Brand-new builds, billet blocks, and cutting-edge parts flood the Performance Racing Industry trade show.
As the performance potential and popularity of diesels has grown over the years, so too has its presence at major industry trade shows. Nowhere is that more apparent than at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show in Indianapolis. Every December, a small army of diesel-powered vehicles infiltrates the Indiana Convention Center, along with the first-class companies that support them. Some of the most renowned engine builders and innovators, injection pump and injector producers, turbo manufacturers, and transmission parts specialists in the diesel industry are on hand in Indy.
From Michael Cordova’s record-setting dragster to Ryan Milliken’s No Mercy-winning, radial tire Nova, and Super Stock trucks and tractors to classic re-powers, we counted 15 diesel-powered vehicles at PRI 2023. We also spotted a dozen billet-aluminum blocks, a turbo that can support 5,000 hp, and a few triple-turbo monstrosities. Then came the new vehicle unveilings: RLC Motorsports’ vibrant orange, rear-wheel drive Ram and a fresh rail from Wagler Competition Products. The high-quality parts, engines and vehicles that follow represent just how far diesel performance has come.
When Ryan Milliken’s Cummins-powered Nova won No Mercy 14 back in October, it rocked the world of radial tire drag racing. And thanks to this billet-aluminum Cummins from Freedom Racing Engines, we can all expect more of the same from him in 2024. The billet block and (Wagler) head Cummins is topped off with an 88mm turbo from Hart’s Diesel. Fittingly, Milliken’s new bullet was attached to an engine dyno in the SuperFlow booth—an indication of where it’s headed next. We can already hear the dyno firing up at Fleece Performance Engineering as you read this.Though there were many highlights this year, Michael Cordova’s record-setting eighth-mile E.T. of 3.87 seconds was arguably the biggest moment in diesel drag racing in 2023. That achievement landed him a spot in the S&S Diesel Motorsport booth—a company that had its fuel system products and/or calibrations on a whopping seven vehicles at the show. From the one-off, tubular header to the fact that the 300-inch, HammerTech-prepped Spitzer chassis is actually Scheid Diesel’s old piece, to what it’s proven capable of doing on the track, Michael’s rail is highly unique, and deserving of every bit of attention it receives.In the FASS booth, Michael Dalton and the RLC Motorsports crew had their new eighth-mile slayer on display. The ’14 Ram that belonged to Ryan Milliken once upon a time (and that was named “Mini Wheat”), was transformed into a formidable Pro Truck N/T contender, and we’re told it will also serve time competing in the PDRA’s Pro Street category. A low-slung, well-set-back 6.8L Cummins from Freedom Racing Engines will power it, a single GT55 will produce boost, S&S will handle the fueling, and an M&M TH400 with a Sun Coast converter will route power to the rear 33×10.5 slicks.As is customary at the PRI Show, gigantic turbos were prevalent. However, this particular unit, parked at the Hart’s Diesel booth, is fully functional and currently in use on Pro Stock tractors. To give this beast some scale, Chase Fleece posed next to it for us. How does a billet, 165mm compressor wheel and a 5,000hp rating sound? That’s a 6.5-inch inlet. The Hart’s H7 series turbo also employs the company’s proprietary, dual angular hydrodynamic ceramic ball bearing center cartridge.Within the confines of the Hart’s booth, Jared Ring’s ’15 Ram, a ride called “Frosty 2.0” that competes in Pro Truck N/T, garnered plenty of attention. Its Freedom-built Cummins sports an LSM aluminum block, an aluminum head, Diamond pistons connected to D&J X-beam rods, S&S Ordnance injectors with two 14mm CP3’s, a 94mm Hart’s turbo and six (6!) kits of nitrous, courtesy of Nitrous Express. The potent engine is controlled via a stand-alone MoTeC ECU and is backed by a Rossler TH400 with a 12-inch Sun Coast converter.Parked alongside 2023 ODSS Pro Mod Champion Johnny Gilbert’s split-window Corvette in the Wagler booth, we discovered this simple, lightweight, Duramax-powered rail. Turns out, Jeremy Wagler’s daughter, Jayle, will be driving it in 2024. Equipped with a Streetfighter engine that’s using a single, 10mm S&S CP3, 100-percent over 6.7L Cummins injectors and that’s topped off with a 76mm charger from Apex Turbo, the Wagler V-8 was good for 1,043 hp and 1,650 lb-ft on the dyno. At this power level, the dragster should get from A to B without issue—and that’s exactly the plan. In fact, Jeremy