It’s PRI Week

The business of racing will kick into high gear this week thanks to the annual Performance Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis. Expect a packed Indiana Convention Center and adjoining Lucas Oil Stadium, cutting-edge go-fast part unveilings, the latest news from racing organizations, and some of the fastest and most powerful oil burners in existence on display. Industry titans like Wagler Competition Products and Wehrli Custom Fabrication have promised to deliver plenty of eye candy, while big names like Scheid Diesel, Hot Shot’s Secret, and S&S Diesel Motorsport will have some of diesel’s heaviest hitters parked in their booths. At the Exergy Performance booth (#2543 in Green Hall), you’ll find Garret Niss’s gold-plated, show-stopping third-gen—as well as Firepunk Diesel’s record-holding Duster.

OEM News

The New 6.7L Cummins

Meet the latest 6.7L Cummins. No, it’s not a 7-liter or larger engine (although rumor has it a 7.2L I-6 is in development in Columbus) and no, it’s not packing 1,200+ lb-ft of torque, but rather a 10hp bump to 430 hp and the same 1,075 lb-ft. What it is equipped with is very interesting. For the first time ever, glow plugs have been introduced (and reportedly to solve the grid heater fastener issues) as have externally located injectors that run through the valve cover. Cummins has also gone back to a traditional cast-iron block rather than CGI (compacted graphite iron), along with what looks to be a variant of the Bosch CP4.2 in place of the tried-and-true CP3. As for the valvetrain, the hydraulic lifter arrangement that debuted in 2019 remains. The new 6.7L Cummins will be backed by a ZF Powerline 8 automatic transmission, which is said to be a significant upgrade over the Chrysler 68RFE.

Events

Ring Racing’s Cummins-Powered ‘Caddy Competes At The Snowbird Outlaw Nationals

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in on Jared Ring and his Cadillac ATS-V, the small-tire coupe rocking a Freedom Racing Engines-built billet-aluminum Cummins. The Ring Racing team made an appearance at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals in Bradenton over the weekend, and despite having a couple valvetrain issues in Q1 they made the call for Q2. Then in E1, with everything seemingly lined out and ready to go, the car spun roughly 30-feet out. But that’s racing. Back in the trailer, the team from Texas pointed things north toward Indianapolis, and you’ll be able to find their one of a kind ‘Caddy at the PRI Show this week. It’ll be parked in the S&S Diesel Motorsport booth, number 3567 in Yellow Hall.

Summit 7.3

Where else can you meet one of the original Ford software engineers behind the coveted 7.3L Power Stroke? At the inaugural Summit 7.3, created and hosted by Power Hungry Performance, one of the OG’s responsible for developing the operating hardware and software system on the HEUI-fired V-8 was on hand as a guest speaker—and boy did he have some stories to tell. Big aftermarket names like Full Force, KC Turbos, Jelibuilt Performance, Strictly Diesel, Unlimited Diesel Performance, Complete Performance and a host of others were there as well, many of them showcasing newly released products. Version 2.0 is booked for March 27-29, 2025, with an optional Minotaur tuning training day taking place on March 26. And new for this go ‘round, the final day of the convention (Saturday, March 29^th) will be open to the public. Registration for the event can be found here.

Emissions From Across The Pond

Taxed On The Miles You Drive, And The Weight Of Your Truck

That’s the proposal from emissions experts, Felix Leach and Nick Molden, who believe this type of tax system would simplify the car tax system in Great Britain, as well as apply the “polluter pays” concept. In their new book, Leach and Molden also propose a mass-distance based tax system, stating that a vehicle’s weight is the best substitute for a vehicle’s environmental impact. Consider it a potential precursor to replace the gas tax when (or if) electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles take over the roads. It goes without saying that a mass-distance based tax system would incentivize consumers to buy smaller, lighter, and (typically) greener cars.

Written by Mike McGlothlin