Running A Race Team
Despite being the owner of a fairly well-known company, Dennis is quick to point out the help of others. Originally the team built their own engine using Scheid parts, and that combination worked so well that they just bought their new motor straight from Dan Scheid. Dennis was also upfront about running the truck with nitrous, something Dan was not in favor of. "It took him a while to think it over." Dennis laughs, "I think in the end he knew we weren't going to come crying to him if we hurt the motor so he built one for us." Dennis also gives a lot of credit to Kevin Meredith for the driving, as the truck often gets a little out of shape once the third stage of nitrous kicks in. Craig Colburn crew-chiefs the deal and keeps the truck running pass after pass. "It's really a team effort," Dennis said, and we couldn't have phrased it any better.
 Safety is a big concern in...  Safety is a big concern in a truck this fast, so an air shutoff mounted in front of the turbo (arrow) is critical in case things get out of hand. |  Inside the truck is one of...  Inside the truck is one of the nicest rollcages we have ever seen. S&S Race Cars built the cage and Dennis took care of the rest of the interior. A set of DiPricol gauges, an Auto Meter, and a Monster Tach keep track of the engine's vitals. Before you ask, the three levers on the floor are safety shutoffs for air and fuel. |  The bed was also built by...  The bed was also built by S&S and helped get rid of some weight in addition to looking pretty slick. |
 The rear suspension of Caged...  The rear suspension of Caged Fury is a modified ladder bar setup with Afco double-adjustable shocks built by (you guessed it) S&S Race Cars. The front suspension has also been modified, although the truck still retains a stock full frame. |  For traction, Dennis relies...  For traction, Dennis relies on a set of 390/40/17 M&H drag radials. So far they've proved their worth with a mid-1.5-second 60-ft time with no nitrous, and a 1.38 60-ft time with the bottle turned on. |  The transmission is a full...  The transmission is a full billet Sun Coast 47RE, and the converter is a triple-disc from Sun Coast as well. Dennis also had Sun Coast build a manual valvebody for the transmission so his driver, Kevin Meredith, could have full control over the transmission if he wanted. |
 When running a race truck,...  When running a race truck, odd things can happen that you could never have expected-like breaking a fuel pressure gauge with a little too much pressure from the big Waterman lift pump. Oops. |  A programmable transmission...  A programmable transmission controller from Sun Coast is another trick Dennis picked up, which along with the air-to-water cooler, helps keep the trans alive as it tries to put 1,600 hp to the ground. |  TS Performance is developing...  TS Performance is developing its own data acquisition system. With these two computers, the crew can monitor over 30 different sensors on the truck, which is a tremendous aid in tuning the vehicle. |
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