Diesel engines don’t get much love from racing fans. Hardcore fans and casual observers think of Indy cars, dragsters, and NASCAR first when the subject of speed comes up. No one associates the diesel with speed and racing.
They think of semis, trains, pulling heavy loads down on the farm, and lots of maintenance. Well, friends, the fastest diesel engines in the world will change some attitudes. These diesel engines are supercharged and ready to race.
It’s time to put these common misconceptions to rest and show the world what the diesel engine can really do.
Wade Moody’s Duramax
Meet the fastest diesel engine in the world. Less than a year after debuting it was the first Duramax diesel engine to post a sub-7-second quarter-mile. Moody’s team spent a lot of time creating the ultimate Duramax engine that started with a block of billet aluminum.
They added tons of specialized racing parts like a Wynberg crankshaft and a dry-sump oil system to maintain pressure. In the end, they built a car that topped out at 192 mph on a diesel power plant.
Deutsch’s Duramax ’69 Chevy C10
Yes, the Chevy C10 is a truck, but this truck isn’t for hauling firewood, it’s for chewing up the track. Brett Duetch’s C10 is a work of art that looks amazing and backs up its beauty with some serious speed.
The truck started turning heads in Byron, IL by making sub-10-second passes. When it started making 9s, sponsors started pouring in. Now it boasts a triple turbo set-up with chargers, a parachute, and all the necessary safety equipment.
Misner’s Chevy Silverado 2500
If you’ve never seen a stock truck turn in 9s in the quarter-mile, pay attention to Matt Misner’s career. His standard cab Silverado 2500 HD spent the early years making 12-second passes.
Consistent times attracted a sponsor and then the truck started turning in 9s in 2014. The fastest pass to date is a 9.65-second 141 mph trip, which turned out to be the last, at least for now. The run caused a piston to crack and put the bullet in the shop for repairs and upgrades.
Buhidar’s 00’ Ford F-350 Super Duty
Just when you started thinking a 9-second quarter is the limit, here comes Chris Budihar and his Ford. “The Mick” is a three-ton beast that turned in a 9.02s quarter at 152 mph, with a nitrous boost putting 1,500 horsepower to the rear wheels.
Even running on regular fuel, the truck turns in runs in the mid 9s and averages 148-149 mph. That’s impressive speeds for a converted hunk of work truck steel.
