Compete where and when you can . . . DIESEL Motorsports!

I had lunch the other day here in KC with one of race team owners who was passing through and he brought up a good question! He asked "what if an opportunity came up to race in another organizations diesel event would I mind"?

I told him "I would want him to - why not? It's an opportunity to run the truck, the more you race or pull the better you get at it and the more experience you get behind the wheel"!

He told me racers from another organization made fun of his NADM/DIESEL Motorsports decals at a local event and asked why would he run with them? I was glad he replied, "why not, it's all about racing where there are diesels"!

Unless someone is running a competing event on top of us why would we care if driver and pullers enjoy the sport elsewhere, because of the competition? The way I see it the same goes for us as the racers and pullers - the more the competition the better you get!

Do we ask the competitors to take the other organization's decals off of their trucks when they run? I don't think so, we just ask they put ours on too, along with our sponsors!

NADM/DIESEL Motorsports has arranged our schedules at an event so pullers could make their local points pulls and still compete with us.

I remember just a few years ago you could count the number of diesel only events on one hand and competitors scrambled to make it to the events. Because the sport is growing and more and more events are becoming available for enthusiasts to participate, it is important to try and run in all of them. That is how we are going to make the sport grow.

Every week a new organization or club forms to run smaller diesel events and that only helps us grow. This helps NADM not feel like we have to be every where around the country (this is a large country). Let us help the local organizations and clubs by supporting their efforts in DIESEL Motorsports!

I can't imagine if everyone picked sides and clubs to only run in because of their friends or they did not want to support someone else's efforts. This sport would get real small - real quick!

Coming from a automotive background I have yet to see a diesel only event consistently pull in large crowds (10,000 plus). We are still in a growth stage and need all of the help we can get in order to become a mainstream sport in this country.

This attitude stems from the people I talked about yesterday that seem to have a negative outlook for the sport. Small in numbers but the majority of the diesel enthusiasts need to help draw them into a positive frame of mind and drop the attitude. This will help the sport grow as a community instead of groups.

DIESEL Motorsports has come a long way in five years and we have seen a lot of changes but the enjoyment of the sport still lives in many of the enthusiasts that currently come and will come in the future.

Compete when and where you can, as much as you can . . . our sponsors appreciate you running more because you are going to want to get better with each pull and pass - and that takes parts!

Trolls, Bashers, and Punks in DIESEL Motorsports . . .

We all have posted on the popular diesel forums whether it's your opinion on a subject or about your product/services . . . and we all have experienced the negative aspect of being attacked on line by others who are competitors, their friends or unknowns.

I believe that is why online services such as Twitter and Facebook have become very popular within our diesel community. At least you can control who you want to converse with on a positive level and have fun discussing our sport.

My son educated me what a troll is on the Internet, someone who no matter what you respond with will in a  negative response keep attacking you online. Their purpose in life is too make everyone's life miserable! They are followed by fellow trolls who take pleasure in trying to make themselves look big on the net by attacking the innocent. As my son reminded me, it's just like the fairy book tales "you don't feed the trolls"!

In other words don't reply to any of them, they feed off of your response! I have even had forum moderators re-paraphrase parts of private PMs I have sent them in order to resolve their dislikes and repost them in a negative way to discredit you. A lot of unprofessional communication has gone on in the years that the economy has become tight and competitive. Companies even hire Internet trolls to attack their competition online on the forums, disgusting as that sounds  it has become a way of life for many that know nothing about the products or business.

Bashers are very similar but they are the amateur trolls who sometimes are even kids sitting at home with nothing to do or it's the competitor's friends or employees that cruise the net looking for a fight. I had one sponsor who was furious about the statements and attacks on his products on a online forum. He finally got a hold of the individual only to find it was a 17 year old kid with not even a drivers license much less a truck. This person had rung up over 18 pages of bashing our sponsor's products.

Should the forums moderate such activities online? Some do and some thrive on it because they feel it drives traffic to their site! Some even encourage it so they can claim high traffic numbers. I guess it's like a traffic accident, eveyone wants to take a look as they drive by even on a simple fender bender to see what kind of misfortune another person has fallen to on the roads.

Then there is the punks who are big behind the keyboard but kittens in person. I had someone last year threatening to kick my butt when we meet at a convention and race we were attending. Bashed me big time online, called me names, etc, etc. Had a group of guys come to the booth that weekend, super nice young men, talked pleasant, shook our hands and when they left the people in the booth said do you know who that was? I replied no idea and they said it was the guy who was going to kick my butt, etc, etc. I just laughed and said "oh well seems like a nice young fellow"!

I am asking that in THE FUTURE, in order to keep our sport headed in a positive direction - PLEASE - don't fall victim to this vice or be a part of it!

