HEADLINES: Records Set, Champions Crowned
Drag racing records shattered, a fiery Fummins build and the infamous Duramax Chevelle returns to its drag ‘n drive roots.
Over the weekend, the ODSS season ended on what is perhaps the highest note in the drag race series’ history. In addition to winning the Wagler Fall Nationals event, Pro Dragster driver Michael Cordova set a new eighth-mile record with a history-making 3.87-second pass at 191 mph. That officially makes him the owner of the quickest and fastest diesel in the world. But that wasn’t all. Another monumental record was shattered over the weekend when Justin Zeigler reset the Pro Street E.T. and trap speed mark at 4.74 seconds and 159 mph. Additionally, Justin completed a clean sweep of the class. For the first time in ODSS history, a Pro Street driver won every event on the schedule. Look for full event coverage from the weekend at Wagler’s at Green Handle Media soon.
In The Dirt
Jon Mann’s New Super Stock Build
Meet the newest truck to join the ranks of Super Stock. It’s owned by Jon Manns and wears the same name his Pro Stock OBS Ford did: “Crazy Ex.” Building the ’73-’79 Ford consumed nearly two years of Jon’s life, but the truck came out absolutely perfect. It’s powered by a Haisley Machine Cummins and appears to be a big single build—a rarity anymore in the Super Stock category. On its inaugural hook, Jon and the Crazy Ex placed Sixth out of 13 trucks, not a bad start. If you’re out east, look for him to hit the Weakland’s Octoberfest Truck and Tractor Pull being held on October 13-14 in Chest Springs, Pennsylvania.
Drag Racing
A Duramax Joins The Redwood Rally Drag & Drive
Iron man Rick Fletes and his Duramax-powered Chevelle are at it again… and this time they’re staying close(ish) to home. For anyone that doesn’t remember, just a few years back Rick was known to drive his LB7-powered ’70 Chevelle cross-country to drag race against other diesels—and he often did it with a trailer behind him. Last week, he followed the Redwood Rally tour through northern California and southern Oregon. Overall, Rick finished Fourth Place in his class, making several 5-second passes (including a 5.91) along the way. The 5-day event paid a visit to Redding Dragstrip (Day 1), Samoa Dragstrip (Day 2), Coos Bay Speedway (Day 3), Medford Dragstrip (Day 4) and concluded back in Redding on Day 5.
Unique Ride
Austin B. Ford’s One Of A Kind Ramcharger
Spotting a Dodge Ramcharger out in the wild these days is rare to say the least, but what about one with a P-pumped 12-valve under the hood that’s capable of belting out 1,100 hp? Austin B. Ford’s hood-stacked monstrosity first broke into four-digit horsepower aboard the dyno in 2022 but recently he upped the ante to 1,132-rwhp. A big set of compounds—an S475 hangs from the manifold and a massive 107mm charger serves as the atmosphere unit—forces triple-digit boost (and then some) into the mechanical 5.9L. Combining recent suspension work (lowering) with the Ramcharger’s inherent light weight, you could easily be looking at a vehicle that can run 9’s…
OEM
UAW Strike Update (Ford’s Take)
Very little movement has been made between The Big Three (Ford, GM, Stellantis) and the UAW. As a result, today roughly 25,000 of the UAW’s 146,000-worker membership are striking. In a Friday, September 29 press release from Ford, the automaker put forth the following perspective. The UAW is holding up any possibility of a deal being made due to battery plants that Ford states won’t even be operational for another two to three years. Ford also stated that there is still time to find common ground, but that the window is closing fast given how fragile the supply base is.
Know Your Diesel
A Word On Fuel Contamination From The Folks At Scheid Diesel
With a state-of-the-art fuel injection shop at its disposal, Scheid Diesel sees its fair share of pump and injector failures—and a major killer of these vital components is contaminated fuel. Not only does the diesel in your car, truck, SUV or equipment provide the power required to propel your vehicle, but it also lubricates and cools the injection system. The bottom line? Keep your injection system clean by only running OEM fuel filters replaced at the proper interval, only run pump diesel from a trusted source, and only pour a quality fuel additive into your tank. For more on quality additives, visit Scheid Diesel’s website.
