2008 Weekend On The Edge - Diesel Truck Drag Racing

A Power Showdown For Eight-Lug Diesel Trucks

From the August, 2009 issue of 8-Lug

Author: Gary Wescott

Photography: Gary Wescott, Monika Wescott

0901 8L 01 Weekend On The Edge Edge Products

They don't put big turbocharged V-8 and six-cylinder engines in puny little car-trucks like F-150s, Dakotas, and S-10s. That makes the annual Weekend on the Edge a showcase for real trucks, and we do mean eight-lugs. Every year around the end of summer, eight-lug owners start looking forward to this annual event. Edge Products, well known for its design of power-enhancing programmers like the Juice with Attitude and the Evolution, sponsors the event and takes over the Rocky Mountain Raceways dragstrip outside of Salt Lake City for the day, inviting diesel truck owners to test their power and skill.

As warm-up and qualifying runs begin, thick black smoke billows across shiny asphalt, and the smell of half-burnt diesel and melting rubber fills the air. The roar of wide-open turbocharged engines echoes into the stands as early fans trickle in to watch drivers evaluate the track and determine their dial-in time.

The competition is divided into three classes: Modified, Open, and Wide Open. Modified allows minor bolt-on improvements such as exhaust, air filters, intake and exhaust manifolds, injectors, and plug-in power chips. The basic fuel system and turbo remain stock. