It's Top 10 time, and once again, our staff had to tackle the hard task of picking from all the vehicles we've featured in Diesel Power in 2009. We considered labor, ingenuity, and usefulness to pick 10 diesels we thought embodied what Diesel Power magazine looks for in a feature vehicle. Although many of these diesels are competition-oriented, most of them, such as Mike Wood's Duramax Mustang and Ed Wayne's 1,000hp GMC, can still be street driven. Other rigs, such as Joseph King's Modified sled puller, are strictly for track use, but he got the nod for performing much of the work himself. In the end, these are the 10 most influential, well-crafted, or just plain coolest diesels we've featured in 2009.Mike Woods
Duramax-Powered Mustang (January, 2009)
Mike partnered with Curtis Halverson of Diesel Performance Research to build one of the most well-rounded diesel-powered vehicles ever. So far, the Mustang has run high-9-second quarter-miles with just a tiny bit of nitrous—but that's not the whole story. Later, when Mike installed a Gear Vendors overdrive behind the 4L80E transmission, he achieved a Prius-crushing 45 mpg and ran 175 mph in the Texas Mile.Corey Atley
Cat Pulling Truck (January, 2009)
Ok, so Corey's Cummins just happens to make about 1,900 hp, but that's not why he's in here. Corey is in our Top 10 for building that type of power reliably, thanks to a billet-steel engine block from Woodruff Diesel. Ingenious additions such as John Deere injectors and a 24-valve head also help him get the nod. He's taken diesels to a whole new level of recognition by regularly beating blown-alcohol trucks on the OSTPA pulling circuit.Mike Racke
Duramax Chevelle (June, 2009)
Mike's Chevelle must be seen to be believed. It's truly a work of art—everything from the 16-runner intake to its beautifully crafted interior makes Mike's position in our Top 10 a no-brainer. What's even better is that he did most of the work himself in the garage behind his house. Mike's Chevelle-a-max even made the cover of Popular Hot Rodding magazine, which helps inject even more diesel power into the mainstream.