When someone asks for help on his truck online, don't bash him or make fun, try to help him or her in a positive way. If you see others trolling him ignore their remarks and keep on helping the person.

This much negative energy does our sport no good and drives people away from the sport when they see so much in-fighting and bashing. I have had many competitors say they don't even go online anymore because of the nonsense associated with the sport online. It has cut a way to communicate with our enthusiasts. Many creative enthusiasts like i have stated before has found ways to go around the direction by using Twitter, Facebook and text messaging.

In THE FUTURE, BEWARE OF TROLLS, BASHERS and PUNKS! Don't be a part of it, help build the sport by being positive.

Policing our own events - it pays before the outsiders do it for us - Diesel Motorsports!

This entire diesel sport started around a barrel fire with a bunch of boys enjoying their trucks and drinking a few cold ones. Everyone wants to have fun! But the fun stops when it becomes overdone and other people's property becomes a victim. Your property, your truck, the streets, if you are the victim it isn't fun anymore.

Yes the bigger the party the bigger the crowd, we all built it that way for years. But in order to properly grow and get outsiders interested in DIESEL Motorsports common sense takes over and we have to police our own enthusiasts and crowds. Large companies do not want the liabilities associated with a unruly party crowd, too many lawyers and too many looking for a quick buck if someone gets injured.


We all like to have fun, including myself, but we all need to realize as a child (Diesel motorsports) grows discipline is needed for future living and being accepted by others. Same goes for these events, BE RESPONSIBLE AND RESPECTFUL to other people's property. If you don't then the outsiders (law enforcement) will do it for you and it will not be pleasant. What also happens is anyone else around those not being respectful will also be pulled in to be disciplined. 


Remember when your daddy used to hit you for something your brother did and you asked what was that for, and he said well you were right there you should have stopped him.


Same happens on the street, wrong place, wrong time! All I got to say is don't be mad at the promoter or group putting on the event - they setup the guidelines and it's up to us to help them follow the example and keep others from destroying the event for others.


You see somebody doing burnouts tell them to stop it! It always amazes me when we hold a burnout contest and only a couple of people sign up but yet dozens want to burn their tires in the pits or a side road! What are they thinking? DIESEL Motorsports has paid big money for you to do what you love to do legally on a strip or pull track and you want to do it illegally on the streets instead.


We have nobody to blame but ourselves for allowing this to happen, if you make it known that the sport is just that a diesel motorsport event and not party central -  then we can compete, enjoy the trucks, grill, have a couple of drinks and call it a night. 


For the most part the large majority of our enthusiasts think this way and act accordingly, however there are always just a few that ruin it for the rest. It's that way in life and we have to find a way to cope with them - like any good parent does - nip it in the bud! 


Let's have a good time, enjoy our diesel trucks and competitions, enjoy our company with others and respect other people's property and rights!


Then the events will draw families, outsiders, and larger companies because of the mainstream appearance of the shows. Many different motor sports have gone through the growing pains that we are currently experiencing and we can make it too - with a little help from our friends (enthusiasts)!

Don't be afraid to compete - winners never are! DIESEL Motorsports . . .

I know I highlighted this in the Edge coverage but I want to talk more about how this young man had done some sled pulling but had never set foot on a drag strip competing in DIESEL Motorsports. Chis Kendall works for Addicted Diesel in Rock Springs Wyoming. I was up there before reaching Weekend on the Edge and had dinner with the crew of Addicted Diesel.

During dinner I talked Jason Stott, the owner of Addicted Diesel, into bringing his truck down to the Friday night drags to display his sled pulling modified truck and set up a booth for his business. Chris was coming to help and I asked if he was going to race, he hesitated and said he had never raced.

Jason and I talked to him about trying to race in the ET Bracket which doesn't require you to race at full speed. You set the pace in a time (ex. 15.35 time) and you try to get as close to that time every pass with a quick reaction time at the lights. Now Chris has been a diesel enthusiasts and mechanic for quite sometime, he just never had competed with his truck on a sporting level.

Out of 71 trucks racing Friday night Chris took 1st Place with unbelievable reaction times at the lights and winning in the final round! What an accomplishment for a first time out for racing in his 2006 truck!

Chris then came to the sled pulls on Saturday night and entered in the Workstock Class and out of 26 trucks took 1st Place in the pulls. 

Now this is a perfect example of a normal street truck that he drives daily to work everyday and then brings it to the events and participates on the weekends. I told him before the weekend, you do not have to push your truck to a breaking point, just compete at a level you know your truck can do without breaking it.

Look what this young man did and what he got by being smart about the competition. I may be bragging a bit about him but I did not know him until that week. What a great example of how our sport is growing and what kind of people are getting involved in the sport.

