Are you a true DIESEL enthusiasts? Live it don't wear it . . .

Do you have a diesel pickup you like to compete with or just make upgrades for a hobby? Then you are a diesel enthusiasts.

As a diesel enthusiast you should enjoy the diesel community and family I have written about, come to the events, enjoy the show, talk to distant truck owners and find out what others are doing to their trucks.

That's living the sport, living the lifestyle, and enjoying your hobby!

Wearing the sport is picking sides, trash talking another competitor, trash talking another promoter or event, and bad mouthing a manufacturer over another's product.

Leave the drama to the businesses who fight every day for a share of the market, that's part of being in business and what makes this country great. Being competitive in business is totally different than being competitive in a hobby you are supposed to be enjoying.

Even the businesses who compete have their levels of what's the right way to compete and we measure other businesses on those standards. Does everyone play on the same level? No but we tend to group and do business with people that tend to conduct business like ourselves, and the others likewise.

The business level of DIESEL Motorsports should not effect the true diesel enthusiasts one way or another.

You should be picking events based on enjoying them, competing, collecting purses, and do they fit your lifestyle and hobby.

We once took a poll of what people on the forums who constantly post come to any events, doesn't matter whose event, and practically 55% of them never attend the diesel events. That's well over half of the people that talk about the events never attend.

That is why you see many different diesel businesses now search for new ways to reach the diesel enthusiast. We have spent large sums of funding on different advertising and marketing avenues to attract diesel enthusiasts with some success.

We are now getting ready this year to launch even newer and different ways to reach the diesel truck owner so we can invite them to attend the events. You have seen our ads in diesel magazines, local radio, local newspapers, Truck Trader publications, cable TV, and now email blasts in order to promote the sport.

Let us businesses compete on our end and let you the diesel competitor compete where you are supposed to - at the track or pull!

On this day of thanks, thank this great country of ours for letting you enjoy your freedom of enjoying the hobby of DIESEL Motorsports!

Our DIESEL Family . . . DIESEL Motorsports!

When one has something in common with another you tend to tie a bond with this person. It has happened thousands of times over within our diesel community when it comes to diesel trucks.

This bond becomes a friendship, a kindred spirit, and we all pull together into a diesel lifestyle that involves all of us. The common diesel enthusiasts goes to work everyday, raises their family, uses their truck for work or to get to work, and then uses it as a hobby or entertainment during personal time.

We can all relate to this life scenario all over the United States, and within this lifestyle one soon realizes most people in this close knit family has pretty much the same likes, beliefs, hobbies, etc., as yourself.

Isn't that strange how people all over the US can come together to form a group but in many instances has never met many of the people they converse with daily on Facebook, texting, twitter, forums, and by email.

What draws our people into this lifestyle of DIESEL Motorsports?

I call it the silent majority of Mid-America, the older mixed with the youth who work hard, pay taxes, never complain, toil everyday to work and raise their family . . .  and they own a diesel truck!

But yet it is our individuality that makes our group unique and one can see this by looking at the trucks at events. I have seen owners of $70,000 plus trucks praise the efforts of a young enthusiasts with a $5000 truck and asks what he/she is doing to their truck. I heard 20 year race and pull veterans tell newcomers how they can improve their time or distance by telling them how they have done it for years.

The experienced passing it on to the youth, that sounds like a family to me.

The business end of it comes later in order for it to exist and grow. Generally when money is involved that is where the divisions tend to be drawn in order for those involved to advance or be on top. That is progress and those with bigger pockets tend to take notice as a sport grows and more become involved in the business.

But underneath is still the diesel family that comes to the events and it is in the thousands and growing. We see it every year and we are making strives to increase the numbers every year by searching out the people who match our lifestyle with diesel trucks.

Spreading the word about DIESEL Motorsports is our job and we live it everyday so our family can have a place to finally meet and converse with each other.

Direct from the Horse's Mouth . . . DIESEL Motorsports!

Every time I go on a trip to different parts of the country and stop in to see diesel shops and manufacturers I am shocked at the stories and fabrications surrounding myself and DIESEL Motorsports!


