What is ET Bracket racing?

So many times we ask diesel trucks sitting on the side how come they are not racing and they tell us my truck doesn't go fast enough!

Guess what . . . you don't have to in ET Bracket racing!

We have had 18 second trucks win 1st place!

It's based on your reaction time at the start line/lights and your estimated time to run the 1/4 mile track. Do that 4 times in a row with consistent times and you are the winner.

Just don't red light (take off too soon at the start) during one of the runs and keep your run about the same every time. It's lots of fun and you can win big money.

A $35 entry fee and a chance to win $1,000 for 1st and $500 for second, pretty good odds! We had a first time racer in SLC last year compete with 75 trucks and took 1st! Then he entered the Workstock(street class) sled pull and took 1st there! He took home a pretty good amount of money that night!

You will never know unless you try it! Then how good would it feel to go home a winner with money in your pocket and bragging rights.

Stock trucks with a simple tuner can win this class, it all depends on your cool head and reaction time.

Can you break your truck? No more than you taking off at a stop light or racing up a on-ramp on the highway, if you have done that then you can race ET Bracket!

You don't have to push your truck hard to win, in fact pushing it hard most likely will make you lose in this class. It's how well do you know your truck?

We even had a Mercedes win last year in PA, took 2nd in the class and would have won but red lighted on his final run. As long as it is diesel you can compete in ET Bracket.

Catch the bug and compete next time you come to an event, it's really easy!

What's in an image - smoking diesels!

Just had a discussion with an editor this morning and an industry leader yesterday regarding our diesel trucks smoking!

I told both it's all in the image and perception of what you want to see! Does that sound like a politician?

Truthfully, our top four classes in sled pulling and drag racing trailer their trucks to our events, they are not even licensed for the street. They are purposely built for off road/exhibition which is completely legal for what they are doing at events. It's no different than any NHRA, NASCAR, Monster truck show or any other motorsport that is put on for entertainment.

DIESEL Motorsports only has one class in sled pulling that is street trucks and two classes in drag racing that drive to the event. Even these trucks use their tuners to bump up the performance levels to compete and then de-tune them when they go back out on the highway.

Realize when they tune them up for competition they only get 5-7 mpg and use large amounts of fuel, do you really think driving back home long distances they want to get that kind of MPG? I don't think so! They de-tune it so they can get 20-25 MPG on their diesel trucks to make the long trip home, especially when diesel is $4-5 dollars per gallon.

At the events it's part of the show when smoke comes rolling out of the stacks, it's like when the monster trucks shoot out fire and fumes. It's part of the show especially with the rural crowd at fairs which brings back the old days of sled pulling with steam engines, tractors and now diesel trucks! The excitement of hearing the large turbos spooling up which sounds like a jet plane revving up gets the crowd on their feet! Then when the truck releases the fuel and the smoke erupts 100 feet straight up in the air like a chop-choo train the crowd goes nuts as the truck lurches forward pawing at the dirt track, throwing chunks of mud and dirt 30 feet while it pulls the 30-40,000 lb sled down the track!

Again, it's part of the show which is rural Americana and has been around for close to 70 years, it's part of our heritage.

Drag racing is a little different for diesels. The more fuel, the faster it goes! That has been the trend in the past and still exists for many diesel competitors. They are experimenting with combining current diesel technology and their own innovative improvements to make more power! This same thing happened in the old muscle car days at the drag strips, many of the improvements done to those old cars were not OEM or approved performance parts but they were done at a track licensed to provide off road performance events. Same for the diesels under current conditions, what our diesel competitors are doing to trucks today may be on future vehicles as OEM.

I know many of the more advanced drag race teams are now producing huge performance gains without producing any smoke. Now these are expensive units and require large funding to perform but that is a beginning for what will be available for future street trucks that want more HP with higher MPG!