This can happen in your area if you talk to the diesel enthusiasts in your shop or the ones you know before a local event. It's the people just getting into the sport that will keep this sport moving forward. 

We have experienced racers and pullers at each event willing to coach anyone wanting to get into the sport. Don't stand back and wonder how it would be - hop in and compete - you will feel better about the sport!

Who's the Truck Expert? DIESEL Motorsports . . .

I am asked this occasionally by industry marketers, there are a few I consider top diesel truck experts with extended knowledge regarding the performance of a diesel engine. Top - very top professionals I can count on both hands, this industry is full of wanna-be diesel experts. I for one am not one of these people, I would be the first to admit the claim.


However, I haven't been in the Automotive Industry for 25 years without knowing who is qualified to be named top in the country especially after seeing first hand at the events whose diesel drivetrains run the best. You may be surprised who I would list, many I'm sure would not agree with whom I have chosen.


I'm talking not just what does it take to make a diesel drivetrain produce 600 HP but a all out top performance drivetrain for drag racing and sled pulling. Many have their expertise with certain engines and models but overall it still requires advance knowledge to properly produce enough power over 1000 hp on a consistent basis.


Do they break, of course they break! Any body who pushes these engines to the point of precise capacity is going to eventually break something. 


The other day someone made fun of me announcing that 3.0 pulling trucks produce 1400 HP, maybe where they are from that is not possible but in different parts of the country that is possible among several trucks. These experts are producing more and more power from these trucks, a 2.6 truck is reaching 1000-1200 HP from these shops. And yes, there are several 2.6 trucks whose price tags are reaching the $200,000 mark, ask their owners and see if they don't have that invested in their trucks?


Some of these engines start at $70,000 that these top shops are producing, this alone can tell you how much this sport has grown during the past five years! Just five years ago we thought Modified trucks producing 1000 HP was unbelievable, some of these Modifieds today are hitting over the 2000 HP mark - UNBELIEVABLE!


These top builders set the bar and standard for all of the others to follow and try to achieve. Many hand hone and custom build parts that they keep secret until others start to build the same. If only the top three OEM builders had the same enthusiasm as some of our diesel experts, we could easily surpass the Europeans in diesel technology.


Am I going to tell you who is on my list? Not today! Ask me sometime and I'll share that with you, it changes occasionally based on what's new! 

Don't throw out the baby with the dirty bathwater - DIESEL Motorsports!

I'm sure many of you have heard this saying, it actually originated from the European Dark Ages era when most families could not afford water and many members of the family had to use the same bath water. It was a privilege to take a bath and the head of household started first followed by his wife, oldest son and daughters and then finally to the baby. The baby was always last since it used the smallest amount of water and the saying comes from throwing out the last used dirty bath water.

Why the parity for DIESEL Motorsports?

We all have to remember this when any of us work hard toward a goal or a successful event that no matter how perfect or well run the event there is always the disgruntled attendee or competitor who came in last that wants to bash the event, bash the promoter, bash the sponsors, or bash other competitors.

If you actually count the number of attendees including competitors, 4,000 happy enthusiasts and let's see 10 complainers - pretty good odds!

Some one always doesn't like the rules, or the payouts, or the announcing, or the techs, or the list goes on and on . . .

We have heard it all and we do listen to the constructive criticism so we can make the next event better but it is pretty easy to pick out the bashers or disgruntled!

More positive is the 3,990 who praise those who have had a hand in the events and the development of DIESEL Motorsports. We just had a very successful event this last weekend - Weekend on the Edge and the last four events NADM has sanctioned has been very successful in attendance and competitors.

It's like in our country today, the media always feature the minority naysayers and complainers while the real workers, the silent majority keeps toiling away to make their payments and the economy grow.

All those involved need to remember this when the naysayers want their attention.

DIESEL Motorsports just had a very big positive this last weekend with Weekend on the Edge and another upcoming BIG event this weekend - Scheid's longtime event!


Let's remember NOT to throw out the baby (DIESEL Motorsports) with the dirty bath water!

Diesel Motorsports is Alive and Well in Salt Lake City!

What a Weekend on the Edge! Drags Friday night 94 trucks, 3-4000 people in the stands! Saturday Dyno at Edge, over 100 trucks, free food, 2-3000 people! Saturday night sled pull at Pioneer Stadium, 70 trucks pulling in front of 2-3000 people!

As posted last, the Weekend on the Edge was one fun show that again showed the progress of DIESEL Motorsports where that many diesel competitors and fans can gather and enjoy the sport with their families without any incidents that would disrupt the positive direction for the sport.

