Diesel News 6.10.19

Truck of the Week

Dyno King

Andy Mulherin has been collecting dyno trophies for years, but the best part about his achievements is that he drives his 1,000-plus hp truck to and from events. Andy’s latest adventure took him to the second annual Diesel Jam, put on in honor of friend and fellow diesel enthusiast Andrew Mazza, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. While there, his ’05 Dodge laid down 1,074 hp and 1,756 lb-ft of torque on fuel. After being told he had the highest numbers on the day, Andy still turned on the bottle to put on a show for the crowd. With the extra kick from N2O the truck cleared 1,319 hp and 2,116 lb-ft.

Events

Making Pulling Great Again

Anxious to get more hooks under their belt, Nathan Vegh and the Jumping Jack Flash pulling team—the guys that campaign a P-pumped 7.3L Power Stroke—found themselves competing in Carrollton, Ohio recently. Not necessarily tethered to any specific circuit, the Jumping Jack Flash crew is down to pull anywhere, and on any given weekend. This time, they would end up pulling 299 feet and change in the 8,000-pound Run What Ya Brung truck class. The near-300-foot effort was good enough for Second Place behind Shawn Hodges’ “On Borrowed Time” Super Stock Dodge. You can follow the Jumping Jack Flash crew on their Facebook page. Trust us, they’re always up to something!
Source: https://www.facebook.com/JJFPSPT/

Big Single, Cut-Tire 6.0L

Crossing paths with the Jumpin’ Jack Flash P-pumped 7.3L was Jesse Warren’s nasty 6.0L puller. The infamous, cut-tire, HEUI-injected 6.0L Power Stroke named “Shark Bait” is sporting a massive 4.7-inch inducer turbo for the 2019 pulling season. After competing at the Bunker Hill Shootout in Beloit, Ohio this past Saturday, Warren loaded up and headed south for his second Run What Ya Brung hook of the day. As the summer rolls along, look for this truck to hurt a lot of feelings across the East Coast and Midwest.
Source: https://www.warrendiesel.com/

2.6 Pro Street Trucks

The Pro Pulling League, in conjunction with Xcaliber Pulling, lit up northeast Missouri on June 8th with the Mexico Young Farmers Truck and Tractor Pull in Mexico, Missouri. The peak of the action entailed the 8,000-pound, 2.6-inch smooth bore Pro Street Diesel Truck class. Lane Aldrich from Excelsior Springs would go the distance with his second-gen Dodge named “Smokin’ Goat Reloaded.” The 9,500-pound Limited Pro Stock class was also run, a field in which tractors employ the popular 4.1-inch turbochargers—the same 4.1 chargers that sometimes find their way onto pulling trucks in the Super Stock, Run What Ya Brung, or other open/exhibition type classes.

OEM News

FCA Withdraws Merger Proposal to Renault

In a surprising move, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has withdrawn its proposed 50/50 merger with automotive giant, Renault. Reasons for FCA’s sudden change of heart remain speculative, but several appear plausible. Officially, FCA has cited “political conditions in France” as the primary cause for the withdrawal, as the deal might not “proceed successfully.” Another reason may have pertained to Nissan’s position on the potential merger, in which Renault would’ve sought the brand’s complete approval (full disclosure: the French government owns a 15-percent stake in Renault, and Nissan owns 43-percent). An additional potential reason for FCA to hit the abort button may have stemmed from the French government’s inclination to protect jobs at Renault amid the nation’s gilets jaunes social unrest.
Source: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com/