Diesel Power Challenge 2013 Results & Event Recap

Diesel Josh — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:39:58 +0000

At the time of this newsletter, the sun has recently set on DPC 2013 and the smoke has cleared from the mountains of Colorado where the event has again taken place. We had the privilege of sponsoring this event for the second year in a row as the Official Fuel Additive via our Fuel Bomb Diesel Additives line. To say that the events and the results of this year’s events were predictable, would be a malicious lie. And to say that the time spent with old friends and the opportunity to make new ones was awesome, would be an understatement.

As protocol has it, Monday marked the beginning of the event with registration and a welcome event. This is a great time to really just talk with the contestants, other sponsors, and the Diesel Power Magazine staff to familiarize everyone with one another. However, the first big shakeup of the event came when news that a member of Team General Motors, Shilo Ellingford, did not get his Duramax completed in time to compete.

Day number two commenced bright and early with everyone meeting at 7am for some quick photographs at ATS Diesel and then off to the dyno competition. In theory, dynoing nine trucks should be a relatively quick task that could be completed by lunch. But when you’re strapping down trucks capable of this kind of horsepower and trying to squeeze every last pony out of their engine, it simply takes time. By 5pm, all trucks had hit the rollers and proven their strengths, as well as their weaknesses. Overall, Banean Woosley took home the honors with a pull of 1255.7 horsepower and 2063 lbs. / ft. of torque with his 2005 Dodge Cummins.

Wednesday morning started off with everyone’s favorite (insert eye rolling) event, the trailer obstacle course. As the name implies, the contestants are to maneuver a trailer loaded with a Bobcat through a cone course that concludes with them backing it into a narrow cone “stall.” Each contestant is timed and points are deducted for each cone hit, even though cone contact is typically applauded by the onlookers. There are definitely two approaches to this event: go for broke, in which cones WILL be hit, but speed is of the essence, and the other is that of sheer methodical maneuvering. This year, strategy outplayed speed with Wesley Beech and his 2008 6.4L Powerstroke taking home the crown.

Immediately following the trailer obstacle course, everyone jumped right into the 1/8^th mile trailer tow. Again, as the name implies, this is an 1/8^th mile drag race with trucks hooked to the same loaded trailer that they recently yanked around the obstacle course. With rain looming in the forecast, the trucks were rushed through the race, given one opportunity to perform a piece. In the past, this event has proven to be one of the most destructive to the drivetrain of these high horsepower trucks, and this year was no different with five trucks limping from the track (beaten but not completely broken). Overall, victory went again to Beech with a run of 10.342 at 74.21 mile per hour. It seemed as though Beech was a force to be reckoned with as he took two events in a row.

No green grass was to grow under the tires of these trucks, as they were lined up again at Bandimere Speedway for a standard ¼ mile drag race to be the final event of Wednesday. Eight trucks were able to compete, only missing Tony Rizzi and his 2004 Duramax that sustained just enough carnage in the 1/8^th mile race to take him out for the afternoon. Overall, Woosley had the quickest time with an amazing 10.807 second at 129.4 mile per hour run for qualifying, but that would not lead him to victory. Overall, Beech was the last man standing in this bracket style racing format, and gave him the runaway victories for the day.

Thursday morning started off with another early start as the drivers and trucks would fill up and head out on a gingerly, scenic 140 mile road trip that would test the vehicles for their overall fuel economy. This drive took everyone to some of the higher elevations in Colorado and through a score of snow covered roadways, not necessarily the best things to judge fuel economy on, but a true test nonetheless. Overall, Rizzi took home the price with his Duramax for best overall fuel economy.

Thursday afternoon brought upon the final Diesel Power Challenge event, sled pulling. For those that have never sled pulled, there’s a lot more to it than putting the truck in four wheel drive and mashing the throttle; gear selection, line choice, acceleration, weight, and other factors are all extremely crucial in being the victor. This year, Erik Clausen, last year’s DPC overall winner, stood at the top of the podium with his 2008 6.4L Powerstroke. The most impressive pull, however, went to Tony Rizzi’s Duramax that managed to catch fire.

Overall, the win went to Wesley Beech’s 2008 Ford Superduty that swept Wednesday’s events. But really looking at it, every single one of these trucks got the opportunity to compete in a once in a lifetime event that would gain them recognition. Even the lowest point contender can still proudly say that he was able to compete with some of the best contenders in the industry, which is something that most cannot declare. And we were proud to be there and support each and every truck, driver, sponsor, and Diesel Power Magazine, and look forward to the opportunity again next year!

-Josh Ullrich
DieselPowerProducts.com

To see full results and writeups from this event, check out Diesel Power Magazine’s Diesel Power Challenge 2013 page.

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Raptor SD On the Cover of Petersen’s 4 Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

Diesel Josh — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:19:54 +0000

We can now fully let the cat out of the bag on the details of the Raptor SD. Until now, we have remained somewhat tight lipped about the exact components used, as we wanted to see the Petersen’s Magazine featuring the RSD hit the newsstands first. That time has come! The Raptor SD received the honors of adorning the cover of the latest issue(June 2013) of Petersen’s, coupled with a detailed write up covering the build process with TONS of pictures outlining the arduous week long process.

For those that haven’t heard about our latest project, long story short, we took a stock 2012 Ford SuperDuty Powerstroke and turned it into a Ford Raptor SVT killer in a one week period by using a conglomeration of parts from various suppliers to boost the off-road capabilities, street manners, and horsepower of this popular truck ten fold. And without further ado, here’s the list of components used that allowed us to create the fire-breathing monster we call the “Raptor SD.”

Carli 4.5” Suspension with King Coilovers and King Dual By-Pass Shocks
Deaver Full Replacement Rear Leaf Springs Built to Carli Specifications
Carli Long Travel Air Bags
ICON Vehicle Dynamics 4-Link Front Radius Arm Replacement
Hellwig BIG WIG Front and Rear Anti-Sway Bars
Nitro Gear & Axle 4.30 Ring and Pinion
Nitro Gear & Axle Rear Differential Cover
40” x 13.5” x 17” Toyo Mud Terrain Tires
17” Method Double Standard Wheels Custom Painted Metallic King Shock Blue
17” American Racing Slab Wheels Custom Painted Metallic King Shock Blue
Fiberwerx Fenders and Bedsides
Warn 16.5ti Winch with Warn Hidden Winch Mount Behind Front Bumper
Randy Ellis Design Sleekster Front Light Bar Mount
SoCal SuperTrucks Cab Mounts for 50” Light Bar
50” Rigid Industries SR-Series Light Bar
30” Rigid Industries SR-Series Light Bar
AMP Research PowerStep Running Boards
H&S MiniMaxx Tuner
H&S Custom Mounting Pod
H&S Cold Air Intake
FLO~PRO 4” Downpipe Back Exhaust System
Sinister EGR Delete Kit
Sprint Booster
Titan 50 Gallon Underbed Fuel Tank
SSBC Big Bite Rotors and Calipers
PSC Hydro Assist Steering
Custom “Raptor SD” Badges to Replace Factory Emblems
Custom Graphics to Simulate Raptor SVT

Keep watch for updates on the Raptor SD, we are still working on a full length build video that will cover the 5 production days plus our review of driving the Raptor SD in the real world.

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If you want to build you own, checkout our Raptor SD build page. Not all components are available off the shelf such as the custom fenders, but most of the performance and suspension components are. Give us a call if you have any questions.

High Definition Desktop Backgrounds Featuring the Raptor SD

All images are created in 1920×1080 resolution

Raptor SD in Moab, UT	Raptor SD in Moab, UT	Diesel Power Products

To install a background: Click on the image you want to use. Once it opens in your browser, right click on the image and save it to your computer.

Made In the USA Manufacturer Guide

Diesel Power Products — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:38:41 +0000

A while back we notified everyone of a campaign that we were beginning revolving around “Made in the USA.” Basically, it was an effort on our end to highlight those manufacturers and products that we deal with that have the authority of proclaiming they are American manufactured. Since then, we have showcased one of our favorite brands, Carli Suspension, in their effort to maintain a Made in America status. Recently, we have created a section on our Diesel Power Products and Off Road Power Products websites that actually lists all of the manufacturers with links to their manufacturer’s page that are “Made in the USA.” You can see them all here:

Diesel Power Products: http://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/c-3233-made-in-the-usa-manufacturers.aspx

Off Road Power Products: http://www.offroadpowerproducts.com/c-3235-made-in-the-usa-manufacturers.aspx

We feel very strongly about the made in America theme at Power Products. Everything that it represents, not only in our industry but in all avenues of life, can have a dramatic impact in our future as Americans by emphasizing such products. Continue to look for more manufacturer specific highlights coming out in our newsletters and blogs each month.

