Unless you're a truck diehard, the Outlaw Diesel Super Series probably won't capture the mainstream attention enjoyed by NASCAR or F1. But there was no shortage of diesel heads at the latest leg of the series at Florida's Emerald Coast Dragway who caught one superlative entry put together by an Indiana-based truck parts supplier. And fans of that Stainless Diesel Dodge weren't disappointed.
World Diesel Pickup Truck Speed Record
After four events in the Pro Street category in the series with one date left in the season, the Stainless Steel Dodge, driven by Johnny Gilbert, is in first place. And it was at September's Hardway Showdown at Emerald Coast where the Ram, arguably one of the best pickups ever made, continued its commanding lead in the standings.
The result was probably no surprise since the truck previously managed to cover the one-eighth-mile dragstrip in 4.82 seconds at a blistering 155.7 mph at a previous event in August. That run broke the speed record for diesel pickups thanks to the Dodge sporting a 2,300-horsepower engine, a Cummins motor that's common in most diesel Rams.
No Record, But Another Top Finish
But for the latest event, Gilbert wanted to do something more: bring the number down to 4.80 seconds. A practice run resulted in a 4.84 followed by a 4.86 in the qualifier where Gilbert grabbed the top spot. Encouraged, the Stainless Diesel Dodge crew got to work tuning the best in an all-out mission to break Gilbert's old record.
But then bad weather brought on by Hurricane Sandy scuttled plans for that day. The following day of competition saw a cooler track and precarious skies. The best Gilbert could muster was a 4.92, good enough to take a bigger lead in points before rain scuttled the rest of the event.
One More Shot
Gilbert and the Stainless Diesel contingent have one more chance to break the record and take the national Outlaw Diesel Super Series Pro Street championship at the PDRA finals at Virginia Motorsports Park on October 25. The team already has a lock on the title, but what they're really hoping for is another shot at breaking their own record set in August.
Sources: Driving Line, Outlaw Diesel Super Series, PDRA Finals, Stainless Diesel