Another One In The Sand!
First fire-ups, indoor truck and tractor pulling, and a 6,000hp hub dyno… This is how you heat up the cold winter months in the Midwest.
The Midwest Winter Nationals unfolded in Cloverdale, Indiana over the weekend, and a highly familiar Limited Pro Stock Cummins brought home the hardware. Tim Tuttle’s Freedom-powered third-gen (coined “Common Sense”) yanked the sled all the way to the sand pile during Saturday night’s finale. Tim’s good friend, Jimmy Barclay, who picked the perfect line and executed a textbook pass, was behind the wheel. It’s a truck that competes for the top spot all summer every summer, and that’s backed by some of the best in the business, including Fleece, S&S, Dynomite, Attitude Diesel, Apex Turbo, and Kenny’s. A big thanks goes out to our friends at Built Diesel Mafia for capturing the moment.
Transmission Swaps
Will Demand For 47/48 Swaps Increase In 2026?
WP Developments continues to be 48RE Swap Central, and the Otterbein, Indiana transmission experts are forecasting a busy year of replacing the 68RFE and Aisin with the proven four-speed in its customers’ high-horsepower third, fourth, and fifth-gen Rams. So, why does WP predict an uptick in this particular swap for 2026? It all boils down to integration. Last year, the team figured out how to retain full dash functionality in late-model trucks, bringing interest to an all-time high. That means PRNDL is visible on the cluster, the backup camera works as it should, and everything else functions like factory…
Industry News
S&S—Your New Hub Dyno Headquarters
There will soon be a lot more noise emanating from S&S Diesel Motorsport’s Seymour, Indiana location. A ProHub Extreme 6000 CCS dyno from Mainline DynoLog Dynamometers is now part of the company’s vast array of testing, tuning and validation tools. And being that this piece of equipment is rated for 6,000 hp, expect some pretty wild vehicles to get bolted to it in the future. After all, S&S provides fuel systems, electronics, and calibration expertise and support to countless diesel drag racers and truck pullers—not to mention the fact that Michael Cordova, owner of the fastest 1/8-mile diesel in the world, works for the company… Stay tuned as the common-rail wizards learn the ropes, and eventually push the limits, of their new toy.
At The ‘Strip
After a Top 5 finish in the ODSS 6.70 Index class last season, Steve Robbins decided to up his game for 2026. Built at Rowdy’s Automotive & Motorsports using parts from the likes of Wagler Competition Products (full-on, deck-plate engine), Firepunk Diesel, and Stainless Diesel (along with competition-topping fluids from Hot Shot’s Secret), Steve’s brand-new Cummins was fired up for the first time over the weekend for a hot re-torque. Now it makes its way to the dyno… Three months before the official kick off of the 2026 ODSS season, Steve is way ahead of the game. Look for his ’05 Dodge to be tested and proven when the season opener arrives: Rudy’s Spring Truck Jam on April 24-25.
Emissions
International Introduces A Less Complex, Cleaner, And More Powerful S13
Can the new S13 engine from International Motors finally get the manufacturer back into the good graces of the over-the-road segment? That’s what the Lisle, Illinois company is hoping for. International says its 23:1 compression, common-rail 12.7L—capable of turning out as much as 515 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of torque—will be the most advanced and efficient power plant it’s ever produced. The dual overhead cam I-6 is equipped with a dual-stage SCR aftertreatment system but no EGR cooler. In fact, during normal operating conditions the S13 requires zero exhaust gas recirculation. Variable valve timing is part of the emissions-curbing formula, too, with the S13 capable of meeting the EPA’s ultra-stringent 2027 NOx limit of just 0.035 g/hp-hr.
Written by Mike McGlothlin