Over 71 trucks registered for ET Bracket racing at Rocky Mountain Raceway! Everything from 9 second diesel altered to 21 second trucks ran in front 3-4,000 fans that packed the stands. When the show was over 4 hours later and the track started their Midnight runs the stands emptied to about 500 people.

That folks - tells me they came to see our diesel performance trucks! 20 or more trucks competed in the Unlimited and Quick Diesel classes along with some exhibition runs by High Tech Turbo's Boneshaker.

. . . and a FIRST, a little petite blond named Lynn Ross from Columbus Ohio took first in the Quick Diesel class (12.0 Index), Congratulations! Yes, your second place fellow was taking a ribbing the next day at the Edge Dyno days about being beat beat by a girl! I told him I would get him a pink NADM t-shirt signed by Lynn sent to him this next week! He was quite impressed with Lynn's abilities at the lights.

The air was a little thin and humid at the dragstrip Friday night so it played with all of the trucks tuning and many of the times were short of what all were trying to achieve - but then again, that's racing at different levels of atmosphere.

The dyno days were packed with customers of Edge and they showed their appreciation for their fans by feeding them lunch! Trucks were lined up all day at both dynos trying to hit the high number purse of $1000. Everyone viewed each others trucks and visited all day long until the sled pulls.

Edge uses this time every year to personally thank all of their customers and vendors who carry their products. The entire staff of Edge shows to dyno trucks, serve lunch and talk with customers.

Just a mile from the dyno days at Pioneer Stadium in Ogden NADM held the sled pulls with over 70 trucks competing in five classes that evening. Over 2,500 people filled about a third of the stadiums capacity but it was all their parking could handle, we had them double parked on the local streets. Diesel trucks are bigger than cars I guess!

Sled pulling is growing out West with the help of one of NADM's Affiliates United Truck & Tractor Pullers Association. We have been working with them for three years at trying to build the numbers for diesel trucks and it showed at this event.

The vendors in Vendor Alley enjoyed lots of diesel fans along with the food and beer vendors who all ran out of their supplies again this year. A good problem to have!

What a beautiful setting for a pulling competition with mountains surrounding the stadium. Trucks from a 4 state area competed in 5 classes plus a tractor exhibition called Barnstormer that ended the program with a huge pull of 313 feet!

One bright young man with a 2006 Dodge truck used some strategy to take the both titles of the street classes for drag racing and sled pulling -


ET Bracket Class
1st Chris Kendall Rock Springs, WY 15.00 14.99 91.00

Workstock Class
1st- Chris Kendall Rock Springs, WY 286.4

Chris works for Addicted Diesel in Rock Springs Wyoming and had just got his 2006 Dodge after rolling his brand new Dodge just a few months before the event. I would say someone is trying to give a little back to him!

What a great weekend with good crowds at all three events which occurred at three different locations, one in Salt Lake City and two in Ogden Utah! A very nice "Weekend on the Edge" by DIESEL Motorsports®!

Pullers vs Racers . . . Diesel Motorsports!

To a serious diesel competitor NEVER call a racer a puller and NEVER call a puller a racer!

Most street division competitors compete in both divisions but the high performance competitor picks one or the other! Why?

The trucks are diesel and that is where it changes, the gearing is different, the equipment is different, the tires are different, the suspension is different and they will be happy to tell you what's different!

It's a rivalry that has been going on for years, like the Hatfields and McCoys. The Internet is full of bantering back and forth between the two divisions. Who dominates the Diesel Motorsports market, that's a argument right there!

But the true numbers favor the Pullers since pulling can be done about anywhere, fairgrounds, rodeo arenas, circle dirt tracks, farm fields, and about any place that has a good dirt track. Drag racing takes a dragstrip which are far less in numbers than dirt tracks.

Dragstrips are expensive to rent or find a time slot for diesels. Since there are more gas racing than diesels the tracks tend to book where the money and populated competitors are in large numbers.

Beside the good natured bantering most of the competitors still realize they are both diesel performance competitors and have great interest in what each other are doing to their trucks to make them run hotter.

Diesel Motorsports (NADM) tries to give both equal time and attention, that is why we went to combined events where fans can watch both!

Just make sure you know what the driver competes in before talking diesel - racing or pulling - or you may find yourself in a deep discussion!

A long time DIESEL Event is this weekend - Weekend on the Edge!

That's right, in it's 9th year Edge is holding their yearly event . . . NADM has been a part of the activities for three years putting on the drag race and then later adding sled pulling. Last year we made this a all out National event by offering DIESEL ONLY drag racing, dyno and sled pulling in the same weekend.

Edge started this out as a customer appreciation day many years ago by offering their dynos up for their customers along with some great food (they still do the great food)! Then drag racing was added at the local and only drag strip Rocky Mountain Raceway in Salt Lake City.