Check out the original Carli blog post here: Carli Suspension featured in our Made in the USA campaign

F-Bomb – Official Fuel Additive for 2013 Diesel Power Challenge

Diesel Power Products — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:07:14 +0000

The Diesel Power Challenge is the most grueling and part demolishing competition for diesel vehicles on the planet. Owners of privately owned Cummins, Powerstroke, and Duramax trucks are hand selected by the staff at Diesel Power Magazine and then final entrants are voted on by the readers, and then pitted against one another in an annual competition held at ATS headquarters in Colorado. Trucks are pushed to the limits in various rivalries that test driver skill and truck aptitude in events such as sled pulling, drag racing, drag racing with a trailer, braking, highest horsepower, and a road course to test fuel economy.

Due to last year’s success as the Official Fuel Additive for the Diesel Power Challenge, Fuel Bomb will once again be the additive of choice for 2013! We will be back in Colorado shortly to watch all of the carnage underway and see what truck and driver can be crowned as the 2013 Diesel Power Challenge Winner!

This year’s Diesel Power Challenge is held the first week of May 2013, the 6th through 10th. We will update with more info when we have it. For information on the competition, check out Diesel Power Magazine’s Website.

Sprint Booster- Easily Increase Your Throttle Response on Newer Trucks

Diesel Power Products — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:39:59 +0000

What the heck is a Sprint Booster? Sprint Booster is the cure for the common delay in throttle response found on most current vehicles that utilize an electronic throttle. Unfortunately, as most newer generation vehicles have adopted drive by wire systems, the traditional mechanical devices have gone to the wayside. As a result of added computers that must signal other components of the vehicle, a delay in the reaction of the vehicle in comparison to what the throttle pedal actually does is very common. Sprint Booster is a simple plug-in device that takes this signal and amplifies it in various levels (that’s right, it has three levels) of sensitivity.

We found this product line in a search to increase our 2012 6.7L Ford Raptor Super Duty’s throttle response. By far, this truck in stock form had the slowest reaction time compared to any of our other vehicles, and it is very common on these trucks to have this issue. We’ve now been running a Sprint Booster in many of our vehicles here and have been astounded what a difference it makes in each application. As a perk for many new vehicle owners, the Sprint Booster does not affect the electronic systems, thus it will not have any adverse warranty implications. Easy installation, cost effective, warranty friendly, and IT WORKS…..what else could you ask for!

Check out our selection of Sprint Boosters for the Ford SuperDuty or Dodge Ram trucks at Diesel Power Products.com

Diesel Power Products and F-Bomb Diesel Additives to Sponsor NW Truck Pulls 2013

Diesel Power Products — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:19:27 +0000

That’s right, sled pulling season is upon us, and this year we will be sponsoring our local NW Truck Pulls in what’s sure to be an exciting season! After only one year of substantial growth of this series, it was determined that the old track just wouldn’t support another year, so a new longer and wider track has been built that will keep this great series of events going for years to come. These pulls start as early as April 5th and continue all the way through October 5th. But what really separates these pulls from most others is the diversity of the vehicles allowed to pull. There are classes that not only include pickups and tractors, but you’ll even find the tots out there with their lawn tractors tearing it up, making them a true family friendly event.

For more information on the 2013 truck pulling season please checkout Northwest Truck Pulls.com

But isn’t the Ford Raptor a Half-Ton with a Gas Engine?

Diesel Josh — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:06:40 +0000

Well, yes, the Ford Raptor SVT that rolls off of the assembly line at the factory is a very capable half-ton sporting a 6.2L SOHC V8 producing around 411 RWHP. In terms of off-road use, this is by far the most competent vehicle ever produced by any manufacturer ready to hit the trails off of the showroom floor. But that simply wasn’t good enough for us at Power Products! As most of our follows know, we’re obsessed with diesels. We’re also obsessed with the concept of a vehicle that can do pretty much anything, I believe the phrase would be “have your cake and eat it, too.” To have a truck that can comfortably transport you to work all week, race at the drag strip on Friday night, haul a camper and enclosed trailer to the dunes on Saturday, and play in the dunes with ATV’s all weekend is the ultimate vehicle.

This is what we sought to build, modeling a 2012 Ford F-250 featuring the 6.7L Powerstroke engine after the highly acclaimed Raptor SVT, in a build we dubbed the Raptor SD. The build is now complete and has exceeded our wildest expectations for what this vehicle is capable of. The full start to finish editorial will be featured in the upcoming Petersen’s 4 Wheel & Off-Road magazine as the featured front page article. To read more about the whole build, pick up a copy at your local newsstand (Available early April 2013) where you can read about turning our SuperDuty from ZERO to HERO in a matter of one week!

We will be posting a comprehensive writeup and videos soon for the Raptor SD build.

