In case you didn’t know, the truck pulls aren’t the only major draw for the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza. Thanks to the drag race portion of the show being sanctioned by the Outlaw Diesel Super Series (ODSS), the heaviest hitters in the nation descend upon Terre Haute, Indiana every year, too. For two full days (Saturday and Sunday), the best drivers and the fastest vehicles in the world of diesel drag racing take to the eighth-mile track at Crossroads Dragway. Positioned just 800 feet from the truck pulls (the way the crow flies), it’s a hop, skip and a jump that thousands of spectators are willing to make to see the best of the best going head-to-head in the August heat.

With everything from daily driven, E.T. Bracket trucks to 2,500hp rails, a little bit of everything was on tap for the fans that made it over to Crossroads Dragway. Not only were four, five and six-second eighth-miles common at this year’s show, but the Index and bracket classes yielded some of the closest races we’ve seen to date. On top of that, we learned that several Index rigs are capable of going way quicker than their dial-ins—especially in the relatively new 5.90 Index category. The growing Pro Mod field and the crowd-favorite Pro Street class didn’t disappoint, either, with wheels-up two-wheel drives and 2,000hp 4x4s battling it out all weekend.

To find out who brought their A-game to one of the nation’s biggest diesel drag races, keep reading.

Pro Street First Place: “Old Hustle New Flow” Does It Again

In what has become all but his normal routine, Dustin Jackson made winning the heads-up Pro Street class look easy. His Cummins-powered, first-gen F-150 Lightning (coined “Old Hustle New Flow”) is notorious for its hard, wheels-up launches, its 1.2-second 60-foots and its subsequent five-second elapsed times. Things were no different at the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza, as Jackson took his third win in a row and now sits comfortably atop the ODSS Pro Street points chase.

Stupid-Fast Silverado

Now sporting a big Garrett single in place of the previous two-into-one triple turbo arrangement, we were curious to find out how Industrial Injection’s Cummins-powered ’01 Silverado (i.e. “Demaxed”) ran on its new setup. Short answer: the same. It’s still a 5,400-pound four-wheel drive truck that kicks butt and takes names in Pro Street. After putting up consistent 5.40s (even after roasting off the front slicks in round one of eliminations), driver Jared Delekta found himself side-by-side with Dustin Jackson in the Pro Street final. He ended up second on the weekend but catapulted himself into the number five spot in the ODSS season standings. For reference, this is the same truck that went 8.07 in the quarter-mile (at an insane 180 mph) at U.C.C. 2018.

Pioneering Parts: Trans-Braked TH400 in a 4x4 Truck

With diesel competitors having great success using the TH400 transmission in two-wheel drive applications, it was only a matter of time before someone tried it with a four-wheel drive. That someone is Johnny Gilbert of Stainless Diesel. Even though he was still testing the new setup, Gilbert managed a 5.44-second pass at Scheid (without locking the converter) and took third in Pro Street in the process. The trans-braked, Sun Coast TH400 setup might just be a game-changer for the Stainless Diesel crew and it could have Gilbert knocking on the door of bottom 5s by the end of the season.

Pro Mod First Place: Larson Miller and Team Firepunk Cruise to Victory

After watching Larson Miller click off repeat 4.7-second performances at the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza, we’d say he and the folks at Firepunk Diesel finally have the Save the Racks S10 figured out. Competitively speaking, this is potentially devastating news for the rest of the Pro Mod field, as once team Firepunk lines out a chassis, endless W’s tend to follow. In the Pro Mod finals, Miller piloted the single turbo, D&J Precision Machine Cummins-powered Chevy to a 4.76 at 154 mph for the win over Steve Royalty.

Climate Change

This was the first time we’d seen the triple-turbo, Cummins-powered Dodge Dakota driven by Steve Royalty in person, and it didn’t disappoint. Representing Warren County Diesel Service of Franklin, Ohio, the P-pumped 12-valve is rumored to produce more than 150 psi of boost at full tilt, and it ran consistent enough at the Extravaganza to take second place in the Pro Mod category. In the image shown above, Royalty and the “Climate Change” Dakota are in the midst of a 5.71-second qualifying run at 125 mph.

Right Back in the Hunt

Despite tagging the wall at the Rocky Top Diesel Shootout just four weeks’ prior, the Rudy’s Performance Parts F-250 was back in action with Rawlings Barnes at the helm. One thing is certain: The brass at Rudy’s are committed to campaigning their 6.4L Power Stroke in diesel’s second-fastest category (Pro Mod). Not even the substantial damage sustained at RTDS could keep them from chasing the points championship. A few days before the Extravaganza, the truck nabbed a couple 4.70s during testing. At Scheid’s, Barnes ran a 5.02 during qualifying and ended up taking third overall.

Ironing Out Issues

Unfortunately for Pro Mod points leader Ben Shadday, hard luck plagued him and his ’06 Dodge Ram most of the weekend. After stepping up to a larger, 4.3-inch single turbo, the truck wasn’t quite itself at the Extravaganza, going 5.62 vs. Firepunk Diesel’s 4.72 in the first round of eliminations. However, you are looking at the Pro Mod record holder for both E.T. (4.712) and speed (155.33 mph), so don’t be surprised if Shadday has things ironed out by the next race on the ODSS circuit. In fact, we think it’s only a matter of time before he and this highly-capable truck begin to dig deeper into mid-four-second territory.

Pro Dragster First Place: Wade Moody

Although a Cummins laid claim to nearly every drag racing category at the 2018 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza, the fastest vehicle at this year’s show proved to be Wade Moody’s twin-turbo’d, Duramax-powered, ’05 Spitzer chassis’d rail. Despite making a 4.22-second pass at 174 mph in which his parachute failed to deploy, Moody remained unfazed and consistent throughout the weekend. Pitted against Jared Jones and the Scheid Diesel rail in the Pro Dragster final, Moody took the win with a 4.22 at 176 mph vs. Jones’ 4.68 at 144 mph.

5.90 Index First Place: Rick Fox

Rick Fox proved unbeatable for the second event in a row in the Outlaw 5.90 Index class. His common-rail Cummins-powered ’00 Dodge has been nothing short of rock-solid repeatable since making the extensive switch from 6.70 to 5.90—and he has a 25-point lead to show for it in ODSS standings. Having earned the number one qualifier spot, Fox set the cruise on “Win” heading into eliminations and squeaked past runner-up Dallas Wade (with a 5.97 at 109 mph) in the final round.

By a Nose

In a close race for the 5.90 Index win, Dallas Wade and his ’00 Dodge lost by just 0.03633 seconds. While we’re sure he would’ve preferred to get the win, it was a pretty good outcome for Wade’s first ODSS race—especially when you consider the company he was in. To nab second place, Wade had to directly or indirectly beat the likes of two-time Ultimate Callout Challenge runner-up Derek Rose, a hard-charging Josh Scruggs, Seth Higgins and Austin Doidge.

6.70 Index First Place (Sunday): Art Maupin

It’s no secret that the ODSS circuit has prompted some of the major players in diesel-related media to get more involved in the racing scene. For example, Diesel World sponsored the far lane at Crossroads Dragway, Diesel Power sponsors the series’ 7.70 Index class and Diesel Army’s Art Maupin even campaigns his own truck. Turns out, Maupin is a lights-out drag racer. After making the quarterfinals on Saturday, he picked up the win at Scheid on Sunday and, in addition to a win at the TS Performance Shootout back in June, is now working with a 20-point cushion in 6.70 Index heading into the final two ODSS races of 2018.

The Scheid Diesel Extravaganza is about more than just racing. We made a list of our favorite parts and builds from the show!

Monterey Car Week is one of those bucket list things that every automobile lover should experience at least once in their lives, and there are any number of events held during Car Week where you’ll find some of the rarest, most exotic and just plain coolest cars in the world.

One of those events is The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering held at the Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley. With its hundreds of amazing cars and incredible hospitality for showgoers, it’s no wonder that tickets sell out every year.

While the setting, food and drinks easily make it one of the world’s greatest formal car shows, it’s still the cars themselves that are the center of it all. Each edition of the show features a few special displays celebrating different marques and genres.

Among the featured brands this year was Italy’s Lancia, who was represented by a small but diverse assortment of both road and race cars—all of which are worthy of a closer look.

Old-School Love

The earliest Lancia among this special group was a beautiful red ‘53 Aurelia PF200C Spider that was powered by a 2.5L V6 engine—a very exotic powerplant for the early 1950s. In fact, the Aurelia featured the world’s first production V6 engine, and it sent power to a rear-mounted transaxle.

Of the 250+ high end machines assembled at The Quail this year, this was the car which was awarded “Best of Show," thanks to its stunning looks and rare pedigree.

So Much Stratos

Fast forward about two decades and you get to the legendary Lancia Stratos with its Bertone-designed bodywork and Ferrari Dino V6 engine out back. There were a pair of Stratos at this event, including the 1974 road car seen here.

It was parked alongside this ‘74 Stratos HF Group 4 rally machine, one of the cars that helped Lancia establish itself as one of the world’s great rally car builders during the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Crazy Deltas

Speaking of the ‘80s, we have perhaps the most recognizable Lancia model of all: the Delta. Among this group, the Delta was represented by two examples, the first of which is a 1988 HF Integrale 8V with a turbocharged engine and AWD. Naturally, this one is coated in the Martini racing livery, as were most of the race cars in this particular exhibition.

Even crazier is the 1985 Delta S4 that was built for the infamous Group B rally class. This one shares nothing with the other Deltas and is essentially a Delta body sitting over a tube chassis with mid-mounted supercharged and turbocharged engine making around 500hp.

Not only was this a recipe for insane speed, it was also a recipe for extreme danger. After a series of fatal crashes and other near-fatal accidents, both the S4 and the Group B class itself were abolished.

More Than Rally Racing

While rally racing was the most famous of Lancia’s Motorsport efforts, the brand also campaigned a number of machines in sports car racing, including this ‘81 Beta Monte Carlo Turbo Group 5 racer.

Even though it's not as famous as some of the Group 5 cars it competed against, there's no denying that the sleek and wide Beta Monte Carlo Turbo is an absolutely wicked-looking machine.

While its bodywork is based on a humble street car, the race version was an entirely different beast, and it sports all of the radical bodywork and engineering tricks that made this wild era of sports car racing so exciting.

At the same time, Lancia also competed in the prototype classes with cars like the open cockpit, fender-skirted LC1 from 1982, which also looks fantastic in the white red and blue Martini livery.

Then there was that car’s replacement, the 1983 Lancia LC2 that was designed to go against juggernauts like the Porsche 962 in the ultra competitive Group C category.

Despite being a brand with such a rich and exciting history, Lancias of any type have always been rare birds here in the United States, and that’s why it was so special to see this lineup at The Quail this year.

While the brand is best know for the sort of historic racing vehicles we see here, it still exists today under the direction of Fiat Chrysler, where one of its best known models is the Thema, a rebadged version of the Chrysler 300 sedan.

At this point it’s unknown whether the brand will ever return to its former glory, but here’s hoping we haven’t seen the end of the Lancia story.

A bunch of records were set at the auction houses this year, including a $48 million Ferrari.

