From Friday’s drag race to Sunday’s sled pull—and all the parts thrashing and sleepless nights in between—there was never a dull moment at U.C.C. 2025.
In the world of high-level diesel competitions, the Ultimate Callout Challenge is a very unique animal. Taking a few cues from the late Diesel Power Challenge—then turning the volume up to 11—U.C.C. is DPC on steroids. It’s as much a game of survival as it is going all-out in every event. You can’t stand outside the fire and win the Ultimate Callout Challenge—you have to swing for the fences. Today, 10 years into U.C.C.’s existence, 3,000 hp on the chassis dyno, 5-second eighth-miles on the drag strip, and 300-foot hooks in the dirt aren’t recommendations, but requirements for getting into the winner’s circle.
For 2025, the three-day, Clash of the Titans-style affair brought 13 trucks to Indianapolis to do battle. From Friday’s drag race to Sunday’s sled pull—and all the parts thrashing and sleepless nights in between—there was never a dull moment inside the confines of Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. In the end, it would prove to be a breakthrough year for Josh McCormack, a competitor whose mix of driver skill, mechanical know-how, and prior U.C.C. experience gave him the tools he needed to place high in each event. Below, we recap his path to becoming U.C.C. champ and the competition he faced in his climb to the top.
After a Second Place finish at U.C.C. 2023, Josh McCormack returned to Indianapolis for the 2025 affair looking to get over the hump. This trip required him to make a 2,100-mile trek from Southern California. On Day 1 at the drag strip he had his sights set on running 5.50s or 5.40s, but Mother Nature intervened, limiting his time out on the track. But despite an inability to make as many passes as he wanted to, Josh still managed to post a 5.80-second elapsed time in the eighth-mile behind the wheel of his ’07 Dodge. That ET was good enough for a Sixth Place start to the weekend.The quickest pass made at U.C.C. 2025 came in the form of Tim Moore’s 5.41-second blast in the Poor Boys Diesel Performance Mega Cab. With names like D&J Precision Machine, Fleece Performance Engineering, Truck Source Diesel, Hot Shot’s Secret, Stainless Diesel, and S&S Diesel Motorsport behind him, Tim’s single turbo Cummins was benefitting from some of the best parts money can buy. Fine tuning of the engine and S&S fuel system was performed by TSD via a stand-alone MoTeC ECU with S&S firmware—and Tim was able to squeeze 2,485 hp through a Stage 3 48RE from Randy’s Transmissions on the dyno (Fourth Place). Traveling 293.9 feet in the sled pull landed Tim and his Arizona-based crew a strong Third Place overall finish.Michael Brown brought a completely different truck to the Ultimate Callout Challenge this year, and it paid off immediately. The new, regular cab whip (vs. the hefty, 7,100-pound Mega Cab dually he campaigned in 2024) allowed him to reach his goal of running 5’s in the eighth-mile—and the 5.72 it ran earned him a spot in the Top 5 at the conclusion of Day 1. For reference, the best the Mega could muster last year was a 6.06-second pass. Michael would also best his 2024 dyno figures on Day 2 of the festivities this year, laying down 2,612 hp (vs. 2,457 hp previously).Another competitor that was back for round 2 of U.C.C. competition was Colt Carter of Black Magic Performance. After blasting onto the scene in 2024 and taking home Second Place overall, the element of surprise was gone this time—but that didn’t stop Colt from improving on his ’24 numbers. Living on the edge of traction, even with big slicks and four-wheel drive, Colt drove his ’06 Ram to a third best, 5.51-second eighth-mile ET on Day 1 of the show. On the dyno, Colt would beat his 2024 performance by nearly 800 horsepower.Bright and early on Day 2, Josh McCormack was first in line to hop on the dyno. He would not disappoint. After making 2,599 hp while losing rail pressure—a problem that was traced back to the pressure relief valve blowing open—Josh and his team knew a much bigger number was on the table. A few minutes later, his third-gen made an insane 3,108 hp. At the end of the run, the driver side rear slick checked out, but not before Josh joined the 3,000hp club—something he’s been wanting to do for years. No other competitor would hit 3,000 hp at U.C.C. 2025.One week prior to U.C.C., Colt Carter sent us a picture of seven (7) Nitrous Outlet solenoids and told us to be ready. Colt delivered, putting on a show of 2,728 hp on the dyno (second on the day). Unfortunately, his Cummins blew through the converter on the hit, allowing rpm to skyrocket, which windowed the front of the block. Not to worry, with a spare short block waiting back at the trailer he and the no-quit team from Texas went to work in the pits. Colt