Build your truck from the bottom up for competition - DIESEL Motorsports!

 This article is about building your truck the proper way for competition, same rules apply for gas vehicles for years! 

BUILD IT FROM THE BOTTOM UP!

What does that mean? 

When you add performance bolt-ons in order to increase Horsepower, it feels great out on the street! Every man's dream is having more power beneath you when driving! It's an addiction once you start by adding bigger injectors, turbo, air-intake and so on etc. 

Killer  vehicle for the street but when you take it to compete be it the dragstrip or pulling track there are rules for safety. Rules made in order to keep your vehicle from blowing up during competition. OEM parts are made for the vehicle's intended horsepower, when you add all the extras you have exceeded those specs for safe operation.

The standard for competition parts are the SFI Foundation which regulates all race parts and organizations such as NASCAR, Formula 1, NHRA and even DIESEL Motorsports. If you read our rule book online (free) you will find many references to SFI approved parts for our vehicles doing more than 12 sec in the 1/4 mile or 7.80 in the 1/8th mile. 

This past weekend we had a very fast truck that competed with our regular heads-up class. Great truck and driver as well, he was very proud of building a truck to 1400+ HP to compete. It blew up going down the track, produced a big fireball and totaled his drivetrain. He didn't notice or could tell so he didn't pull over and spread oil, fuel and antifreeze all down the track. It took the track crew 1.5 hours to clean it up and they said it was the worse they had seen in cleanup in their 27 years (parts scattered all down the track).

On clean up we found parts of the flexplate/flywheel on the track and it was OEM rated not the SFI spec required. It is hard to tech this because of it's location. The young man was lucky it chose to go forward when exploding and not back into the cab. There are many parts on the bottom end that need to be replaced when building for HP! Dampers are required after 4800 rpm, crankshafts, cams, Torque converters, headbolts are specified needing replacement as per SFI specs! In other words read the rules first before bringing your truck to compete or before you start building.

Gas competition vehicles found this out years ago when they started to blow up on the tracks, then they started building their engines and drivetrains from the bottom up in order to handle the extra power!

I don't want to discourage people from working on their trucks for performance but think about what you are building before it blows up! A lot less costly if you start from the bottom up. Many of our sponsors have those very parts in order to keep you safe and running while enjoying your truck.

From what I was told the young man had 72,000 miles on the truck and it ruined everything including the engine, transmission and the backend of the truck from fire. A hard lesson and I hope this young man the best on his rebuild.

Starting next year the trucks running heads-up will be required engine and transmission blankets by most tracks. It keeps the tracks from massive cleanups, the materials needed to cleanup a oil down is close to $2000! As many of you already know our trucks carry double the oil and fuel of most gas vehicles.

Something to think about when tearing down for the winter and rebuilding those trucks for competition! 

301 Street Car/Truck Race Benefit - 2025 Review!

 The 301 Street Race group from mid-Missouri put on a great BENEFIT event this past Sunday at the famous MO-KAN Dragway near Joplin MO! Over half of the money made at the event went to the local Children's fund for Christmas toys. All types of cars, trucks, diesels and rods went down the track for the entire day. The racing was delayed shortly by a diesel truck fire and blowup on the track which took them over an hour to clean up! I have another blog coming covering this incident and how to build race trucks.

It was a beautiful day on Sunday with sun and clear weather all day! MO-KAN knows how to treat racers and it was good racing clear into the evening hours. DIESEL Motorsports gave out many awards for the Car/Truck Show including the winners of the diesel truck classes.

The amount of family members who came this weekend showed me the entertainment value is still there! The MO-KAN track has great food and things to do for everyone. I saw from the registration that people came from the 4 state area to race one last time as many of the tracks are closing for the winter.

This race was a benefit put on by the 301 Street Race group and we want to thank all of the workers who provided the great day!

Photo Link:
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301 Street Car/Truck Race Winners
Small Tire
1 – Austin Martin
2 – Richard Mahew
580 Index
1 – Don Howe
2 – Gary Watts
Diesel Truck Hds-Up
1 – Preston Hill
2 – Tim Morton
Jr Dragster
1 – Coltan Kootz
2 – Kelbie Newport
NA Small Block
1 – Jesse Hoog
2 – Scott Congrove
Mean Street
1 – Mike Sleeper
2 – Boo Kvamso
Truck
1 – Scott Congrove
2 – Jim Baker Jr
6.50 Index
1 - Dylan Dacus
2 - Allen Watts
ET Diesel
1 - Levi Shrable
2 – Vince Neiderhauser
ET Bracket
1 - Jim Kleine
2 - Kory Petty
NA Big Block
1 - Don Howe
2 - AJ Spiva
Big Tire
1 - Scott Congrove
2 - Wayne Forgey
Show-N-Shine
Best of Show – Amanda Stone
Best Truck – Dallas Belisle