After the first year of NADM participation in the drag racing us diesel guys could no longer take the Jr Dragster's blaring noise so we rented the track for DIESEL ONLY night! The track was worried we couldn't fill the stadium or the stands with people to watch the show.

They were wrong on both counts when countless trucks lined up to race and over 2,000 people filled the stands.

Last year we added sled pulling at the Pioneer Stadium in Ogden near the Edge Plant and we had a pretty good turnout considering it the first year for sled pulling. Overall this has turned out to become a real DIESEL ONLY weekend.

But make no mistake Edge still considers this their fan/customer appreciation day and they show it proudly by offering up free give-aways from their business and others who they partner with over the years. They truly appreciate the business from their customers.

Founded in 1999, Edge Products has become the premier name for aftermarket performance electronics. Initially, the company was built on the production of performance electronics for diesel-powered trucks, since then they have expanded into many different markets and applications. Edge has been named three times to the Inc. 500's fastest growing privately held companies, and was noted as Utah's fourth fastest growing company between 1999 and 2004. Edge currently employs nearly 100 individuals and resides in a 40,000 square foot facility in Ogden, Utah.

Before NADM was involved Edge held this event on different weekends throughout the history of the event and it always falls in the month of August. It has a long history of evolving into what it has become today. As a pioneer in the diesel industry Edge still carries the clout and history to attract many diesel enthusiasts from different parts of the country for this event.

Even before NADM got involved Edge Products was the only diesel event west of the Mississippi for many years and everyone waited for it to happen. Now with so many different diesel oriented events happening from local promoters, associations and fairs does it have the same draw that it used to from years past?

You bet it does . . . and then some! Weekend on the Edge still carries the weight of the company behind it.

DIESEL Motorsports is alive and well in Salt Lake City and this weekend will show all of us how it has grown in the West.

As we grow the sport . . . DIESEL Motorsports . . .

NADM (DIESEL Motorsports) had a vision when we started:

• Provide a safe environment off of the streets to compete with performance diesels in drag racing and sled pulling
• Makes sure safety rules were backed by a National Organization such as SFI Foundation which is a standard of safety for NASCAR, NHRA, IHRA
• To ensure all fans, competitors and sponsors were covered by insurance backed by SFI for liability associated with motorsports (not the track insurance which only covers their track)
• To promote the sponsor's products and services to diesel enthusiasts and seek out new avenues for them to sell future products and services
• To promote new developments in performance diesel by manufacturers and competitors
• Make sure all events are FAMILY FRIENDLY while still having fun with all involved (acting responsibly within the sport)
• Keep the sport going by actively enrolling younger enthusiasts in Performance Diesel
• Supporting local diesel groups, clubs and associations (Affiliate Program) by offering help in marketing, PR, Media, Financial, and event organization.

We have tried to expand on all items listed above along with adding some new directives discussed during our Advisory Board Meetings held yearly.

Advisory Board Members are representatives that are from the sponsors, competitors and diesel business leaders. These positions and admittance is by invitation only in order to closely discuss  the past year and the direction of the new year. Generally about 15-20 in attendance discuss what needs to be done and suggestions are made that benefits all parties involved in DIESEL Motorsports.

The owners and Board members move forward every year realizing the direction is not for everyone and some may get left behind by not following the direction of the Board. This is called progress and in order to keep the sport alive and moving forward the Board acts in the best interest of the all people involved and does not favor one individual or business (even their own).

The idea is to compete in business on a level playing field just as the same goes for the competitors when we keep the rules equal for all across the country. DIESEL Motorsports does not favor local shop's trucks or customers when setting rules for National competition. They should be equal every where we go throughout the United States.

Yes we want all involved in DIESEL Motorsports to replicate, duplicate, and copy our direction because that will make the sport grow - just remember who and where the direction came from when promoting the sport.

Yes we have seen diesel events not just double in five years but easily triple which shows what we have been doing is working. We have not pounded our chests as much as others in the sport but stayed the course in business and quietly done the daily work to achieve our goals.

DIESEL Motorsports is growing!

Afraid to compete? . . . in DIESEL Motorsports!

I see and hear it all of the time! I am asked is this racer or that racer going to be there? Can I not be matched against this guy? Well so and so is here I guess I won't compete!


Did we get this way because the schools taught our young that everybody is a winner, there are no losers? Is that what we all have become?

Anytime we see any kind of competition against us we back down or don't compete because it's easier - is it easier?


I believe it all comes back to ego and pride for the individual, do they have enough confidence that what they have done to their truck is good enough to be scrutinized by fellow competitors?


