Gale Banks set another record in the diesel world, and this time it was at an NHRA-sanctioned event. Gale robbed the 6.6-liter Duramax engine from his road-race truck and stabbed it in the tube-chassis Chevy and proceeded to go 8.41 at 158 mph right off the trailer.
After four passes and additional tuning, the Sidewinder Type-D ripped off an 8.21 at 165 mph in Las Vegas. The truck also did it without covering the Christmas Tree and grandstands in black smoke. According to Banks, the actual drag motor for this truck is almost ready, and the truck's e.t. will drop significantly lower in upcoming race events. If you'd like to see the pass, visit http://bankspower.com/DmaxTypeD-Oct07.cfm.
Roush To Work With Chevy?
This tiny, tiny, almost unrecognizable camera-phone picture of a Chevy Silverado rendering with Roush's name all over it leaked onto the Internet today and then was abruptly taken down. We grabbed the image before it was gone. The truck has a cowl hood, SS-looking stripes, and a cool front valance with what looks like an intercooler behind it. Could this be the turbo LS truck we've all be waiting for? Probably not. We wonder if the guy who posted the picture still has a job at Roush.
Corporate wheelin' and dealin'
The Nikkei Business Daily reports that ailing U.S. automaker Chrysler is working a deal with Nissan to share select products between the two companies' auto lines. The deal is designed to help each company in the North American marketplace. Nissan is looking to improve its market share of pickups and minivans, and Chrysler is looking to expand into the subcompact category.
What does this mean for truck owners? Well, since Titan truck sales have declined, fuel prices have increased again, and Nissan is bailing on its motorsports program for 2008. It doesn't look as though the focus will be on trucks in the near future, rather gas-sipping compact cars.
Dodge Dakota Recall
More than 575,000 Chrysler autos have been recalled due to a shifter that could come out of Park without the key in the ignition. The '01-'02 Dodge Dakota is included in the recall. The shift problem occurs after long-term wear. To date, there have been nine accidents and no fatalities associated with the shifter problem.
Toyota To Break Sales Record?
Toyota is on pace to smoke the existing new-car sales record of 9.55 million units set by General Motors in 1978. The company is expecting sales to top 10.41 million, while industry insiders view that number to be on the low side. This would end GM's reign as the world's largest carmaker, a title it has enjoyed for 76 years.
10 Mostly Worthless Facts
1. A Toyota Tundra oil change is best left up to your local Toyota dealer unless you like investing in tools that can't be used on any other truck you own.
2. The Sport Truck Challenge will go off in Bowling Green, Kentucky, August 2-3, 2008. You best bring your A-game this year because we've been getting e-mails from some serious competition.
3. Apparently it's illegal to wrench on your truck in an apartment garage in the city of Orange, California. Something about it qualifying as operating a repair facility, and it's a violation of some city ordinance that we don't agree with.
4. We only put two flamed trucks on the cover in 2007, which is three fewer than we put on the cover in '06.
5. Boyd Coddington is building a pusher truck out of a Nissan Titan for a record attempt on the salt in Bonneville this year.
6. Charlie Hayward, the artist behind the cartoons in our Mail Truck column, owns a '68 Chevy C10.
7. Every rose has its thorn. No, really it does.
8. Lift your '07 Tundra on 35-inch tires and you too can lose up to 3 miles per gallon in fuel economy.
9. The Havoc Tour will make stops in Fresno, California, June 21-22, and Lake Havasu City, Arizona, April 12-13. Hooray for spring break!
10. Saying the phrase "yippee skippee" will get you smacked at most any truck show in the nation.