Hundreds and hundreds of trucks, thousands of people, and a one-of-a-kind diesel atmosphere is how we'd describe the 2009 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza. This was a record-breaking year in both attendance and the number of competitors. The event has come a long way since its creation in 1997, when the sled pull was held behind the Cornerstone Christian Church in Effingham, Illinois. After just three years of hosting the show in Effingham, the massive turnout forced Scheid to move it to its current location.inline_mediumwraptextrightSled Pull26738023/events/0912dp_2009_scheid_diesel_extravaganza0912dp_01+2009_scheid_diesel_extravaganza+sled_pull.jpgTrue

It's not every day that you come across a husband and wife duo in the world of motorsports. And it's even more rare to find a married couple competing at the highest level of diesel truck pulling. But Robert and Faith Miller of Yadkinville, North Carolina, have been doing just that the last four years. If you've been to any national pulling event recently, chances are you've seen each of their Super Stock trucks in action. This is their story.inline_mediumwraptextrightDiesel Trucks30969888/features/dodge/0912dp_dodge_ram_sled_pullers0912dp_01+dodge_ram_sled_pullers+diesel_trucks.jpgTrue

Any time you come across a family run, small business in the midst of its fourth-generation of success, you get the feeling they're doing something right. That company is South Bend Clutch in Mishawaka, Indiana.inline_mediumwraptextrightSouth Bend Clutch26741575/tech/dodge/0912dp_2002_dodge_ram_3500_upgrade0912dp_01+2002_dodge_ram_3500_upgrade+south_bend_clutch.jpgTrue

One of the largest diesel races in North America happens every year in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It's hosted by Barry Voltner, owner of North American Diesel Performance (or NADP for short), and features sled pulling, drag racing, a show 'n' shine, and a burnout contest. Heck, there was even a jet truck! What really struck us about the event, however, was the turnout. More than 100 trucks were entered in the drag racing portion of the event, and folks came from all over Canada to participate, or even just watch. The stands were full, the NHRDA-sponsored drag racing was smoothly run, and everybody left excited and ready to come back next year.inline_mediumwraptextrightDr. Performance brought two drag trucks to the event.Dr. Performance Truck26725915/events/0912dp_2009_august_blackout0912dp_01+2009_august_blackout+dr_performance_truck.jpgTrue

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.inline_mediumwraptextrightBest 2009 Diesels25505054/features/0912dp_top_10_diesels0912dp_01+top_10_diesels+best_2009_diesels.jpgTrue

Rudolf Diesel was the second of three children born to Theodor and Elise Diesel on March 18, 1858 in the city of Paris, France. The son of German-born immigrants, Theodor Diesel had migrated from his hometown of Augsburg, in the then Kingdom of Bavaria, in 1848. A member of the bookbinding trade, Theodor met and married Elise Strobel in Paris in 1855.inline_mediumwraptextrightPortrait25492106/features/0912dp_rudolph_diesel0912dp_01+rudolph_diesel+portrait.jpgTrue

Dmitri Millard's truck got its name from a friend who tried to make fun of it. The joker had the nerve to call it a Duramini. Big mistake. After the score was settled at the local dragstrip, the name just stuck. The competitive spirit continues in this buildup as Dmitri constantly strives to make his '01 Silverado faster and better looking. The last time we talked to this Duramax guru, he was getting ready for a battle on the television show Pinks. We had this conversation right after he got done replacing the turbo on his truck at a hotel parking lot in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Luckily for the other guy, the show never happened. When Dmitri told us he was driving his truck down to Southern California, we knew we had to take a look at it.inline_mediumwraptextrightRight Front Angle25501013/features/chevy/0912dp_2001_chevy_silverado0912dp_01+2001_chevy_silverado+right_front_angle.jpgTrue

If you've been watching any TV lately, you've seen BMW's new marketing campaign that highlights its new clean diesels. One of the vehicles it's promoting is the new 335 diesel model, which has an MSRP of $43,900 and is advertised to get up to 36 mpg and go 580 miles between fill-ups. To see if BMW's 265hp, 425-lb-ft, diesel-powered 3 Series was up to the challenge, we decided to try and drive from Los Angeles, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada, and back to Lancaster, California, where we'd be attending a sled pull. Oh yeah, and we'd do the entire 500-plus-mile loop on one tank of fuel. Here's our story.inline_mediumwraptextrightLeft Side Angle25496732/features/0912dp_2009_bmw_335d0912dp_01+2009_bmw_335d+left_side_angle.jpgTrue

Check out these custom diesel trucks we shot at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Enjoy!