It seems that hearsay stories are taken for truth after it is passed on to the third person. I can't believe some of the statements I heard this last trip but it's all good! 


Any publicity good or bad is great for DIESEL Motorsports, I just need to set the stories straight when I hear them - lol!

I was told I was keeping a promoter out of a city and is that fair, I wish I had that kind of power! It is because the other promoter does not have insurance and is not a licensed sanctioning body, the facility in question requires both for liability. Didn't have anything to do with myself or DIESEL Motorsports.


You will see more and more of this as the sport becomes more popular and facilities are worried about liabilities and insurance. Face it, a 7000 lb 4 wheel drive truck going down the track at 120 mph, suddenly they see there might be an incident, maybe not, but they are not willing to take the chance.


There are always negative forces out there or competitors who want to tear you down with fabricated stories and what is unbelievable is that people listen to them. 


The forums unfortunately have become a hot bed for the so called wronged to openly bash DIESEL Motorsports, products, sponsors, and everyone else that will raise their numbers so they think they can then sell their site for millions. Where is the integrity of these individuals? Do they even have anything to do with diesels or just work for someone that wants to bash their competition or just some kid/adult at his parent's home with nothing to do.


We challenge anyone that has an issue to contact myself or Gene or Chuck and let us know if you have a problem. We are not that hard to find, web site, Facebook, twitter, some forums and hey there is still the phone! 800 number is listed on the site.


If you think it doesn't sound right, most likely it is not right! Get it direct from the horse's mouth!

Diesel performance shops keep the sport alive!

The regular diesel performance shop is the original lifeblood of our industry!


Not only do they make the modifications to the trucks but they keep experimenting on their own trucks and bringing them to the events.


More and more people are opening diesel performance businesses along with offering service maintenance for local companies for their diesels.

The people who own these shops help build this sport to what it is today and continue to support all DIESEL Motorsports no matter who it is and what event they are attending.


The countless hours they spend on their own trucks are unpaid and does not earn them money as a business unless you count the occasional purse they receive if they win at an event.


DIESEL Motorsports have had some faithful diesel shops who have been there promoting us and bringing their trucks from five years ago to current. They have grown with the business just as we have and it's lows and highs.


DIESEL Motorsports has always tried to give back to the diesel shops by introducing them to new products, services and customers when we get asked who can work on their trucks. We will soon be introducing a dealer program to highlight shops that have been approved as a service center.


Some of the long faithful shops throughout the five years have been New Era Diesel, Pure Diesel Power, Mass Diesel, Diesel Specialists, S&R Diesel, Custom Auto, and Little Power Shop.


Now there are many, many diesel shops who also support our motorsport and continue to support by sending trucks to the events, passing out event flyers and promoting the events on their web sites.


Every year new diesel shops step up to sponsor our efforts, this year Second Wind Performance, Custom Diesel, Sinister Diesel, Alligator Performance, Rollin Smoke Diesel, Underground Performance and Xtown Performance have helped in promoting the sport.


It's all about the diesel shops building a presence and helping the manufacturers sell and install their performance parts.


DIESEL Motorsports does keep the pit area open for the public to view and talk to the competitors which are the diesel shops. Take some time, come early to an event and spend some time talking to the diesel shops. You will learn a lot!

Why put on sponsor's decals? DIESEL Motorsports

Why do we ask you to put on sponsor's decals at the events?


Because they are the ones who pay for your purses and the ability to compete.

If DIESEL Motorsports relied on the funds we take in at the gate and competition fees we would go broke after the first event!


It takes large amounts of money to put on a one day DIESEL ONLY event.


So without the sponsor's funding to supplement the events the purses would be nonexistent and the event pretty small. 


What a better way to show appreciation and respect by displaying the sponsor's decals on the trucks, plus we are more likely to show the trucks with decals on them in magazines and promo materials.


DIESEL Motorsports does have in the rules this year that any truck winning without the decals can be eliminated from receiving purses. 


