Ryan Milliken did it again. He showed up at a prestigious X275 event and laid down the quickest E.T. and trap speed in his Cummins-powered ’69 Nova. During the first round of qualifying at Lights Out 14, the Glacier Blue Nova blasted through the eighth-mile in 4.19 seconds at 181 mph. But the car has been fast before, and Ryan knows the real trick is backing up that type of pass and (better yet) running it repeatedly. In the driver’s own words: “Going fast is easy. Doing it more than once under varying conditions has proven to be exceptionally difficult.” Still, Ryan and his Cummins-powered Nova continue to set the world of radial tire racing on fire.
The Outlaw Diesel Super Series’ race schedule has been released and 2023 promises to be an eventful season of racing. Not only is the Rudy’s Season Opener kicking off at its new venue, Rockingham Dragway, but racing returns to Beech Bend Raceway, the old stomping grounds for the TS Performance Outlaw event in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Outlaw Diesel Revenge affair remains combined with Ultimate Callout Challenge for a jampacked weekend of racing in June, the 10th Rocky Top Diesel Shootout goes down in late July, followed by the can’t-miss summer blockbuster, the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza in August, and finally the Wagler Fall Nationals at the end of September.
If you’re looking to build a truck that can compete in Ultimate Callout Challenge, many of the parts that made the late Turba Tom, the People’s Champ, and his 2,000hp Ram so successful are now for sale. Some of the parts listed (by way of his father) include cut tires, different wheels, a front weight box, hitches, and various other truck pulling components. In the words of UCC and ODSS racing commentator, Charles Poosch: “It’s time. Tom would want you to.” The parts are located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and interested parties are asked to contact Tom’s father for further details.
Paul Vasko is taking his Duramax dragster program very seriously in 2023, just check out his brand-new Duramax build for proof. The 6.6L V-8 sports a Wagler Competition Products rotating assembly, complete with Wagler heads, cam, intake, front cover, valve covers, and dry sump oil pump, along with a full S&S Diesel Motorsport fuel system. Reverse rotation CP3’s, competition injectors, and an SP3000 supply pump say Paul’s Duramax is ready to go to war with the likes of Scheid Diesel’s Jared Jones and Hollyrock Customs’ record-holding Mattie Graves. Other key shops involved in the dragster’s offseason program are HSP Diesel and Precision Chassis, Inc.
On February 6, Daimler Truck North America and its subsidiary, Daimler Truck, unveiled the new Freightliner SuperTruck II concept. Co-funded by the US Department of Energy, the SuperTruck II project is 12-percent more aerodynamic than the first concept, SuperTruck I, thanks to the use of an enhanced Aerodynamic Height Control technology that lowers the truck just inches off the ground, and cameras in place of exterior mirrors.
The SuperTruck II boasts a 5.7-percent reduction in fuel consumption over version 1 thanks to the Detroit DD13 diesel engine being optimized through combustion, fuel delivery, and timing tweaks—along with a two-stage turbocharger for increased airflow at lower vehicle speed. A 48-volt electrical system also decreases fuel consumption while simultaneously offering a new electric air conditioning system.
EU Commission Gives Industry More Leeway On CO2 Emissions
Perhaps learning from the mistake it made in severely regulating passenger car powertrains, the EU Commission’s recent CO2 fleet regulation proposal leaves the door open (at least in principle) for internal combustion engines. Deputy Managing Director of the VDMA, Hartmut Rauen, was quoted as saying: “It is right to revise the CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles in line with the ‘Fit for 55’ targets. The narrow ban on thinking and combustion engines has now given way to a more open space for technology and innovation.” One option that will now be on the table is the use of eFuels, which are CO2 neutral and can be efficiently distributed using existing fossil fuel infrastructure.
Is your 7.3L ready for an industry first? Riffraff Diesel’s billet front cover comes just in the nick of time for the 7.3L world, where finding OEM front covers that aren’t eroded and deteriorating is becoming more and more difficult. This blingy piece will rule out the common leak that develops at the factory oil pump location. Better yet, it will work in conjunction with a crankcase girdle, making it the perfect addition to a performance engine build. Superior to the OEM cast piece in every way, Riffraff’s front cover is made from 6061 T-6 billet-aluminum and with stainless steel recoil inserts present on every bolt hole.