What gives DIESEL Motorsports a black eye is the small few who leaves the track and smokes people at intersections because they have not de-tuned their truck. The true competitors do not do this because they have already competed at the track.  Many rural towns and cities have put laws into effect that allows local police to write tickets for doing this.

The bad aspect of this is the usual guy who may puff a little smoke when pulling a large load or trailer is now scrutinized because of a few knuckleheads who wanted to show off with their friends after an event.

It's always the few irresponsible people who make the rest of us pay for their actions. I know diesel shops who get weekly requests to tune people's truck so they smoke! They refuse and tell them that is sign of a bad tune and they do not produce that kind of work.

If you want to test the power of your new performance diesel parts, find a dyno event, a sled pull, a diesel drag race or local diesel club that holds events that are legal. We are trying to build an image that is a new automotive sport that is responsible and credible, that is how you make a sport go mainstream!

It's always the negative image that remains in people's thoughts, it does not represent the majority of DIESEL Motorsports enthusiasts!

What's first for your new diesel truck?

DIESEL Motorsports has surveyed our event attendees before on such questions across the country in the past and will be doing this again this year.

The results are pretty much the same for all diesel owners!

The first is item added to a new truck is Air Intake, it's the easiest to add and gains more HP and MPG when properly installed and serviced. DIESEL Motorsports has endorsed K&N's system as the official Air Intake because of the quality and history of the product in the truck market. K&N is the original and continues to lead the way while others follow when it comes to air intake technology.

The second is programmer/tuner for the diesel truck, this again raises HP and allows for more MPG when used properly. There are many different programmers out in the market place but DIESEL Motorsports has chosen and endorsed the H&S Performance tuners as the official product because of their programming for the trucks and they are the only company who is making them for the newest diesel trucks. On the street level with DPF present they have the highest HP and MPG settings than anyone in the market. In off road non-DPF mode they still have the highest levels of running available for new model trucks.

The third is exhaust for diesel trucks which also has been attributed to more HP and higher MPG(starting to see a pattern). DIESEL Motorsports official exhaust is FLO-Pro Performance exhaust which makes complete systems for the diesel trucks including stacks and up-turned extensions for racing and pulling (required)! Many new trucks have sensors implanted in the systems which has been a problem for many different manufacturers but not for Flo-Pro who has engineers working on making diesel truck systems for our enthusiasts market.

There you have the top three items added to a diesel truck pretty much within 90 days of buying either a new one or a used truck.

They all have one thing in common, more HP and higher MPG! These trucks are used for hauling and pulling trailers, campers and boats, any help is needed is when you are pulling a heavy load.

After the pulling and the work is done with a diesel truck then it can be used for fun and recreation which DIESEL Motorsports provides the venues to do so!

Is the United States starting to accept DIESELS?

You do see more and more diesels on the road whether it be trucks or domestic vehicles. I do see more diesel pumps at the gas stations, even local ones. Used to you had to be in rural US or a truck stop to fill up on diesel.

Sales were up in January, February and March of this year. Compared to last year's numbers, January sales were up 21.2%, February saw a 42.9% increase and March sales increased 39.6%.

"This 35 percent increase in clean-diesel auto sales during the first quarter of 2012 is a continuation of the 27 percent sales jump in 2011," Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, said in a statement.

The study's authors expect diesel auto sales to continue to increase as several new diesel vehicles (Chevrolet Cruze) hit the U.S. market during the next year and old ones return to automakers' lineups after a hiatus (Beetle). They include:

• Audi: Audi A6, A8 and Q5 TDIs
• Chrysler: Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Ford: Transit commercial van
• General Motors: Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Cruze
• Mazda: vehicles unknown, but the automaker announced that its Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter diesel engine will hit the market soon.
• Mercedes-Benz: BlueTEC versions of the S-Class, GLK-Class and C-Class
• Porsche: Cayenne
• Volkswagen: Beetle 

Now that covers the domestic vehicles, what about the truck markets?