So whether you have the sponsor's products on your truck or not it would represent our sport well by putting the decals on your truck. If you do not want them on the truck for extended time, put them on your windows where they can be removed.


Remember, it's the companies who sell product to our sport who help us fund the events and build the sport. They are everyone from large diesel performance part manufacturers to local diesel shops who want a presence in the diesel community.


So when we have someone ask you to put our sponsor's decals please be nice and say "you bet I will", it will help the sport grow!

What does it cost to compete??? DIESEL Motorsports

Let's see we just announced that at Thunder in Muncie on June 23 you can win $2500 by placing first in 2.6 pulling class. What does that cost to compete?

$10 to get into gate, $35 for registration and that includes automatic membership . . . and that is it!

I just looked at the combo tractor/truck pulling leagues and they cost $400 to $600 to join the league plus another $60-$130 to pull per event depending on the size of the event.

And their payout is  . . . pretty much lower than ours ranging any where from $600 to $1300 for first depending on the event.

So why the big discrepancy? We are still trying to figure that out!

Same way in drag racing . . . $10 to get in, $35 to race and the payout is $1000 for 1st and $500 for second! Other drag racing promoters and shows charge $65-$110 to race if 16 trucks show,  then they payout $350 and mail your check to you 6 weeks later.

We pay immediately after the event, checks for all of the winners to go home with something in their pocket.

So after evaluating in a spreadsheet of who pays what and what they charge to compete, I have come to the conclusion maybe it is NOT about the money since more people tend to pay more to compete and receive less for competing as a rule.

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong statistics or wrong group, but it appears to be the same trucks in most cases.

DIESEL Motorsports realizes the economy is tight on most of us and anything we can do to help we have done so in order to keep the sport growing. Two years ago we dropped the membership fee and lowered the competition fee when diesel hit $4-5 a gallon.

We are in the same boat you are when it comes to traveling to the events, airfare doubled over the past two years and fuel has gone up considerably.

When you decide to what event you are going to in the near future, do some research on what it takes to compete and what is the payback?

You might be surprised!

It's not about the money . . . or is it? DIESEL Motorsports!

I hear this quoted online all of the time with our diesel crowd - "it's not about the money"!

But it's the first thing someone asks about - why?

Because it costs to do this sport and don't let anyone tell you it's not about the money.

They say this because if you do this to make money you will go broke quick, the payouts anywhere do not compensate the amount of work and materials that go into a truck to compete.

You either do DIESEL Motorsports for a hobby or for your diesel business.

We try to stay above what most people are paying knowing that the winners might get their expenses paid for coming. We try and pay quite few places back in sled pulling because that is what the pullers told us they wanted done in order to help all that pull.

I will say DIESEL Motorsports has paid checks/cash after every event since we started, I believe we only mailed checks once because everyone was leaving to go somewhere else and they couldn't wait for them. Not too many promoters or associations can say they have done this.

DIESEL Motorsports knows it takes cash to get to an event and to stay there for the weekend. It always helps to go home with a little cash in your pocket.

Unless you get into the big motorsports circuits like NHRA or NASCAR the sport does not usually pay for itself.

Now as a diesel business what is a better way to promote your business and enjoy your favorite sport by competing in a truck with your name on it. Anytime spent on it and the expenses are a write off on your taxes so it works out great doing it this way. However you have the costs of being in business so it all comes out even in the end.

I can tell you we have to fight the winners off at the end of the night while we write the checks, no big deal, we realize people want to get out of there once everything has ended. I would say 95% of the checks are cashed within the next two business days of an event.

You don't have to tell us money is tight now-a-days! That is why we choose to pay at the event in hopes that some do go home with $$$$ in their pockets.

Do we make money at the events? Do the sponsors make money off of the parts? Does the track make money off of us holding the events? Yes on all counts, that is how the businesses stay in business in order to supply you with the parts, hold the events and provide the facilities without going broke.

Make no mistake motorsports is a business whether it's diesel or not, but we are in the same boat as you, it's been tough to get by for a few years!

It's the trip experience that makes the events memorable!