Brandon Miller from Unionville Center, Ohio, thinks a little differently than most. Not many people will take a look at a '94 Chevy S-10 and think that installing a 1,000-pound diesel engine is a good idea. But Brandon did, and we congratulate him on his effort. It took a lot of work, but in the end, he has a quick, 4,000-pound truck that has already run 11s in the quarter-mile and should soon run down in the 9s with the addition of a secondary turbo and some nitrous.inline_mediumwraptextrightEngine Bay30936762/news/0911dp_5_9l_cummins_diesel_engine0911dp_01+5_9L_cummins_diesel_engine+engine_bay.jpgTrue

Turbo System For 7.3L Power Strokes
New from ATS is its complete bolt-on turbo system for '991/2 to '03 7.3L Power Stroke owners seeking more performance. It claims the system addresses one major flaw in the OEM design-the up-pipe gaskets failing due to increased drive pressure. According to ATS, the kit remedies this by using metal gaskets. The system requires no fabrication, comes with a new cast pedestal, up-pipes, and intake pipes, and is available with its Aurora 3000, 4000, 5000, or 6000 turbochargers.inline_mediumwraptextrightATS Diesel26701963/newproducts/0911dp_destroked_remote_oil_filter_adapter0911dp_01+power_products+ATS_diesel.jpgTrue

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Some people can only relate to the Normandy beach landings of World War II because they've seen the movie Saving Private Ryan. If you don't know your history or haven't seen the movie, here's what happened: When the Allied Forces hit the sand with their landing craft, they could go no further because they weren't amphibious. After they beached, the front door dropped open and the soldiers were instantly greeted with heavy machine gun fire coming from the Nazis in their fortified bunkers. We don't want to ruin the ending, so we won't tell you anymore. Flash-forward to 1984 when BAE Systems introduced a new solution for transporting soldiers from ship to shore under enemy fire.inline_mediumwraptextrightRight Side Angle26712625/features/0911dp_amphibious_assault_vehicle0911dp_01+amphibious_assault_vehicle+right_side_angle.jpgTrue

For more than two hundred years America has relied on its agriculture for subsistence, profitability, and growth. Farm-raised inventors have historically increased productivity and reduced their personal toil by inventing the forerunners of the modern machinery utilized in today's global farming activities.inline_mediumwraptextrightPlows30954801/features/0911dp_j_i_case0911dp_01+j_i_case+plows.jpgTrue

Welcome to Top Tech Questions. Oftentimes, readers contact us with questions about articles, or to praise us on what a good job we are doing. But our favorite form of reader communication is tech questions. Our Top Tech section is a place where you ask what's on your mind, and we answer it. Got a trouble code? Wondering how to get your engine to make more power?

Here is a simple question: How much can your vehicle tow? There are two ways to get this answer-experiment and risk vehicle failure, or you can look it up. When towing goes wrong, it's not a pretty sight. So unless you're conducting controlled experiments on your own private highway, Diesel Power says it's better to ask someone-but who? The first authority one thinks of is the truck manufacturer, but since they all have their own testing procedures, it makes it difficult to compare them. For one thing, the vehicle specifications are extremely complicated because there are so many different configurations of pickup trucks. Not to mention they are using weight ratings as a selling point. This might have you wishing there were some impartial organization dedicated to creating standardized recommended testing procedures. Guess what. There is and it's called the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International.inline_mediumwraptextrightTowing26710771/tech/0911dp_society_of_automotive_engineers_international0911dp_01+society_of_automotive_engineers_international+towing.jpgTrue

In the aftermath of Diesel Power Challenge 2009 we decided to once again showcase the event's most successful trucks. The only difference this time is that we'll explain what got them there. With the help of Industrial Injection, TS Performance, Amsoil, Nitto Tire, and 4Wheel Parts, we've prescribed what it will take to steal next year's show.

