Bully Dog Team '03 Dodge...
Bully Dog Team
'03 Dodge Ram
360ci/5.9L Cummins I-6
Stock cylinder head
Nitrous
Twin turbos (62-psi boost)
Do you think your turbodiesel truck is fast? Want to bet your pink slip? That's what the team from Bully Dog did on the Speed Channel television show Pinks-and they scored a big victory for the spark plug-less by beating a gasoline-powered, nitrous-sucking drag truck. Of course, the 2003 Dodge Ram put together by Bully Dog was also packing nitrous, but this amazing 815hp, street-legal Cummins truck was built in just eight weeks.
Bill Bonadio of Dio Cars '88...
Bill Bonadio of Dio Cars'88 Chevy S-10 with Dio S-40 kit
355ci/5.8L Chevy V8
'95 Vortec iron cylinder heads
Nitrous
Headman headers
In case you haven't seen Pinks, it's a show where "winner take all" is not just a slogan. Two vehicles drag race and the first driver to rack up three wins becomes owner of the other vehicle's title (pink slip). To make the races fair, teams are allowed to inspect each other's vehicles. Then they negotiate terms like the length of head starts and the use of power-adders such as nitrous. The host, Rich Christensen, helps moderate the haggling, then starts the races with a drop of his arms.
 Pinks host Rich Christensen...  Pinks host Rich Christensen eyes the competitors. He's not your typical TV host, and that comes in handy when race negotiations get heated. |  The folks at Mount Logan Off-Road...  The folks at Mount Logan Off-Road installed the roll cage and Mastercraft seat with a five-point racing harness. They also added ladder bars and strengthened the frame, which was shortened so a short-box bed could be added. |  Is there anything better looking...  Is there anything better looking than twin turbos mounted on a Cummins? BD Performance provided this setup that produces 62 psi of boost. |
With only two months to prepare before the show, the Bully Dog team needed a vehicle, so they bought a 2003 Dodge Ram Regular Cab 4x4 Long Bed with 118,000 miles on the odometer. Once the engine and transmission were removed for inspection, the crew hacked 20 inches off the frame so a short box could be installed. Bully Dog decided to ditch the transmission in favor of a brand new high-performance unit from HTS. The Cummins barely showed any wear and only needed some adjustment to the valves and fresh Red Line oil.
 The ATS intake manifold is...  The ATS intake manifold is plumbed for performance. It's ready for healthy doses of nitrous oxide and water/methane injection. |  After the engine and transmission...  After the engine and transmission upgrades were complete it was time to put the Ram on a dyno. With all the power-adders, the truck produced an astounding 815 hp and 1,503 lb-ft of torque. |  You must be willing to lift...  You must be willing to lift your hood to race on Pinks. Each team gets to examine the competition's powerplant so they can bargain for head starts and the exclusion of power mods such as nitrous. |
Mount Logan Off-Road added ladder bars and a custom roll cage with Mastercraft seats with a five-point harness. After that, the Bully Dog team started throwing power parts at the engine. These included their own Triple Dog Downloader, a twin turbo setup from BD Performance, a 5-inch exhaust, an RFI intake, an ATS intake manifold, larger fuel injectors, an FASS fuel system, a Snow Performance water/methane injection kit, and a big nitrous system. After adding bumpers from Street Scene and a vinyl wrap with the Bully Dog logo, the Ram was put on a dyno that recorded an amazing 815 hp and 1,503 lb-ft of torque
With that much power on tap and the ability to launch in four-wheel drive, winning would be a snap, right? Not quite. The competition was an '88 Chevy S-10 with a Dio S-40 body kit, owned by Bill Bonadio of Dio Cars. The relatively small truck was packing a 355ci V8 with Vortec heads, a 150hp shot of nitrous, and a 700R4 transmission.
 |  The Dio S-40 ran away from...  The Dio S-40 ran away from the Dodge during the first race. Once the Bully Dog team was allowed to use nitrous, the races were much closer. |  Pinks host Rich Christensen...  Pinks host Rich Christensen congratulates team Bully Dog. The Dodge won the last race with an amazing quarter-mile time of just 11.2 seconds at 124 miles per hour. That's faster than a brand new Corvette! |
After inspections the teams negotiated a head start for the Dio S-40 along with removal of the Bully Dog nitrous setup. That resulted in a loss for the Dodge. Down 0-to-1, the Bully Dog team negotiated the use of their nitrous in a heads-up race. The Ram managed to edge out the S-40 but developed a large hole in the radiator due in part to the 62 psi being pumped out by the turbos. With just 15 minutes to fix the truck, and no spare radiator, the crew used a T-shirt to plug the leak. That race left the T-shirt dragging under the truck, but the Cummins managed to push the Ram to another close victory and a 2-to-1 lead. Another T-shirt was used to "repair" the radiator, and the trucks lined up for the next pass down the strip. Even though the Ram was in danger of overheating, and the Dio S-40 was given a head start, the Dodge made its best run of the day and ran the quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds, crossing the finish line at 124 miles per hour! It was a clear victory for Rudolph Diesel's invention.
To watch how it all went down, check your local schedule to see when Pinks is airing on the Speed Channel in your area.