From wrecked to reborn, Nathan Wheeler’s triumphant return to drag racing might just be the greatest comeback story in diesel.
From a catastrophic crash in the fall of 2023 to his ’10 Super Duty being reborn at Truck Source Diesel to winning Cleeter’s $20,000 AWD vs. RWD Shootout, Nathan Wheeler and his “Crazyhorse” Ford represent the ultimate comeback story. Back in March, the street racer from Austin, Texas beat out some of the fastest no-prep cars (and 4×4 trucks) in the country, proving diesel has what it takes to compete against the best. But is the cat finally out of the bag on diesel? Do people actually know what compression ignition is capable of?
Turns out, the 2,100 hp Nathan needed to get the win on the backside of Bradenton Motorsports Park only scratched the surface of what his nitrous-huffing Cummins is capable of. Going forward, expect Crazyhorse (and other diesels like it) to continue to disrupt the natural order of things in no-prep racing. Everything you used to know about compression ignition no longer applies. The modern common-rail diesel race engine is a high-tech, highly advanced beast—and all but smoke-free.
In this exclusive look at Nathan’s tube chassis Ford, we’ll take you inside the D&J Enforcer Series engine that powers it, the S&S fuel system, the big single turbo, and the five-stage Nitrous Outlet system that’s capable of pushing the truck beyond 3,000 hp. We’ll also take a look at the driveline that combines a Rossler TH400 and SCS transfer case, the truck’s 9-inch axles, the front and rear four-link suspension underneath it, and the finely tuned MoTeC ECU that controls everything.
This is where it all started, with the 6.4L Power Stroke powered ’10 standard cab Super Duty Nathan purchased for his carpentry business. In the early going, you could usually find it hooked to a 16-foot trailer and with plywood in the bed. Then it happened. “My first serious race was on the street,” Nathan told us. “And then for the next couple years, all I did was street race.” After that, Nathan started frequenting nearby Little River Dragway and learned to appreciate racing on a prepped surface. As things progressed, the truck grew to have a 16-gallon fuel cell and two nitrous bottles in the bed—and the time had come to source a dedicated work truck and turn this one into a purpose-built drag racer.What some of you might not know is that Nathan stuck it out with the 6.4L Power Stroke for several years before he ever thought about a Cummins conversion. In fact, his Super Duty ran a 5.97-second eighth-mile at 118 mph under 6.4L power. At 6,800 pounds, that’s more than 1,500 hp making it to the wheels… However, in the end a cracked block—and the game-over, finality that that type of failure brings with it—led Nathan down the path of improved durability at high horsepower. It was time for a Cummins swap.While it was still 6.4L powered, the truck was back-halved and treated to fiberglass panels all the way around at Truck Source Diesel, the place where each rendition of Crazyhorse has been built. When Nathan turned to Cummins power, a 6.7L sleeved down to 5.9 liters of displacement got the nod, and the common-rail inline-six was backed by a BTS-built 4R100 automatic. At that point, Nathan’s F-350 was still sporting the factory axles and transfer case, but the weight reduction and other upgrades were enough to send the truck deep into the 5’s in the eighth-mile.For version 2.0, Crazyhorse received a full tube chassis, an S&S-fueled Enforcer series Cummins from D&J Precision Machine, a MoTeC stand-alone ECU with S&S firmware, and a Rossler TH400. Unfortunately, this edition didn’t last long. Against his better judgement, and having virtually zero seat time with the new setup, Nathan immediately took his fresh build to a local no-prep race. There, an inability to change engine calibrations (due to a faulty laptop Ethernet adapter) left him at the mercy of a tune that was set on kill and prone to spinning the tires. During Nathan’s second race of the night, the steering wheel unexpectedly jerked to the left, both driver side slicks spun due to debris, and the truck essentially torque-steered into a guard rail. From there, the truck bounced over the rail, broke a telephone pole in half, flipped onto its nose, and then rolled back onto the track. Luckily, the TSD-built cage did its job and Nathan walked away.During the melee that occurred on the back-half of Little River Dragway, the turbo was sheared off of the exhaust manifold, the engine block endured considerable road rash, and several injectors were damaged. Here, you can see what the injectors looked like, with several solenoids being ripped off. Luckily, S&S Diesel Motorsport’s Carter Langellier was able to repair them. As for Nathan, he suffered a grade 2 concussion. And, according to his data logger he was subjected to more than 7 G’s worth of force while the truck was sideways—which explains why he blacked out during the crash.Without batting an eye, Nathan got up, dusted himself off, and immediately began making plans to get back in the driver’s seat. Back at Truck Source Diesel, the damage was