Unbeatable In The Dirt
Unkillable transmissions, a 2.6 class Cummins dominates the Indiana Pulling League circuit, a bullnose Ford gets a P-pumped 12-valve, and greenhouse gas emissions may be going away.
Deep in Indiana corn country, Evan Rusk is quietly dominating the Indiana Pulling League’s 2.6 Diesel Truck circuit. Evan’s “Double Or Nothin’” Dodge has pulled off a host of wins thus far in 2025, racking up 486 points as of July 29th. The S&S/MoTeC-controlled, Freedom-built, common-rail Cummins-powered second-gen blasted onto the seen late in 2024 and, winning every IPL hook it made it to, foreshadowed what was to come the following year. Double Or Nothin’ goes back on the hook with IPL this Saturday in Idaville, Indiana, then competes with the Pro Pulling League at the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza August 22-23 before rejoining the ranks of IPL for the Hoosier State Showdown on August 30th.
Top-Notch Support Out On The Road
This is what it means to support your customers. The folks at Fleece Performance Engineering opened their doors on a Sunday to help get Jennifer Pushlar’s “Hellfire” Limited Pro Stock truck back in business. In the midst of an extended Midwest pulling tour, the New York-based Pushlar’s lost an injector at a hook in Kentucky, promptly high-tailed it up to Fleece’s Pittsboro, Indiana headquarters and were met with all the tools and workspace they needed to install a fresh set of injectors. Hellfire was back in action three nights later at a Pro Pulling League event in Altamont, Illinois and an Epic Pulling Series hook the night after that.
Transmission Tech
The Indestructible Allison
What do Wehri Custom Fabrication’s new drag truck and its storied ’02 pulling truck have in common? They’ve both been equipped with the same exact Allison transmission. Originally built back in 2018 as one of the company’s 750+ HP units, it stood up to years of abuse out on the pulling track before being retired in favor of a manual transmission conversion. Fast forward to 2024/2025 and WC Fab’s newly acquired RWD drag truck was in need of a battle-proven transmission. So, in went the 7-year-old Allison with countless hooks on it. The short-bed Silverado responded by running 10.60s at the SICK Summer drag ‘n drive event and has provided 100-percent flawless operation. It’s proof that WC Fab is the place to go if you need an Allison to hold up in any high-horsepower application.
Not Your Average-Everyday 48RE Swap
Otterbein, Indiana. Aisin AS69RC to 48RE conversion with a fully functional, 100-percent working dash and gauge cluster. It’s a reality the folks at WP Developments made possible for customer, Jacob Hossack. And it’s exactly the kind of OEM fit and function owners of newer Rams have been waiting for. With it, they get the proven durability of a WP-built 48RE, the ability to utilize their truck’s horsepower without worry and, thanks to the seamless integration of the swap, the feeling that the truck left the factory this way. It’s another example of WP Developments mastering not only the hard-part side of a transmission swap, but the electronics side, too.
Cummins Swap
A 6BT-Converted Bullnose Ford
When Michael Kelly’s tired 460 ci big block gasser had nothing left to give, he decided to transform his ’86 F-350 into the ultimate old-school workhorse. Starting with a 210 hp extended long block 5.9L Cummins from Big Bear Engine Company, Michael sourced a pair of motor mounts from Diesel Conversion Specialists, along with bolting an NV4500 and Advance Adapters transfer case in place behind the venerable (and P-pumped) 6BT. A dual disc South Bend clutch transfers torque from the 12-valve 5.9L through the five-speed manual and ultimately out to a 3.73-geared rear axle. Added stopping power comes by way of a Pacbrake exhaust brake and a set of 22.5-inch Alcoas (bolted up thanks to a set of Tennessee Wheel & Tire adapters) provided the final touches to his unique swap.
Emissions
The News Heard ‘Round The Diesel World
Last Tuesday, new EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, dropped a bombshell statement. In an exchange with a reporter at a press conference in Indianapolis, Zeldin disclosed that the greenhouse gas emissions regulations established by the EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding wouldn’t be rolled back, altered, or reset under the Trump administration—but that they would be completely eliminated. This is huge news and a potential game-changer for the entire diesel industry—from passenger cars to pickups and medium duty trucks, to Class 8 tractor trailers. How this plays out in the industry remains to be seen, but it has the potential to undo $1 trillion worth of excessively costly emissions regulations.
Written by Mike McGlothlin
