What Classes are running for Pulling 2016!

Looks like the post from 3 years ago gets read a lot so let's move up to this year. Yes, the classes for pulling have changed somewhat in order to include everyone who wants to pull.

All the rules for pulling and classes are FREE on our web site - www.DIESELmotorsports.US

2016 DIESEL Motorsports Pulling Classes

Work Stock - street trucks with bolt-on modifications but with a OEM like turbo

2.5 Class - Street truck with 2.5 turbo with ballast

2.6 Class - Old 2.6 turbo rules for past trucks that built strictly for 2.6 turbo with no fixed driveline

2.6 Pro Class - smooth 3.0 with open driveline

3.6 Super Pro Diesel - smooth 3.6 turbos, dual turbos and modified/Super Stock trucks

Street Semi - street legal licensed semi trucks

In a nutshell but check the rules for clarity and make sure all safety equipment is present for pulling. DIESEL Motorsports will reserve the right to combine some classes if enough trucks are not present to fill a class. 

It is our intention to run all trucks who want to compete using a fair ruleset for all. The trucks are important to us and the diesel shops who rely on them for business. There is a reason the tractor clubs do not change their rules every three years, it keeps the costs down for the competitors so their numbers remain strong.

This is the first time we have changed rules for pulling in five years. The sport is still growing and including the street trucks are very important to our business.

Come pull with DIESEL Motorsports where you get paid right after the event!

Which WD do you buy from??? As a jobber/dealer - DIESEL Motorsports!

I have worked in the past with many WDs in the industry and the answer should be who can get you the part fast (in stock) and for a fair price so you can make a profit!

When I was hired as a consultant by an old WD that is now part of Keystone I did a study to show price differences of the top 100 top selling sku's. Between four different WDs the parts were all within $1 of each other when it came down to price. 

Next would be the shipping, but many deliver on a daily basis now days! The BIG component should be do they have it in stock so you can get it quick. If they are out of stock then you fall back to a drop ship which will take a few days. Remember the longer your customer waits for the work the more dissatisfied they become with your shop. Go with WD who stocks the most parts.

When working with some of the jobber stores they had 3 WDs on speed dial and I was told they just go down the line till they find the one who has it in stock and can get it to them - plus price but most are similar.

It comes down to personal service too, do the people you talk to know the industry or parts you are ordering. If they don't it only takes longer because you have to explain to an order taker who just answers the phones. 

If you order online with the part numbers it takes away the pain of talking to people but then how efficient is their online order system. Do you still get your parts on time to satisfy the customer.

The idea solution is to keep extra parts you use all of the time so you have extras for fast repairs or upgrades for the customers. This does cost money but if you have enough business it will make you money because you can service your customers faster than the other guys.

Which WD supports your effort to advertise using Coop funds or supports your efforts at events and shows. Do they provide POP displays, banners, etc for you to promote the parts you sell?

And yes when is the last time you saw a salesperson from your WD, I know, never because many have cut back on travel because the margins are getting smaller and smaller for the WDs. Realize it takes $millions of dollars to properly operate as a WD and they do the best they can with what they have to work with on a monthly basis. 

Which one do you use? The one that give your business the best advantage for profits and service for you to pass on to your customer!

How to sell more at your diesel shop!

Many shops ask all of the time how can I get more business? I tell them it's not about getting more business but more profitable business!

Regular maintenance pays the overhead because it comes in from sources that need servicing on a schedule or time table. It's all about self promotion for your services and shop!

Typical marketing is through advertising through the same avenues that everyone else is doing, ads in magazines, radio, tv cable and local newspapers. This is deemed "Interruption Marketing" because you have to stop what you are doing to acknowledge the ads. This does work but it takes lots of funding, persistence and large space advertising. Many of these items most of us cannot afford.

A form of self promotion that could work is called "Permission Marketing", it's about selling yourself and your services with social contact and integrity.  It's when you put your customer's or client's wants and needs first - YOU are the solution to their problem!

It is very reasonable to do because it comes from you, you constantly offer new products and services while offering a solution to customers. It's building a relationship with your customers, treat each one like they were all equal. You never know when one of them decides to spend monies no mater what they currently are driving.

This doesn't mean you spend countless hours talking with each one about their truck or problems with their truck. It means you offer advice in a nice and mannerly time period and always talking additional upgrades and/or service that your business can provide at a reasonable cost. Remember time is money and you have customer's trucks to repair and upgrade in order to bill.

This does take some time to research some in the evenings on new parts and what is currently available for your customer's vehicles. Many of the trade publications offer new part sections in their magazines or online magazines. Most of the trade publications are free if you are a shop or business such as Shop, Engine Builder, Counterman, and SEMA. Just take some time to look what DIESEL Motorsport's sponsors have to offer to the marketplace. Many offer new items every year or multiple items for our industry.

The more you know the more valuable you become to your customers. Ask for their emails or cell numbers so you can remind them on servicing their diesel, always allow a two week period before they need it so they can make arrangements. Alert them to new products or specials you currently have for a truck. Even send them friendly reminders for diesel get-togethers or events.

Plan a training session or seminar during a dyno day at your shop! Contact your WD and see if they have a manufacturers rep they can send out for a seminar? Many can do this if given advance notice.

If you are doing a special install on a high-end nice truck, ask a few customers if they want to come by to watch or see the end result, like a double or triple turbo install. 

There are many ways you can become the specialist for your customers! Think about and execute on a weekly basis, you will soon find your bottom line moving upward! The more specialized the higher the profits because people value your service!

Competition produces so called characters . . . yes the diesel industry produces our own!

Throughout the years motorsports has produced some wild characters in it's history! NASCAR, NHRA and IHRA has some of the boldest people in their history that stand out as known characters in the industry.

That is what makes our race/pulling industry fun to follow for the short time it has been around. Many people have come and gone that were on top at one time or another for their competition achievements or just their personality. 

Most are bigger in life personalities or egos depending on who you ask! 

The real hero are the people who have made a living at keeping the industry alive through providing parts or service at their diesel shop. Many of our competitors come from the diesel shops because that is how they advertise their business. By building a killer competition truck for racing or pulling it shows their top abilities to build a performance diesel.

I have fun watching and talking to the top competitors and the shops, because this is the people who keeps the sport going at the events. Some have been problems in the past  but DIESEL Motorsports has dealt with all on the same level as a professional competitor. 

Every sanctioning body has rules and we do too, so when those are broken we reply in kind. However in 8 years of competition we have only banned one competitor for a short period. All others are welcome as long as they follow the rules of competition.

I have had some ask if they can come back and I have replied of course you can, as long as you follow the rules. It's just business!

No one can deny that they are all characters including myself! That is what makes America great is that we can all express ourselves as individuals. I brag to industry leaders that our rural crowd is the most individual creative people in automotive sports and yes we are some people's biggest nightmare.

Again, DIESEL Motorsports is about doing your own thing with diesel performance be it racing, pulling or showing your diesel truck. We just try to make it legal, insured and safe so none of us get in trouble with the industry.

This week DIESEL Motorsports will announce the launch of the DIESEL Hall of Fame on our web site and those who have been honored as some of the diesel industry pioneers!

Bring your rigs, trucks and personalities to the events this year and let's just have some fun!

NEW for 2016 - Post III - Rules - DIESEL Motorsports!

Rules and more rules for those competing in DIESEL Motorsports!

Part III of the series of what's new for 2016!

Drag racing is quite easy since no rules were changed other than SFI upgrades for helmets and fire suits. What most do not know is the straight up exhaust for side exhaust trucks during drag racing!

You can have a clamp-on turn-up or straight up bed exhaust so the exhaust does not go down on the track and fog the lights/lasers so the timing system cannot work properly. If you want an accurate time then you would want to do this to your truck, however we will let you run but with reservations. Those reservations being if you fog the lights on a run your truck is automatically DQed! It's not fair to the guy next to you who turned his up and runs properly for the timing.

The DIESEL Motorsports sled pulling rules have changed not only in specifications but also classes. The 2.6 Class is now two classes, 2.6 and 2.6 Pro! 2.6 for those who have been following our rules for over 8 years with little change and 2.6 Pro for those who have gone to smooth bore turbos and solid rear-ends. The old 3.0 class is now combined with old 3.9, 3.6, twin turbos, Super Stock and Modifieds into one class!

Please read carefully for the distinctions between the classes of Work Stock, 2.5, 2.6 and 2.6 Pro! There are lots of trucks out there being built so make sure you fit into a class locally and Nationally so you can compete in many different venues.

It is the intention of DIESEL Motorsports to include as many trucks as we can for competition, we do not sell parts so we do not care about changing the rules every year so the competitors have to upgrade or re-build their trucks!

It's about the sport for us and maintaining an even ruleset for the country. There is a reason the tractor pulling organizations do not change their rules for every three years. It keeps everyone on the same playing field and keeps expenses minimal.

Check out our rules, schedule and make sure to support our sponsors - they are paying the purse monies you receive!

See rules in the upper left hand corner: www.DIESELmotorsports.US

New for 2016 - Post II - DIESEL Motorsports!

The schedule for 2016 regionals are almost up and done with maybe one small exception for October still in the works! The affiliate schedules will go up by the end of March, many of the fair boards are still planning meets across the country.  DIESEL Motorsports wants to concentrate on where the most trucks show up for the events so we have switched a couple back to the east and Midwest.

Our sponsors pay us to go where the most trucks will be for diesel performance, we are not saying there are not top quality diesel performance trucks in other areas but maybe more surrounding the events planned. We are still reaching out to other areas with our affiliate events and groups.

As the popularity grows across the country DIESEL Motorsports plans to expand into those areas as the budget permits, if you have an event that wants to be larger or help with marketing please contact our office for more details.

Take some time and schedule some travel time to the events nearest you, these are family diesel lifestyle events where competitors are treated fairly with Nationwide ruleset with NO favorites. The competitors are always paid after the competition for the winners! No WAITING 1 or 2 or 3 months for payment for competing.

Children under 12 always get in free with an adult alone with the knowledge that the events are safe and insured. You can bring your trucks, coolers, grill and pop-up along with the family to enjoy a weekend of diesel trucks and great company.

DIESEL Motorsports is in it's 9th year and this should be a great year for diesels as the business continues to grow and expand into new markets.

2016 Schedule 
April 23/24 Nebraska Diesel Show 
Drags, Sled Pull
Kearney NE

May 13 Missouri  Diesel Shootout!
drags, dyno, ShowNshine
Osborn, Missouri

June 3 Muncie Dragway
Diesel Drags, Muncie IN

June 17/18 Haisley Thunder in Muncie
Drags,Pull, Dyno, ShowNshine
Friday Night 17 Muncie Dragway
Saturday 18 Gaston Lion’s Fairground
Muncie, Indiana

July 16 East Coast Diesel Nationals
Drags, Pull, Dyno, ShowNshine
Numidia Dragway
Numidia, Pennsylvania

August 5 Carlisle Truck Drags
South Mountain Raceway
Boiling Springs, PA

Aug 19/20  Wilson County Fair
Sled Pull 2.6/2.5
Lebanon, TN

September 23/24 
Buckeye Diesel Blast
Drags, pull, dyno, ShowNshine
Ohio