When you plan to come to one of the DIESEL Motorsports events take an extra day or two and see some of the interesting sights that surround the event.

See America at it's best, the local towns, historic hotels, local attractions, historic landmarks, museums, amusement parks, restaurants, and talk to the local people.

In other words enjoy the trip and make the most of it, get away from your normal regiment and rushing to one location to another.

Take a breath and slow down, talk to the local diesel guys at the track, cookout with them and look at the trucks. Ask them what else is unique to their area to go see.

On a trip last year to central Ohio a local official took me to their family tractor museum. John Deere tractors from the 1930s to present along with other farm equipment that was unusual. Then he took me on a tour of the local canal that was one of the first man built canals that went up to the Great Lakes and we actually saw a canal that was built over a river (man made waterfall)! We did this 30 mile trip in a diesel Excursion with no brakes laughing at every stop sign, good thing we were in the country.

This last trip to Sedalia Missouri, all of the local strip hotels were booked because of a state-wide wrestling tournament in town so we booked a historic hotel in the downtown area.

Many of our smaller local towns had very historic downtown squares with a courthouse and businesses surrounding the downtown, all but gone now-a-days. This particular hotel was the 18th most haunted hotels in the US and is where President Harry Truman held his selection party after the New York Times declared Dewey the winner (Truman won). It was like stepping back in time to an era long gone along with the square business. Not exactly the best accommodations but the three of us will be laughing and talking about staying there for many years to come. This place still had enclosed phone booths with closing doors in the lobby and brass mail slots on each floor by the elevator.

Trying to navigate our 23 foot Dodge in their 15 spot parking lot that was designed for Model Ts was an experience alone and getting yelled at while we left it blocking the entrance when we unloaded our luggage.

Talking to the locals at dinner inside and finding out what the area is about and listening to stories about the hotel makes a trip memorable.

We have a couple of events coming up that would make great trips to experience a couple of extra side trips. Thunder in Muncie coming up June 23 will bring you through Indianapolis which you have to stop at the Indy 500 Museum which has race cars for that race that goes back to the 1920s. Do you realize a diesel Indy 500 car won back in the 30s? For those staying in Muncie, if you have children the Ball State Observatory is quite well know for star gazers and one of the best in the country if they have never been in one.

The East Coast Nationals  in Numidia Pennsylvania has tons of history surrounding it, Knoebels Amusement Park is just minutes away is one of the oldest parks in the US which boasts the most wooden roller coasters in a park (free admission too, they only charge for rides $1-2 dollars each). This park has been in operation by the same family lumber business since the 1920s. Just a few miles away in Stroudsburg is the oldest Railroad museum and operating railroad that runs daily. Hersey Chocolate is just an hour away with tons of museums surrounding the candy giant, the women and children love it.

Take an extra day and enjoy the surrounding countryside that is close to our DIESEL Motorsports events!

Upgrading your truck - why the stress?

It's a natural reaction, upgrading your diesel truck can be very stressful! 


Why? Because you are replacing OEM parts with higher end performance parts that makes one wonder how can this truck handle the extra power, weight and stress on the existing OEM parts?


. . .  and oh yea, it makes it stressful on us worrying about it!


What is going to break first, then I have to replace that part with a heavier performance part and then the OEM part connected to it will eventually need to be replaced.


Wow, this could keep going on forever. . . 

Well that is our DIESEL Motorsports business, and most of our enthusiasts call it a hobby and a love for their truck.


Yea it is natural, because Americans has been loving their vehicle and personalizing it since the first Model A/T came out over 100 years ago.


Think about what we are doing? Add higher horsepower performance parts to the engine and what is going to break first - the tranny? 


We add heavier big tires to the truck, what's going to wear out first - the brakes, the suspension, the linkage?


To me that is part of the challenge and what makes it fun to compete is who can make the toughest truck that can hold together during competition or just driving down the road!


Some of the trucks are radical, classy, out-there, off-road, fast, loud, tall, low, flashy, stealth, tough, the bomb, and yes they are DIESEL Motorsports!