Edge Products' Pro Stock Diesel Drag Truck Is Shooting for 6-Second e.t.'s
On Friday the 13th of August, Edge Products debuted a Pro Stock diesel-powered drag truck at its Weekend on the Edge event at Rocky Mountain Raceway near Salt Lake City. With the paint barely dry, the truck wowed the crowd with a few test-and-tune passes.
Battling near-100-degree-F heat, the Edge Products Ram, dubbed the Wolverine, piloted by Keith Lockliear, practiced a couple of impressive launches, then the truck was parked in the pits. But when it returned to the Christmas tree at sundown, the truck's characteristic diesel-rattle-at-idle quickly gave way to the jet-engine sounds of its exotic turbo system spooling up before it ripped a 1.32-second 60-foot time, on its way to what should've been a low single-digit e.t. Unfortunately, said our man on the scene, the engine produced so much boost, it removed the intake hose from the turbo housing before mid-track. But still, the truck coasted to an e.t. of, get this, 11.03 seconds at 91 mph.
This top-secret project was conceptualized in early 2003 by Edge Products. Edge Products manufactures diesel fuel-management computer upgrades and "chips" for performance- and power-minded sport truck enthusiasts and, judging from this effort, the company seems to know diesels.
"Our goal was to produce the fastest, most powerful diesel race vehicle ever seen," says Edge CEO Paul Lehman. "Most people said that the sheer weight and mass of a diesel engine - about 1,100 pounds - would keep the truck from getting anywhere near Pro Stock-type times. We accepted this challenge."
We're set up to capture a full-force quarter-mile pass on this tube-frame chassis truck, fabricated by famous NHRA car builder Jerry Bickel, as soon as the crew figures out how to contain the pressure. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, the box on the right contains the dope on this dope diesel drag-racing sport truck.
Edge Products Wolverine Pro Stock Diesel Drag Truck
Project goal: Build the world's quickest diesel-powered vehicle
Est. torque: 2,500+ lb-ft
Best 0-60 (launch) time: 1.32 sec
Vehicle: Jerry Bickel Race Cars-built custom tube-frame fullsize drag truck
Body: fiberglass fullsize Dodge Ram short bed
Paint scheme: designed by Greg Ozubko
Painter: Jerry Bickel Race Cars
Engine: Edge/Diesel Dynamics highly modified '04 Dodge Cummins 5.9L dieselAspiration: turbocharged (boost level classified)
Max. EGT: 1,450 degreesSafety equipment: shroud harness, parachute, Halon onboard fire-suppressant
Suspension: Bickel/Koni coilover shocks
Brakes: Strange steel-vented discs
Tires: front, Goodyear 26x4.5/15; rear, Goodyear Pro Mod 34.5x17.0/16
Wheels: front, Weld 15x3.5" Aluma Star; rear, Weld 16x16" Aluma Star Double Bead-Loc
Wet weight: too heavy to lift
Edge Wolverine Race Team:
Keith Lockliear, driver
Lenny, head engineer
Mike Cary
Lewis "Dale Jr." Hilliard
Joe Donnelly
Cord Reynolds
Cade Reynolds
Exposed: '06 Honda SUT
Honda's Pilot-based SUT concept, shown at the 2004 NAIAS, makes a near-production appearance in these exclusive photos. Using a unibody, a first for a regular production truck (the Baja excluded), Honda's SUT shows surprisingly minor changes from the show truck. Door handles, headlamps, taillamps, and mirrors show detail changes; the bumpers and hood are revised somewhat more. But the basic architecture remains intact, with the concept's wheel flares, door dimples, and unique sloping bed surround all making it to production. Unfortunately, the aluminum exhaust tips didn't.
Sources are telling us that the SUT will officially be named Havasu when it makes its official debut at the 2005 NAIAS in January, but other names are still under consideration, including Rockline and Ridgeline.