According to Polk List Services new  diesel truck sales are back up where they were 5 years ago before the last recession cycle hit and higher diesel fuel prices of three years ago. Used diesel truck sales are up 11% from last year and is projected to rise additional 3-5 % beyond that figure in the next 5 years.

Why the switch from gas and hybrid over to diesel?

The recent problems with the hybrids (batteries and fire) being recalled by the manufacturers, and the high cost of the vehicles with little to no resale for those vehicles.

Again Europe has been on a diesel diet for over 30 years with low emissions and high MPG for their trucks and vehicles. Why can't US automakers see the success and follow the example?

BMW launched a domestic car that is a diesel hybrid that gets 85 mpg that can easily travel speeds of 90 mph on the Autobahn. 

But the US is much different than Europe, we have wide open spaces where Europe is small (Texas is almost the size of Europe). So driving long distances require larger fuel tanks, high mpg, and longer maintenance free vehicles, oh what a minute, I think I just described a diesel!

Trucks in the US need to haul trailers and heavy loads for work. Diesels are capable of hauling heavy loads and still get higher MPG while gas engines tend to get very low MPG.

Maybe, just maybe, the consumers are forcing the automakers to take a serious look at diesel vehicles!

DIESEL Drag Racing vs Sled Pulling - who wins!

Now this is a very sticky and controversial debate but I am a marketing person by trade and go by the numbers!

The overall year-around National numbers would make sled pulling the winner!

Now I will state this is mainly in the Midwest states where the sport is more popular but the numbers are there in competitors and fan base (people in the stands).

Drag racing is more popular out west and in the South but even there the crowd in the stands are nothing like the sled pulling crowds of the Midwest.

Both are growing at an accelerated rate from where this sport was even 6 years ago but the numbers tell the truth. I'm just not talking about our DIESEL Motorsports events but all diesel events.

We get reports from our affiliate events plus others that are around the country and we keep a spread sheet of turnouts at all events (real numbers) of both competitors and fan base.

Basically there is a big difference between the two sports because you need a licensed drag strip for drag racing and just a dirt track for sled pulling. There are a lot more dirt arenas in the country than there are drag strips. From June 1st to the middle of September sled pulling is available every night of the week from Missouri over to east side of Pennsylvania. Many pullers ask that we start the classes at a certain time so they can make another pull one or two counties away during the summer months.

Sled pulling is featured less in the publications because of the short track, trucks and a long history of drag racing with the gasser crowd. Drag racing is always featured first by the magazines but have you ever noticed the stands in the background?

Now I'm not picking on drag racing because we are trying to build that sport up in order to show equal numbers watching the sport. DIESEL Motorsports is now the only venue where we are now running drag racing right next to sled pulling during the same time so fans can watch both from the same seat.

Combined DIESEL ONLY events will continue to help build both sports because many are now competing in both sports with their diesel trucks.

Sled pulling still has the advantage because there are so many county and state fairs that feature sled pulling for tractor, gas truck and diesel trucks all through the Midwest. Along with fairs come immediate crowds in the stands and they are rural based so they relate to the trucks. This comes from many years of first horse sled pulling, then tractor and now diesel trucks.

Is there a little rift between the two groups? Oh a little ribbing is done but they still both love their diesels and all those who participate with their diesels!

What is a sled pull workshop???

I have been asked that several times since we announced our involvement with the May 5th event.

It's just that a workshop for those who want to pull the sled during competition. At this workshop we are taking all tractors, pickups, and organizations.

We will have three operating sleds with three different weight settings where you can pull in your class as many times as you want during the day.

A dyno will be available so you can tune your truck before you pull. We will have diesel mechanics there along with safety experts to personally tech your truck.

Performance part retailers will be there to sell you parts in case you have forgotten something.

National manufacturers will be there to tell you about their parts. Some new products will be out this year and this is an opportunity to talk directly with them.

