Bully Dog Days 2014: Diesel’s Top Dogs Converge in Idaho
July in Southeast Idaho can only mean one thing to the local diesel community, and that’s the Dog Days of summer. For 12 straight years, Bully Dog Technologies of American Falls, Idaho, has been hosting this big dyno, sled pull and dirt drag event. The hot summer sun can beat down harshly in July, but that never seems to keep the true diesel die-hards away and Bully Dog always has a great turnout of both competitors and spectators.
DYNO COMPETITION
For the first 10 years of the event, the dyno was set up at Bully Dog’s headquarters, roughly 45 minutes away from the fairgrounds where the sled pull and dirt drag are held. Last year, the Bully Dog crew changed things up by calling in the mobile dyno from Custom Auto of nearby Idaho Falls to run on-site. The 2013 event went so well that the mobile Superflow was once again called in. Dyno testing started at 10 a.m. with most of the big dogs trying to get their chance on the rollers before the hot summer sun could start affecting performance.
One of the first trucks to run was the 2006 Duramax owned and built by Custom Auto. The countless hours of sweat that James Brendle’s crew put into the little short-bed truck paid off with a 1,331-horsepower fuel-only run. Second place on the day went to Dmitri Millard’s Chevy, which ripped out a 1,089-hp run. In third place was Scott Archibald’s P-pumped 24V Cummins. After building the engine himself and dialing in his setup, the truck made an impressive 1,021 hp. The fourth place truck was Verlon Southwick’s 1,004-hp 2006 GMC, a daily driver that Southwick races in the NHRDA Super Diesel class.
SLED PULL
Once the dyno fun had ended, focus transferred to the 300-foot dirt track for the sled pull event, which was broken down into Work Stock, 2.6 Inducer, 3.0 Inducer, 3.2 Inducer and ProMod Diesel classes. At 4,500 feet elevation, some of the single-turbo trucks struggled to build boost, but once the turbos spooled they had no trouble dragging the sled the full 300+ feet needed to take home the trophy. While horsepower is the major contributor to a win, weight transfer, traction and a good driver are also key elements to sled pulling.
Joe Harrell made the trip out from Wyoming in his 6.7L Cummins and landed himself a first place Work Stock win with an impressive 306-foot pull. The 2.6 Inducer class has been a tight competition around the Rocky Mountain range, but after the dust settled, Weylin Richards 2006 “Drag N Fly” Cummins snagged top honors with a 381-foot hook. The 3.0 Inducer has also been becoming more and more competitive in recent years, and Bob Milican’s common rail-powered second-gen Dodge had the best pull with 353 feet.
The 3.2 Inducer class is one you won’t find in many pulling circuits around the country. Here in the West it allows daily-driven street trucks outfitted with compound turbos a place to compete, but like the other classes, it’s the full-blown dedicated pull trucks that put the most distance between themselves and the start line. With a 341-foot pull, Ryan Thain’s big black Mega Cab proved it had the power and traction to out pull the rest of the class, giving him first place in the class.
DIRT DRAG
Wrapping up the day’s diesel action was the crowd favorite: Dog Days Dirt Drags. Competitors ran heads up down the sled pull track, complete with a staged Pro-Tree on the starting line. With four-wheel-drive engaged and 20-psi boosted launches, the big ¾- and 1-ton trucks made a spectacular sight, jetting down the track with dirt and rocks flying from their big all-terrain tires.
NO DISAPPOINTMENTS
The local Southeastern Idaho crowd seems to really enjoy Bully Dog Technologies Dog Days. After 12 consecutive years showcasing their product and hosting this big event, there’s no doubt that it’ll continue to be a staple among Western region diesel events. Should you find yourself around the area or free for a weekend next July, put Dog Days on the schedule—it’s guaranteed not to disappoint. DW
SOURCE:
Bully Dog Technologies
940.783.9914