DIESEL Power Plus Showdown 2025 Review - DIESEL Motorsports

DIESEL Motorsports wants to thank DIESEL Power Plus Showdown for inviting us to be a part of the Benefit Show for the #118 Foundation which funds county fire/rescue for Mid-Missouri! It was a beautiful day for the October 4th event which included Car/Truck/Semi Show-N-Shine along with evening sled pulling with tractors/trucks from Mstpa! The local crowd really showed up to support this benefit event which resembled a county fair and plenty of activities for the children.

The large crowd in the evening filled the grandstands along with the lawn seats plus the special arena truck spots. They got to see a fun show of pulling including a special dinner special and local fair food booths. There was plenty of things ofr the kids to do during the day including bounce house, bucking bronco, games, and a petting zoo with exotic animals.

The car/truck/semi show was first for this event and we saw quite a few polished up semis from local trucking companies, plus many different cars and trucks. It is always fun to talk with the builders to find out what they did to build their custom vehicles.

The #118 Foundation brought fire trucks from 6 different towns along with other emergency vehicles for the kids to look at and talk with the emergency works.

Photo Link:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...

Winners listed below:

DIESEL Power Plus Showdown Winners 2025

Car/Truck/Semi Show

Best of Show Semi – Criss Cross Trucking – 1977 Peterbilt/Delta Dawn

Best of Show Truck – Hayden Dowell – 2020 Dodge Ram/Problem Child

Best of Show Car – Jamie Kost – 2015 Corvette/Sunrise Orange

Cars

Best Muscle Car – Daniel Wininger – 1998 Mustang

Best Import – Jordan Rissler – 1992 Mazda Miata

Best Jeep – Angela Karr – 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

Best Mustang – Wes George – 2009 Mustang/2nd Chance

Best 4x4 – Wes George – 2004 Jeep TJ/Rollover

Best Motorcycle – Daniel Wininger – 2010 Honda Fury

Trucks

Best Vintage – Darrell Schultz – 1984 Dodge D100

Best Chevy – Kurt Howard – 1980 Chevy Luv

Best Lifted – Justin – 2011 Ford F250

Best Truck Engine – Mike Cumpton – Ford Tuff Pulling Truck

Best Street Truck – Jeremy Berry – 1999 Chevy K3500

Best Rat Rod Truck – Ralph Booth – 1986 Ford F350

Semis

Best Engine – Mitch Moore – 1998 Peterbilt 379 Cummins

Best Commercial Truck – Champion Towing – 2016 Peterbilt 579/Red Rock 2

Best Work Truck – Arlin Rissler – 2016 Peterbilt 389

Best Patriotic Truck – Glenn Porter – 2005 Peterbilt 378

Best Semi Appearance – Charly Idlewine – 2018 Peterbilt 389

Best Semi Hauler – Barry Lee Weaver – 2015 Peterbilt 389

Sled pulling

PSD - 2.6 ProStreet Diesel

Chris Moretine 1st Smokin' Goat Reloaded 312.22

Jeff Oermann 2nd Red Line Ram 310.61

Justin Newkirk 3rd Hicktown Hooker 308.74

Matt Brown 4th She Said No 307.97

Logan Burkey 5th Burkey Farms 304.25

Jonathan Hege 6th Shot In The Dark 301.28

Ben Johnson 7th Deception 156.6

Kevin Pipal 8th Side Piece 87.45

HS - Hot Stock

Mike Lefevre 1st Raised On Red 298.09

Jason Gudde 2nd Honeymoon Funds 297.79

William Rehkop 3rd Burnin Green 297.12

Dale Alwood 4th All Deere'd Up 296.31

Kaden Hudson 5th Twintrouble 291.3

Art Sims II 6th Full Rut 288.54

LLS - Light Limited SuperStock

Rob Koll 1st Rated R 317.39

Brad Summers 2nd Summer Storm 303.23

Zach Goeller 3rd Bullet Proof Not 302.53

Kyle Brockhaus 4th Bettin' On Red 298.78

Jerry Volkart 5th Hot Iron 269.86

Bruce Lange 6th The Sound of Freedom 264.73

LM - Light Modified

Daryl Kisker 1st Red Thunder 322.96

Scott Bracken 2nd The Outlaw 304.08

Danny Metcalf 3rd Plowboy Express 300.13

Jim Bracken 4th Outlaw Red 289.73

Craig Ogle 5th Anything Goes 285.87

Dawson Addington 6th The Joker 279.47

Tim Light 7th Tail Spin 237.13

LPF - Light ProField

Scott Burr 1st White Lightning 315.49

Jim Levy 2nd Modified Massey 305.18

Cody Goeller 3rd Fighting Cock 296.52

PF - ProField

Randy Lefevre 1st High on Red 318.62

Jason Gudde 2nd Disposable Pursuit 316.78

John Shorten 3rd Old School Binder 316.06

Dallas Swisher 4th Smokin' Swishers 315.84

Connor Jaegers 5th Rooster 314.35

Rick Johnson 6th Show Me Deere 314.2

Art Sims 7th Osage Deere 288.42

SEMA/AAPEX is it worth our diesel shops to make the trip? DIESEL Motorsports . . .

 Yes, I get asked every year! Depends on can you afford an expensive trip and not working at the shop for 3-4 days? If you have never been and you have the funds and time - YES it is worth the trip. You can see some of the most outrageous vehicle builds in the country, plus view manufacturers products firsthand!

