Several people sent me another article written by people who know nothing about our sport or the diesel industry. Yes it was centered around the few kids blowing large amounts of black smoke all over a crowd or a Prius at a stop light.
In the article they described it as a new fun thing to do by people who tune their trucks just for shooting out black smoke on people and they attacked the sled pulling sport by saying that is where the root of the problem lies.
Obviously this person did little research since diesel truck sled pulling is now going on close to 20 years by some of the older pulling people in the sport. It's funny they talked about diesel trucks blowing black smoke and showed a tractor pulling. Tractor pulling has been a sport for over 50 years so they totally got that wrong.
They are a bit late and behind the ball on reporting this since it was at it's peak around 2005 when many young people were Rollin Coal and brought attention to the diesel truck industry. As the diesel trucks became more electronic tuned it was quite easy to dial up or down the fuel consumption when you needed it for power or play.
When 2008 rolled into production with the new EPA Diesel Particulate Filter installed the truck enthusiasts quickly removed these and re-tuned their computers. They were having to re-tune the computer anyway when they changed the size of the tires in order to match the speedometer and rpm gauges.
Now this was still a cottage industry and mostly rural by most counts, the farmers were requiring dealers (many still do) to remove the DPFs because it was overheating and catching their fields and trucks on fire. The rural owners started to tune them up for sled pulling and drag racing then dialing them down for the streets when they want better mpg.
As always things got out of hand and many people saw they could make millions of dollars of changing and tuning the newer trucks. The government decided to step in around 2011-12 and put an end to people changing their own vehicles for their purpose. It took them close to four years to do so.
The regular diesel maintenance and performance industry all warned them to not do this and draw attention to the vehicles. But some did not listen and some did in the industry. When the large tuning companies openly advertised DPF delete kits and tuning it really brought the government down on them quickly. By the end of 2012 all the tuning companies were under attack by the EPA and many faced stiff fines.
Now understand the diesel performance industry along with trucking companies that delivers your groceries, plows your streets and collects your trash still has to operate daily. Many diesel shops were hurt by the action taken by the EPA. But the stronger diesel shops remained open because of the maintenance part of the business.
Many do not know that quality diesel shops refuse to do the smoke "lope" tune because it is a sign of poor tuning. Many do no know that DIESEL Motorsports has had a "no smoke street policy" for over 9 years.
The events we hold throughout the country is like the NHRA giving racers a legal place to burn tires, blow smoke, and compete in a private legal environment. Our classes racing and pulling have competitors who trailer their competition vehicles into the event. These are not licensed for the street and I for one can tell you it would not be a pleasant ride down the street in these vehicles.
Just like any competition vehicles the trucks are for competition only and DO NOT fall under EPA guidelines for smoking. Many of the photos shown in the article were trailered vehicles which were not licensed for street.
STOP our performance industry and millions of dollars and jobs will cease in this country that has made a legend of customizing your vehicle, racing or showing your vehicle as a sport. GONE would be the NHRA, IHRA, NASCAR, Monster trucks, circle track racing, mudding, BAJA racing, off-road racing, sled pulling and the list is long!
Do diesel people like performance in their truck, yes we do just like performance gas people! Do we like the environment? YES we do because many are rural people who farm, fish, hunt and camp out. If you ask 90% of the people at our diesel events they would tell you smoking people out is not cool!
So let's respect fellow drivers on the street no matter what vehicle they are in and leave the competition diesels at the track where we can provide a legal place to compete.
We want to draw positive attention to our sport, not negative by someone who has no knowledge of how much diesel vehicles are in our work force and industries.
In the article they described it as a new fun thing to do by people who tune their trucks just for shooting out black smoke on people and they attacked the sled pulling sport by saying that is where the root of the problem lies.
Obviously this person did little research since diesel truck sled pulling is now going on close to 20 years by some of the older pulling people in the sport. It's funny they talked about diesel trucks blowing black smoke and showed a tractor pulling. Tractor pulling has been a sport for over 50 years so they totally got that wrong.
They are a bit late and behind the ball on reporting this since it was at it's peak around 2005 when many young people were Rollin Coal and brought attention to the diesel truck industry. As the diesel trucks became more electronic tuned it was quite easy to dial up or down the fuel consumption when you needed it for power or play.
When 2008 rolled into production with the new EPA Diesel Particulate Filter installed the truck enthusiasts quickly removed these and re-tuned their computers. They were having to re-tune the computer anyway when they changed the size of the tires in order to match the speedometer and rpm gauges.
Now this was still a cottage industry and mostly rural by most counts, the farmers were requiring dealers (many still do) to remove the DPFs because it was overheating and catching their fields and trucks on fire. The rural owners started to tune them up for sled pulling and drag racing then dialing them down for the streets when they want better mpg.
As always things got out of hand and many people saw they could make millions of dollars of changing and tuning the newer trucks. The government decided to step in around 2011-12 and put an end to people changing their own vehicles for their purpose. It took them close to four years to do so.
The regular diesel maintenance and performance industry all warned them to not do this and draw attention to the vehicles. But some did not listen and some did in the industry. When the large tuning companies openly advertised DPF delete kits and tuning it really brought the government down on them quickly. By the end of 2012 all the tuning companies were under attack by the EPA and many faced stiff fines.
Now understand the diesel performance industry along with trucking companies that delivers your groceries, plows your streets and collects your trash still has to operate daily. Many diesel shops were hurt by the action taken by the EPA. But the stronger diesel shops remained open because of the maintenance part of the business.
Many do not know that quality diesel shops refuse to do the smoke "lope" tune because it is a sign of poor tuning. Many do no know that DIESEL Motorsports has had a "no smoke street policy" for over 9 years.
The events we hold throughout the country is like the NHRA giving racers a legal place to burn tires, blow smoke, and compete in a private legal environment. Our classes racing and pulling have competitors who trailer their competition vehicles into the event. These are not licensed for the street and I for one can tell you it would not be a pleasant ride down the street in these vehicles.
Just like any competition vehicles the trucks are for competition only and DO NOT fall under EPA guidelines for smoking. Many of the photos shown in the article were trailered vehicles which were not licensed for street.
STOP our performance industry and millions of dollars and jobs will cease in this country that has made a legend of customizing your vehicle, racing or showing your vehicle as a sport. GONE would be the NHRA, IHRA, NASCAR, Monster trucks, circle track racing, mudding, BAJA racing, off-road racing, sled pulling and the list is long!
Do diesel people like performance in their truck, yes we do just like performance gas people! Do we like the environment? YES we do because many are rural people who farm, fish, hunt and camp out. If you ask 90% of the people at our diesel events they would tell you smoking people out is not cool!
So let's respect fellow drivers on the street no matter what vehicle they are in and leave the competition diesels at the track where we can provide a legal place to compete.
We want to draw positive attention to our sport, not negative by someone who has no knowledge of how much diesel vehicles are in our work force and industries.
Well said Ron. We need to be good stewards of our sport so that it continues on. Causing bad press, whether at an event or on the street, is a negative blow to the whole diesel industry. You may not think that blowing smoke at an intersection or on a convertible with the top down is a bad thing... everyone doesn't see it that way. Be an ambassador of Diesel Motorsports!!!
ReplyDeletePatty Haisley