Diesel Truck by Diesel World

Atlanta Motor Speedway, usually the home of NASCAR stock car racing, might also be the latest hotbed of diesel action. Although black smoke is not likely the first thought that springs to mind when you think about the legendary track, its back lot became home to the first event for the Diesel Truck Series that Diesel Technology Source (DTS) hosted in November of last year. With the future of the growing industry fixed firmly in the mind of David Browning, owner of DTS in Monroe, Georgia, arrangements were made with the track owners of Atlanta Speedway to host his debut event.

The family-friendly event opened around 8 a.m. and began running trucks on the dyno rollers and lining up for the Show-N-Shine competition. Browning set out to make the NASCAR venue a diesel enthusiast’s playground with sled pulling later in the day. Besides the dyno competition open to all diesels, DTS hosted several sled pulling classes from Workstock to Open. There were even some gasser trucks pulling to give the fans a good variety.

Mike Batterson led the DP Tuner crew with their Dynocom chassis dyno. The first truck of the day set the bar high and started things off right when Patrick Riner and his ’06 compound turbocharged Ram spun the rollers to post what would be the second highest pull of the day at 791 horses and 1,366 lb/ft of torque.

As the black pillars of smoke billowed around the dyno, crowds continued to gather to watch as 25 trucks climbed atop the mobile chassis dyno rig throughout the day. Later on, John Caldwell’s 2010 F-350 would claim the third rank of the dyno with 663 horsepower and 1,227 lb/ft of torque. But it wouldn’t be until the very last run of the day, just as the sun was beginning to dip toward the horizon, that the top horsepower truck would make its run. Ready to try his luck with his well-honed rig, Jay Wilson rolled his bright red ’04 Duramax up to the dyno and it delivered an impressive 950 horsepower with 1,338 lb/ft of torque.

But that wasn’t Wilson’s only success at the Diesel Truck Series opener. The event’s Show-N-Shine was a line of dozens of glamorous trucks ranging from rugged matte finishes to bright pink exteriors. But only one could win and Jay Wilson’s truck that backs its looks with nearly 1,000 horsepower came out on top. Joey Frazier and his gray ’03 F-250 grabbed the runner-up spot with Brandon Gibby’s bright yellow and lifted ’06 F-250 claiming third.