The town of Vegas ups their services at least 3 times during this week, expect to pay at least $2-300 per night for hotel! Everything is $20, Uber $20, Hamburger $20, Beer $20 and it goes on and on! Prepare to walk 4-7 miles a day viewing the show and parking($20-60 per day) is at least 3-4 blocks away from the show. Wear comfortable shoes for walking, and casual business clothing. 

You will see a trade show of performance products and accessories for your vehicles. The booth counts have downsized because more companies are buying up the old companies and combining them in a larger booth space. SEMA has done their best to fill back in with some interesting products and services, but it is still a great show if you want to see products.

If you are there to meet and talk to people it is very difficult to talk very long since the crowd keeps the people manning the booths very busy. Good time to collect business cards for later contact. Wear business casual clothing if you want to be noticed by the manufacturers, if you show up in blue jeans and tshirts most will consider you as the tire-kicker crowd.  

Will the show be a industry business convention like it was back 10-20 years ago? No, our automotive business has changed a lot in the past years and SEMA has adjusted the best they could in order to put on a show for the masses. 

You will see a large display of vehicles out front of the show which can take a half day to just see all of it. There are 3 large halls to view so make sure to plot out online where to go on each day.

AAPEX show is more industry business environment with no displays of vehicles. The show is setup to sell to the chain service centers and stores with world wide exposure. It is worth spending a day there in order to see what parts are available for your shop through WDs and distribution centers. It used to be called thte hard parts show but no longer, a widde range of products can be seen there. Main floor are the main US companies with most of the foreign companies being placed in their own sections.

There are buses going to and from the SEMA show available and your pass works at both shows! Yes, you will still walk a lot at the show, it is very large and many products/companies to view. 

If you go to also party and gamble via VEGAS then everything is there to take your $$$. The town doess have a lot to see and experience, however be careful because crime is high because of the $$$. Just be smart and travel in groups! 

I have attended over 30 years and yes, it is still worth going to in order to do business with industry leaders. 

Automotive Transformation into the future - How to transform the future? DIESEL Motorsports . . .

 I first had to take a road trip to think about these changes and what to do about them. The rest is up to you too!

• Original performance companies fueled by original enthusiasts are being bought by investment companies and being led by non-enthusiasts.

Work with these company's principals and show them how the business was built in order to survive for the future - regardless if they have experience in our industry. Take them out or invite to attend events and learn from the very people who buy their products.

• Government overreach curtails many performance advancements for power and efficiency

Reach out to local representatives and send them your thoughts about the performance industry. Send them photos of your vehicles and projects, let them know how much you enjoy your hobby/work.

• Magazines with old editors who with technical backed editorial were replaced or retired by sensational non-techinical internet follower counts

Seeing trucks blow up or promods catch on fire are fun to watch, it's the child still in us. However, to learn a lot of companies are now doing online training sessions and videos. Youtube now has countless ways to repair or watch how to repair problems for our vehicles. Some are good and some are not but it is better than nothing. If you feel inclined to learn about our vehicles and performance take some time to wath the company sessions. Many manufacturers now have these on their web sites.

• US made parts for performance are at ALL time lows

Demand US products when you go to the auto stores and they will start carrying them or go online to find the US products. Some companies are now bringing their manufacturing back to the US because of the tariffs. It's so much easier to get a refund or exchange if it is made in the US.

• Local dragstrips start disappearing because of urban sprawl and land values

Locate your local tracks and go visit them plus attend events. It is getting harder every year with increased expenses such as taxes, insurance and hired help. Many tracks are looking for good help with experience in the industry. I know many cities are experiencing problems with street racing and burnouts with young people - give them an local outlet to do these activities!

