boost, Nitrous Express parts will add an extra kick, and Hot Shot’s Secret Adrenaline racing lubricants will keep Nick’s well-oiled machine running smoothly.Wehrli Custom Fabrication brought a host of eye-catching things with them to PRI, but this Duramax earned our undivided attention. It’s the engine destined for Jason Wehrli’s 3.0-inch smooth bore pulling truck, the can’t-miss ’76 GMC ¾-ton called “Legally Altered” he campaigns in the Illini State Pullers’ 6,500-pound Light Pro Stock Truck class. The L5P-based power plant sports heads that’ve been modified to accept LBZ injectors, which will allow for considerably more fueling than any aftermarket L5P injectors can provide. The LBZ-style, Exergy Performance injectors are supported by a pair of reverse rotation, 12mm CP3’s and a gear-driven Waterman Racing fuel supply pump, mounted courtesy of WC Fab’s billet front cover.With Garret Niss’s gold-plated third-gen Cummins present, the Exergy Performance booth stopped virtually every attendee who passed by it dead in their tracks. To truly appreciate this build, you have to understand what transpired to get it to this point. The custom engraving was all performed by hand, all edges were beveled, and all of the engine, chassis, and interior components were chrome-dipped, taped off, and then gold-plated in 24k, the highest karat level of the precious metal. And that’s before you realize Garret’s Dodge is packing a 6.7L D&J Precision Machine Enforcer series Cummins, Exergy 400-percent over injectors and two 14mm CP3’s, a Bosch MS25 stand-alone ECU, a Firepunk 48RE, and 1,770-rwhp on fuel.As if that weren’t enough, Firepunk’s record-setting, 3-second Duster was parked right beside Garret Niss’s third-gen in the Exergy booth. Back in October, the Pro Mod became the quickest and fastest eighth-mile diesel door slammer in the world after going 3.85 at 198 mph on radials at No Mercy 15. A couple weeks prior to that, driver Larson Miller sewed up the 2024 ODSS Pro Mod championship with the car. It packs an all billet-aluminum, 7.0L Executioner series Cummins from D&J that’s fueled by two Exergy 550 Alpha CP3’s and 500-percent over injectors. It’s fed boost courtesy of a single G55 turbo. Unique in the diesel segment, the Duster is also equipped with a five-speed Liberty transmission.Look! A truck wrapped around a set of gigantic turbos… This is Blake Fitzgerald’s latest build, a fifth-gen Ram packing an Enforcer series Cummins from D&J. Prior to being hauled to the PRI show, the truck spent considerable time in the Firepunk Diesel stable, where a roll cage certified for 8.50-second quarter-miles was fabricated, as well as an extreme rear four-link system, beefy front control arms, and a heavy-duty anti-roll bar. Look for it in its finished form on the rollers at the third annual Fitzgerald Performance Truck Fest on March 7-8th, 2025, and at the track following that.Something very different was parked in the FASS booth, a few feet away from RLC Motorsports’ stunning No Time truck. It was an ’88 Peterbilt 379 packing a C15-based CAT capable of turning out more than 3,000 hp—and it was aptly named “The Beast.” The shiny, Precision atmosphere turbo up top is equipped with a 143mm compressor wheel, and we’re told the high-pressure Precision bolted to the exhaust manifold measures 118mm. Water-to-air intercooling, nitrous, and four (4) FASS fuel systems are also part of the ‘Pete’s horsepower recipe—a recipe that’s allowed it to set two world speed records. In 2018, The Beast went 120.35 mph, and in 2023 it trapped 120.53 mph.
