Prepping project X for the Texas mile.
"Project X is not only up to the task of breaking the record- it's ready to demolish it."
As many of you will remember from last year's Drag Week (put on by our sister magazine, Hot Rod), our '03 Dodge Ram Project X took the drag-racing community by storm-blowing the doors off musclecars every chance it got. With some success under Project X's belt, we talked with Kirk Manuel of Manuel Auto Group located in Fort Worth, Texas, and driver Greg Hogue about the next challenge for our 5.9L Cummins truck. They came back with the idea of setting a new speed record at this year's Texas Mile competition. Of course, they assured us Project X and its team were up to the task of not only breaking the record but also demolishing it.
The modifications started with the addition of a Gear Vendors overdrive unit. With this additional overdrive gear (0.78:1) engaged, Project X should be able to run more than 140 mph. That's pretty fast, but we knew the truck had more in it. | 
Since we began building Project X, we've learned that there are very few high-speed race tires and gear ratio options for trucks with 8-lug axles. A year from now, this won't be an issue, but to get the axle gears and tires we needed on Project X today, we decided to convert our truck to 1/2-ton running gear. That meant having Manuel Auto Group mechanics pull the 3/4-ton front suspension off Project X and replace it with '03 1/2-ton knuckles, brakes, and A-arms to get a 5-on-5 1/2-inch wheel bolt pattern. | 
After calculating how fast Project X might go, we realized the tires we ran during Drag Week weren't going to cut it. The Nitto 420S tires we had were rated to 130 mph, which was plenty for our dragstrip passes but wouldn't pass tech inspection at the Texas Mile if we were going to break the diesel truck record. After an exhaustive search, we discovered Toyo's Proxes S/T tires that have a 168-mph speed rating. We ordered a set of 315/35R20s and had them shipped to Texas two days before the race. |
The Texas Mile
The Texas Mile is a drag race on an old airstrip near Goliad, Texas, where drivers have approximately one mile to accelerate their vehicles up to speed. The vehicle's speed is calculated based on the time it takes to pass through the final 132 feet of the mile-long acceleration. Just about any vehicle can run, so we thought we'd show everyone what Project X's 860 hp was capable of.
The suspension change required us to swap our Diamo D1 17K 8-lug wheels for a set of 5-lug 20x10-inch XD Series Monster wheels that we got from Wheel Pros. Per Texas Mile rules, this combination has the load and speed rating needed to go 180 mph. | 
It was decided that for our long-duration, high-boost operation we needed to upgrade the factory intercooler before the Texas Mile run. Greg Hogue installed a Banks Techni-Cooler for its efficiency, along with a Banks High Ram intake horn. | 
Then it was on to exterior modifications. This is Hogue's daily driver, so not a lot of exterior modifications would be made. One important one was the addition of this lower air dam Kirk Manuel happened to have at the dealership. After a quick trip to the body shop for paint, it was slipped into place. |
Only a Month Until Race Day
Project X assumed its familiar spot in a bay at Manuel Auto Group's service department. The technicians quickly set Manuel and Hogue's plan of attack into action, and the wrenches began turning. To set a new speed record at the Texas Mile, they would have to beat the C/DT record of 130 mph in the standing mile. With that in mind, the technicians decided to make a few modifications to Project X for it to go flying down the mile.
Tires, More Power, and a 1/2-ton Suspension
The lineup of modifications included the addition of a Gear Vendors overdrive unit ("Gearing for Speed," June '07), a set of speed-rated Toyo Proxes S/T tires mounted on XD Series wheels, retrofitting 1/2-ton suspension up front, installing a 1/2-ton rear axle out back, adding a lower air dam, plugging in an RPM Performance Products data logger, putting in a new Nitrous Express single-stage nitrous kit, and adding a Banks intercooler.
An RPM Performance Products data-logging system was installed to let us monitor critical engine information and give us the ability to tune our combination properly. With this new system in place, we'll be able to pull the data from Project X after every run and adjust the engine and nitrous calibrations accordingly. | 
For Hot Rod's Drag Week, we installed a two-stage Nitrous Express system. For the Texas Mile, it was decided to change to a single-stage system with a progressive controller. This allowed the nitrous oxide to be distributed at a set rate that we hoped would give us all the nitrous we'd need without running out before our pass was over. | 
With all the modifications in place, the final thing to do before the trip was a full fluid swap to Royal Purple Synthetic lubricants. Once the oil, transmission, and gear fluids were replaced, the drivetrain was ready to go. |
We'll bring you the results next month, but for those of you who are interested in our new record, check out www.texasmile.com/032007highlights.htm for information.