Make sure to mark your calendars for April 29, 2006. On that weekend, head on down to Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This will be the site of the inaugural DHRA Diesel Power Sled Pulling and Drag Racing event for 2006. Gather up the family and attend the first of many regional events that will feature all DHRA competitive classes-there will be a lot of action packed into one day. In the meantime, we'd like to give you a little background information on the five champions in their respective classes that competed with the DHRA in 2005.
We all have had family members asking for the keys to our pride and joy at one time or another. For Brad Ingram, he and his wife take turns hooking their Farina, Illinois-based '99 Dodge Ram to the weight transfer sled. When the truck wasn't running as part of the Super Street class in the DHRA Diesel Power Sled Pulling Series, it was pulling double duty for Susie who captured Third Place overall in the Illinois Hot Farm Stock Pullers Association.
Brad graduated to the Super Street class in 2005, after pulling in the Street class for 3 years. All of his hard work paid out dividends in the form of earning the Champion title at the end of his first year in the Super Street class. In keeping with the DHRA Super Street rules, the Dodge uses all OEM drivetrain housings, but they're stuffed with hard parts sourced from Scheid Diesel. Also originating from the Scheid shop are some additional parts like an electric drive two-stage water injection, large single turbo, and custom engine/fuel system components.
Brad would like to thank the DHRA staff for delivering on its mission statement of providing an enjoyable, safe environment for competitive diesel motorsports. Gold Eagle was also on his Thank You list, since its Diesel Power line of products is the title sponsor of the DHRA sled-pulling and drag-racing series. Without Gold Eagle's support, the quality and quantity of events would have been severely reduced. Brad anticipates another great pulling season in 2006. To him, the DHRA is an extension of his own family. His sentiments are shared by many people who also enjoy the camaraderie and helpful nature of their fellow DHRA competitors and fans.
Since when do diesel mechanics cause bleachers full of people to stand up and cheer? To Attica, Indiana, native Kent Crowder, this is just another day at the office. Kent is a manager for Scheid Diesel Service at the Lafayette, Indiana location. Busy weeks of working at the shop are offset with very exciting moments behind the wheel of Scheid Diesel's entry in the DHRA Modified sled-pulling class.
Kent's wife, Debbie, attends every event and manages the pulling schedule so that everyone involved is where they need to be with the right tools for the job. After a successful hook, Kent appreciates applause from the stands. The truck that receives all this attention is a '96 Dodge Ram 3500 Club Cab. As cool as it would be to talk about the mechanical specs for this truck, we'd rather not expose some hard-earned trade secrets used to tweak the black Dodge.
Kent wishes to thank Dan Scheid, the owner of Scheid Diesel Service, for being the principal sponsor. Being crowned a champion in 2005 was proof that Kent's team at Scheid logged long hours. When he was away at a pull, someone had to pick up where he left off at the shop. For that reason, he'd like to thank all of his fellow employees for helping out. Kent's family members at Crowder Farms provided the Super Diesel X4 fuel, and Bane Equipment offered up a Kawasaki Mule utility vehicle to tow the truck from the pits.
Since not many changes were made to the truck in 2005, Crowder had a solid understanding of what it was capable of. However, everyone knows that leaving well enough alone will suffice only until your competition catches up. Kent is confident that the same team effort that brought success in the past will carry over through the 2006 season and beyond.
Did you know that the infamous International Scout 4x4 SUV had an optional diesel engine? Gene Mohney sure does-he used to own an '80 model with a Nissan 198-cid, I-6 turbodiesel. That vehicle catapulted his imaginative spirit and inspired him to eventually build his '97 Dodge Ram 2500 Club Cab for competitive sled pulling. A 5-year veteran of pulling, he got his feet wet at local county fairs. Gene is the Director of Operations for the DHRA Diesel Power Sled Pulling series. Since he had experience attending pulls where diesel pickups were "just another class of competitors," he has a lot of insight into ensuring that diesel pickups are always the main attraction with the DHRA.
