Hundreds of trucks armed with Power Stroke V-8s swarmed Indianapolis for the '06 Power Fest National Rally hosted by International Engines. After an awesome tour of the Indy diesel engine plant (see sidebar for more about the tour), almost 400 people gathered in a special section of O'Reilly Raceway Park reserved for diesel trucks born with a Blue Oval badge. The misguided driver of a Chevy Tahoe quickly found out Bow Ties were unwelcome in the corral when a wrong turn was greeted with a chorus of boos until he made a U-turn. Yes, these folks are seriously devoted to the diesels built by International Engines, and the company uses this event as a yearly thank-you to the fans of the 7.3L, the 6.0L, and the next generation of Power Strokes.
There was an impressive variety of Fords, with everything from monster pickups standing 10-feet tall to a slick custom Excursion highway cruiser with a sweet dslpowr license plate. The event included dyno runs, diagnostic tips from the pros, and a Show-n-Shine where everyone displayed their modified diesel trucks and even a few stock (for now) rides. William Haskell, whose mud rig was featured in last month's issue ("King of the Road," Nov. '06), took home two of the biggest awards. For the second year in a row he was named King of the Road, and he picked up a crystal trophy for the President's Award. The Power Stroke devotion of International CREW Club member Dan Mattis earned him a spot on the pit crew during the NASCAR race that night.
The event is held at O'Reilly Raceway Park because it precedes the Craftsman Truck Series Power Stroke Diesel 200 where Terry Cook was driving the No. 10 Power Stroke race truck. Yes, his rig has spark plugs, but the rules don't allow for a turbodiesel engine under the fiberglass. Soon afterward, the Craftsman Trucks were fired up and roaring around the track as 35,000 fans cheered for their favorite drivers (see the following sidebar for more about the race). Fireworks followed the checkered flag, but the Power Fest-ivities were far from over. The next day there was a truck show presented by SLAPS (St. Louis Area Power Strokes) and FOKISD (Ford Ohio Kentucky Illinois Super Duty) with some help from the International Engines team.
 This pre-race Power Stroke...  This pre-race Power Stroke parade was lead by the King of the Road, William Haskell, whose truck was featured in our November '06 issue. The 50 brand-new Super Duty trucks were driven by Power Fest attendees, and after a couple of passes, Nascar drivers hopped in the pickup beds and took a lap to wave to their fans. |  This '03 F-350 could be called...  This '03 F-350 could be called a homemade "Harley-Davidson." Owner Rick Weissmann put together this truck when the only Harley pickups on the roads were F-150 gassers. The transformation from stock Super Duty to what you see here involved painting every plastic piece to match the body, adding fender flares and Excursion running boards, and installing an '05 Harley grille when it became available. Custom touches include hand pinstriping that can even be found in the doorjambs, Motto 20-inch wheels with 38x15-20 Toyo Open County tires, an AFE intake, an Edge Juice with Attitude programmer, and a 4-inch MBRP exhaust system with dual 6-inch tips. |  The F-250 Lariat Platinum...  The F-250 Lariat Platinum Edition was sold in 2001 to commemorate the one-millionth Super Duty built since the truck was redesigned in 1999. It featured two-tone Mineral Gray/Silver Metallic paint, two-tone leather front and rear seats with the Platinum Edition logo, a unique center console, and color-keyed door handles, tailgate handle, and sun visor. This truck has been further customized with a suspension lift using remote reservoir shocks and chrome rims with 35x14-inch Super Swamper TSL tires. |
The WINNERS
'06 Power Fest Winners
Honorary Pit Crew Winner: Dan Mattis
King of the Road Winner: William Haskell
Club Attendance Award Winner: Ford Ohio
Kentucky Illinois Super Duty Club (FOKISD prize money generously donated to PAWS With a Cause charity)
Show-n-Shine Winners
Best Stock Truck: Chuck Easley
President's Award: William Haskell
Best Custom Paint Job: Kevin Clark