Check out your truck pulling with no competition so you can test it's capabilities.

There will be a small competition pull at the end for diesel trucks with purse money.

Also a good time to check out other organization's schedules so you can pull with them.

If you wanted to try pulling and wanted to check it out without competing this would be a great opportunity.

All proceeds given will be donated to the American Cancer Society!

$10 for admission and $30 to pull as many times as you can lineup!

Diesel is close to the price of gas - can you believe it???

Starting to notice that diesel fuel is close to the same as regular gas!

When has that happened, not in quite a while!

I can remember when diesel was less than regular gas but that has been a time ago. You would think that diesel would cost less since it takes 30% less crude oil to make a gallon of diesel, another reason for vehicles to switch to diesel.

But today's suppliers pretty much have their hands tied as to the price since so many different taxes are tied to the cost, state, federal taxes add a pretty good markup to the fuel.

I always figured the reason diesel was higher was because they know the trucking companies need the fuel to deliver our goods across the country and they can get more taxes from the trucks than from consumers.

The disappearance of the trains transporting goods have made the trucking industry the only option to move goods and since local manufacturing has dropped off in the US trucking has become very important to trade.

I'm sure the fuel brokers know that raising the price of diesel would make everything we buy skyrocket including all groceries, clothing, supplies, etc. The trucking companies would charge more and the expense is passed on to the consumers.

Or is this another attempt by the government to convince consumers to buy smaller vehicles that get better MPG? I think a report that was released yesterday said that people who bought Hybrid and electric vehicles would not re-purchase those vehicles because the cost was too high for what they got!

In other words, their purchase of a fuel conservative vehicle was not worth it! High maintenance, low trade in values, and smaller vehicle so you cannot haul or transport as many people. The price tag of those Hybrids are at least $5000 to $10,000 more than conventional - is it worth it - evidently not!

Maybe we will see more people switching to diesel since they will soon realize that their engine will last twice as long and a bigger vehicle can get better mileage than gas models.

No matter why the political pricing, the diesel fuel prices are staying down for now and we can enjoy it while we can.

Who makes the best tire for DIESELS???

I have lightly covered this before but the question still comes up, who makes the best tire for diesels?

Again it depends on what you are doing with your truck but still who has the best tire?

I notice many new tire companies are producing the Offroad Series or the most aggressive tread pattern, but have you ever spent a long trip on the road with those on your truck? The noise and ride along is enough to wear you out but that's not what they are made for with their aggressive tread.

You want  a highway tire then many manufacturers make a great highway tread tire that is quiet and still handles the heavy load of a diesel without the noise, but those don't look cool!

What gets featured in the magazines is the biggest, heaviest, aggressive tread tire and wheel!

How practical are those tires when driving your truck for your job?

Maybe you just use those tires when playing with your truck, then you have to keep an extra set in your garage for the other tires plus wheels.

I noticed a lot of trucks are now going away from the aggressive tread and deep inset wheels to the large semi looking wheels with highway tires that are large. The Semi look I would call it!

I know several wheel companies who have now made 8 lug wheels look like Semi wheels that fit 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. Then the wheels are fitted with normal highway truck tires that give the appearance of running full size Semi tires on your smaller truck plus these ride smoother on the long trips and hauling.

I see many different companies represented in the tire market, Nitto, Mickey Thompson, Toyo, Falken, Hankook, Cooper, Yokohama, BFGoodrich, Goodyear, and even Michelin.

The problem with the tire companies is they all know we need tires to roll down the road, truck is not much good without tires! And our diesel trucks can only take a certain size with certain load requirements for the tires so it's a pretty small tied up market.

Let me ask this? When is the last time you ever saw a tire company at a diesel event?

I have been doing these events for seven years and not once have I seen a tire company come to or display at one of the diesel events. They might send some tires out with one of their vendors but never have they taken the time to come and experience a diesel event or support the sport.

