Diesel News 7.8.19
Ride of the Week
Screwed Coupe Hits the Track
The folks at EZ Lynk appear to be working the bugs out of the Screwed Coupe, the ’37 Chevy Coupe that packs an all-billet Wagler Competition Products DX500 Duramax under the hood and a massive PSI screw blower up top. Now with an 11-inch rear axle from Mark Williams Enterprises and the transmission woes seemingly solved, the one-of-a-kind Pro Mod looked good over the weekend. Even with driver Ryan Hill having to pedal the car on two occasions, it still stormed the eighth-mile in 5 seconds flat—and at a steamy 149 mph.
Source: https://www.ezlynk.com/
Events
PPL Pulling, & Gas Vs. Diesel Drag Racing
It was a busy weekend at Wagler Motorsports Park in Lyons, Indiana. First, the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League came to town for a Friday night chock full of truck and tractor pulling, then a Diesel vs. Gas Shootout was held at the drag strip the following day. In addition to several tractor classes, the 3.6 smoothbore Pro Stock Diesel Trucks would highlight the action in the dirt. Over on the concrete eighth-mile track, Mindy Jackson would pilot her Cummins-powered “Old Hustle, New Flow” Ford Lightning to a win in the 5.90 Index class.
NTPA North Iowa Nationals
The National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) would bring top-notch truck and tractor pulling west of the Mississippi the weekend of July 4-6, with the Super Stock Diesel Trucks being among them. At an event that saw 10 Super Stocks show up to do battle, Shane Kellogg would find himself out front in the infamous “Trump” Ram. Kellogg would outpace veteran puller and driver of the Lethal Weapon Ford, Carl Atley, by less than a foot. Another big winner was Jody Ross, who piloted the Triple Bypass McCormick MTX200 to victory in the 8,000-pound Super Stock tractor category.
Source: https://www.ntpapull.com/
OEM News
FCA Sales Are Through the Roof
June marked a milestone month for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Overall sales totaled 156,588 vehicles for the month, the highest level in 18 years. Of that figure, 49,495 were sold as fleet vehicles. Ram truck sales increased a whopping 56 percent, too, with 68,098 pickups leaving dealership lots. So far this quarter, Ram truck sales sit at 179,454. FCA’s Head of U.S. Sales, Reid Bigland, summed up Ram Trucks’ success like this: “Ram has been on a tear since we made the strategic decision to enter the year with a three-truck strategy. The new Ram 1500, Ram Classic, and Heavy Duty are all generating a huge response from customers and critics alike.”
Source: https://media.fcanorthamerica.com/newsrelease.do?id=20914&mid=1
Ford Truck Sales Best in 15 Years
In the second quarter of 2019, Ford truck sales increased 7 percent—accelerating at an even faster rate than the first quarter, which saw growth of 5-percent. This second quarter spike in sales represents Ford’s best overall truck sales performance since 2004. Combined F-series sales crested the 230,000-unit mark for the three-month period as well, allowing Ford to further extend its leadership position in the truck realm. Transaction pricing was up a tick, too, at $47,500 per truck. That’s $1,200 more (per truck) than was recorded one year ago and $2,500 above the segment average.
Energy Demand Reduction on the Table in Europe
Because many environmental laws parallel ours in the states or even influence our own EPA’s clean air policies, we’ve been following Europe’s growing greenhouse gas (i.e. CO2) problem. Due in part to consumers no longer buying and driving diesel vehicles and partly due to a lack of all-electric infrastructure, CO2 emissions are trending upward in Europe. Now, the UK’s Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS) is recommending a reduction in energy demand on a massive scale. Among other items listed within the report, it states that the number of cars on the road will have to be reduced in order to reduce GHG emissions. The report also recommends car pooling, public transport, walking, cycling, regulating the availability and sales of large cars, and even that residents should avoid car ownership altogether, as a means of achieving a zero-carbon economy.
Source: https://www.dieselnet.com/news/2019/07creds.php
Parts Rack
5-Blade Fever
Whether you’re running one of Stainless Diesel’s high-flow turbochargers or are looking to join the 5-blade mafia but don’t quite have the funds yet, one of these bad boys will look right at home hanging from your rearview. The 5-blade air freshener might not add horsepower, but it will keep your ride smelling like new thanks to its emission of ‘new car scent.’ Air fresheners retail for as low as $3.99, but come standard in every Stainless Diesel swag box. Warning: The company is adamant that this is not a treat for millennials, and that it is also not intended for recreational sniffing.
Source: https://www.stainlessdiesel.com/