would make the call the following day for the sled pull and travel 212 feet.Even though we’re living in an age where making 3,000 horsepower on the chassis dyno is possible, most heavy hitters don’t make back-to-back pulls in that power range. Then there are folks like Chris Patterson. Upon clearing 2,105 hp (and 3,398 lb-ft of torque) on the first attempt, Chris proceeded to make four more rips on the rollers—all of them well north of 2,000 hp—before anything let loose. Talk about full confidence in your engine build! Chris’ best run of 2,368 hp yielded him the number 5 spot for the day, and it came on the heels of a 5.54-second, Fourth Place finish on the track on Day 1.You can always count on fireworks when Jesse Warren is around, and this U.C.C. build—which went from rolling chassis to fully built in just a few months—definitely lived up to the hype. The tube chassis Ford sports a 7.0L billet block, 6.0L-based Power Stroke with Warren Diesel competition hybrid injectors and a 95mm GT55 turbo out front—and it came to Indy to party. Its one and only dyno pull resulted in 2,114 hp (2,649 lb-ft), a new 6.0L platform record, but the turbo checked out in the process. We’re told the engine was only turning 4,100 rpm when the big Garrett ejected its turbine wheel due to overspeed—a far cry from where Jesse says it makes its peak number (5,000 rpm). It’s likely that 200 to 300 hp was left on the table.After clearing 2,612 hp on the dyno, Michael Brown and crew decided to get more aggressive with the nitrous strategy and make a push for 3K on the rollers. Unfortunately, several intake valves were damaged, the intake system became pressurized, and the intake shelf was blown off the cylinder head, sending some of the intercooler piping into orbit. Michael’s D&J Cummins saw 192 psi of boost on the hit… An all-night engine rebuild and one sunrise later, Michael’s third-gen was waiting in line to hook to the sled. At go-time, Michael took care of business, moving the sled 310.39 feet—a Fourth Place distance that also locked him into a Fourth Place overall finish at U.C.C. 2025.It was no surprise when Brian Shew showed up in dominant fashion for the sled pull portion of U.C.C., as he always seems to do, moving the sled well beyond the 300-foot mark. Brian and his father, Jon, campaign two dedicated pulling trucks out of the Quality Diesel Performance stable. Brian can be found behind the wheel of “Iron Maiden,” a Limited Pro Stock (3.0 smooth bore) second-gen Cummins while Jon pilots a Pro Street (2.6 smooth bore) third-gen coined “Iron Patriot.” This year, Brian’s U.C.C. build would put 20 feet on the rest of the field, and his 332.58-foot distance moved him up into the number 8 spot overall.Chris Patterson is a veteran drag racer and proven dyno warrior, but it could be argued that he likes hooking to the sled more (we’re serious). Chris even won the U.C.C. sled pull in 2023, so no one was counting him out when the action turned to the dirt on Sunday afternoon. Letting it all hang out, Chris pointed the Unrivaled third-gen south and never let off the throttle. When the truck did finally spin out, it had traveled 319.25 feet, enough for Second Place (behind Brian Shew) and Second Place overall at U.C.C. 2025.Thanks to a dominant performance on the dyno and a respectable showing in the eighth-mile, U.C.C. 2025 was Josh McCormack’s to win on Day 3. All he needed to do following Chris Patterson’s pull was finish seventh or better with the sled in tow—and that’s what happened. After clawing his way out to 318.88 feet (third furthest), the trophy was his. Built in a single car garage in Southern California, Josh McCormack’s compound turbo’d ’07 Cummins—sporting Exergy CP3’s, Dynomite Diesel Products injectors, and a Bosch Motorsport stand-alone ECU—pulled off the win at what has become the biggest event in the diesel industry. In the days following the monumental feat, it was pure radio silence from Josh and the Horsetorques Diesel channel. Of the nose-to-the-grindstone, humble-in-victory variety, Josh simply wanted to soak in the moment with his crew. This is exactly the kind of champion the diesel industry needs. Josh’s Championship Backing: Wagler Competition Products, Hot Shot’s Secret, WP Developments, Forced Inductions, Power Driven Diesel, Exergy Performance, Firepunk Diesel, Dynomite Diesel Products, AirDog, Manton, Fluidampr, Industrial Injection.U.C.C. 2025 was capped off by treating fans to 2.6 Pro Street and 3.0 Limited Pro Stock diesel truck action, courtesy of the Epic Pulling Series. Here, Damon Winland turns in the winning distance in the Pro Street class behind the wheel of his third-gen coined “Trudy.” Moving the cone to the left side of the track to try a different line proved worth it for Damon, with his truck able to take a big bite out of the track.