If you've ever wanted to know what it takes to build a Street Diesel pulling engine, here are some 12-valve Cummins-related specs that Gene shared from his truck that won the Championship in 2005: Holset HT-60 (reverse rotation) turbo with a 20cm turbine housing, 500cc of fuel from a Bosch P-7100 injection pump, five-hole/0.018-inch injectors, and 35 degrees of static injection pump timing.
Gene would like to acknowledge a list of sponsors who have supported him over the years. South Bend Clutch for making an SFI-rated clutch that is streetable and endures regular participation in pulling events. Picking up the cost for a set of tires was Bell Boyz Truck Toyz. For custom welding and machine needs, Mohney had the folks at King's Machine to back him up. Installed on the truck is a Fuel Air Separator System provided by Diesel Performance Products. Greensburg Machine sourced upgraded driveshafts and Dana axle components. Gene often sought help from Haisley Machine where he would always have an answer after hanging up the phone. When the truck required general maintenance,R&S Performance made its shop available when needed. Wimer Fuel Injection modified the injection pump and injectors. Lastly, Medberry's Specialty Shop kept the truck shining between pulls. The Sled Puller team has worked tirelessly to prepare the truck before each pull. One member of the team Mohney would like to single out his dad. In his words: "Without Dad driving to and from the pulls, we'd never be able to make it to all the events."
The only time Early Talley sees red lights is when he's driving on the streets around his hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Earl's motorsports experience includes competing in impromptu mud drags, demolition derbies, and hillclimbs. His drag-racing experience began in 1996 and he has been to the track every week since then. In 2005 alone, he estimates that he made a total of around 900 passes down the quarter-mile!
Since Talley was such an accomplished bracket racer, Dennis Perry of TS Performance invited him to pilot a diesel pickup for the 2005 season. With an American flag paint scheme, the '03 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad-Cab 4x4 stands out from the field of trucks that Earl defeats on a regular basis. Any vehicle that runs 13.50s in the quarter-mile is considered quick; this truck lives up to that title with help from a few common bolt-on parts. Starting at atmospheric pressure, a healthy dose of fresh air is greeted by a large single turbo, where it is compressed to more than 50 psi; after passing through the OEM intercooler, it will be combined at the intake with a healthy dose of propane. A TS Performance Ramifier box reprocesses the signals from the rail pressure and MAP sensors. Handling the increased power is all in a day's work for the Sun Coast Converter prepped 48RE automatic with billet steel shafts. It is important to realize that the truck has all OEM suspension and isn't lightened in any way to reduce weight.
Whenever Earl needed a hot meal or someone to share the excitement of a successful weekend with, his mom has always been there for him. During the interview, Earl said: "She's been an inspiration my whole life. You can never say enough good things about your Momma."
What do laundromats and diesel trucks have in common? Not much, unless you're talking about DHRA Pro Street drag racer Darren Morrison. Darren and his wife Tracy are small business owners who own and operate a chain of laundromats in and around Cairo, Georgia. Starting out small by installing a TST Products cam plate in the injection pump of his '97 Dodge Ram, Morrison immediately realized the performance capabilities of diesels and knew that wouldn't be the full extent of the modifications made to his truck. After increasing the horsepower and torque of his 12-valve Cummins, Darren was in need of a new transmission to handle the increased output. Having his transmission rebuilt by Sun Coast Converters would not only help him put the power to the ground, but it also allowed him to meet Jeff Garmon. Jeff is the owner of Garmon's Diesel Performance and took Morrison along when he attended diesel drag-racing events. After a while, Darren couldn't stand watching other people have all the fun, so he and Jeff began preparing to build a drag truck of his own.
The basis for what would become a 10-second drag truck started with a regular-cab '97 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4. Morrison knew he could continue to count on Sun Coast for building him a transmission with billet shafts and a five-disc Pro-Loc torque converter that could withstand the 900-plus horsepower needed to reach his goals. Other than the transmission, you won't find anything out of the ordinary bolted to Darren's truck. Maybe the custom-built dry-sump oil system is a bit abnormal for diesels; this just proves how Morrison isn't afraid to innovate.