tells us they’re calling the rail “No Maintenance.”In speaking with the folks at Scheid Diesel, we learned that turbo safety was going to be a major area of improvement in the years ahead, and rightfully so. For many (if not all) truck and tractor pulling sanctioning bodies, exhaust cross-bolt mandates have been amended with improved turbine wheel failure containment in mind. Dan Scheid also conveyed that compressor housing blankets would also likely be a thing in diesel drag racing’s future. He then tipped us off as to what transmission/clutch arrangement the record-setting Scheid rail might be campaigning in 2024. Think Top Fuel Dragster!Neal Chance Racing Converters had one of their familiar diesel lockup units on display, this one being of the 12.3-inch variety. This is the same converter used in Firepunk’s former S10 Pro Mod, the first diesel to run a 3-second eighth-mile (the 3.99 at Lights Out 12). Fun fact: This billet stator, re-stallable converter was first tested by Firepunk Diesel. Back then, an 11.7-inch unit with a steel cover was used.Speaking of Firepunk Diesel, their ’70 Duster Pro Mod was front and center at the Hot Shot’s Secret booth—and it had zero issues attracting a crowd. A 4.14-second pass in recent testing—along with a 1.02-second 60-foot—says they are making solid progress with the new car. As team Firepunk focuses on power management and chassis adjustments, look for the Duster to quickly dig deeper into the 4’s and possibly even go after the quickest eighth-mile diesel record at some point.After pushing the limits of the factory, cast-iron 7.3L Powerstroke block as far as 2,180 hp—and experiencing three cracked blocks, all in the same location—Unlimited Diesel Performance decided to join the billet block party. The company’s 7.3L crankcase is carved out of a billet of aluminum and is highlighted by 9/16-inch head studs that engage deeper in the block than stock, and that are also surrounded by more material to keep the block from cracking. Other highlights include a 4340 billet-steel bed plate, 9/16-inch main studs, ductile iron flange sleeves, Jesel .904 solid roller lifters, and a 63-pound weight reduction over the OEM gray iron piece. The 444 ci V-8 is mechanically injected and sports a 15mm P-pump.Classic Car Studio and D&J Precision Machine teamed up for this work of art: a ’56 Ford F-600. The old iron sits on a Porterbuilt Fabrication front sub frame, boasts a rear four-link with RideTech shocks, and rides on AirLift air springs. The truck’s interior is dressed with Relicate leather and features SoundSkins deadening, Dakota Digital gauges and a Sparc Industries steering wheel. Under the hood, you’ll find a D&J 6.7L Street Performance Cummins, complete with 12mm ARP main studs, X-beam billet rods, a fire-ringed Stage 4 cylinder head with 9/16-inch ARP head studs, a D&J tow performance camshaft, and HD 7/16-inch pushrods. Stay tuned for more on this superbly-executed build.Exergy Performance had a major product debut at the PRI Show: its 550 Alpha CP3. Building on its 14mm pump, the Alpha 550 carries the output trajectory 1,000 rpm further. With it, you see increased volume all the way to 5,500 rpm. The new CP3’s peak output checks in at 550 liters per hour (lph), hence its name. Designed for competition (yet completely streetable), the Alpha 550 will be ideal for drag racers and truck pullers whose engines compete at 5,000 to 6,000 rpm. Cummins and Duramax pumps are set to release in the first quarter of 2024.Meet the engine that almost didn’t make it to Indy. Nick Orefice of Fluidampr filled us in on this John Deere power plant’s 400-mile ride, which entailed a collapsed trailer floor, an innumerable amount of four-letter words, and a lengthy layover before the journey continued. Built for the Light Pro Stock class by VG Motorsports out of Eddyville, Iowa, this 540 ci green beast is graced with a Wimer P-pump and 5-inch turbo, a recast cylinder head, a billet cam and rods, and is said to turn out more than 3,000 hp.Over in Lucas Oil Stadium, the Super Stock class “High Tech Redneck,” owned by Mike and Sally Beck, was available for showgoers to see. In the world of diesel tractor pulling, it doesn’t get any wilder than this. These multi-turbo machines never cease to impress, often cranking out 300-psi of boost. So, with that much boost on the table, it begs the obvious question: what does it make for horsepower? Let’s just say that, back in 2019, it was mentioned that a DT466-based powerplant very similar to the Beck’s was turning out 5,600 hp… It’s anyone’s guess as to what Super Stock engines make today, but 6,000-plus would be our guess.