It’s only been a few days, but Matt has already shown us a bunch of places we never knew we wanted to visit. From the smallest desert in the world, to the sign post forest, to the “ancient ruins,” we had no idea how many cool things were on the way from Alaska to California. That said, it’s not like we’re surprised. There were bound to be a ton of fun sights on a journey that long, and there are undoubtedly more bucket list-worthy stops to come.

Speaking of which, in this episode, Matt travels to the beautiful lakes of Jasper National Park, learning about some of the original overlanders along the way. These people could teach a thing or two to the modern crowd.

Stay tuned for episode five, where Matt will drive through most of Jasper National Park to Banff, with so many more beautiful lakes along the way. This is some of the most gorgeous terrain in all of Canada, so we’re excited to see how the next stage of his trip unfolds.

Is this the first you’ve heard of The Long Road Home? Watch the series from the beginning!

It’s hot, it’s humid, the corn is beginning to dry out and there is a hive of truck and tractor pulling activity in the middle of the country. Fall is quickly approaching in the Midwest. As summer gradually grinds to a halt, competitors in the heartland cram as many hooks (and points) as possible into their schedules before it’s time to pack it in for the year. On the third weekend in August, the rural community of Fulton County, Illinois held its first annual truck and tractor pull in the county seat of Lewistown.

While not a points pull, it gave dozens of seasoned competitors the perfect opportunity to prepare for the next points hook in their respective pulling circuit. At the same time, it offered the green-behind-the-ears crowd a chance to drag the iron sled for the very first time. With a 100-hook turnout, we’d say the late-summer, non-points pull appealed to plenty of prospective competitors. The event was well-received by the locals in the area, too. After all, where else in America can you pay $6 to take in seven hours’ worth of entertainment?

After receiving an invite from the event’s chief organizer and longtime truck puller, Nick Christy, we crisscrossed through Illinois’ corn-country toward the fairgrounds, camera in hand. This is what we saw.

A Perfect Pulling Surface

The track itself wasn’t much to look at when the sun rose on the day of the pull, but Craig Brooks, a veteran tractor puller of 25 years, didn’t let that last long. In a few short hours, he had the track deep-ripped (for a good base) and packed back in so tight you could build a house on it. The soil seemed to have the ideal amount of clay and moisture mixed in, was smooth as a road when it was finished and yielded very little dust throughout the day (dust being one of the most unwelcome sights on any pulling track).

Factory Stock 4x4

The Factory Stock 4x4 class kicked off the action at the Fulton County fairgrounds. In this category, gas-powered one-ton or smaller pickups had to be equipped with an engine, transmission, transfer case and front and rear axle that was available in the same model and year of the truck. The one engine exception came in the form of pre ‘80s trucks, which were permitted to run big blocks. On this day, it was Jeffrey Buerk and his ’78 F-350 pulling out the win in the class, finishing six feet ahead of second place.

Hooked for Life

True story: Chris Schertz went on a first date at a truck pull in central Illinois and didn’t like the price of entry to spectate, but found that for $3 more he could hook his Duramax to the sled and then enjoy watching the rest of the action from the pits. Long story short, thanks to that decision Schertz is now quite fond of truck pulling. As for the lucky lady? That might be a story for another time. Above, Schertz’s ’06 GMC is in the midst of a 283-foot, second place effort in the Daily Driver Diesel class.

10,500-Pound Tractors

Devin McGinnis’ 1066 International was able to lug the sled the furthest in the first tractor class of the day: the 10,500-pound Farm Stock category. Key rules in Farm Stock dictate that the inducer diameter of the turbocharger’s compressor wheel be no larger than 2.36 inches (approximately 60mm), the engine sees no more than 2,850 rpm, the tractor goes no faster than 12 mph and that each tractor utilizes a maximum hitch height of 20 inches.

Hard Luck on the Line

After suffering a broken rear driveshaft on the starting line of the Stock Turbo Diesel class, Joe Reindl robbed the driveshaft off of his tow rig (carrier bearing and all) and, with the help of a few good friends, set to work installing it. Joe’s ’04 F-250 represented one of three 6.0L Power Stroke-equipped Fords that hooked to the sled throughout the day.

Spare Parts FTW!

Although the driveshaft mishap kept Joe Reindl from competing in the Stock Turbo Diesel class, he signed up for the Work Stock category and let things rip when it was his turn to pull. Despite being underweight, underpowered and the sled transferring its weight more aggressively in this uber-competitive class, Joe’s Mud Grappler-equipped Super Duty still managed to go 254 feet.

Hot Street Gas

To bridge the gap between the Stock Gas and Pro Stock gas classes (further widening the event’s appeal), a Hot Street Gas category was added to the itinerary. Here, any engine modification other than a blower, turbo or supercharger was allowed, along with dual rear wheels, blocked rear suspension and fuel cells. A maximum weight of 7,200 pounds was observed unless a Stock Gas competitor tried his luck in the class (in which case he or she could weigh as much as 7,500). Curtis Wright’s immaculate ’84 F-350 dually picks up a head of steam in the class in the image shown above.

12,500-Pound Tractors

In the 12,500-pound Open Tractor class, fifth generation corn and cattle farmer Eric Stanley and his 1066 International dug their way past the 300-foot mark in a bid to catch the front-runner. At 310.89-feet traveled, Eric fell shy of the win, but ended up a solid fifth place overall. Being allowed to run faster than 12 mph was the biggest difference in rules between the Open Tractor class and the other Farm Stock classes that were run.

6,500-Pound Pro Stock 4x4

As all the open header, big-blocks began to roar to life in the pits, we knew it was just about time to watch the 6,500-pound Pro Stock 4x4 trucks take to the dirt. In this class, two cubic inch limits were observed: 485 ci if you ran a drop box transfer case/reverser transmission and 540 ci for competitors running a traditional driveline. Aluminum heads were allowed, with the exception of Hemi or Brodix SR20 heads. Aluminum intakes were also allowed, with any single carburetor. Above, Grant Peterson’s ’79 F-250 named “Boogie” claws its way to a 317-foot finish, some 15 feet ahead of the rest of the field.

Hot Pursuit

Even though Dale Thomas’ hard-running square body Chevy came up short of catching Grant Peterson’s aforementioned Ford in 6,500-pound Pro Stock, he did put 10 feet on the nearest competitor while securing the runner-up spot. For the rest of the Pro Stock class, the competition would be tight, with third through seventh place only being separated by a few feet.

8,500-Pound Work Stock Diesel Trucks

The 8,500-pound Work Stock Diesel Truck class is chock full of close competition. In this category, modified or multiple injection pumps are allowed and trucks can either run a single T4 flange S300 turbo or a stock-appearing charger. The stock-appearing turbo rule highly benefits 6.4L Power Strokes, with the Navistar-built V8 having come from the factory saddled with a compound turbo configuration. Taking full advantage of this was Nick Christy. His ’09 F-350 finished second in a tough field of battle-tested trucks.

These aren't the only powerful Power Strokes. We have a list of our 5 craziest.

There’s no denying that the Overland movement is one of the hottest things going in the automotive aftermarket right now, and it’s natural that the auto manufacturers would start jumping in on the the all terrain fun. Chevy has just taken a big step in that direction with the announcement of the 2019 Colorado ZR2 Bison.

The standard Colorado ZR2 was already a proven off-road machine, delivering the same sort of capability as Ford’s Raptor in a more affordable and agile package, but the Bison takes things even further. Starting with that solid base, Chevy teamed up with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) to give the Bison a heavy dose of both rugged style and improved overland capability.

Among the special touches that set the Bison apart from the regular ZR2 are five AEV-developed skid plates to protect the undercarriage and running gear from the terrain and a set of improved steel bumpers with fog lights and space for a winch.

The Bison also gets larger fender flares that are matched with larger 31-inch off road tires mounted on Bison-specific 17"x8" wheels. AEV will even offer a snorkel intake as an additional accessory.

The 2019 Colorado ZR2 Bison will be available next year with the choice of either a crew cab or extended cab and V6 or Duramax turbodiesel engine options. Best of all, the Bison will be covered by a full factory warranty.

Whether it’s a high performance sports car designed for the race track or an off road machine designed to handle extreme terrain, we love it when manufacturers build hardcore enthusiast vehicles like this, and we can’t wait to see the Bison on the trails soon.

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Navigational skills could mean the difference between an awesome trek or an unfortunate trip—no matter if you use the traditional map and compass or a modern GPS. In the first Navigational Basics article, I discussed important terms like latitude, longitude and declination. I also shared traditional navigation tips like understanding topographic (topo) maps, how to use map scales and methods to determine how many steps you take to walk 50 feet. Traditional navigation, even at the basic level, can be complex and hard to understand. In the second installment of this two-part series, I’ll take a deeper dive into the world of old-school navigation.

Reading a Topo Map

It is important to know how to read topo maps so you can correctly measure your trek with confidence. Below are some tips to help get you topo-ready.

Contour Lines

Contour lines follow areas that share the same elevation above sea level. If these lines are close together, the elevation is steep and changes quickly. If the contour lines are wide apart, the elevation change is gradual, like a gentle slope or a depression. Every fifth line, which appears darker and thicker, is known as an index contour line. Index contour lines include numeric elevation listings, showing exactly how high you are above sea level. Contour lines rarely cross each other. They only touch or cross at a cliff or overhang. First, to figure out what you’re looking at, use the numbers on the index contour lines (indicating elevation) to determine the direction of the slope. For instance, how do you find what is uphill and downhill? Generally speaking, U or V shapes pointing uphill are depressions like drainages, bowls or gullies (depending on how sharp the shape is). In contrast, U or V shapes pointing downhill indicates protrusions, like ridges.

Contour Intervals (or Vertical Scale)

Each map will have its own vertical foot count per elevation, meaning that one map may indicate elevation in 40-foot increments, whereas another may have 50-foot variances. It’s important to know your map’s contour line intervals before you take to the trails. This is usually indicated in the map’s legend.

Grid Numbers and Lines

Topo maps have grid numbers listed on the top, bottom and both sides. These numbers may be degrees/minutes/seconds, representing latitude and longitude, or regular numbers. To find grid coordinates or where you are, find the number to the right of the map and then on the bottom of the map to see what quadrant square you’re in. Since some maps don’t have grid lines printed on them, you may first need to draw them in from side-to-side and top-to-bottom.

Topographic Colors

Topo maps have many colors printed on them, and each one has as meaning behind it. U.S. government agency maps such as USGS guides and many other maps use the same colors. While it may not be a universal color system, it’s still important and beneficial to know. Contour lines are typically brown. Vegetation that is tall enough to hide a human are green, whereas shorter vegetation or above tree-line vegetation is white. Hydrographic features like lakes, streams and irrigation ditches are blue. Major highways and prominent man-made features like boundaries are red. Roads, trails and railroads, along with cultural features, are black.

Reading a Map

When reading a map in a remote location, you should first orient it to the surroundings. This means your map should correspond to the details of the actual landscape. In order to reach your destination accurately, you should keep your map oriented while traveling along your route.

Measuring a Map

As discussed in my first article, you can measure a map with a pen and string, your finger, a homemade paper scale or a store-bought map scale. Some methods are more accurate than others. Using string or your finger can be good enough for survival and to find significant geographic features, but for precise measurements, a pre-printed map scale that matches the exact scale of your topo map works best.