Guys, there are no right answers or way, I have yet to find the perfect motor or truck, they all break and they all lose at one time or another. Even the top money funded trucks have fallen to mechanical mishaps and a lower quality truck has taken the win.


That's called competition.


There should be no shame in competition! At least you lined up or pulled with the best in your field. Even if you don't have a chance you gain a multitude of benefits . . .


• you get more experience
• you know exactly how your truck reacts during competition
• you know what you need to work on your truck to make it better! 


You can walk away saying at least I tried it instead of sitting on the sidelines and thinking I know how to do it right.


The world is full of people who think they know how to compete and most are sitting on the sidelines or behind a keyboard telling you that you did it all wrong during the competition.


DIESEL Motorsport's competitors are better than this, don't fall into this trap of a wanna-be . . . get behind the wheel and race or pull at the next event.


You don't have to push your truck to the point of breaking, push it to the area you know it is safe to compete and recognize at least I did it on the track where it counts instead of the streets.


Most of our experienced racers or pullers started where you did and would be happy to tell you the best way to get better during competition. I have personally taken young people over to experienced racers and pullers and asked for them if they could help explain the best way to compete. It's amazing how easy our guys will start telling you their experienced ways without talking down or bashing you. 


It seems the talking down and bashing comes from the sideline and keyboard inexperienced experts who I never see at the track competing.


What's the old saying . . . Don't talk the walk, walk the walk . . . or is it walk this way?


Be a big person and show our young competitors how to race or pull right beside you, it will make the sport grow!

How well are trucks selling in today's economy???

I can tell you from the diesel aspect the used truck market is very lucrative with pre-2007 models being heavily pursued by consumers! Pre-DPF is always in high demand for the diesel performance enthusiasts looking to get a little more out of their trucks.

But the new truck market is the one that helps fuel the economy and keeps the accessory and performance parts selling in the automotive aftermarket.

Here are some numbers for 2010 that should open your eyes if you have a small diesel shop or manufacture parts for our diesel performance market.

Truck Sales in HD (diesel) for 2010

Ford
214,996

GMC
103,555

Dodge
75,867

Hottest months for truck sales in 2010:

Ford - May & Oct
GMC - May & Oct
Dodge - March & July

Market Share difference in 10 years:

Ford
2000/40% - 2010/38%

GMC
2000/29% - 2010/26%

Dodge
2000/18% - 2010/14%

Diesel Fuel Price 2010:
Jan - $2.83 Gal
Dec - $3.32 Gal

Current Avg - $3.89 Gal


Full-size pickup truck sales rose 20.3 percent last year and were 13 percent of the seasonally adjusted annual sales rate of all vehicles in December, a level not seen since 2008!

While nearly every full-size truck brand grew sales, Ford dominated with a 27.7 percent jump and a 38.6 percent share of the market, the largest share its held since 2001.

Now I can tell you from past years when truck sales goes up the auto aftermarket sales picks up across the board. Newer purchases of trucks turns their trucks over to the used market and the trickle down effect starts!

We saw that in the beginning of 2011 but slowed when fuel prices shot back up, now they have gone back down the sales have started to move again. Remember when the second largest sales month will start? October coming up quick!

Why does Europe outsell US Diesel vehicles???

You own and drive a US made diesel pickup for work and decide to purchase a domestic family car for everyday use? You may be looking for a long time! There are not any to be found, all foreign made . . .

Diesel Benefits

   1. Higher fuel economy

   2. Diesel engines last longer, and fetch higher resale values

   3. Diesel engines can be run on biofuel (biodiesel)

   4. Diesels provide greater torque; great for rapid acceleration and towing

   5. Driving range on a tank is longer


Family cars that use diesel sold in the US: Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes

So you want to keep buying US made vehicles in order to support local jobs and the economy, not if you are looking for a diesel domestic car!

Diesel vehicles now account for nearly half of all new vehicle sales in Europe. In some European countries (such as France), diesel vehicles account for as much as 70 percent of new car sales. Are diesel vehicles a viable alternative to hybrids? JD Powers reported a down swing of Hybrid sales last year of 10%, how come diesel is not the alternative in the US?

The government seems to want it that way by taxing diesel 24.4% and gasoline only 18.4% so it costs more to drive a diesel. Why do they continue to do so, because the petroleum industry wants it that way along with the OEM manufacturers. Truckers account for transporting 70% of all tonnage Nationwide, where would that tax and fuel income go if they lowered the tax rate on diesel? 

Trucking companies pay a huge amount of taxes by using diesel fuel for their fleets. Why do they continue with diesel, it is still the most cost effective for maintenance and longevity of the trucks.

If Americans could buy diesel domestic models like you can in Europe we would keep our cars longer, use less fuel, less maintenance and not visit the big three dealerships as much. Do you think they would want that to happen?

