Fitzgerald Performance Joins ODSS, Brings Diesel Drag Racing Back To Tennessee

Outlaw diesel drag racing will soon return to Crossville, Tennessee. Last week, Blake Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Performance and Fitzgerald Motorsports Park, formally announced his new ownership stake in the Outlaw Diesel Super Series (ODSS). Working alongside longtime owners Dan Scheid and Aaron Rudolf, Blake and his team have plans to not only bring an ODSS event back to Crossville but eventually transform the eighth-mile racing facility into the ultimate event venue. Drag racing, dyno events, sled pulls, and burnout competitions are part of the plans—as are no-prep races. In addition, Fitzgerald Motorsports Park will be open for regular test-n-tune nights, beginning on April 5^th.

Diesels Show Up In Droves At Lights Out 16

It looks like diesels are here to stay in radial tire racing, and loads of them were on hand for Lights Out 16 over the weekend. From Radial Vs. The World and Pro 275 to the Pro Truck N/T and 6.0 Index classes, compression ignition made its presence known at South Georgia Motorsports Park. Jared Ring, Rod MacMaster, Larson Miller, Nick Bell, Tyler Bradley, Michael Dalton, Paul Cato, Jerry Parrot, Jonathan Montesino, and Enrique Gonzalez were among some of the heavy hitters that made the trip. And while diesel didn’t get the win in any one category, Michael Dalton and the Team Orange Ram fought their way to E3 in a 23-truck field in Pro Truck N/T before being eliminated. Pictured here is the wild wheelie Ring Racing’s Cummins-powered Cadillac ATS turned in during Q1 on Thursday.

Diesel Swaps

Pure Magic From Precision Power Wagons

Daniel Mininger of Precision Power Wagons has been building custom, Cummins-powered Power Wagons from the ground-up since 2013 and this is his latest creation. Built for Oklahoma native, Frank Crabtree, it’s been transformed into a crew cab with custom-leather-lined front captain’s chairs (and the rear bench), fitted with modern age, power running boards, equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, and is powered by a mechanical 4BT Cummins. The 3.9L power plant was supplied by Big Bear Engine Company, turns out 140 hp and, thanks to the engine builder’s specializing in piecing together 4BT’s, should last forever.

A Way Cool Oliver

A 5.9L Cummins-powered Oliver 1855 is pretty cool, right? Now, imagine it’s a common-rail! This is no ordinary Cummins conversion. Brought to our attention thanks to Tyler Stacy, the old Oliver was initially destined to receive a 12-valve 5.9L but, as fate would have it, less money actually had to be invested in making an ’03 model year 5.9L common-rail power the tractor. The wire-fired Cummins was complete, with the CP3, injectors, and even the ECM included (a manual ECM was required). Wiring up the engine was made easy thanks to a Painless Performance harness and the Cummins’ integration was simplified with a custom adaptor plate and modified motor mounts.

In The Dirt

EPIC Releases Its 2025 Schedule

Our friends at the EPIC Pulling Series, the sanctioning body that runs the sled pull at the Ultimate Callout Challenge, went public with its 2025 events calendar last week. With more events yet to be added, the series’ tentative schedule looks promising, with eight truck and tractor pulls set in stone and four more in the works, including the Wagler Fall Nationals. EPIC runs primarily in Indiana and is well-known for attracting the region’s best Limited Pro Stock (3.0 smooth bore) diesel trucks to its events, as well as joining forces with the Indiana Pulling League at select venues. If you’ve got time on your summer schedule, look EPIC up and take in one of its fine affairs.

May 31st or June 7th: Idaville, IN (TBD)

June 1st: UCC

June 11th: North Vernon, IN.

June 14th: Salem, IN

June 27th: Corydon, IN

July 2nd: Bloomington, IN

July 31st: Albion, IL

August 30th: TBA

Sept 20th: Salem, IN

Date pending for Wagler Fall Nationals

Written by Mike McGlothlin