assessed, a new cab was sourced, and the rebuild quickly got underway. Version 3.0 would be badder than ever, ultimately sending Nathan into the 4’s for the first time at Outlaw Diesel Revenge 2024. His 4.93-second blast at 152 mph in Indy would happen with the truck sporting this pre-wrap appearance.It’s no surprise that Nathan went with a solid, proven engine platform for his go-fast needs. D&J Precision Machine builds one hell of a Cummins, and this Enforcer series long block boasts a sleeved cast-iron 6.7L block that’s been topped off with a 1-inch deckplate, and a rotating assembly that employes a factory 6.7L crank swinging six D&J X-beam rods and FSR pistons with Total Seal rings. The crank is secured via D&J’s HD girdle and ARP 9/16-inch main studs, and both the block and head are machined to accept fire-rings. A billet-aluminum front cover, billet roller cam and lifters, and 7/16-inch HD pushrods sum up some of the other components at work inside this competition Cummins.A top-of-the-line, Stage 4 D&J head anchors to the block by way of 9/16-inch ARP head studs. The fire-ringed 24-valve piece has been treated to 5-axis CNC porting, larger 1.500-inch super alloy intake valves and 1.450-inch exhaust valves, 115-lb valve springs with titanium retainers, a performance CNC valve job, and upgraded valve seats. Flowing 320 cfm on the intake side, the Stage 4 head flows nearly double what a factory head does. Here, you can see the Steed Speed exhaust manifold Nathan runs, which integrates two external wastegates. On the other side of the engine, you’ll find D&J’s billet runner style intake manifold, which ensures equal airflow across all cylinders.Big fuel is on tap thanks to a D&J dual CP3 billet timing gear housing, which facilitates the use of two high-speed 14mm CP3’s from S&S Diesel Motorsport. The stroker high-pressure fuel pumps supply the rail with diesel that’s been pressurized as high as 32,000 psi, which is ultimately used by a set of built-to-spec Ordnance injectors, also from S&S. The timing cover also integrates a direct drive Waterman lift pump, which supplies the CP3’s. As for diesel fuel? Nathan’s Cummins runs on good old tractor fuel and a splash of Adrenaline R82 cetane boost from Hot Shot’s Secret.Different racing surfaces not only call for different slicks, but they also call for a different turbo. For no-prep surfaces, an 88mm Garrett GT55 gets the nod due to its ability to spool without nitrous and allowing Nathan to leave at a lower rpm (roughly 2,800 rpm). On prepped tracks, the 94mm Harts charger shown here gets bolted to the manifold. Nathan tells us both turbos operate at very favorable boost-to-drive pressure ratios (at or slightly under 1:1). Peak boost for the Garrett checks in at 75 psi, while the larger Harts unit typically produces 65 psi. All boosted air is routed through a Precision air-to-water intercooler before entering the head.For full control over the common-rail Cummins, Crazyhorse is equipped with an M142 stand-alone ECU from MoTeC. Wired up by Truck Source Diesel’s Nathaniel Oku, who also handled all of the truck’s fabrication and plumbing work, the MoTeC system utilizes diesel-specific software developed by S&S Diesel Motorsport, as well as a host of RIFE sensors. Calibration duties are a collaborative effort between S&S design and development calibrator, Andre Dusek, and Nathan, with Nathan pressuring himself to become more involved in the tuning side of things throughout the past year. “I said to myself, if I’m going to figure this racing thing out I have to start learning how to tune my truck,” he told us. “On-site, on-track tuning is left to me now (and many times performed in the middle of the night), and I’m usually tweaking the tune for better traction.”Thanks to Nitrous Outlet, Nathan has five (5) stages of N2O at his disposal, complete with Pro Mod solenoids and a pair of ¼-inch thread “Gustav” nozzles. But make no mistake, different racing surfaces call for different nitrous usage strategies. For instance, with the 88mm turbo on the engine the kits don’t start activating until he lets go of the [trans-brake] button (i.e. no spool stage). On the other hand, with the 94mm charger in the mix two stages are employed to help light it. “We are leaving with very low power, but ramping in horsepower very quickly,” Nathan said. “That’s the big challenge in no-prep racing.” Three seconds into any pass, every kit is on line.Combine five stages of nitrous with precise electronic control of a diesel engine and you get a performance that’s not only powerful but that’s darn-near smoke-free. Lean and mean, Nathan tells us Crazyhorse’s fire-breathing Cummins was operating at a 28:1 air-fuel ratio when he won Cleeter’s AWD vs. RWD Shootout. “When I tell people the engine idles at 147:1, they can’t believe it,” he said. “They’re like, what?!” Soon, Nathan plans to go even leaner by bringing more nitrous into the equation.Like so many other successful diesel drag racers these days (4×4 or RWD), Nathan runs a TH400 from Rossler Transmissions. A Neal Chance bolt-together lockup torque converter sits on the input shaft and the