Ford makes a diesel Focus for Europe that is not available in the US and gets 65mpg in the city! Yes, it's EPA compliant, they claim because it is made in England that it would cost $1,000 more than a Prius in the US market. Why can't Ford bring that technology to the US and build them here if it meets EPA standards?

Despite the reasons Europe leads us in diesel technology we do have something to look forward to in 2013! See below:

After a lot of speculation, Chevrolet has officially confirmed it will add a diesel option to the Cruze lineup in North America in calendar year 2013. Diesel versions of the Cruze are currently being sold in Europe. The diesel will boost the already fuel-efficient Cruze lineup. Cruze Eco with a standard six-speed manual transmission, is the most fuel-efficient gas-powered/non-hybrid vehicle in America, with an EPA-rated 42 mpg on the highway. A U.S. diesel Cruze will be the first Detroit passenger-vehicle diesel since the 2006 Jeep Liberty CRD sport-utility, and the first diesel car from Detroit since the 1980s.  

Maybe the OEMs need to talk to a few of our diesel truck owners on how to get more mileage out of a diesel, they have been doing it for a number of years!

Diesels compete in Big Sky Country!

Rock Springs Wyoming this last Saturday saw one heck of a show under beautiful weather conditions! The Sweetwater Events Complex invited NADM back this year with a diesel sled pulling show for their week long fair. With over $10,000 of purses being offered we saw trucks from all over the country, Colorado, Wisconsin, Texas, Indiana, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah!

A NADM affiliate,  United Truck Tractor Pulling Association helped with the pull by using their sled and putting on a tractor, gas truck show before the diesels took the track. The preliminary show warmed up the crowd for seeing some really great Western diesel pulling trucks with some visitors from the Midwest such as Garrett Shield's Black Ice 3.0 truck, Ben Miller's Double Overtime Modified truck and Bobby Ezell's Pullin for the Cure truck.

With over 60 hooks the fair crowd saw some great competition with local trucks pulling against many outsider trucks. That is what makes a pull like this fun, a opportunity for local diesels to see how they stack up against other diesels in the country. Like any competitor, they all want their truck to win and running every couple of weeks against the local pullers they can measure each other up pretty quick. Bring in some new blood and it makes it even more competitive and makes for a great show.

I have to say the locals held their own against the outsiders with some pretty stout trucks! From just a state away Rowdy Bydalek from Colorado with his Rough & Rowdy truck took top spots in 2.6 and 3.0 classes. Locals Tom Hansen, Ryan Thain and Toby Moses had some tough trucks that took top spots in 2.6 and the 3.0 classes competing tough against Garrett Shields, winner in the 3.0 class.

The big runoff was in the Modified Class with two strong locals Ken Jones(2 Wild Diesel) and Jason Stott(Addicted Diesel) against Indiana's Ben Miller's Ford(Double Overtime)! Ken took the title winning over Ben with a 10 ft difference at 310.4 ft!

Even though they were tough on the track competing with each other I saw both Ken and Jason come over to Ben before the event discussing track and atmosphere conditions for the 6800 ft elevation in Rock Springs. 

I see this willingness to help from our diesel competitors all over the country, makes you feel good about our sport and who is involved. It shows what type of people represent DIESEL Motorsports anywhere in the country!

For a complete listing of who won go to www.DIESELmotorsports.US under news on the front page!

Future is not all gloomy . . .

I have spent the week at the ADS Convention and the outlook by all manufactures report brisk business within the diesel marketplace. What does that mean for us?

It means it will take a while before the past two days of financial upheaval has any effect on our market if any because it will turn around before the effect hits us.

It's politics at it's best and we have seen the same thing in the 70s, 80s, and yes we skipped the 90s! The experienced don't panic, work harder and work smarter!

That seems to be how our diesel guys work anyway, independent, self reliant and work smarter. They always find a way to make it work.

You see that at the track, they always help each other and find a way to make it work. Yes, it may make our work a little tougher but it will not stop our efforts to keep the sport going and Diesel Motorsports alive in the performance marketplace.

Continued . . .

What's in the future for Diesel Motorsports?

This will be a series of articles since it is a lengthy subject so check back for continued postings . . .

After this week's activities in our Nation's capital I can safely say the economy will have a long term impact on our industry. Most of us will see it immediately because of the companies and their leaders who panic because of the news.

But most of us normal run of the mill guys will see little change in what we do everyday. Really, our diesel guys are too far down the food chain to be affected by the recent economic hiccups. We all will keep on showing up and doing our normal daily jobs, it's what we do because we are the working class.

