ITP Diesel, which helped sponsor...
ITP Diesel, which helped sponsor the event, brought out its trick, budget, shortbed drag truck and clicked off some 12-second passes.
The NHRDA hosted its second annual Diesels in the Desert on March 9th of this year, and boy did some interesting vehicles show up. There were tube-chassis vehicles, two-wheel-drive drag trucks, and even some street-tire trucks running 10-second quarter-mile elapsed times. The classes were Sportsman E.T. (a bracket class where anyone could enter) Super Street (a class that had weight and tire requirements) Pro Street (a more race-oriented category for two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive trucks with slicks) and Pro Stock Diesel and Top Diesel, where the rules were basically unlimited. In addition to the racing, there was also a manufacturers' midway, where the fans could check out the newest diesel products, and a chassis dyno, where diesel enthusiasts could measure their vehicles' horsepower. Enjoy the event coverage and mark your calendars for next year's race--this is a West Coast event you won't want to miss.
 The Banks Sidewinder Type-D...  The Banks Sidewinder Type-D was there, and it managed to break its own NHRDA record. |  There were numerous 12- and...  There were numerous 12- and 13-second Fords in the mix, such as this pair of California trucks. |  There were more than a few...  There were more than a few quick trucks in the Sportsman E.T. class, including this heavily fueled Dodge. |
 The Duramax-powered S-10 ran...  The Duramax-powered S-10 ran a best of 7.77 seconds at 180 mph, which also stood for the quickest time and highest speed of the meet. |  Jim Calhoun and the Great...  Jim Calhoun and the Great White Shark were a force to be reckoned with in the Sportsman E.T. class. Jim, the 2007 NHRDA champion in the class, took his 12-second two-wheel drive to the Winner's circle once again at Diesels in the Desert '09. |  The pits were full of racers...  The pits were full of racers warming up their trucks for the big show, such as Gene Feldhans, owner of the tubbed red Ford known as Stroked Lightning. Look for this truck to re-appear soon with 6.4L Ford power. |
 Who: Ryan Lentz What & Why:...  Who: Ryan Lentz
What & Why: Ryan almost busted a 12-second pass in his big, heavy Dodge, running 13.10 seconds at 108 mph at the Desert Diesel Nationals. Why the lopsided mph? Because his truck is a six-speed manual! There's nothing like the sound of a diesel grabbing gears down the quarter-mile, that's for sure.
Best E.T.: 13.10 seconds at 108 mph |  One of the crowd favorites...  One of the crowd favorites was this diesel rat rod built by Steve Darnell with the help of G&J Diesel. Running out of gear at half track, the '28 Dodge sedan still managed a string of high 12-second passes. |  The Universal Technical Institute...  The Universal Technical Institute (UTI) brought out its big rig to play with the pickups. While its 18-second passes weren't all that fast, the truck and driver were consistent enough to make it to the final round of Sportsman E.T. |