trans-braked three-speed takes its cues via this Motion Raceworks shifter. An SCS quick change transfer case (“drop box”) routes power to the front and rear axles through aluminum (for now) driveshafts. As for when lockup occurs, it all depends on the racing surface, especially when it comes to no-prep. However, on a prepped track Nathan told us he locks the converter in first gear, usually around the 60 to 80-foot mark.Saving considerable weight over the factory Dana 60 and Sterling 10.5 without sacrificing strength, Crazyhorse benefits from Moser Engineering 9-inch axles, front and rear. Making the switch to 9-inch axles has been a common theme within the top ranks of diesel drag racing in recent years, and it can help racers shed as much as 400 pounds. Fully adjustable coil over shocks from Penske Racing Shocks, built specifically for this unique application, allow Nathan to fine-tune suspension travel. The truck’s chromoly tube chassis and the masterful fabrication work carried out by TSD’s Nathaniel Oku is on full display here, as well as below.Effective power application is paramount for any vehicle built to drag race. For Crazyhorse, front and rear extreme four-link suspension kits from Firepunk Diesel are employed. The four-link systems work to keep both axles located, ensure plenty of forward bite, and utilize heavy-duty parts designed to withstand the shock load of boosted, four-wheel drive launches. To dial in the front four-link’s geometry, Nathan took a few pointers from Loganbuilt Transmission & Race Fab. “Watching Logan Yelton’s video gave me a recommendation for a good starting point,” he told us. “So, I made the change, tested it, and the truck ran a tenth quicker than it ever had on asphalt.”Regardless which type of surface Crazyhorse races on, the same size, 28×10.5 Hoosiers get the call no matter what. However, different surfaces call for different rubber compounds. For no-prep, Nathan runs DO5 compound Hoosiers. DO5 is one of the stickiest, softest compounds you can find. “It doesn’t require a big burnout,” he told us. “Just put a little rubber down for yourself to back into and that’s it.” On prepped tracks, CO7, a much harder compound, offers him the best chance of winning.And now, it’s time to explain how aircraft technology became part of the truck, in the form of its rear wing. “It’s actually an upside-down airplane wing, and it helped tremendously” Nathan explained. “Manuel Gomez (Midnight Performance) turned all of us on to the wings.” The idea behind it is to apply downforce, which at high speed serves to improve traction and stability. “The wing allowed me to remove hundreds of pounds of lead weights, which I replaced with a 95-pound extended weight bar, as well as the wing,” he said. With the wing in place, Crazyhorse went two tenths quicker than it ever had before—and was noticeably more stable at 140-plus mph.At the infamous Cleetus MacFarland-hosted, $20,000 AWD vs. RWD Shootout that took place at Bradenton Motorsports Park back in March, Nathan beat out the likes of Ryan Mitchell, El Gringo, the On D Gas Cyclone, Jackstand Jimmy and Grimace on his way to victory—some of the top no-prep racers in the nation. Despite tipping the scales at 4,200 pounds (by far, the heaviest vehicle at the event), Crazyhorse held its own on the starting line, and back-halfed like a monster when it needed to. On all but one pass, Nathan’s four-wheel drive steed lived in the 5.20s, with trap speeds of 150 mph.Despite sitting on top of the world at the present time, Nathan will be the first to tell you it was a long road in getting here. Very long. “I had been losing and losing and losing again. Year after year after year, I’d been taking beatings,” he told us. “Like, I even lost at U.C.C. even though I went 4’s for the first time,” he continued. “The Cleetus race was my opportunity to prove I wasn’t just some crazy diesel owner who didn’t know what he was doing. Once I knew Cleetus was having another one of these races, I took it very seriously—and it paid off. I had 20-plus nights of staying up all night testing my truck, with at least 50 hits or more under my belt leading up to the race.”Leaving Florida with the big win (and $20,000 in his pocket), Nathan made it clear that not only his truck, but all of the AWD trucks invited to the shootout were going to be tough to beat on the back half in Bradenton. “They’re going to have a hard time beating us on this surface,” Nathan said. “Cleetus’s track is similar to a very smooth asphalt road with no rubber on it—and that’s exactly what I test on… I’m not spinning anywhere on this surface.” With a Davis box being added and more nitrous on the way, it’s clear Nathan plans to try to stay a step ahead of everyone else.So, what’s the lifeblood of a well-oiled machine like Crazyhorse? Like many of the nation’s top-running diesel drag racers, every fluid in Nathan’s Super Duty comes from Hot Shot’s Secret. From the engine oil to the diff fluid, and the transmission fluid to the fuel additive he pours into the fuel cell, everything comes from the lubrication specialists headquartered in Mount Gilead, Ohio.
