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| Driver meeting, Day 3, in preparation for the Fuel Economy Run. |
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| Watching the clock as we wait for the drivers to return from the mountains. |
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| The Sled Pull tested everyone. |
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| The weather threatened but we got it done. |
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| Three trophies, plus a little something extra from AMSOIL. |
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| L to R: Matt Kauffman, Lavon Miller and Danick St. Pierre |
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| Establishing a tradition: drinking beer from the winner's cup. |
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| Lavon Miller's back seat driver helped him bring home the prize. |
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| Dan Howard fueling up for the 150 mile Fuel Economy run. |
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| Taking a measure of the trucks before they head to the mountains. |
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| Diesel products manager Mark Nyholm places a Go-pro. |
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| The competitors line up for the opening shot at ATS Diesel. |
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| Soot fills the cell... the first pulls are underway. |
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| Pushing Cory's Chev 2500 into the dyno cell. |
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| Wes Beech's team standing ready to capture the action. |
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| Editor Sean Holman, captain of the DPC |
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| Wes Beech is back and ready to rumble. |
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| Day 1 of the Diesel Power Challenge is a Dyno Shootout. |
The three events of day two were conducted at the Bandimere Speedway which is tucked into the picturesque ridges of Western Denver. At the beginning of the day there were nine trucks left after the loss of one on the dyno. By the third morning four more will have been eliminated.
The third challenge at Bandimere was conducted up in the parking lot above the raceway. In this event the trucks had to demonstrate speed and skill at executing a course while pulling the Bobcat trailer. The course involved tight turns and several places where backing up was required. Points would be deducted for knocking over cones which lined the various facets of the course.
The afternoon challenge, the sled pull, was held out at Keenesburg Fairgrounds north of Denver along Highway 76. Each of the five remaining diesels gave it their best shot pulling a 50,000 pound sled donated by the NSPA, courtesy Ron Greene, Clint Cannon and Michael Sulley. When the dust had cleared, literally, the final points were calculated and the drivers were assembled for the awarding of trophies for the top three.
Pictured: Winner Rocky Horn with Mark Nyholm, Technical Manager from AMSOIL.
Day one at the 2011 Diesel Power Challenge is in the record books. Ten trucks and thirteen hours in the dyno booth at ATS Diesel made for one long day, but with some serious excitement along the way. The last to take a run, Dmitri Millard, was first when all was said and done, but there were a lot of trucks pulling some serious horsepower and torque numbers.
The first hour today is an open drag strip with the nine trucks taking turns pushing the limits. These guys are pulling some serious numbers in Colorado's thin mountain air. Currently Joel Saunders holds the fastest time with an 11.276 on the quarter mile. Dmitri Millard, after a few runs in the 12.3 area has now taken second away from the superquick Fidel Velasquez with an 11.621. Newly Tolf of Las Vegas, in a Silverado, also cracked the 12 second barrier, an impressive feat in these big trucks.
Rocky Horn has leaped in front of Fidel with and 11.775 and time is running out to best Saunders in his Dodge Ram, the only black truck in the field. And the ten minute call has just been given. Five or six passes later and time runs out on the field. The first segment of the day is finished. They'll break for lunch and then do the 10,000 lb. trailer pulling drags.
Here we are at ATS Performance on Day One of the 2011 Diesel Power Challenge. Yesterday evening the Diesel Power staff hosted a hospitality room for early registrants as they came rolling into Denver from all points of the compass. Editor David Kennedy called Dmitri Millard, last year's winner, to see where he was and he was still ten hours away and apparently planning to pull an all nighter. The longest drive, though, was by Joel Saunders from New Hampshire. By mid-morning today the trucks were glistening in the sun, numbered and bedecked with decals. After a photo shoot prelude, the event was underway.
ATS has a very classy facility with engines, turbos and other performance apparatus displayed all about the showroom. At the center of the room is a billiard table which was actually incorporated into the competition in the following manner. Each of the drivers was given a chance to lag for position on the dyno. That is, whoever had the best lag could select when to do their dyno run. Naturally everyone wants to be last so they see what numbers they have to pull to finish best.
David Kennedy, editor of Diesel Power magazine, clearly gets jazzed about this event. We asked how he came to be a truck guy and he said, "I think for me the truck world comes from needing trucks, from growing up in inclement weather and mud in a rural area. Always wanting to go places no matter what it was like outside. So a car, two wheel drive really wouldn’t work for me. A diesel truck gives you the power and versatility to do whatever you want, so its perfect for guys like me."
The much-anticipated 2011 Diesel Power Challenge is nearing, and 13 competitors are gearing up to bring their rigs to Denver for this invitational event starting May 3rd. AMSOIL will be on hand to witness the 3-day torture test that will determine who owns the ultimate diesel: will it be a Chevy, Ford or Dodge this year? Read on to see what challenges are in store for these competitors.
The 2011 Diesel Power Challenge event is set to descend on Denver, CO May 3rd and final preparations are being laid out now. 12 diesel-powered rigs have been selected to compete head-to-head against one another and returning champ Dmitri Millard. Dmitri sat down with Jason Thompson, Feature Editor of Diesel Power Magazine, to discuss what it’s like to be the one to beat at this years’ challenge, and why the pressure has eased since he started three years ago.