Parts of a Compass

Baseplate: The clear plastic plate that the compass is embedded into. Many times, this plate will have various-sized scales printed on it.

Direction of travel arrow: A large arrow or arrowhead that is printed on the baseplate outside of the compass housing.

Compass housing: Also clear plastic but usually is a liquid-filled disc-shaped housing that the magnetic compass needle resides in.

Degree dial: A twistable, 360-degree dial that surrounds the compass housing.

Magnetic needle: The red needle that spins easily within the compass housing and is known as “red.”

Orienting arrow: Typically a large red arrow, usually printed as an outline of an arrow, that resides within the compass housing and is known as “the shed.”

Orienting lines: Found within the compass housing and reside parallel to the orienting arrow.

Declinating Your Compass

In the continental U.S., declination (difference of true north and magnetic north) can vary from nearly 20 degrees east on the West Coast to nearly 20 degrees west on the East Coast. When you’re navigating in remote areas, degrees matter. For example, a 15-degree error on a mile-long hike can take you off course by a quarter-mile.

Because declination varies depending on where you are, your first step is to find the declination value for where you want to go. Additionally, whenever you head to a new destination, you’ll need to check and likely reset your compass declination. Even though some maps show declination in the legend, it may not be current. It’s best to use the most recent declination data possible.

A compass with adjustable declination allows you to rotate the orienting arrow independently of the compass dial. You can calculate your map bearing without adding or subtracting the amount of local magnetic declination. It’s easier to have an adjustable compass than constantly doing the math to get correct numbers for true north.

There are different ways to change declination and methods change per compass manufacturer. I have a Suunto MC-2 compass, so I’ll explain how to alter this model’s declination.

1. Find the declination value for your trip area. Topo maps typically list a declination diagram in the legend. Note: The declination of any given location changes slowly over time. Check your map’s revision date or, for the best information, check the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) website for the latest magnetic declination listings.
2. Locate your adjustment key. It’s a tiny metal plate located on the lanyard.
3. Turn the compass over and locate the small metal adjustment screw (located outside the compass ring).
4. Insert the metal key into the small adjustment screw.
5. Turn the key until the declination indicator is the correct number of degrees east or west of zero degrees based on the declination value you found on your map. Be sure to double-check your number to make sure it’s accurate. Any slight variation from that number could mean you’re off your target destination.

As a helpful bonus, the adjustment key comes pre-strung on the Suunto MC-2 compass’s lanyard. It’s easy to do the adjustment, but keeping track of this key may not be. If you lose it, you may be able to use a tiny multi-tool blade-end to change the adjustment screw.

Orienting Your Map to True North

Now that we’ve discussed maps and compasses, and you’ve declinated your compass to your map, you can use them together to navigate successfully. The first thing you need to do once you’ve gotten this far is orient your compass and map together and find true north. Here’s how you do it:

1. Place your map on an even surface with your compass on the map. Make sure the compass’s direction of travel arrow is pointing north (north is usually straight up on the map).
2. Keep the compass in this position and rotate the map and compass together until the magnetic needle, red, is within the orienting arrow, the shed. In orienteering words, you need to put "red in the shed." Another term for this is "boxing the needle."

You have now oriented your map to true north. Double-check your surroundings to make sure what you see around you is what you see on the map.

Getting a Direction of Travel (or Bearing) With Your Compass

Now it’s time to put it all together. In order to accurately find your destination, follow these steps:

1. First, find the point on the map where you currently are and make sure you remove any metal objects from the area—it will throw off the compass.
2. Place your map on an even surface and your compass on the map so the side of the base plate connects your origination point (where you currently are) to your destination. In the event your base plate isn’t long enough to measure between these points, use a ruler or straight edge to connect them. If you like, use a pencil to draw an actual line. Make sure your direction of travel arrow points towards your destination. A good rule of thumb is to have the bottom edge be your origination point and the top edge be your destination.
3. Hold the compass firmly against the map, and with the other hand, turn the degree dial until the orienting lines and arrow in the center of the dial point northward on the map, as indicated by the map’s north arrow (or vertical lines).
4. Keep the compass in this position and rotate the map and compass together until the needle is within the orienting arrow.
5. Hold the compass out in front of you. Ensure the base plate keeps flat with the direction of travel arrow pointing straight in front of you.
6. Rotate your body until the north arrow, the shed, lines up directly under the magnetic needle, red. Now you’ve just put red in the shed, or boxed the needle, and just determined a direction of travel with your map and compass.

When starting to trek along your path of travel, choose a prominent feature to travel towards. Recheck your path of travel regularly to ensure you haven’t deviated from it. Additionally, reorient your map, check your location and keep comparing your map against your surroundings. The best way to maintain an accurate heading is to find that prominent feature that is in exactly the heading you want and is something you can reach/arrive at. Keep in mind that it’s virtually impossible to stare at your compass continually while walking in a straight line the entire time. Once you reach that prominent feature, take another heading and find another object in the direction you want to go. This will ensure that if there are obstacles you need to go around (which happens a lot in real life), your overall direction stays accurate.

Practice Makes Perfect

Traditional navigation seems a bit foreign until you do it many, many times. Practice makes perfect, or at least good enough to get to where you’re confident with your skills. In addition to practice, various organizations, YouTube, the Internet and friends can help you hone your directional prowess. Once you get good at it, you’ll be able to navigate your way safely, smartly and thoughtfully.

Do you want to know more about the basics? Read the first article introducing the basics of navigation!

You’ve seen them doing their thing on the street, at the drag strip and in the dirt—on tow rigs, daily drivers, drag racers and pull trucks alike. From A to Z, Nitto offers the tires that get diesel owners where they want to be. At the 2018 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza, we found that better than one in four street trucks were sporting a set of Nittos (be they Ridge Grapplers, Terra Grapplers, Trail Grapplers or NT420Ss). Over at Crossroads Dragway, that ratio increased to roughly one in three thanks to the immense popularity of the NT420S and Terra Grappler lines. Out on the pulling track, trucks fitted with Mud Grapplers ran at the front of the pack in the Limited Pro Stock and Pro Street classes. Even in the cut tire, Pro Stock category, the Mud Grappler found success.

For a closer look at how well Nitto tires performed at this year’s Scheid Diesel Extravaganza, keep scrolling.

Grabbing a Bigger Bite With Mud Grapplers

In truck pulling, running the most aggressive mud tires on the D.O.T. market can pay big dividends if you’ve got the power to turn them. For countless competitors, this means Mud Grapplers. At the 2018 running of the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza, Nitto’s extreme mud terrain had a strong showing in both the Pro Street and Limited Pro Stock classes, with a handful of trucks even running them in Pro Stock (a category that allows cuts). In Limited Pro Stock, Clint Mills’ 1,300hp+ Cummins used six Mud Grapplers to dig his way to a fourth place finish in a 49-truck field. Look for a full feature on his ’06 Dodge Ram in the near future.

700HP + Driver Skill + Terra Grappler G2s = Winner’s Circle

The 7.70 Index class at Scheid’s was chock full of daily drivers (and even tow rigs) turned drag trucks. In this category, the do-it-all nature of a diesel pickup wasn’t compromised in order to go fast. While a 7.70-second elapsed time in the eighth-mile (12.0 in the quarter) isn’t slow by any stretch of the imagination, competitors aren’t gutting interiors, adding 500hp worth of nitrous or running slicks at this power level. To run 7.70s in a 7,000-pound truck, 650 to 700hp needs to be making it to the ground and 4x4 needs to be engaged. For optimum traction (and to run the same tread they run on the street), many competitors prefer an all-terrain tire in this class. For Kevin Frey, he chooses to run Nitto Terra Grappler G2s on his Cummins-powered Ram—and at the Extravaganza they took him all the way to the winner’s circle.

Mud Grapplers Up Front, All-Terrains Out Back

Even though all-terrains are the most commonly used D.O.T.-approved tire in truck pulling at the present time, many competitors still see the potential in the Mud Grappler’s ultra-aggressive tread pattern. For this reason, a lot of pullers run a set of all-terrains in the rear with Mud Grapplers up front. No stranger to benefitting from what the Mud Grapplers are capable of, Matt Poduska has no desire to run a different tire up front due to his belief that they hook harder than all-terrains do, especially on the looser tracks he’s used to competing on in his home state of Iowa. Poduska’s Mud Grapplers also served him well in western Indiana. Up against the best Limited Pro Stock trucks in the country, he and his second-gen Cummins finished sixth out of 49 the first night and 10th out of 53 the second.

Clawing Toward the Front

Another competitor relying on Mud Grapplers to get out front was Lane Aldrich of Excelsior Springs, Missouri. His 8,000-pound Pro Street second-gen (coined “Smokin’ Goat Reloaded”) dug itself to a fourth place finish on Friday despite being the third truck to hook to the sled (of 24 trucks). The following night, Aldrich took sixth.

All Purpose All-Terrain

For a daily driven truck that’s used to tow, venture off the beaten path and even drag race on occasion, it’s hard to beat the Terra Grappler line. After spotting a set of G2s on Adam Doan’s Super Duty, we noticed he was in the staging lanes for the ET Bracket class. As it turns out, he’d towed his friend, 7.70 Index racer Eugene Ogle, up from Tennessee and decided to have some fun with the 324,000-mile, tune-only 6.0L Power Stroke. After eliminations, Doan hooked the F-250 back up to the trailer and towed Ogle’s ’72 F-100 back home. It’s hard to argue with an all-terrain tire that’s affordable, fits everything from a 17- to 22-inch wheel and can be had with an E load rating.

Mud Grapplers in Pro Stock

In Pro Stock classes that still require D.O.T. tires to compete, such as with the Illini State Pullers and the Badger State Tractor Pullers, you can find Mud Grapplers literally everywhere. More potent than the Limited Pro Stocks, these trucks make anywhere from 1,700 to 1,950hp. At Scheid’s, and even though they knew they would be up against more than 20 cut-tire trucks, half a dozen ISP and BSTP Pro Stock competitors trekked south to Terre Haute to compete on Mud Grapplers. Shane Johnson was one such Pro Stock owner.

Public Enemy: The Duramax-Powered Ford

No, that green valve cover you see in the engine compartment of Shane Johnson’s Super Duty isn’t bolted to a Power Stroke mill. Perhaps the premise for naming his truck “Public Enemy,” Johnson’s late-model Ford benefits from Duramax power. Built in accordance with Pro Stock rules and by using some of the best parts in the industry, the GM V8 sports an LML-based block and crank, LBZ-derived heads and LLY-based injectors from Exergy Performance. The truck also makes use of a 3.6-inch smooth bore Hart’s Diesel turbocharger, four-disc Molinari Racing clutch and a reverser transmission, drop box transfer case combination.

Nitto Ridge Grappler: The Perfect Daily Driver Tire

For daily driven diesel owners that use their trucks for both work and play, the Nitto Ridge Grappler is a huge hit. By combining the best characteristics of all-terrain and mud terrain technology into one, the hybrid terrain Ridge Grappler was born. The owner of this ’03 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD claimed to be a big fan of the Ridge Grappler’s quiet ride, even wear pattern and its off-road capability. Believe it or not, his immaculate, 15-year-old Bow Tie has 250,000 miles on the odometer. Recently, the quarter-million mile LB7 Duramax under the hood was treated to a Wehrli Custom Fabrication S300 kit, complete with an S366 SX-E turbo from BorgWarner.