Why? I think they know we are all going to buy their products anyway so why waste their time and advertising dollars on the diesel market, let's spend it on something important like NASCAR or some Offroad Series running in Mexico! Lots of people get to see those tires going by at 200 mph or out in the middle of the wilds of Mexico.

I guess DIESEL Motorsports has not spent enough time or monies on tires like the rest of the motorsports market to make it worth their time.

I don't know about you but the prices I have seen on the diesel truck tires should make anyone take notice of what our enthusiasts are buying.

What do you think?

August in Salt Lake City - Rocky Mountain DIESEL Shootout!

Yes I know, for the past three years NADM/DIESEL Motorsports has sanctioned and managed the Weekend on the Edge event in August. That has changed for 2012!

Edge has moved their event to the first weekend in October and we have partnered with Industrial injection and H&S Performance for a HUGE DIESEL ONLY weekend at Rocky Mountain Raceway on August 17 and 18th!

Thus - ROCKY MOUNTAIN DIESEL SHOOTOUT presented by Industrial Injection and H&S Performance, also sanctioned and managed by DIESEL Motorsports!

ALL in one location - DIESEL ONLY Drag Racing Friday night, DIESEL ONLY Sled Pulling on Saturday along with DYNO Competition, Vendor Alley, Show-N-Shine and Technical Seminars!

All on one weekend, all in one location and all DIESEL ONLY!

This weekend will be televised and aired in September and October around the country on Fox Cable Sports and American One Cable among other DIESEL Motorsports events. This weekend event will take up 2 thirty minute shows along with extras and interviews, make sure your truck gets shot by coming to the event.

You have four chances to get it featured, Drag Racing, Sled Pulling, Dyno or Show-N-Shine!

Event will be covered by Diesel publications and we will have several large trailers from manufacturers in Vendor Alley!

Many different prizes and give-aways will occur for both the fans and competitors along with never before seen large purses for the West - thus making it a ROCKY MOUNTAIN DIESEL SHOOTOUT!

August 17/18th in Salt Lake City, UT at the Rocky Mountain Raceway! Let the NEW History begin with a BIGGER event ever in the West!

DIESEL ONLY EVENTS - what does that mean?

Many different promoters and groups cannot rent drag strips or facilities because of insurance restrictions and/or costs so they combine their show with other non-related auto events (gasser trucks & cars)!


This is okay since they are still promoting DIESEL Motorsports but realize what the show is before you spend money on the event. READ CAREFULLY the description of the event before deciding to attend.


That is why DIESEL Motorsports clearly outlines DIESEL ONLY when describing our National events!

Yes it is more expensive to rent the facility and put on a DIESEL ONLY event, but as a diesel sanctioning body it is what we are promoting - DIESELS!


The track we rent does not allow any other gasser vehicles run without obtaining our permission, and it has to be pretty special for us to allow it. Why? Because we want to highlight the diesel trucks!


Our sponsors want a diesel crowd to take interest in their diesel products, hard to do that when most of the crowd came to see the gasser vehicles!


We have combined all of our resources to make sure every NATIONAL event profiles DIESEL ONLY TRUCKS so we can build the sport with attention to diesel trucks!


Most families attending our events want to look and view other people's diesel trucks to see what they have done to their trucks to personalize them. We encourage that direction by advertising and targeting diesel fans and enthusiasts.


It dilutes our product and direction if we have to combine the shows with other gasser cars or trucks and cheapens the product we are representing to our sponsors.


A true diesel sanctioning body does just that - promote DIESEL ONLY events!

Are HOOD STACKS allowed???? . . . among other rules! DIESEL Motorsports 2012!

We get asked this I bet 10 times a week during the year among other sled pulling and drag racing rules!

The answer is quite simple!

Read the FREE rulebooks that you can view and/or download on our web site. All of the SFI rules and regulations for sled pulling and drag racing regulations are in the book. Not much has changed during the last 5 years other than SFI safety updates.