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Power Products Unlimited, Inc. at Easter Jeep Safari 2013

Diesel Power Products — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:45:36 +0000

It’s that time of year again, and the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah is upon us. As this newsletter is released, the rugged terrain of Moab is adorned with off-road vehicles of all types ending their week long adventure. For those unfamiliar with the event, Easter Jeep started in the 1960’s as a Jeep only event to kick off the off-roading season for the year, and has now grown to include thousands of (mostly) Jeeps as an all out adventure for off-road enthusiasts. This event welcomes anyone to come, from the weekend off-roader, to the hard core crowd, to vendors, and even Jeep themselves (who has been known to unveil next model year vehicles in Moab)!

We at Power Products Unlimited have had the fortune of attending this event the last two years where we’ve been able to put some of our newly built vehicles to the test, and simply see old friends, as well as make new ones. At last year’s event, we had recently completed our Jeep JK running a 4BT Cummins featured at many other events throughout the year. This year we also brought our Ford Raptor SD project (you can read about this build later in the newsletter) to the event, and this is no trailer queen that sits on the sidelines. Not only did this truck, sporting a complete Carli Coil-Over King 2.5 Dual Bypass Suspension System, spend a lot of time playing on the slippery rocks with the MUCH smaller Jeeps, but it hauled an enormous camper all of the way to the event! This is truly a “Swiss Army Knife” truck that has plenty of tricks up its sleeves.

All in all, as the event winds down, it is very evident as to why Easter Jeep Safari is one of the biggest off-road events of the year and why its continued success will only grow in the years to come.

We will have more photos and write-ups on the event in the coming weeks.

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GM introduces a EcoTec Diesel Powered Chevy Cruze

Diesel Power Products — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:38:41 +0000

More big news come from Chevrolet this year. And no, they aren’t planning on releasing a diesel in the 1500’s or even the Colorado’s, but rather the Cruze! For those unfamiliar with the Cruze, it is their economically priced sporty four door sedan. The Cruze will be powered by GM’s own 2.0 liter EcoTec turbo diesel four cylinder that is rated at 148 horsepower and 258 foot pounds of torque, (higher than Volkswagen’s current ratings). This engine will feature a common rail injection system (similar to that of current diesels in the pickup market), aluminum head and pistons, and an electronically controlled variable geometry turbo (VGT). So, for those sedan owners looking for some torque and fuel economy(expected MPG above 40), you will now be able to shop down the road from the VW dealer and look at the U.S. based Chevrolet.

2014 Ecotec 2.0L I-4 Turbo Diesel (LUZ) for Chevrolet Cruze will produce 148HP and 258 Ft-Lb of Torque.

For more information on the upcoming Chevy Cruze, checkout this article on SAE’s website.

Chrysler Finally Adds EcoDiesel Engine to 2014 Dodge Ram 1500 1/2 Ton Truck

Diesel Power Products — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:28:01 +0000

We asked, and the manufacturers are FINALLY delivering! For years, the general population has been asking for the expansion of efficient, light duty diesels in the car and half ton pickup market. Several manufacturers, such as Volkswagen have ruled the market in the diesel car segment, leaving most of the others, including US built, with nothing to offer. On top of this, there has never been a half ton or lighter truck in the U.S. featuring a diesel. These scenarios are unfortunate, because if you travel to most other countries, light duty diesels are prolific in many applications. Most would blame the absence of these vehicles in the U.S. due to stringent and ever-changing emissions regulations that would force the manufacturers to redesign the powertrain every several years on a line that may or may not be a top seller.

This is what the 2014 Ram 1500 should look like.

In 2013, a handful of automobile manufacturers have stepped out on a limb and are making the plunge into the light duty diesel market (FINALLY)! The biggest news is that of the Ram 1500 lineup to be featuring a 3.0 liter turbo diesel V-6 built by Italy’s VM Motori, the same diesel supplier to Chrysler since 1992. For those abreast to new and upcoming offerings, this engine may sound familiar, because it is the diesel engine slated to be offered in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, starting in May of 2013. Big wigs aren’t releasing any numbers just yet for the Ram 1500 application, but if it’s anything like what’s been released for the Jeep, horsepower is to be rated at 240 horsepower and 420 foot pounds of torque. The news of this could likely change the buying habits of many three-quarter and one ton owners that merely buy the truck for the diesel, but really don’t need the hauling capacity, and wouldn’t mind the smoother ride characteristic of a half ton.

This is the new EcoDiesel 3.0L V6 engine built by VM Motori that will be featured in the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Ram 1500 for the 2014 model year.

Thank you Chrysler for finally listening to your customers! For more information on the upcoming model you can read this article from USA today. Or Spy Photos of the Mopar test truck on Diesel Power Magazines Blog

-Josh Ullrich