2008 Norcal Diesel Rally - West Coast Shootout

Joe Higuera's was another truck in the 11s, and a 789hp dyno reading showed this VP-44 truck was making some serious power.

Diesel Power took our '08 Touareg test vehicle down the strip to the tune of a 15.15 at 90 mph. Combined with a 0.13 reaction time, we think we might have had a shot to win the Bracket Race, but alas, we had to take photos instead.

In the Outlaw Dyno Competition, it was history in the making, as Adam Winslett became the first VP-44 equipped truck to break the 1,000-horsepower mark. With a 1,060hp dyno pull, Adam also had plenty of power to assault the dragstrip in the Outlaw Diesel class.

A drag truck on the sled pull track? Yup, Lenny Reed also pulled his 12-valve Dodge, and finished second in Modified, just a few feet shy of Scott Vorhees in the Big Bad Dodge.

After the Modified class, Margo Reed (Lenny's wife) pulled in the Powder Puff pulling class. Apparently the 1,200hp Dodge didn't like being drag raced and sled pulled all day, and it promptly set its sound insulation on fire. Despite the mishap, the Dodge started right up and drove back to the pits.

We promised you a full pull, and guess what, here it is! Weight helps traction immensely in sled pulling, and the 55,000-pound water truck was the only vehicle to make a full pull, at 302 feet.

So who won the Tough Truck Challenge? For the second year in a row it was Nick D'Amico. He defeated all the other Tough Trucks and got to keep the $1,500 for himself, which he graciously donated back to J&H Performance. Word is, next year the reward will be even bigger if somebody defeats Nick, so look for the Tough Truck race to be even tighter next year.