Durty Deere

Another hard-running Duramax puller that came out to play at Scheid’s was the fourth-gen Chevy campaigned by the Beetz brothers (Jesse, Josh and Jeremy) of northern Illinois. Their Mud Grappler-graced, standard cab, extended bed Bow Tie left the Extravaganza with mid-pack finishes and went on to take second place for the year in the local Illini State Pullers’ Pro Stock truck class, right behind the Mud Grappler-equipped, Cummins-powered Chevy of Cole Faber.

NT420S: Still a Hot Commodity

In a drag race or street-driven setting, Nitto’s all-season NT420S remains one of the go-to tires in the diesel industry. While perusing through both the show ‘n shine and the pit area at the drag strip, we spotted countless trucks wearing them. Key selling points of the 420S include: a tread design that ensures a broad surface area remains in constant contact with the road, even wear characteristics providing longevity without compromising ride quality and a price point that runs roughly half of what an equivalent all-terrain or mud terrain does. The 420S is especially popular on ET Bracket and 7.70 Index trucks (300 to 800hp applications), with some higher horsepower truck owners also relying on them for utmost traction.

The annual Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion at Laguna Seca is always one of the greatest events of the year with its endless vintage race action and incredible displays, but the 2018 event proved to be even more special than usual—especially for fans of Nissan and Datsun.

With Nissan taking center stage at the event, it was the first time ever that a Japanese automaker was the featured marque at the Reunion, and the festivities did not disappoint.

Naturally, Nissan corporate itself had a strong presence at the event, and the selection of historic, factory-owned cars included some from both Nissan USA's archive, and a few cars that were shipped across the Pacific from the company's massive Japan-housed collection.

American Legend

When it comes to the cars from Nissan's American collection, few are more important than this one: the legendary #46 BRE Datsun 510 that won the 1971 SCCA Trans Am Championship and helped put the Datsun brand on the map in the US motorsport scene.

Of course, not only was the world famous car on hand, but so were its builder, the world-renowned Pete Brock, and its driver, the ultra-talented John Morton. Both were on hand to tell stories about the glory days of BRE and how they helped the relatively unknown Japanese automaker battle its European-branded rivals on the racing circuits of America.

Straight From Japan

As for the selection of Nissan-owned machinery that made its way over from Japan, things were no less impressive. Representing the racing side was the 1969 R382 race car which used a radical V12 engine setup that wasn't unlike two S20 DOHC straight sixes attached to each other.

Perhaps even more exotic was the striking R390GT road car, a one-off production vehicle that was built in order to homologate the R390 GT1 race cars that were campaigned at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It packs a mid-mounted twin turbocharged V8.

Representing the more modern side of the Nissan brand was the freshly-debuted GT-R50, an R35 GT-R that has been completely re-imagined and restyled by the visionaries at Italdesign. Word is there might be a limited production run of these things, and that would be awesome because it looks even cooler in person than it does in photos.

Massive Personal Collection

Nissan also hosted and displayed a number of other historic machines from private owners, including several owned by comedian and podcaster Adam Carolla, a longtime Datsun/Nissan fanatic and avid vintage racer.

Among the cars on hand from Carolla's collection was this BRE-prepared Datsun Roadster—the car that proceeded the 240Zs and 510s and truly made BRE the stuff of legend.

Carolla has a large collection of Nissans that were raced by Paul Newman during the '70s and '80s, including this turbocharged 300ZX 2+2 from 1987.

Adam could also be found on track with his Paul Newman-driven GT1-Championship winning 300ZX from 1984. This was the first Paul Newman race car that Adam purchased, and this event marked the first time the car had been back on a race track in over 30 years.

So Many Race Cars

Elsewhere, the event's race groups were filled with Datsuns and Nissans of all types, spread among several different race categories spanning the late 1960s to the mid 1990s.

There was the under 2500CC GT class, which was packed to the brim with Datsun 510s and Datsun Roadsters that filled the hills of Laguna Seca with the sound of screaming four cylinder engines and side draft carbs.

Then there was the big showing of larger displacement 240Zs, 280Zs and 280ZXs, which were running in the massive Group 5A category against 1970s era Porsches, Corvettes and other high-powered machinery.

Finally there was the GTO and GTP group, which featured cars like Steve Millen's famous Z32 300ZX and other more obscure machines like a VG30-powered race machine wearing S13 240SX bodywork.

Every Nissan and Datsun

Along with the dozens of Nissan and Datsun race cars that were competing in the event, the Rolex Reunion also included a special display area for Nissan and Datsun owners.

This area turned out to be a pretty special show in itself with everything from factory original Fairlady Roadsters to heavily modified 300ZXs and freshly imported Skyline GT-Rs. The owners were even given a chance to parade their cars around the track as part of the Nissan celebration.

It was all this and more that made the 2018 Rolex Montery Motorsport Reunion one for the record books, and we hope the event will consider doing other Japanese featured marques in the future. How cool would it be to see Toyota or Honda given this same kind of love?

For now though, Nissan and Datsun fans can look back on this year's event with some major satisfaction. Be sure to check out the attached gallery for even more action.

Want to see all the action from Laguna Seca? We have a huge gallery for you!

When Matt Moghaddam, our Truck Editor, started his journey of over 4,000 miles from the Arctic Circle to Southern California, we knew that he would see and do some really cool things. Little did we know how cool, and the variety of sights along the way. From the sign post forest to learning about the original overlanders, helping a woman who lost her wheel and visiting Off Road Brands’ new shop, this trip had much more than just gorgeous vistas.

That said, it had gorgeous vistas in spades. Zion absolutely lived up to its reputation. Then there was Matt’s personal favorite spot he visited, Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. The light-blue hue of the water looked otherworldly. There was even a serene beauty to the flat plains of Montana near the end of harvest season, the golden stubs of wheat stalks painting the ground yellow far into the horizon.

In this episode, the last in the series, Matt made the final drive home from St. George, Utah to Southern California. On the way he saw another one of those awesome vistas, Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. We’ve seen red rocks before, but the stark contrast between them and the tan rocks just outside the park is something we need to see in person.

To wrap up, instead of taking the freeway all the way back, he took a detour onto the Mojave Road, an iconic trail through the Mojave Desert. Getting some dirt under the Nitto Ridge Grapplers again before the end of the trip was the right call. It’s a Jeep, after all. There needed to be a proper send-off.

Are you new to the series? Watch it from the beginning!

The two most important systems on a given vehicle are the brakes and steering. It’s doesn’t matter how fast you can go, because if you can’t steer or stop, you’re in trouble. Since we already have our stoppers in check with a big brake kit from Dynatrac, the only real thing that was lacking on our 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon build was the steering system. Sure, we had previously upgraded it a little with an over-the-knuckle steering setup from JKS Manufacturing. However, once we added the grippy 37-inch Nitto Ridge Grapplers, our steering system felt a bit overwhelmed on the trail.

This was only compounded when we engaged the Rubicon’s front differential locker. While we love the fact that the selectable TruLok locker can be disengaged on the street, off-road it can present a challenge. This is mostly due to the locking differential becoming a spool when engaged. Since it offers no give (change in wheel speed from side to side) it can be too much for the stock steering system to handle. Couple this with tires aired down into the single digit range and it only gets worse.

PSC Benefits

The good news is this isn’t a complicated issue to resolve. In fact, with the help of the steering geniuses at PSC Motorsports, we’ve been conquering our steering woes with hydraulic-assist steering systems for years. The concept behind a hydro-assist kit is that it removes much of the mechanical strain and force from your steering gearbox by placing a hydraulic cylinder at the axle. As you steer the vehicle one way or the other, the cylinder helps push/pull the tie-rod, taking much of the load off of the steering gear.

On a JK, this is a major benefit given that the 2007 to 2018 Jeeps have notoriously weak sector shafts. Thanks to PSC’s Big Bore XD gearbox that increases the stock sector shaft by 35 percent, this is no longer an issue. When optioned with the assist system such as we did, it makes for an absolutely robust steering setup.

Tires Where They Need to Be

Tire size, wheel backspacing and air pressure can all challenge your steering system. Terrain can also play a major role. In high-traction scenarios, such as the rockcrawling Mecca of Moab, Utah, the steering battle can be even worse. Our 37x12.50R17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers like to grab the trail—even more so when they are aired down into the single digits. With the hydro-assist kit, we have yet to find a scenario where the steering system couldn’t put our tires where we needed them.

In order for the steering system to function optimally, it needs to run cool. PSC includes this massive in-line cooler, which we placed at the base of the support bar behind our JK’s grille. Since all the necessary fittings and hoses came with the kit, plumbing the system is fairly easy.

Your steering system is gravity fed, so it’s important to have the fluid reservoir mounted above and close to the pump. Given that this system replaces virtually every critical part of the steering system, there needed to be a new place for a fluid reservoir to mount. PSC provides a bracket that sets it just in front of the JK’s air box for Wranglers fit with the 3.6L engine. Despite the size of the new fluid tank, we still had plenty of room to re-install our stock air filter box.

The steering cylinder is axle-specific, so it doesn’t exceed or limit steering axle. Once you have the axle-side tabs where you need them, you’ll weld them in place, then position the tie-rod clamp accordingly. We’re still running the original tie-rod, but PSC does offer bar clamps for larger aftermarket tie-rods as well.

How It Works

While the video above offers insight into the system's on- and off-road performance, we will reiterate it here. Immediately you’ll notice that the steering is much easier and requires less input from you to turn the wheel. This equates to a Jeep that is extremely easy to drive down the road. It does take a few minutes to adjust to, but once you get the feel for how responsive it is, it becomes second nature. Off-road, you’ll never have to worry about the steering feeling overwhelmed again. Even with our tires at 5 psi, we can turn with ease with the front end of our Rubicon locked. So, if you’re tired of battling your JK’s steering in the dirt, we highly recommend checking out this system.

Want to see more JKs put to the test? Be sure to watch the JK Experience Big River video.

While we were at Laguna Seca last month for the 2018 Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion, we really enjoyed seeing all of the attention that Nissan was getting as the featured marque of the event. As great as it was to see all the classic Nissans and Datsuns Z cars on the track and in the paddock, one couldn't help but wonder what the state of the current Nissan Z is.

In case you haven't been counting, it's been exactly a decade since the Z34 chassis 370Z was introduced, and the car has soldiered on with just minor updates and changes since the '09 model year. Needless to say it's a car that's in great need of redesign, and according to a report over at Wheels, a new Nissan Z is finally in the works.

Nissan Senior Vice President for Global Design Alfonso Albaisa confirmed that development of the next generation Z is underway, and rumors point to a possible debut of a prototype at next year's Tokyo Motor Show, which would coincidentally mark the 50th anniversary of the 240Z's debut.

No details have been revealed about the direction the car may go, but many have expressed interest in a car that takes the Z back to its simple, attractive, lightweight and fun roots.

Of course, even if the prototype were to debut next fall in Tokyo, we'd still be a ways off from production, but just the fact that Nissan is working on a new Z is good news. There was some fear that with the never-ending shift away from sports cars and toward SUVs, the current car would be the end of the road for the Z. Thankfully, it now seems like that isn't the case.

