10/06/2024
Now that Iâm back home and somewhat unpacked, I have had some time to reflect on what exactly happened a little over a week ago. Iâm still trying to digest the entire experience, but in my mind, we essentially went to the biggest and most renown competition in diesel motorsports and dominated. Iâm really trying to not let it get to my head, but I believe that statement to be true. We scored more points than any other competitor in the history of the event. Sure, the scoring on the dyno has changed a little where it doesnât factor in torque, and maybe that would have changed some of the other previous competitorsâ strategies, but our intent was to make a strong appearance and have fun, and no matter how you score it, we succeeded.
Now rewind a little. It all started in mid-January when we decided to compete in UCC. Brandon Michael, Jordan Taylor, Jason Soiland, and I formed a commitment to compete and essentially worked on the truck every night to make it happen. We poured hundreds of hours into the truck and invested all of our free time. We all sacrificed family time, special occasions, and other hobbies to make it happen. Without them, it would not have been possible.
Ok, enough with the sappy stuff. Onto the TRUCK! Nemo, Big Orange, Orange Crush, whatever you want to call it, itâs orange, not red.
We ran the same turbos, engine, pumps, and injectors throughout the entire event! No spares (except proactively changing out the trans, but weâll get to that!)
Engine: Last year we grenaded our in-house built engine and it was clear we needed to step it up. We wanted the best, so we decided to get in touch with Fleece Performance and Freedom Racing Engines. John Benshoof got us all dialed in and has an absolute unit of an engine ready for us in time to compete. The best part was, it was our dear friendâs Turba Toms old engine. We threw everything we could at that Engine and it took it all! At the end of the event, we discovered a head gasket failure, but someone (me), didnât retorque the head after putting down 2800+hp on the dyno! It was a rookie mistake and wonât happen again. I canât thank John Benshoof and Chase Fleece enough for supporting our truck and race program. They offered shop space when we arrived and hosted our entire team during our stay in Indy. We appreciate everything you have done for us and we canât wait to see the new facility addition.
Fuel: All I can say is that our Dynomite Diesel Products Super Mentals Injectors and DDP 12mm pumps provided exactly what we needed to win! I was a little intimidated seeing most competitors running dual 14mm pumps, but we showed that a well-tuned system yields the best results. The new injectors Lenny Reed and his team are making at DDP are magical. With the new injectors, I am making 300hp more on fuel only, with half the duration. Enough said.
Tuning: I canât thank Ryan Milliken from Hardway Performance enough for dialing in the truck and consistently pushing me out of my comfort zone. I can be hardheaded at times, and Ryan was a professional at getting me to do things I didnât want to do. Thank you Ryan for all the anxiety and stress that lead to world domination.
Trans: Our in-house built transmission won the drag event hand down. We had a missed shift on one run, but we believe we solved the issue in the controller, since it was fixed the next run out thanks to Landon miller. That being said, when we were done with the drags, we opted to throw in our fresh spare built by Adam Aquino at A^2 motorsports. Obviously, the unit was bomb proof since it handled our huge dyno pull, and didnât miss a beat in the tractor pulls. Also, I would like to point out our Diesel Performance Converters unit was used through the entire event. We had a spare, but it wasnât used!
Lubricants: We used Amsoil Synthetics in everything! We used their trans fluid, engine oil, differential fluid, and even metal protector spray on our unpainted chassis when the rain came through!
Data Logging: We used the Banks Power iDash and Data Monster for all our data logging needs. If it had to do with sensors and data, banks power was a part of it! Thank you banks power for a killer product.
Chassis and Tires: We made some major chassis changes to the truck before competing this year. I cant thank BSMX Inc. and Allied diesel for getting us squared away with the wheel and tire combination that brought us to a podium finish in the drags. Also, I would like to thanks allied diesel for the preventive maintenance on our tow rig before the long journey and supplying the oem parts needed on the race truck such as the rack and pinion, wheel bearings, and wheel studs. For sled pulling, I would like to thank Evan Rusk for getting us dialed in. We definitely leaned on your expertise, and you and chase set us up right!
Family and Friends: The biggest thanks goes to my wife. She was the one that convinced me to compete and essentially gave me the âgo aheadâ. She sacrificed so much to let me pursue this dream and I will be forever grateful. I would also like to thanks the family and friends that came out to support me. Thank you Dad, Mike, Kelly, Karli, Rex, Sydnee, Dale, Katrina, Dennis, Olivia, Payton, Kennedy and all that came to support us.
