Believe it or not, the shortbed drag machine you see here actually started life as a bait truck. Ben Gollon, the truck's owner, is a partner in a live-bait company, and the truck was initially used to haul around minnows. After a little while, the idea was born to create a serious 6.0L Power Stroke drag truck, and Ben partnered up with Harold Furo of Furo Racecraft to create what you see today.
They started by taking 16 inches out of the frame to make it into a shortbed. A 10-point rollcage was then added for chassis stiffness and safety. The rear suspension features reworked leaf springs and custom traction bars designed to work in this truck application. Some people say that diesel drag trucks don't look exciting, so Ben and Harold wanted something to set them apart from the crowd. The front end was fitted with a set of Chassis Tech drop spindles and has modified calipers to fit 16-inch Bogart wheels that were custom-made for this application. The rear also has Bogarts but wears M&H slicks. These mods give the truck the classic drag-vehicle look-big tires out back and little ones up front. Not only does the suspension/tire combo look cool, but it works great, too-1.49 60-foot times (with the front wheels in the air) are the best ever recorded for a two- or four-wheel-drive Power Stroke.
You can't do wheelies without power, so the truck has plenty of that, too. A custom compound-turbo setup built by Furo Racecraft and spec'd by Black Widow Diesel is truly a work of art, and provides up to 90 psi of boost to the 6.0L engine. A set of Full Force Diesel Injectors and a DJ Diesel Looney Tune handle the fueling, while a set of ARP head studs keep the head gaskets from making an early exit. On the exhaust side of things, a 5-inch downpipe barely snakes in front of the firewall and a custom intake and Spearco intercooler keep things cool on the intake side. Continuing rearward, a 5R100 trans with a custom Sun Coast torque converter is used to transfer power to the wheels, while a 4.10 geared rearend and a Detroit Locker put the power to the pavement.
And now for the big question . . . what does it run? Well, the new setup hasn't made any full passes yet, but with a single turbo and a whiff of nitrous, the truck has run 11.80 seconds at 115 mph. Considering they now have another turbo, twice the boost, and three stages of nitrous, Ben and Harold have their sights aimed squarely at being the first 6.0L in the 10s. Stay tuned.