Pretty much every Nissan and Datsun ever made took over Laguna Seca at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

As the air turns crisp and the fall colors begin to emerge across the majority of the country, one might expect the car show season to be coming to a halt. In Colorado, the turning colors and cooler temperatures bring about one of the biggest shows of the year: the annual Goodguys Colorado Nationals. With it comes some big names and big muscle!

Held on the grounds of The Ranch complex in Loveland, Colorado, the 21st Annual Goodguys Colorado Nationals kicked off on Friday, September 7. Just like in years past, the three-day show was officially kicked off by a party at nationally acclaimed Pinkee's Rod Shop with food, beer, live music and plenty of rolling eye candy.

While the kickoff party is certainly a site to be seen, it's the full-blown show that is always dressed to impress. This year, over 2,000 show vehicles were registered, with Saturday's special parking areas packed to the brim. Of course, we spent most of our time in the Mighty Muscle, Camaro Corral and Builder's Choice areas, in addition to our favorite, the AutoCross paddock.

With names like Kindig-It Design, Johnny's Auto Trim & Rod Shop and Ron Jones Garage represented on the show grounds, the caliber of cars we saw was undeniable. Show cars like the SEMA-debuted '58 Lincoln Continental “Maybellene” and 2018 Ridler Award winner '57 Chevy 150 hardtop “Image” were just a couple of the highlights with hot rods and muscle cars of all fits and forms rounding out the rest of the field.

The numbers for autocross competitors was down a bit this year, especially on Saturday, but with Goodguys' revised model year limit (now accepting through the 1987 model year on Fridays and Saturdays vs. 1972 previously) and some new competitors, the competition was fierce, as top drivers threw down mid 30-second passes on the tight course. After practice all day Friday and qualifying Saturday, 16 drivers entered into the AutoCross Western States Shootout sponsored by Penzoil Saturday afternoon for bracket-style eliminations. The final times were close, but when all was said and done, it was a 1966 AC Cobra 427 driven by Scott Frazer of San Jose, CA that took the win!

All American Sunday closed out the show, bringing with it more modern muscle and new American-powered performance machines. Among the standard Camaros, Chargers and Mustangs were standouts like a 2016 Richard Petty's Garage Mustang, 2018 Camaro 1LE and 2016 Charger Hellcat.

We had a blast taking in all the unique vehicles that the 2018 Goodguys Colorado Nationals had to offer, including a handful of top picks we'll be featuring shortly. For a full list of all the award winners from the show, be sure to check out the Goodguys website!

If you're looking for more muscle car goodness, you need to put Roadkill Nights on your bucket list!

In the sport of truck pulling, watching a sea of Cummins-powered Dodge Rams storm down the track might seem a bit mundane to a diesel novice. After all, dozens of competitors are essentially campaigning the same setups, albeit with a few of their own tweaks based on past experiences or cumulative knowledge mixed in. From engine to transmission, axles to turbo and fuel system to tire selection, you don’t see a lot of deviation in parts recipes from truck to truck. Occasionally however, someone goes rogue within the ranks of competitive truck pulling—and for the Limited Pro Stock class, that someone is Clint Mills of Kennedyville, Maryland.

Instead of running a deck-plated 6.7L Cummins, he’s campaigning a stock bore 5.9L. Rather than spending big money on billet-steel rods or a cast replica cylinder head, he’s sticking it out with factory-based 12-valve components. And instead of relying on all-terrains to get him down the track, he’s dead-set on utilizing Nitto Mud Grapplers. Add in the fact that his wife, an avid truck pull fan, is a survivor of an aggressive form of cancer, and you start to see why Clint’s ’06 Dodge has been (fittingly) named “Against All Odds.”

So how does this anomaly of a truck perform when it’s pitted against the best trucks in the nation? How about a fourth place finish out of 49 at the Super Bowl of truck pulling: The Scheid Diesel Extravaganza. For the exclusive, full scoop on how this east coast puller defies conventional truck pulling wisdom, keep scrolling.

1,300+ HP 5.9L

Instead of running a sleeved, stroked and deck-plated 6.7L block like virtually everyone else in truck pulling these days, Clint Mills prefers his East Coast Diesel-built 5.9L Cummins. For optimum structural strength, the cast-iron crankcase utilizes a standard bore and concrete filled water jackets. The OEM-based crankshaft is anchored in place via a Haisley Machine girdle and spins six shot-peened and polished factory 12-valve connecting rods (also from Haisley). Cut and coated, 12:1 compression Ross Racing pistons and an East Coast Diesel-spec’d camshaft round out the key parts found in the bottom end. A competition 12-valve cylinder head, fitted with oversized valves and treated to extensive port work, fastens to the block by way of 14mm ARP studs. The individual runner intake manifold, front cover and one-piece valve cover all came from Keating Machine.

13mm P-Pump

While Clint’s Ram is different from the rest of the Limited Pro Stock field in a lot of ways, the P-pump bolted to the side of his Cummins isn’t exclusively found on his truck. Built by Columbus Diesel Supply, the Bosch P7100-based injection pump employs 13mm plungers and barrels, a custom grind billet cam and an Ag governor for unlimited fueling at high rpm. In conjunction with a set of triple-feed, billet-bodied injectors equipped with 5x25 nozzles, this pump is a big reason why Clint’s 5.9L cranks out more than 1,300hp. The 13mm pump is timed to start injecting fuel some 40 degrees before each piston reaches top dead center.

Smooth Bore Three-Inch Turbo

Because the Limited Pro Stock trucks are limited to running a single, smooth bore turbocharger with a compressor wheel (inducer) no larger than 3.0 inches (76mm) in diameter, picking the right turbo is critical. Siding with a company that has the truck pull turbo market all but wrapped up at the present time, Clint runs the proven 3.0 (3x4) charger from Hart’s Diesel. During the course of a pull, the T6 flanged snail produces 60 to 62 psi worth of boost. Drive pressure checks in close to that, which makes for great efficiency and long-term reliability. 

Horsepower Enabler

Cooling off compressed intake air is a big part of the horsepower-making puzzle in truck pulling. For packing the coolest, densest oxygen possible into the engine, Clint relies on a water-to-air intercooler to drop intake temps by more than 500 degrees. The water-to-air arrangement makes use of a four-core Chiseled Performance intercooler, an ice box built into the front weight box and three 3,700 gph bilge pumps. Extremely efficient, Clint tells us the water-to-air setup typically drops incoming air temperature from 570 (leaving the turbo) to 60 degrees F (entering the head).

Bomb-Proof Driveline

The process of transferring horsepower to all six wheels begins with a four-disc clutch from Kenny’s Pulling Parts, which is concealed inside a Browell blowproof bellhousing. From there, a reverser transmission/quick-change transfer case combination from SCS Gearbox routes power to both axles via drive shafts built at Proformance Pros. With fixed gearing in the one-speed reverser and the ring and pinions in both the front and rear axles, Clint’s primary means of adjusting the truck’s gearing takes place in the SCS transfer case (a.k.a. drop box). Depending on the track, the truck’s final drive ratio checks in anywhere between 12.5:1 to 13.3:1.

20,000-Pound Rear Axle

After breaking his fair share of Dana 80s, Clint was ecstatic when a rule change for his class permitted the use of any rear axle. With the Meritor/Rockwell 20-145 being run in the 3,000hp Super Stock class with virtually zero issues, the version in Clint’s truck should last forever. The 20-145 shown above has been narrowed, the differential has been fitted with a 4.88 ring and pinion and the spider gears were treated to a welder. Up front, the factory-based AAM 925 solid axle remains, albeit with a Detroit truetrac locker and 4.88 gears.

35-Inch Mud Grapplers

For an aggressive, hard-biting tire, Clint swears by his Nitto Mud Grapplers. Fitted on 16-inch aluminum Real Racing Wheels, the LT315/75R16 E load range Mud Grapplers measure just a smidge under the 35-inch class maximum. For a big footprint up front, Clint runs just 12 psi of air pressure, while the duals out back hold quite a bit more air in order to maintain the truck’s hitch height when the weight of the sled transfers forward.

With the Right Gearing, They’ll Dig to China

Why does Clint run what is arguably the most aggressive mud terrain on the D.O.T. tire market when nearly everyone else is using all-terrains? Because, as Clint showed thousands of spectators at the 2018 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza, you can do a lot of damage on Mud Grapplers if you get the gearing right. “We’ve tried the faster gear deal (by way of swapping gears in the SCS drop box), but with these tires biting the way they do, we can get a faster mph with a slower gear by turning the motor a little harder (4,500 to 4,600 rpm),” Clint told us. “They’ve hooked really good on pretty much every track we’ve been on,” he added.

Stretched Frame, Subframe Added

Originally a short bed four-door, Clint and his crew stretched the truck’s frame approximately 20 inches in 2017, added an 8-foot bed and moved the rear axle and bed side slightly forward. The changes brought the ¾-ton Ram’s wheelbase to 158 inches, the maximum allowed in the Limited Pro Stock class. Frame reinforcement comes in the form of a subframe constructed of 2x2-inch square tubing, which spans from the rear axle all the way to the front control arm mounts.

Rigid Pulling Hitch

In setting up the truck to pull, Clint obtained a boatload of helpful information from Randy Kleikamp and hard parts from Kleikamp’s company, Proformance Pros. Above, you can see the Proformance Pros-sourced, draw bar style hitch employed on Clint’s Dodge. The hitch eye measures 1.25-inches thick and the hitch’s Pyramid type design and its adjusters ensure the hitch never drops down. In keeping with Limited Pro Stock class rules, the hook point measures exactly 26 inches from the ground.

Fine-Tuned Front Suspension

With the truck’s rear axle essentially part of the frame, the only area for suspension adjustments to be made exists up front. To fine-tune the front end, AFCO double adjustable coilover shocks from Proformance Pros are utilized in pairs. The AFCOs, complete with special valving specific to truck pulling applications, provide full control over both rebound and compression forces. Thanks to the extensive adjustability they offer, Clint has his Ram’s chassis movement dialed in to a tee, which means the truck’s front end rarely becomes unsettled during the course of a pull.

Stripped Interior

To get the bulk of the truck’s weight where it needed to be (forward of the firewall), Clint and his crew removed any and all unnecessary heft from the cab (dash, door panels, seats, etc.). A Racepak data logger is used to record key vitals on the truck, such as boost pressure, drive pressure, ground speed and EGT, for post-hook analysis. The hand throttle and shifter are Proformance Pros’ pieces.

Supporting the Effort

While Clint, his family and his friends all joined forces in building a successful Limited Pro Stock truck, Clint is quick to point out that none of it would’ve been possible without generous sponsors. All Pro Kustomz, TRM Diesel and Show N Tell Salon played a huge role in the build, while Shore Sign of Chester, Maryland provided the truck’s signature wrap and S&M Unlimited provided all the powder coating that makes the third-gen Dodge engine bay, interior and chassis pop.

Success, Validated

“I always wanted to come to the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza and do well,” Clint said. “And I also wanted to see how we stack up against the rest of the trucks in the country.” Well, after building up 31 mph worth of ground speed with 40,000 pounds of weight-transferring sled in tow, Clint found out. He finished fourth out of 49 trucks at the 2018 event, which confirmed that the homebuilt Ram can indeed run with the best in the business.

