More than 56 diesel power addicts had their trucks strapped to the dyno at Bully Dog headquarters in Aberdeen, Idaho, during the first half of the company's 2006 Dog Days of Summer event. That was followed by a dirt drag-racing competition at the local fairgrounds, where trucks sent clods flying from a 11/48-mile straightaway at the horse track.
It would be an understatement to say the numbers posted on the walls during the dyno contest were impressive. The very first truck, an '00 Dodge Ram, scored 520 hp and 1,047 lb-ft of torque. There were lots of trucks breaking the 500 and 600hp marks, but it was Richard Madsen who lived up to his nickname, Mad Dog, by using a dual turbo Cummins mounted in a Ford F-350 to hit 945 hp at the rear wheels. Damian Reese also used a Cummins with a single turbo upgrade along with water/methanol injection and a boatload of nitrous to score 845 hp during one pull on the dyno. Steve Covalt and William Klassen were the only other ones to break 700 hp, and both also did it with engines by Cummins.
For the dirt drags, electronic light traps were set up one-eighth of a mile from the start of the track in front of the bleachers. Trucks (and even one Volkswagen) fought for traction at the starting line and some got squirrelly again farther down the track when the transmissions shifted gears.
"Crazy" Larry Olsen is no stranger to the dyno, and neither is his dog (being petted by one of the dyno technicians). Larry got his loony nickname because he likes to drive fast-all the time-thanks to radar detector modifications that keep him a step ahead of the law. Larry says he likes to alter the computer programs in his truck to disable the speed and rev limiters. Thanks to lots of time working with Bully Dog, you may recognize the name "Crazy" Larry because there's a tuning program that carries his name. This day, he was able to squeeze nearly 400 hp out of a 6.0L Power Stroke, and his dog loved the ride.
Smoke shoots into the atmosphere through the exhaust tubes during the dyno competition. | 
This first-generation 12-valve Cummins is owned by Logan Dispaine. The stock-looking '92 Ram W250 put a solid 274 hp and 540 lb-ft of torque to the dyno roller. | 
Only six months after buying this '05 Ram, now nicknamed "Cleatus," Chris Stecklein blasts down the 11/48-mile dirt track. It rides with 38-inch Toyo M/T tires on 20-inch chrome American Racing wheels. Engine modifications include a programmer and cold-air intake along with a homemade 5-inch exhaust system. |