• Corporations/investment companies now own F1 and NASCAR race teams

Highend racing with high returns cost way too much for the common man, but you can still participate in the local track activities whether it's a car show or a race. Many do not know but most tracks have a street bracket class you can race in where it's ab out how to time your run down the track not how fast. It's quite easy I have shown countless young people how to race this class.

• Urban youth not learning to drive early or buy vehicles

If you have a relative who needs to learn how to drive offer to help teach them. Invite them and their friends to go to car/truck shows with you. It is unbelievable how fast they will pick up the interest and encourage them to ask questions about the vehicles. As you know most of those guys/gals will talk about their vehicles! I even ask local HS students to help us work the shows along with paying them and buying them pizza afterwards.

• Shop or automotive not being taught in schools 

Contact your local schools and see if they offer shop or automotive classes. Offer to bring one of your vehicles to the school for the students to view. Show them the basics of how it works then ask for questions. Show them how easy it is to work on the vehicle. Many will be interested!

I will go out of the way at our shows to help young people work on their vehicles or where to find parts for them to work on them. If there is a local trade school I will invite the students to the show and many times hire them to work the show with us. Most are thrilled to be there and be part of a show.

Pass it on and don't think it ends when you get to the top! 

Automotive Transformation into the future - Where is it going? DIESEL Motorsports . . .

 Over the past 10 years our performance automotive industry has gone through BIG changes! 

• Original performance companies fueled by original enthusiasts are being bought by investment companies and being led by non-enthusiasts.

• Government overreach curtails many performance advancements for power and efficiency

• Magazines with old editors who with technical backed editorial were replaced or retired by sensational non-techinical internet follower counts

• US made parts for performance are at ALL time lows

• Local dragstrips start disappearing because of urban sprawl and land values

• Corporations/investment companies now own F1 and NASCAR race teams

• Urban youth not learning to drive early or buy vehicles

• Shop or automotive not being taught in schools 

 . . .  and the list goes on and on for many in our industry. 

For those of us who still need to drive everyday and still enjoy a fine tuned performance vehicle that will get you there FAST (if needed)! Even if it is one of the newer four cylinder turbo powered crossover urban cars. I travel a lot so I get to rent many different kind of vehicles and test them on the road(even high power performance vehicles). 

And yes, I still own one of the old kind to play with on the weekends (96 Dodge 12V), and yes I still use it to haul things. It is not a garage queen and has been modified for more performance. Americans have been modifying their own vehicles for decades since Ford rolled the model Ts off of the lines.

I have shown my grandson (15 yrs old) how to work on vehicles using the right tools and he is already driving under a student permit. It's about being independent and going where you want to go on your spare time. It's a get-away to relax and see new things/places. 

I still drive to many of my events so I can stop and visit people at shops, restaurants and stores in order to see Americana! Smaller trips is like the old Route 66 trips across the country. It makes you appreciate what you have at home.

Young people need to start making more road trips! They will talk about them for years - we do! 

Who is protecting our automotive intellectual property? DIESEL Motorsports USA!

 After NAFTA the China influence came into our business where they copied our US patent performance parts and accessories and then resold them in the US for less. NONE of our patent laws protected our US manufacturers. Blatant copied parts were not only sold to US markets but the big 3 OEMs bought mostly from China. Nothing was done to protect our innovative performance inventors and manufacturers even to this day.

Now the current tariffs are forcing some manufacturing back to the US but is the damage already done? Too little, too late? What about the patent parts that were stolen by overseas manufacturing? Will there be compensation for those original patent holders?

Many of our great performance innovator's products have been ripped off by overseas companies. When the US manufacturers tried to stop them they were faced with huge legal fees and no laws protecting their intellectual property/products.

For many years we were told if you come up with a great product make sure you patent and register the name. Millions of dollars have been collected by our patent office and attorneys following the law. It is all gone now since China not only does not honor our patents but our own courts and laws will not protect US manufacturers.

So when is this great tragedy going to be addressed and corrected??? That is the big question when it comes to automotive! What groups are helping our manufacturers and why would anyone try to come up with something new when it will only get ripped off by somebody sending it overseas?

I know a company of not only did they patent the products but went to the expense of obtaining EPA/CARB EO numbers for their products only to be ripped off by oversea companies. Then their same products were being sold on Ebay without EPA/CARB approval numbers with no inspections. He was told that was another government department and it is not being enforced.

WHY would anyone put extra monies into development right now? Why would manufacturing be brought back to the USA when it will be ripped off again in four years? NO laws protect our automotive manufacturing whether it's OEM or performance!