Clint wasn't the only competitor at Scheid to find success on Nittos.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata isn't just the best-selling roadster of all time. It's an icon in the sports car world, a model that took up the mantle of the Little British Cars and added modern engineering and considerably greater reliability to the formula.

Lightweight, rear-wheel drive and deceptively simple, the Miata found an enormous audience when it hit the market at the beginning of the 1990s. By the early 2000s, however, sales of the MX-5, and sports cars in general, had begun to slow down, prompting Mazda to turn to Mazdaspeed, their in-house performance division, for their take on what could be done with the second-generation Miata platform.

The first and only factory-turbocharged Mazdaspeed Miata hit dealerships for the 2004 model year, and part of 2005, until a fire at the production facility cut things short. Roughly 5,400 forced-induction MX-5s were built, placing them among the least-common Miatas on the market.

Strangely, in the decade or so following its introduction, Mazda never followed-up on the Mazdaspeed, returning to the car's naturally-aspirated roots for the NC and ND generation cars that followed. I had the chance to spend a week behind the wheel of one of these unique models on loan from Mazda's classic collection, and I used that time trying to understand why the Mazdaspeed was a solitary effort—and where, exactly, the turbo NB fits into the Miata pantheon.

More Is More, Right?

There's one thing in particular about the Mazdaspeed that should have made it a slam-dunk: more power. It's been the common refrain surrounding the Miata ever since it was first introduced with its playful, but admittedly modest, four-cylinder motor. "Imagine how much more fun this would be," detractors would say, "if it had a little bit more grunt under the hood."

I've never been in that camp. I've owned a stock first-gen Miata and loved it. I've ridden in a 500whp NA and had a blast. Each are their own kind of fun, and there's enough room in the enthusiast community for both momentum cars and those with enough power to momentarily stutter the rotation of the Earth.

The 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata falls somewhere in between. Rated at 178hp and 166 lb-ft of torque, it offered buyers 36 additional horsepower and 41 extra lb-ft compared to the standard 1.8L four-cylinder engine. More importantly, with its beefier six-speed manual gearbox, and despite a 500 rpm redline drop (6,500 rather than 7,000), it sprints to 60 mph from a standing start one and a half seconds faster than the base model and eclipses the quarter mile in roughly 15 seconds (as opposed to the stock NB's 16 and change).

As you can see, the Mazdaspeed is appreciably quicker than any Miata to have preceded it, yet doesn't push too far into muscle machine territory. That was a conscious choice on Mazda's part, and certainly not the result of a lack of engineering prowess. The car's drivetrain has been buttressed to handle 7.25 lbs of boost by the inclusion of an air-to-air intercooler, a bigger radiator, an uprated clutch, a limited-slip differential and the removal of the naturally-aspirated engine's variable-valve timing system. Also joining the party are a set of Bilstein shocks, springs that drop the car by 7 mm over stock, thicker sways front and rear, a strut tower brace over the engine and 17-inch tires that make 0.98 of lateral g possible right out of the box.

Cosmetically, aside from badging and the world's cutest intercooler peeking out from under the air dam, the Mazdaspeed flies relatively under the radar. The model I drove came with red seat inserts, a Velocity Red Mica paint job (one of two colors available in 2004), squint-and-you-can-see-it smoked headlights and a unique gauge cluster. There's also a winglet on the trunk and a nifty front spoiler.

Too Much Fun?

Two things immediately stand out after driving the Mazdaspeed Miata. The first is just how frenetic the drivetrain feels compared to what I'm used to in the NB. Whereas most Miata driving from this era is replete with gradual climbs to redline before a carefully-metered shift into the next gear, once the turbo takes over at 3,500 rpm, there's not much time to dilly-dally with the right hand before you're required to snag the next cog in sequence.

Just to be clear, I'm not complaining about the extra oomph. It's just that the Mazdaspeed is decidedly quicker once boost mode has been engaged, transforming it from go-kart to mini-missile in terms of how quick you have to react to the road ahead, and the feedback from the car itself.

Perhaps even more interesting is the way time has largely caught up with the Mazdaspeed Miata's turbo motor. The 2018 edition of the Miata features a 2.0L four-cylinder mill that produces a mere 155hp, yet manages to be a near match in terms of acceleration (thanks to well-tailored gearing, a very usable powerband and rigorous weight-management). The 2019 edition adds 26hp on top of that, and promises to feel marginally quicker (due in part to its new 7,500 rpm redline, up from 6,800 revs).

It's the Package That's Important

Remember earlier when I said there were two things that stood out to me about the Mazdaspeed? The second is somewhat more subjective, but to my mind, equally important: I'm not sure that the faster car is really all that much more fun than a bone stock NB.

On the street, it's more of an effort to contain the turbo's tiger, as you can't simply wind out each and every gear with abandon, as with most Miatas, without risking your license or forcing yourself to shift every few seconds. I'm simply not as relaxed, or as connected with the car, when experiencing it in this kind of concentrated dose. In fact, the most common complaint about the car from owners, then and now, is the 4.1 rear gear ratio, which thwarts the turbo's chance to truly shine on an autocross course yet keeps the engine spinning high on the freeway.

I also couldn't help but feel the Mazdaspeed was stuck somewhere between canyon carver and track rat. Known for having an ECU that didn't respond well to modifications and a number of expensive reliability issues, this version of the MX-5 simply didn't catch on with the performance crowd. Fast is fun, sure, but if you really want to make a Miata turn in crazy ETs, you can do so for less than the cost of a well-kept Mazdaspeed via the aftermarket, where the folks at Flyin' Miata will happily hook you up—and you'll have fewer problems tuning along the way.

That being said, I'm glad that the Mazdaspeed Miata became more than just a special interest project at the company's Mine skunk works. Despite not quite capturing the purity of the original Miata experience, nor edging over completely into track day dominance, this car undoubtedly provided the answer to so many important questions about the MX-5 package that would have repercussions on the next 15 years or so of the vehicle's development.

Is it a stretch to make the claim that the Mazdaspeed is the reason why the Miata's four-cylinder has remained happily naturally-aspirated and reasonably rated, while so many other would-be rivals—the Honda S2000 and Pontiac Solstice—failed to stay around for as long despite their gaudier stats? I don’t think so. Seen that way, I can certainly respect the Mazdaspeed Miata for its place as an important evolutionary link between the past and the present of this much-lauded roadster, even if it wouldn't be my first choice when parking another classic Miata in my garage.

We also spent a week with the rare '93 Mazda RX-7 R1!

Darlington recently hosted its now-regular NASCAR nostalgia weekend over Labor Day, where Cup teams show off past paint schemes designed to call to mind old sponsors and iconic liveries. What better time, then, for you to park a historic stock car in your own garage—one that doesn't just tie-in with NASCAR, but also glitters with more than a little Hollywood tinsel.

A Piece of Movie History

That's right. The number 51 Mello Yello Chevrolet Lumina, driven by Tom Cruise in that iconic ode to end-of-'80s Simpson/Bruckheimer excess "Days of Thunder," is for sale. According to the seller, this is no promo car that lived an easy life of mall appearances and car show Sundays either. It's an actual race-ready, filmed-at-speed big screen hero that's ready for classic competition.

A little background. The Mello Yello brand has dabbled in racing several times, and in fact, it helped blur the line between on-camera prop and actual on-track reality. Mello Yello's participation in "Days of Thunder" as the main sponsor of character Cole Trickle tied in with an advertising campaign deployed on national television that coincided with the film's release. This product placement transcended fiction the following year when Mello Yello became the actual sponsor for Kyle Petty's NASCAR team for four consecutive seasons. Later, the company, which is owned by Coca-Cola, became the title sponsor for NHRA drag racing.

Cruise became interested in making "Days of Thunder" after getting the chance to drive one of team owner Rick Hendrick's Cup cars, whom he met via his friendship with noted actor-turned-racer Paul Newman. Always obsessed with doing his own stunts, Cruise immediately set about finding backing to make a film about the sport on a level—and with a budget—that had yet to be seen by fans.

Still Race-Ready

Back to the car. This Mello Yello Lumina has been restored by Laughlin Race Cars, which is headquartered out of Spartanburg, South Carolina. The ad mentions that the body is sitting on a chassis that's been set up for road racing, rather than the ovals celebrated in the movie, but that's a plus for anyone considering actually driving this particular vehicle outside of a circle track. It also features a 502 ci Chevrolet V8 tuned to offer 650hp at high rpm, along with a triple-disc clutch, a quick-change rear end and of course, a four-speed Jericho manual transmission.

Hendrick was responsible for building the cars seen in the film, and as we've mentioned before, they weren't just driven by Cruise and his co-stars, but by actual NASCAR drivers, including Greg Sacks, Bobby Hamilton, Hut Stricklin and Tommy Ellis. Filming was done at a number of NASCAR races in both the '89 and '90 seasons (at Phoenix, Darlington and Daytona), which means this car offers the unique chance to own and drive not just a movie car, but one that also shared track time with big names in NASCAR.

Even better is the fact that a $69,983 rig like this can easily serve as your entry to historic racing events across the country. In fact, the Mello Yello Lumina is said to have competed at Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta and Sebring, and is fully legal with Sports Car Vintage Racing Association and Historic Sportscar Racing.

Classic stock cars are becoming increasingly popular on the nostalgia circuit, as their simple mechanicals and easy-to-drive character make them more accessible for weekend warriors without classic Ferrari or formula car budgets. There's no reason why you should let this yellow machine mellow in your garage when it could just as easily be out there tearing up asphalt (and avoiding its nemesis, the Exxon Chevy driven by Rowdy Burns).

Photos courtesy of Ideal Classic Cars.

Days of Thunder was just one of our 8 favorite NASCAR movies.

The pro-touring scene is out of this world these days, with classic cars so performance-built, they rival even their most modern counterparts. Nowhere is this more apparent than at an event like the Goodguys Colorado Nationals, a show bursting with pro-touring cars from the mild to the wild, some more show-worthy than others, but nonetheless built to take on modern performance challenges no engineer could have imagined them doing some 50 years ago.

While we had plenty to choose from at this year's Colorado show, there were a handful of cars that really topped the charts when it came to the pro-tourers on hand. Below are our five favorites!

1. Ed Swallesh's 1972 Chevelle

If you've ever walked into a car show, you've undoubtedly felt “the pull.” It's the unique sensation of being drawn to one vehicle or another. It's a good indicator of something special. For us, this happened almost immediately with Ed Swallesh's 1972 Chevelle, dubbed Dark Syde.

Built from the ground up, this classic pro-touring has all that and a bag of chips when it comes to performance. Under the hood, you'll find a beefy 468 ci BB Chevy engine complete with a full hydraulic roller valvetrain, Billet Specialties Tru-Trac serpentine system and three-inch ceramic coated Doug's headers. Backing the big block is a TH400 transmission with overdrive.

Other features of the gorgeous Dark Syde include a 12-bolt Posi-traction rearend with 3.73 gears, Baer Brakes, a push-start ignition system, Kindig-It design Bitchin' door handles and an iPad integrated console. Of course, this bad boy sits on Nittos!

One cherry ride, Dark Syde picked up one of two Rodder's Rep Pick awards at the show, so it looks like we weren't the only one's impressed with this sweet Chevy!

