Landslide Victory(s)—Trump Dominates At DIDC
SEMA, Diesels In Dark Corners, Grudge Wars, and an $80,000 small tire race. It was a very busy week in Diesel.
Trump brought a broom to Georgia. No, not that Trump. Shane Kellogg’s triple-turbo Super Stock Haisley-powered Cummins puller. It’s the fourth-gen, tube-chassis Ram that’s long-been a front-runner (and even used to dominate the ranks) in the sport’s most powerful diesel truck category. Thanks to a fresh set of Wimer turbos, it appears to be back on the warpath. Friday night, Shane drove “Trump” out to a 381.31-foot distance, putting nearly 30 feet on the rest of the field (Jon Manns’ “Crazy Ex” finished Second with a 351.90-foot effort). On Night 2, Trump returned for a 372.63-foot blast—this time finishing more than 18 feet ahead of Second Place driver Ben Schimpf in “Trophy Hunter” and completing the DIDC XVI sweep. Believe it or not, this was Shane and Trump’s first time competing at Diesels In Dark Corners.
Best Of SEMA
The Dodge That Stole The Show
Show quality, old-school diesels never go out of style—and they were everywhere at this year’s SEMA Show. Front and center (and part of SEMA’s Battle of the Builders) was Keaton Lee’s ’90 Dodge W250 coined “Project 90 Proof.” Not only did Keaton paint the truck herself, but she essentially built the perfect first-gen Cummins. P-pumped 12-valve, compound turbos, manual transmission, an interior that’s been modernized but not ruined, and 22×14’s that somehow look right at home on a classic Dodge.
Jaw-Dropping Ford And GM Diesel Swaps
The JTX Forged booth looked like a million bucks thanks to Zach Pennock’s ’74 Ford being parked there. The dentside’s 1,000hp package features a Freedom Racing Engine’s 6.7L common-rail Cummins, S&S 150-percent over injectors and 14mm CP3, a 72mm turbo, and a built Firepunk 48RE. It also sits on a 2020 Super Duty chassis. Then there was Morgan Evans’ awesome ’82 GMC C3500 dually—a truck that went from worn out big-block V-8 to LB7 Duramax in just five days. Her ZF-6 shifted diesel conversion was parked in the Hot Shot’s Secret booth all week, and boy howdy did it get some well-deserved attention.
At The ‘Strip
Grudge Wars
The folks behind Diesel Truck Wars presented Grudge Wars at Hertford, North Carolina’s Northeast Dragway over the weekend, and judging by the results you would think it was a 5-second shootout. Past and present ODSS racers, Byron Kline, Skylar Fornes, and Chad Keeter all made low-5-second 1/8-mile passes in their respective Cummins-powered trucks, with Keeter going the quickest thanks to a 5.23 (and taking home $3,600 for his efforts). Kline would turn in a new personal best, 5.39-second hit, and Fornes would run a best of 5.51 in route to winning the Gambler’s race. Overall diesel records were set, too, and they came in the form of Jaxon Harrell resetting his own stock engine Duramax accolade with a 5.56-second 1/8-mile ET and Trevor Spence’s 5.55-second performance earning him the quickest ET yet for a stock bottom end Cummins.
Team Crazyhorse Perseveres In Texas, Takes Home $30K
Not a sketchy race surface nor an exploded SCS transfer case could keep Nathan Wheeler and the infamous Cummins-powered Ford off the podium. Nathan and team Crazyhorse showed up to the War Of Reckoning small tire race at WesTx Abilene Raceway last week with the hopes of 1) putting an AWD vehicle in the winner’s circle and 2) getting their hands on the event’s huge $80,000 First Place payout. In the end, Nathan met Billy Hoskinson’s Camaro in the final and had to settle for runner-up—along with a cool, $30,000. Despite the driveline carnage, which he was able to get fixed, Nathan’s S&S fueled Freedom Racing Engines Cummins never skipped a beat going rounds all weekend.
Shop Truck Reborn
Exergy Performance’s 1,300-rwhp LML Is Brought Back To Life
A cracked block may have sidelined Exergy’s ultra-clean LML for bit, but thanks to DHD and MTKB Racing the company’s 1,300-rwhp “shop truck” is up and running again. DHD handled the block machining and sleeve work, while MTKB Racing’s Mark Broviak fine-tuned the well-fueled and compound turbo’d Duramax. Fun fact, it’s been 10.50s in the quarter-mile (and 6.70 through the 1/8-mile) on an Allison 1000 that was built more than a decade ago. Don’t be surprised if this immaculate, daily drivable Silverado returns to towing Exergy’s display and merchandise trailer to events next season…
Written by Mike McGlothlin