Thanks to the diesel aftermarket, many aspects of our trucks can be improved tenfold to help us tow easier. We can simply plug in a programmer, bolt on an air intake, and install an exhaust system-which all improve acceleration performance. But what about the other side of the coin: braking?inline_mediumwraptextrightChevy Silverado Truck26709721/tech/chevy/0911dp_banks_speedbrake0911dp_01+banks_speedBrake+chevy_silverado_truck.jpgTrue

The most technologically advanced war machine is useless if it doesn't have the energy it needs to keep running. That is why the U.S. military, under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has funded the development of this Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot (EATR), which is designed to find its own energy sources in the battlefield. Robotic Technology Inc. provided this vehicle with the artificial intelligence and appendages it needs to conduct long-range, long-endurance missions without the need for conventional refueling.inline_mediumwraptextrightRight Rear Angle26709232/features/0911dp_energetically_autonomous_tactical_robot0911dp_01+energetically_autonomous_tactical_robot+right_rear_angle.jpgTrue

Diesel Power just got back from ATS' event, Diesels on the Mountain, which was part of the 51st annual Truck Fest held at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado. At the mile-high track we saw diesel-powered big rigs and pickups of all shapes, sizes, and power levels. Besides the trucks, there were quads, snowmobiles, rockcrawlers, new and old heavy equipment, and gasoline-powered drag racers. For many Westerners, this was their first look at sled pulling, because unlike in the Midwest, tacky soil is not that common in the Rocky Mountains. We were told the National Sled Pullers Association (NSPA) officials in charge of preparing the track actually hauled in a few loads of dirt to get the right consistency. Still, the pulls went on as if they’ve been doing it for years and everyone enjoyed the high-altitude action.inline_mediumwraptextrightDiesel Trucks26708674/events/0911dp_diesels_on_the_mountain0911dp_01+diesels_on_the_mountain+diesel_trucks.jpgTrue

Deep in Illinois' corn country, there's a sled pulling circuit that hosts more than 70 events per summer, runs everything from small garden tractors to Pro Stock semis, and is known for providing some of the most competitive diesel events around.

Just a few short years ago, diesel performance was a phrase uttered by a scattered few. Now more and more people are hitting the track, whether it be hooked to a sled or beside another racer at a dragstrip. The fact that diesel performance is alive and well was illustrated at this year's Pro Diesel Challenge—an event put on by Spruill Racing in Creswell, North Carolina.inline_mediumwraptextrightThe 7.70-second Bracket Class (which is approximately the 12.0-second Class in quarter-mile terms) featured a lot of strong-running street trucks, like this overfueled Duramax.Chevy Duramax25479266/events/0911dp_pro_diesel_challenge_lll0911dp_01+pro_diesel_challenge_lll+chevy_duramax.jpgTrue

If you've read the title, you've probably second-guessed the truck already. Yeah right, 1,000 hp out of an '04 GMC Sierra 2500HD work truck? We're here to assure you that yes—it's true. Check out the scratches in the bed and the hookups for the air compressor. Ed Wayne is known for showing at local sled pulling events with his GMC dragging an 11,000-pound camper full of weights and pulling tires. Then he unhooks the truck and competes in the 3.0-Class—typically finishing near the top. When he's done, he loads his trailer back up, hooks it to the GMC, and drives home. Drag racing? That's no problem for Ed either. How about 6.74-second eighth-mile elapsed times? That's mid-10s in the quarter-mile, folks. Dynos? Ed doesn't like them, although he has run on one long enough to make 1,029 hp at the rear wheels with a whiff of nitrous. How does he do all of this? Well, read on and we'll tell you.inline_mediumwraptextrightLeft Front Angle30699108/features/chevy/0911dp_2004_gmc_sierra_2500_hd0911dp_01+2004_gmc_sierra_2500_HD+left_front_angle.jpgTrue

If you are a carpenter, you probably know how to build a shelf. If you are a pilot, you probably know how to fly a plane. Well, Tim Schritter is the shop manager at ATR Performance Center in Kingman, Arizona, so you can probably guess that he knows a thing or two about modifying vehicles. Tim's personal ride is an '04 F-250 Super Duty crew cab shortbed that he uses for daily driving, towing, and drag racing. The 6.0L is not the first diesel engine that comes to mind when most people think of drag racing, but Tim doesn't shy away from a challenge. To highlight this point, his truck is a two-wheel-drive model.inline_mediumwraptextrightLeft Side Angle30700011/features/ford/0911dp_2004_ford_f250_super_duty0911dp_01+2004_ford_f250_super_duty+left_side_angle.jpgTrue

Isn't the diesel aftermarket a great thing? If we want added performance, there's something for us. If we want to spice up our truck's look, there's something else for us. And occasionally, there's something that does both.inline_mediumwraptextrightDiesel Engine26497609/tech/ford/0911dp_cfm_plus_intake_manifold_installation0911dp_01+cfm_plus_intake_manifold_installation+diesel_engine.jpgTrue