2. Tim Molzen's 1963 Dodge Dart

If you want to talk about icons in the automotive industry, the 1969 Charger from the Dukes of Hazzard franchise, known as “The General Lee,” resonates in the minds of many generations of car folk and TV/film fans alike. But there is nothing pro-touring about this brutish Mopar from back in the day.

Enter Tim Molzen's 1963 pro-touring Dart—a unique mix of on-screen nostalgia and modern-day performance.

Painted up just like the iconic General Lee, we found Molzen's Dart on the Goodguys Colorado autocross course as soon as we arrived. Complete with a boisterous 600hp LS7 backed by a Bowler 4L80e transmission, Detroit Speed suspension front and rear, Baer six-piston brakes and 12-inch wide Weld Wheels, among other things, this one-of-a-kind car whipped through the cones with ease like a professional skater on ice.

Though the car didn't quite make the final cut in Saturday's AutoCross Western States Shootout, it certainly proved to be a crowd favorite, as well as the perfect example of just how cool and unique one can go with their pro-touring build.

3. Bruce Philbrook's 1969 Camaro

A car does not have to be in-your-face crazy to be considered a prime example of pro-touring in our books. In fact, sometimes the more subtle and integrated the modifications, the better. Take, for example, Bruce Philbrook's 1969 Camaro.

Skillfully built by Philbrook himself for his daughter Toni, this sleek '69 is the product of intense metalwork combined with substantial performance upgrades and, of course, Viper Red paint. This is combined in such a way that the car remains sleek, smooth and somewhat operating under the radar, until you take a closer look.

Bought as a crushed roll-over victim, the Camaro was pieced together using parts from another unfortunate '69 Camaro (this one having been burnt out) and a '68 “parts car.” The process took about seven years.

Looking at it now, you'd never know what rubble it started out as. With new metalwork from the floors to the roof, the car features molded-in taillights, shaved drip rails and flush-mounted front and rear glass. Inside, the car boasts a narrowed 1959 Impala dashboard, a custom fiberglass center console and John Bezinque upholstered seats.

This Camaro was made for perforamce, with a 5.3L LS1 V8 truck engine topped with an LS1 intake manifold, custom Kevin Kaiser exhaust system, 4L60 overdrive transmission, 10-bolt rearend, power disc brakes, 18-inch Coys wheels wrapped in Nitto NT555 rubber and a lowered stance with added handling capabilities thanks to two-inch front drop spindles and two-inch rear lowering blocks.

It's certainly eye-catching with its Viper Red paint scheme, an addition to the project from Toni's husband Brandon Baker. This awesome little Chevy is certainly worth a second (or maybe even a third) look!

4. Bobby Schumacher/Gary Fish's 1969 Mustang

There's nothing quite like a fully-built classic Mustang. The original pony car, the Mustang makes for a great platform to show off what pro-touring is all about, and this one built by Vintage Fabrications and shown by Bobby Schumacher and Gary Fish is a prime example!

Dripping with classic good looks, the aesthetics of this car are accentuated by custom touches like smoothed (all metal) body lines, a custom grille with the center lights removed, custom front fascia and molded bumper, Eleanor-style hood, flush-mounted glass, narrowed side scoops, flush-fit taillights and bumper. The list goes on and on! Adding even more of an attention-grabbing aspect is the PPG Lamborghini Yellow paint scheme with charcoal full-body stripes.

Inside, the car is just as custom with bolstered custom leather Recaro seats, a custom center console, a black leather-wrapped dash with yellow stitching and a touch-screen head unit.

As far as performance is concerned, the Mustang doesn't disappoint, with a Roadster Shop Elite chassis as the base, a supercharged 5.0L Coyote engine under the hood, Bowler 4L80 gear box, Wilwood disc brakes and 18- and 20-inch B-Forged wheels.

A truly spectacular pro-touring car, it's not surprising that this particular Mustang made its show circuit debut at the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. It's also not surprising that it took top honors as Goodguys' “Ford in a Ford” pick!

5. Shane and Ericka Estes' 1969 Camaro

Last, but certainly not least, in our list of top pro-touring cars from the 2018 Goodguys Colorado Nationals is Shane and Ericka Estes' 1969 Camaro. This car immediately caught our eye, and not just with the flashy white, red and black color scheme.

Having been owned by Shane Estes for 30 years, the Camaro undoubtedly had a bit of a sentimental value to its owner. We have a feeling that never in Shane's wildest dreams did he think his car could be this incredible when he purchased it decades ago.

Built from the ground up atop a Detroit Speed subframe, Estes' car features a Kenne Bell liquid-cooled, supercharged 454 ci LSX engine backed by a TKO 600 manual transmission. Let that set in for a minute. Pick up your jaw. Wipe the drool off your lip. Catch your breath—we've got more.

Underneath, the car spins Forgeline CV3C wheels, is equipped with all-wheel disc brakes and rides like a champ on a Detroit Speed 4-Link rear suspension setup.

All the custom body work and paint was done by Jim Malone at Wild West Street Rods. The unique white paint scheme, with a bright red stripe trimmed in black, matches perfectly with the loud all-red interior with black and white accents done by Gabe's Custom Interiors. No wonder it won the Meguiar's Magnificent Masterpiece award at the show!

We could ogle this Camaro all day. In fact, we could ogle all of our top picks from the Goodguys Colorado show, but we've got more cars to see, photos to take and awesome events to bring to you, so we'll leave you to ogle some more on your own!

Want more Goodguys? We have a full gallery!

Like much of the Midwest, truck pulling is pretty big in Wisconsin. In the summer months, it’s possible to take in a pull every other night of the week up here. For Sun Prairie resident Ryan Sokolowski, he spent the 2018 season campaigning a Pro Stock diesel truck in the Badger State Tractor Pullers circuit. His ’03 Dodge Ram strung together more than half a dozen third and fourth place hooks in a very competitive class, rarely finishing outside of the top five. Ryan also traveled to select Pro Pulling League events, where—still adhering to Badger State’s D.O.T. tire rule—he ran neck-and-neck with some of the strongest-running, cut-tire trucks in the nation.

What exactly is this Cummins-powered, open driveline, mud terrain-equipped Ram’s recipe for success? From its Scheid-built, deck-plated inline-six, to its Pro Fab transmission and transfer case to the six Mud Grapplers tasked with digging it to the front, we’ll highlight the bits and pieces that make Ryan’s Dodge a formidable contender in the Pro Stock field. Your 1,900hp tutorial begins right now.

Greased Up and Ready to Go

When Ryan Sokolowski picked up his 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 prior to the 2018 pulling season, it had already been built to compete in his local, 7,800-pound Pro Stock diesel truck class, sanctioned by the Badger State Tractor Pullers. Aside from a few changes here and there, the third-gen Ram was all but ready to compete. One change would be the renaming of the truck from Smokin’ Black Ram to “All Greased Up,” a label that stems from the line of work Ryan is in: liquid waste recycling.

Scheid Pro Stock Engine

Based on a 6.7L Cummins block and utilizing a 12-valve cylinder head, the dry sumped 6.4L Pro Stock mill in Ryan’s Dodge was built by Scheid Diesel. The Siamese bore crankcase was sleeved, its water jackets filled with concrete and a deck-plate was added to reinforce the upper section of the block. A main bearing girdle, 14mm main studs, billet-roller camshaft, billet rods and 12:1 compression pistons were also incorporated into the bottom end. Inheriting the engine with a full year’s worth of passes already on it in 2017, Ryan’s faith in the Scheid-built Cummins dissuaded him from freshening things up for 2018. Ryan’s gamble paid off, as he got all but a complete second season out of the battle-proven engine combination.

14mm P-Pump

Big power calls for big fuel, and Ryan’s Cummins has plenty of both. Bolted to a Scheid billet front cover, you’ll find one of Scheid’s P8600 P-pumps. Making use of 14mm plungers and barrels, a quick-rate cam and an Ag governor, this pump can flow as much as 1,000 cc worth of fuel and keep fueling well beyond 5,000 rpm. After being fed more than 80 psi of fuel supply pressure via a belt-driven lift pump, the 14mm P8600 sends fuel to six triple-feed injectors, each fitted with a massive, 5x0.030 nozzle.

War Head

Like many other Pro Stock engines—and because billet cylinder heads are prohibited in the Pro Stock class—Ryan’s Cummins benefits from a cast replica head from Hamilton Cams, coined the War Head. With the right port and valve work, the cast-iron 12-valve piece can be made to flow twice what a restrictive factory 12-valve head can. Ryan’s War Head anchors to the 6.7L block via 14mm ARP studs and accommodates an individual runner-type intake manifold from Scheid.

Single, 3.6-Inch Turbo

In both Pro Stock and Limited Pro Stock diesel truck classes, you’ll find that most rigs are equipped with a turbocharger from Hart’s Diesel. In the Pro Stock field, engines are limited to running a single, smooth bore turbo with a compressor wheel inducer that measures no more than 3.6 inches in diameter (91.5mm). The Hart’s 3.6-inch charger on Ryan’s engine produces as much as 70 psi of boost during the heat of a pull, with drive pressure that checks in close to the same.

Ice-Cold Intake Air

As you can imagine, air that’s been compressed to 70 psi can heat up in a hurry, so much so that the charged air leaving the turbo’s compressor housing tops 500 degrees F in Ryan’s case. To cool incoming air down before it makes it into the high-flow head, it passes through a water-to-air intercooler arrangement. Thanks to a shaft-driven pump, nearly 120 pounds of ice and the multi-core intercooler itself, air temps entering the engine check in at a cool 60 to 70 degrees F. As for EGT, those temps remain a calm 1,300 to 1,400 degrees (per cylinder) most of the time. 

Open Driveline

The process of transferring as much of the 1,800+ hp produced by the engine to the wheels begins with a four-disc Crower clutch inside a Browell blow-proof bellhousing. From there, power makes its way through a one-speed reverser transmission from Pro Fab Machine. Finally, a Pro Fab quick-change transfer case, located aft of the driver seat, routes power to the front and rear axles.

Indestructible Axle

You’ll find the rear axle pictured above in most serious pulling trucks these days: the Meritor/Rockwell 20-145. Sourced as a complete unit from Proformance Pros, the dual wheeled 20-145 benefits from 2-1/16-inch, 32-spline, gun-drilled (lightened) axle shafts made of 300M, a new axle drive flange and a billet spool. Up front, an AAM 1150 was repurposed as a front axle and equipped with hydraulic steering and a Detroit Truetrac.

Front Suspension Only

With solid suspension out back (to keep the rear end as rigid as possible and ensure the hitch height never drops), only the front suspension can be altered. To dial in the front end’s behavior, two adjustable AFCO coilover shocks are utilized on each side of the AAM 1150 axle. According to Ryan, now that the truck seems to be in its happy place on most tracks, the AFCOs rarely require adjustment. Also notice the steel deflection shield behind the shock mount in the photo shown above.

