Diesel Truck Wars

Side-by-side racing, a chassis dyno, a show ‘n shine, great food, and a truck on fire in the pits… Despite a cold front blowing through, Diesel Truck Wars was the hottest spot to be over the weekend, with loads of spectators turning up at Northeast Dragway for the annual spring DTW race. Jaxon Ray Harrell, Brent Elliot, and Marty’s Diesel Performance all took home wins, and several ODSS regulars honed their skills in preparation of the season opener. Dustin Canter was one of the latter competitors, and he spent his day terrorizing the ranks of the 7.70 and ET categories. With a 7.7000 in round one of 7.70 Index eliminations, we’d say Dustin and his battle-hardened LB7 are ready for Rudy’s Spring Truck Jam on April 27^th.

At The ‘Strip

The Cleetus Race Time Crunch…

Paul Cato is due to race on the backside of Bradenton Motorsports Park later this week—and he’ll be there as long as he can fix this before then… Could these cooked converter clutches be the reason Paul’s fire-breathing common-rail second-gen has been down on mph lately, despite making horsepower than it ever has? Paul thinks so, and now it’s crunch time for getting it fixed before he needs to load up for the 900-mile drive to Florida. With lots of recent testing on un-prepped surfaces, we hope Paul makes the call. His potent TH400-backed Cummins has been 4.74 on a prepped track in the past, making it one of the quickest diesels yet to compete in Cleetus MacFarland’s AWD vs. RWD no-prep race…

Every Diesel Drag Race Record In One Place

Yes, please! JT Bowden spearheaded a movement on the Firepunk Diesel Discussion Forum to compile every meaningful diesel drag race record. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an ultimate “list” available at your fingertips? Here at Green Handle Media, we can’t even begin to count the number of times we’ve cruised over to Elite Power Strokes for clarification on an overall Ford record for horsepower, or 1/8-mile or ¼-mile passes. JT’s initial list grabbed our attention with a group of overall 4×4 1/8-mile ET leaders. They read: Derek Rose (4.41 – Cummins), Nathannial DeLong (4.62 – 6.4L Power Stroke), Justin Goode (4.63 – Duramax), Justin Zeigler (4.67 – Cummins), Paul Cato (4.74 – Cummins), Austin Doidge (4.76 – Cummins), Dustin Sterling (4.79 – Duramax), and Phillip Franklin (4.81 – Cummins).

Dirt Drags

New Dirt Drag Series—With $10K On The Line

Four races. Three states. One champion. The 2026 Diesel Dirt Drag Tour aims to bring Street Diesel and Hot Street Diesel competitors together for a true Midwest championship run. Races will be held in May, June, August, and October, with a $10,000 championship purse up for grabs. The tour kicks off at the Hub City Dirt Drags Spring Opener on May 9th, hits the Southern Ohio Smoke Show in June, checks in at the North Iowa Nationals in August, and circles back to Wisconsin for the fall finale at the Hub City Dirt Drags. Consistency will be the key to winning it all—i.e. making it to every event, finishing strong, and surviving the season. Visit Hub City’s website for more information and to get signed up.

Now On The Market

Fleece & Amsoil Release Freedom Series Diesel Engine Oils

Last week, Amsoil and Fleece Performance Engineering announced the launch of the all-new, Freedom Series diesel engine oils. It’s a partnership that was forged from the desire to offer an advanced formulation of oils for diesel trucks. The new Freedom Series lineup includes 10W-30, 5W-40, 15W-40 100-percent synthetic diesel oil, 15W-50 100-percent synthetic racing oil, and SAE 30 break-in oil. With Freedom’s penchant for building championship-winning engines and Amsoil’s 60-year history developing some of the highest quality lubricants in the automotive market, expect these engine oils to deliver maximum wear protection, improved oxidation resistance, and reliable thermal stability in the most demanding conditions.

Written by Mike McGlothlin