Diesel News – SEMA Challenges EPA; Event News and more..
Truck of the Week
A Diesel Dominates No-Prep In Darlington
No one batted an eye when Ethan Patterson showed up to compete in the big tire category at the Thaw Out no-prep event with a diesel. However, before he left with his $8,000 in winnings, feathers were definitely ruffled. The first race held at the back of Darlington Dragway favored the 4,400-pound, four-wheel drive Dodge much more than the rear-wheel drive cars in attendance—many of which were capable of running 4’s. A rough, aggregate racing surface definitely worked in Ethan’s favor, and the same mild, 1,000hp tune-up was all that was needed for all five rounds he raced (and won). His dominant performance sparked much debate as to whether or not AWD vehicles should be allowed to compete in the big tire category in the future, or if they should be given their own class.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/wilsonpattersondieselperformance
Event
Diesels On The Beach
Diesels took to the track at Emerald Coast Dragway in Holt, Florida over the weekend, and some of the heavy hitters from the ODSS circuit showed up to compete. Among them was Paul Cato and his common-rail, Pro Street second-gen. With the tach tapping 6,200 rpm on the 1-2 shift and upper 140 mph trap speeds achieved at the stripe, it’s a solid starting point for his 2021 campaign. David Large also made the call in his (new-to-him) 5.90 Index Ram 1500 (pictured). David was able to earn his NHRA license on the weekend, too, so look out for him on the ODSS schedule this year.
Source: https://raceecd.com/
Emissions
SEMA Challenges EPA’s Motorsports Regulations
SEMA has officially gone to war with the EPA for its stance on race-converted vehicles. On Monday March 8, the Specialty Equipment Market Association filed an amicus brief in a lawsuit between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Gear Box Z. Inc. (GBZ), which argues against the EPA’s disagreement that the Clean Air Act does not permit a motor vehicle to be converted into a race vehicle driven exclusively for competition purposes. In its brief, SEMA states that the Clean Air Act does not apply to vehicles that have been converted to race-only applications, and that the EPA’s “interpretation breaks from the plain language of the CAA, the legislative history, and EPA’s regulation and guidance.” The GBZ case has been brought before the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
Source: https://www.sema.org/
International Energy Agency: Global CO2 Emissions Are On The Rise Again
According to analysis performed by the International Energy Agency, CO2 emissions returned to pre-pandemic levels in December of 2020, even exceeding December, 2019 numbers by 2-percent. However, global carbon emissions rose at different levels from region to region. For all of 2020, emissions rose 0.8-percent over 2019 totals in China, driven in large part by China’s economic recovery. As for India, its carbon dioxide output began to rise in September, when economic activity increased as pandemic restrictions began to relax. In America, emissions fell by 10-percent overall in 2020, but the IEA reports that following a sharp drop during the spring, CO2 levels slowly and steadily began climbing again, eventually reaching 2019 levels by December.
Source: https://dieselnet.com/news/2021/03iea.php
Highlights
They Do Gen-Sets, Too
The manner in which the folks at Wagler Competition Products enjoy their weekends should surprise no one. The company wasn’t putting a 2,500hp engine under load on Saturday night, but a 6.7L Cummins destined to repower a 250-275 kW gen-set was coupled to the dyno and tested for durability. Treated to a few minor upgrades, the engine is expected to turn out 450 to 500 hp at 1,800 rpm—and do so ‘round the clock. Don’t worry, Wagler’s Streetfighter series Cummins mills are still on the shelf and ready to repower your truck…
Source: https://waglercompetition.com/
Another 600,000-Mile 7.3L
When you average 90,000 to 100,000 miles a year, the miles rack up fast. And when every uptick on the odometer is hard-earned, it makes sense why many rely on older diesels to get the job done. Zach Green’s flatbed Super Duty recently rolled 600,000 miles, an impressive number for a truck that spends nearly all of its time hooked to a triple-axle car trailer or with cargo anchored in the bed for the occasional all-night turn-and-burn. When the truck’s original 7.3L Power Stroke suffered a lifter failure at 522,000 miles, another 7.3L was dropped in, attached to the ZF-6 behind it, and put right back in service. Will this new engine carry its Super Duty to the million-mile mark?
Parts Rack
Do You Harbor Freight?
For the weekend warrior, there is no better outlet for affordable, quality tools than Harbor Freight. The company is currently offering massive closeout specials on its cordless Xtreme Torque ratchet wrench kit, composite air impact wrenches, 900-watt generator, and 4 hp pressure washer. And from now until Thursday March 11, you can save 10-percent on any single item with zero exclusions. This comes on the heels of Harbor Freight’s most recent 30-percent off small items sale. For even bigger savings, you can join Harbor Freight’s Inside Track Club for just $29.99.
Source: https://www.harborfreight.com/