Mud Grapplers: The Path to the Front

While many sanctioning bodies allow bar tires on Pro Stock diesel trucks, cuts remain prohibited within the ranks of the Badger State Tractor Pullers’ Pro Stock class. But after speaking with several Badger State competitors, they don’t seem to mind running a street-legal tire. After all, they’ve already picked a winning horse. One thing about the BSTP Pro Stock category is certain: as long as D.O.T.-approved tires are the order of the day, competitors will choose Mud Grapplers. All six LT315/75R16 Mud Grapplers aboard Ryan’s Dodge reside on 16x10-inch aluminum Real Racing wheels.

The Careful Application of Power

At nearly 1,900hp, it’s pretty easy to overpower a pulling track, which is why a typical pull for the All Greased Up Dodge includes walking the truck off the starting line (a sophisticated way of saying “slip the clutch”) so as to avoid blowing the tires off. With the truck rolling and once Ryan feels the truck “dig in,” he gradually yet quickly moves the hand-throttle forward. By roughly mid-track, it’s full steam ahead. That means 4,300 rpm, 70 psi of boost and 30 mph worth of ground speed with 20 tons of weight-transferring iron in tow. Then once the sled drags things to a halt the truck spins out—and Ryan hopes his distance was enough to beat everyone else’s.

This wasn't the only Mud Grappler-equipped pulling truck to catch our eye at the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza. We also featured Against All Odds.

For its seventh round in 2018, Formula Drift’s Black Magic Pro Championship made its way to the Lone Star state to tackle the biggest track around: Texas Motor Speedway. Situated just west of Dallas in Fort Worth, Texas, the venue that normally holds over 180,000 fans for oval racing has hosted Formula Drift on the inner road course for many years. The “Showdown” has yet to disappoint and would be a crucial round for each of the title hopefuls in this year’s run for top honors. James Deane, the 2017 champion from Ireland, entered Texas with only a 30 point lead over Fredric Aasbo. One way or another, Texas would prove a turning point for both of their fortunes.

Texas Motor Speedway Track Layout

The sport of drifting runs on a few key elements: speed, angle and line. Some would say that flow encompasses all three, and Texas Motor Speedway’s design is all about maximizing how the car can get into a solid groove for a full lap. It begins with a quick downhill blast to the initiation point and a long right hand sweeper that narrows to the first inside clipping point at corner exit (turn one). Drivers let the car float wide to an outside zone, then power up the hill for a high speed transition to the left. The track tightens again, demanding the drivers be precise for a second inside clipping point as they dive down in front of the grandstands. A flick to the right and the car can swing wide again, this time for a brush with disaster right against a tire barrier on the outside of the track. Get it right, and the car will be positioned perfectly to power past the third and final inside clipping point just before the finish line.

Two points on the track have traditionally separated the men from the boys: first turn to up the hill and the sweeper along the tire wall. Many competitors will choose a shallower line to maintain close position, but the judges reward the brave for their efforts to push the boundaries throughout the whole course.

Qualifying in the Rain

As the competitors lined up for qualifying, rain loomed over the proceedings. The weekend’s forecast was more a question of when, not if, the weather would hit the track, adding an extra layer of uncertainty on top of the usual pressure to qualify. Unfortunately, mechanical issues that occurred in the morning practice took Dean Kearney out of contention, meaning only 30 would ultimately qualify for the Top 32 bracket.

Alec Hohnadell was the first to set a real benchmark score with a 96 on his opening lap. Quite a few others were able to surpass the 90 mark, including Gittin Jr., DeNofa, Wang, Tuerck and Aasbo, but it wasn’t until James Deane’s first run that someone was able to best Hohnadell. Deane attacked hard, pulling intense angle past the second inside clip, and was awarded with a 97 to cap off the first half of qualifying. Formula Drift’s rules give each driver two chances to produce their best score, meaning there was still time for even that high score to be bested.

About a dozen cars into the second laps, the rain finally arrived, quickly wetting the track and removing tire smoke from the runs. History has not been kind to wet qualifying runs, and at first it seemed like a slam dunk for Deane to maintain his lead. However, Formula D gave each driver an extra sighting lap to learn the damp course ahead of their scored lap. This, combined with some extraordinary talent, saw solid runs throughout the order. Drivers were improving on their first lap scores, and again 90+ points were being thrown down heading into the Top Ten. Rain picked up, and lightning was detected in the area, causing a brief hold on the action to ensure the safety of the spectators and teams.

Through a light drizzle, the last remaining cars went out, with Piotr Wiecek laying down an aggressive 95. Impressive as that was, it wasn’t enough to push Deane, who, just for good measure, managed to lay down a 98 on his own wet lap, showing he was the ace in both the dry and the wet. Both he and Hohnadell, who hung onto second place in qualifying, received bye runs for the main competition, immediately putting them into the Top 16. Aasbo landed fourth behind Wiecek, and DeNofa took eleventh just ahead of Gittin Jr. in twelfth. The bracket was set and skies were clear, ready for the tandem battles.

Tandem Competition Into Darkness

Texas marks the second of three rounds to finish under the lights, together with Atlanta (round three) and Irwindale (round eight). Top 32 competition began in the afternoon, and the Top 16 ran through the sunset, testing the drivers’ abilities to race through both smoke and darkness.

On the left side of the bracket, things proceeded in line with qualifying and overall points positions. Notably, Daijiro Yoshihara was able to take out Kristaps Bluss in the Top 32. Bluss was driving a borrowed Nissan 370Z from George Kiriakopoulos after his BMW “Eurofighter” M3 blew a motor in practice.

Ultimately, Deane, the top qualifier, knocked out Ken Gushi and Yoshihara to make it into the Final Four. Championship rival Aasbo was waiting for him there, having already fought past Kyle Mohan, Chris Forsberg and a One More Time (OMT) win over Ryan Tuerck.

On the right half of the bracket, however, results were more difficult to predict. Rookie Ryan Litteral managed to get past second place qualifier Alec Hohnadell in the Top 16, taking him to the highest round in his short career. Federico Sceriffo, in his bright yellow Ferrari 599, put up a good fight, but was no match for Justin Pawlak’s teal and blue Mustang. Pawlak was taken out by another Nitto driver, DeNofa, setting the stage for a good showdown with Litteral in the quarterfinals. Litteral was totally blinded by DeNofa’s smoke trail in the chase position, far off his marks as DeNofa earned the win.

Third place qualifier Wiecek breezed past Kevin Lawrence before contending with Matt Field in the Top 16. Their first runs were too close to call, and the judges requested an OMT to give each another shot at dominance. Wiecek found some extra speed and was able to build a gap over Field during the lead run to take the win.

Gittin Jr., the remaining RTR/Nitto Tire Ford Mustang driver, managed to get past the likes of rookie Matt Vankirk and recently returned veteran Forrest Wang in the Top 16.

Wiecek met Gittin Jr. in the Nos Energy Drink Great Eight, a fierce battle between two top competitors. Gittin Jr. stayed close during the first chase run and took a competition timeout to fix a power steering issue in between laps. He returned to try and nail the win, but Wiecek’s pressure was too strong. The Worthouse S15 was flawless, while Gittin Jr.’s Mustang went wide on the final turn, taking out a sponsor billboard before coming to a halt. Wiecek moved on to face DeNofa in the Final Four.

Cell phone flashlights illuminated the path of Deane and Aasbo for the first battle of the Link ECU Final Four. This was a high stakes match for the championship, Aasbo desperate to continue taking points away from Deane ahead of Irwindale. Both drivers put on solid lead runs with nothing to show between, leaving it up to the chase to decide the match. Aasbo may be one of the tightest chasers in the business, but on this occasion, Deane was better, holding closer proximity throughout the whole course with full commitment. Although it was perhaps the best match of the entire weekend, the judges were clear and didn’t need an OMT to decide it. Deane advanced to the finals.

The other Final Four battle between Wiecek and DeNofa was eerily similar. It was as if Wiecek had been taking notes from Deane’s playbook, and managed an equally impressive chase run against DeNofa to lock in his own win. The dim lighting and skill needed to follow that tightly cannot be overstated here. What these drivers did in low visibility was almost superhuman, knowing the exact moment to transition and avoid a collision with the lead driver through the smoke.

The last match of the night was the one the entire crowd had been waiting to see. Not only are Deane and Wiecek excellent drivers, but they’ve shown that they are willing to push each other hard. Their Worthouse Nissan S15s are nearly identical builds, meaning that whenever they battle, we always see whose skill was most on point that day. Indeed, as Deane led the first set of runs, the pair delivered. Wiecek was tight in the twin drift mirroring and knocking right on Deane’s door through the sweeping first turn. Switching places for Wiecek’s lead, Deane ran into the attrition that a long, hot event like Texas can so easily bring on. A mechanical problem midway through turn one brought his race to a swift end, allowing Wiecek to slip away with a clean run and claim victory.

As incredible a win that it was, it may not be enough this late in the season for Wiecek. He sits third in the overall standings, a full 87 points behind teammate Deane. With only one round to go, mathematically Wiecek is still alive, but a long shot. Aasbo, who took the final step on the Texas podium through his qualifying position, sits in second place in the Pro championship,49 points back. Deane will likely need to reach the Great Eight in the final event to clinch the championship, while Aasbo will need to a victory to win it all.

Just off the podium, DeNofa had another strong finish by taking fourth place in Texas, bumping him up in the rankings from 13th to 11th. Nitto teammate Gittin Jr. also gained a spot, moving into 14th, along with Sceriffo up to 27th as Dean Kearney was unable to compete. Alex Heilbrunn’s BMW was once again hampered with mechanical issues, preventing him from even attending the Texas round.

The Formula Drift Black Magic Pro Championship will conclude in Irwindale, California for the final round of the season on October 13. The finale will be the deciding venue for both the Pro and Pro2 championships, a first in series history, with everything still to race for. Keep it tuned to Driving Line for the full story of how it all goes down!

Want more Formula Drift? We cover the whole season, from Long Beach to Irwindale!

In a sport like diesel truck pulling, a few tried and true strategies for success have been formed. Nearly everyone follows the path of the people before them. That's why it's so exciting to see someone do something truly unique, upturning the paradigm in the process. That's just what Clint Mills has done with his 2006 Dodge Ram 2500, dubbed "Against All Odds."

Where conventional wisdom says to use a 6.7L Cummins, he runs a concrete filled, standard bore 5.9L Cummins with shot-peened and polished 12-valve rods. He even uses Nitto Mud Grapplers instead of the typical all-terrains. To see everything that gives this truck its unconventional power, watch the video above!

Tuning Menu: "Against All Odds" Dodge Ram 2500

Want to know more about this ride? We have a full feature article, detailing each part that makes it so special!

The beauty of My Drift Car Challenge is that it brings people from all around the world together and quite literally puts them on one track. Our latest competitor Stewart Gaudes drove his 1JZ-swapped 240SX all the way from Canada to California just to compete against his hero Matt Powers.

This battle takes place at the tight Grangé Motor Circuit, where the entire course is determined by the entry of turn one. It takes a ton of guts. Right after you clear turn one, you have to gather your composure and keep it tight and technical for the rest of the track.

This battle saw identical runs from both Matt Powers and Steward Gaudes, which sent it into a one more time situation. During the Sudden Death battles, Stewart went full hot rod and spun after his amazing entry. All Matt Powers had to do was put a solid run together to cross the finish line, and that’s exactly what he did.

We can’t wait to see more My Drift Car Challenge battles in the future.

Want to see more drift battles? Watch episode four of My Drift Car Challenge!