This last year HOOD STACKS in 2.6 are an exception at National events to the discretion of the pulling director, which is yes at National events they will be allowed unless stated. The reason for this is quite simple, most smaller organizations who use DIESEL Motorsports rules still consider 2.6 trucks street legal for their local trucks. Last time I looked hood stacks are not allowed legally on the streets in most states.

Being a National sanctioning body we have to take into consideration the entire country and it's clubs, fairs, organizations and local events when it comes to rules. That is the beauty and the reason they are used is because they do not favor one shop, organization, group or club. The rules have been penned to allow as many trucks to compete on a equal level with safety rules applying to the competition.

Same way on drag racing as pulling, the rules are written for equality on a National level. This is the only way someone can build a truck and travel to other events to compete and not have to worry are they going to qualify.

I have many events call and ask if they can change our rules to fit their local clubs, I tell them sure if you don't want outside trucks to attend your pull or race. Why would a competitor a state away travel that distance to attend only to wonder if he will be DQed.

Being the only SFI sanctioning body for DIESEL Motorsports we also have to follow what is allowed by the insurance companies who insure motorsports. They all rely on SFI for regulations in order to insure safe events and it's up to our techs to make sure those are followed.

If they are not followed and should an accident would happen then you run the risk of not being insured. That is why we stick to our classes and rules at events when so many always ask why don't we run a open or fun class. It is because they would run uninsured which is not a wise.

So when building your truck for competition or next time you come to an event take a few minutes and read the FREE rules. It's the safe thing to do to compete in the sport!

East Coast Nationals IV for DIESEL Motorsports 2012!

Back to the beautiful mountains in Pennsylvania on July 21st for the fourth annual East Coast Nationals at the Numidia Dragway just outside of Bloomsburg, PA.

A DIESEL ONLY event this is always a big draw every year and it gets bigger every year( 200 trucks competing, 4500 fans last year), I imagine this year will be no different since we are adding more activities and it will be televised this year!

Saturday July 21st - Gates open 8am in Numidia PA for drag race teching, dyno, Show-N-Shine signups, and pulling signups.


Drag Racing: 5 Classes, cash purses, bonus for making final rounds in top four classes! $1000 1st ET Bracket, Trophies, televised!

Sled Pulling: 5 classes; Workstock, 2.6 ($2000 1st), 3.0, Modified/Super Street, Semis - cash purses, televised, trophies.

Dyno: Competition; Highest HP, Correct Guess HP, cash purses, televised.

Show-N-Shine: Competition, Best Dodge, Best Ford, Best Chevy/GMC, cash purses, televised.

Photography available of every truck running or pulling this year!

DIESEL PERFORMANCE Wholesale tent: OVER 50 Vendors under one tent with unbelievable pricing on parts and accessories, cash/credit, carry out or drop ship to your home! Presented by 1800AutoParts/Keystone Automotive they bring their entire warehouse of parts to the show by bringing out two semis full of parts and accessories plus make two runs back to the warehouse for additional orders by the end of the day!

Unbelievable show pricing and clearance bargains can be found at this event along with some specialized diesel vendors from other areas of the country.

This show is the largest DIESEL ONLY show on the East Coast and is quite well attended every year.

Since it is in the middle of July and located in the Poconos Mountains, it can be cool and wonderful vacation spot to bring the family and spend a few days before or after the show! Just minutes from the track is camping grounds, river access, one of the oldest amusement parks in the country Knoebels (www.knoebels.com) which is free admission and of course Hersey, PA, home of the famous chocolate factory. Over in Stroud, PA is the oldest operating rail road you can take daily rides along with a huge railroad museum. See the empty burning coal town a few more miles from the track where the entire town was evacuated after the coal mine below it caught fire and still smolders today(was on National News a few years ago)!

Covered by DIESEL publications every year plus being filmed and televised to air in September!