Diesel shops will see more maintenance work on older trucks, more upgrades on used trucks! Most likely people will reframe from making large purchases such as a new truck, but the normal everyday purchasing will continue.

If the manufacturers want to continue selling products in the diesel market they will need to give the consumer a reason(s) to buy their products! A new approach on marketing or new products that will improve the diesel customer's truck will be the key for continued growth.

Our guys still need their trucks to get to work and uses them to get their daily work done. They will still come to the diesel events because it is the one thing they enjoy doing as a hobby and escape from daily work. The love of American's vehicles will never die, it's a institution that is to old to break!

Continued . . .

Performance slash commercial diesel - Do they mix?

Of course they mix, they have too, they use many of the same parts. The difference is the commercial adheres to the EPA/OEM specs for replacement parts.

Performance tries to go beyond OEM specs in order to draw the most out of the engine. So the performance tech will use many different parts and customized settings to gain HP and torque.

The commercial end of the business keeps most shops busy with maintenance for local municipalities while filling in with performance work.

The need is there for both however the conventions for both divisions are separate. I'm sorry I like to educate rather than ignore when attempting to change a view (smoke)!

The commercial end ignores the performance side for that reason in order to not get their government agreements reviewed because of the smoke in performance.

In the meanwhile a few guys in performance are making great gains in producing HP without the smoke. Also Diesel Motorsports is encouraging cleaner tunes for performance, the techology and parts just are not quite there yet. But we are getting there and making great advancements.

Some of these competitors are pretty innovative in their ability tuning high performance diesel engines, it's impressive.

One day they will put their great minds together and we might catch up with the European market!

You get what you pay for!!! DIESEL Motorsports

I'm sure you have heard it many times "You get what you pay for"?

I was told this many times while growing up along with "if it's too good to be true, it's most likely not"!


Many people have called me a skeptic, cautious, sarcastic but overly optimistic! I think one gets that way from living in a conservative state Missouri (the Show-Me-State) and a conservative farm bred family.


It also comes from being in business for yourself for over 25 years, yes, 25 years I have worked for myself as a marketing/advertising consultant. You have been shown the carrot too many times and seen too many deals where the other guy gets the carrot and you end up with the uneatable wilted green portion.


How does this relate to DIESEL Motorsports®?


As a small diesel shop you face the same challenges as I have everyday of the week. I can tell you buying the cheaper import parts will not save you money or get you the job, and you may get the job but it will keep coming back to you for repairs if you buy the cheaper parts.


Most of you already know this since I have been told by many of the diesel shops, don't even talk to me about your sponsor's parts if they are from overseas. When you are in business for yourself you get pretty smart, pretty quick!


How many times have you been sold performance parts and in turn, sold it to your customer only to have them returned it when it doesn't perform. You learn real quick which parts to sell and who stands behind their manufacturing. We have tried to align DIESEL Motorsports® with companies who stand behind their products for our Association's members.


I think it's also about integrity and creditability regarding your product and services. Right now that is the only thing Americans have to sell since so much of our manufacturing has been moved out of the country by big corporations.


DIESEL Motorsports® tries to carry this same ethics of business to our sponsors, we try to be as honest as can be when reporting our efforts at the events to project their product's image and message. We strive to offer as much ROI as possible for what we charge for sponsorship. It's important to us that we pick the right partners to help us build DIESEL Motorsports® for the future.


Yes we consider every sponsor, competitor and fan as a partner in building DIESEL Motorsports®!


Is there always someone cheaper out there, sure around every corner, but do you get what you pay for?

Let's just have some fun . . . DIESEL Motorsports!

Most diesel enthusiast says the same thing at every event - "Let's just have some fun"!


Many attending show that exact attitude while competing in the events. I believe it's the same for most of us, we work hard all week and come the weekend you just want to blow off the worries of the week. For many it's showing their individuality by customizing their diesel trucks that are their work vehicles. 

Some of the displays of individuality becomes quite humorous but it is all done in fun. Again it goes back to the early days of Americana Hot Rods where each person wanted to change the automobile to show their personal individuality. Back them it became extreme too like the sample below!

The most fun is talking with each other on the improvements made to their diesel trucks and which products work best with their trucks. They compete in drag racing, sled pulling or dyno while talking about their accomplishments. They all come from hard working families and they respect each other's property. 


I have had many track owners and managers tell me that our group is the most well behaved and polite group that they have had in their facility. Yea they like to kick it up some after the competitions but who doesn't enjoy some good grilling and drinks after you work hard.


Will you find them back behind a desk in a cubicle come Monday morning, most likely not but they do come from all walks of life. From desk work to construction workers to farmers they all have one thing in common - diesel pickups!


The most important goal for the diesel enthusiast is to just have fun at the events - hopefully we help provide some of that fun!