Q: How does it feel to be the “returning champ” and having to defend your title?
Back in January AMSOIL again participated in the MPMC (Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council) Media Trade Conference in Covina, CA. This conference brings companies face to face with the members of the media who cover the industry, establishing a sound connection between the two. AMSOIL also announced its status as Official Oil of Laconia Bike Week, the oldest motorcycle rally in the country. This sponsorship puts AMSOIL front and center at the three largest motorcycle rallies in the country as the Official Oil of each.
The 2010 Diesel Power Challenge, an event that puts diesels through a series of challenges to test their power and performance, was a highlight of May. The 2010 AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour also hit the road that month, with Jerry Dixey leading the way across the country in a series of tours for street rod enthusiasts. 
As usual August was a big month for AMSOIL with three large events taking place. First was the NSRA Street Rod Nationals gathering in Louisville, which brought in over 11,000 street rods on display. Next was the Mopar Nationals, drawing collector cars, muscle cars and enthusiasts for its 30th year. This event tied into the Mopar Muscle Engine Challenge that AMSOIL sponsors, with engine builders having their entries on display throughout the week at this show. Finally, Sturgis turned 70 and as temps climbed into the 100’s AMSOIL was on hand to help keep engines cool. As the Official Oil, the demand for AMSOIL was high and the temps were an excellent testimonial to the benefits our oil provides. These are but a few of the exciting things happening at AMSOIL, and we've only scratched the surface. AMSOIL Racing continues to stretch its shadow across new horizons and the best is yet to come. Look for more details, updates and more right here in the AMSOIL Events Blog, and keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter (@AMSOILINC) and YouTube. As we move out of 2010, we look forward to even greater success in 2011 with many exciting opportunities ahead.
Dimitri Millard of Highland, UT took home the title of Ultimate Diesel Truck owner in the 2010 Diesel Power Challenge in an extremely close race for first. His 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD was tied with Brian Parker and his 2006 Dodge Ram 2500, where it ultimately came down to the fuel economy test to break the tie.
Despite heavy flooding with up to ten feet of water at the track in Bowling Green, the show went on by moving to an alternate track in Nashville. After three days of challenges including a dyno test, 1/8 mile drag race, 30,000-lb sled pull and fuel economy test, these trucks were categorically pushed to their limits. Out of 15 capable competitors, this years’ challenge humbled 4 of some of the mightiest diesel trucks in the nation and took them out of the running.
This morning the diesel gladiators are taking a one hundred mile tour of Central Kentucky in one of the softer sides of the Diesel Power Challenge (DPC), the Fuel Economy Test. Even though the trucks are wired and dialed in to produce power, they must also remain roadworthy. The points from this morning's run will be used for the tiebreaker should such be necessary.
But the competition is fierce. Matt Handwork of New Plymouth, Ohio, is on hand with his 2003 Chev Silverado 2500HD. He might look strong back home but here the competition is serious. "I’ll tell you what, I’ve followed every challenge and I’ve never seen such a stacked group of trucks," Handwork said. "This is pretty impressive. You know when you’re running around your local neighborhood and you think you have the big powerhouse and you show up at something like this and you could easily finish 16th out of 16 trucks, it’s something else."Top Right: Zach Gunther(R) shows director Larry Saarvela the current standings while technicians set up the brake test sensors and gear.Lower Left: Larry instructs the cameraman as they set up a show with AMSOIL tech manager in the driver's seat of David Kennedy's ride.
Due to the weekend's inclement weather (i.e. excessive rainfall) the Beach Bend Raceway found itself underwater this week. Fortunately, this part of the country features an assortment of alternative venues and Day Two of the Diesel Power Challenge (DPC) was held just outside of Nashville at a sweet little track called Music City Raceway. The weather was perfect for a trio of events to be conducted here.
The first, straight up eighth mile drags. The track was prepped, the trucks dialed in, and the morning open for as many passes as the competitors dared. Dared is the right word because when putting this much power down, things can and often do break. It takes courage to see what these trucks are really capable of. The second event today was to run the same eighth mile but towing a 10,000 pound load.
The final challenge today, which has never been part of the challenge before, was a braking test. How quickly can the trucks come to a complete stop at sixty miles per hour. This challenge the morning's fuel economy tour were to be used to determine a winner in the event of a tie.
Robert Evans, last year's champion, had to withdraw due to issues they were unable to resolve yesterday. His mood was upbeat, like the champion he is. In fact, most of these competitors have learned through first hand experience that when pushing equipment to the extreme, breakdowns show you where your limits are.
We asked Diesel Power magazine editor David Kennedy how the DPC came about. He explained, "I think we were looking for a format to sanction diesel performance. Not just one kind of drag racer or sled pulling where it gets really extreme, but the kind of diesel performance that a guy could drive his truck and relate to every day. That’s the key to this event is that these trucks are becoming more and more impressive every year but is still based on a truck that has a license plate the guy could drive to work back and forth and that really shows the power of diesel."
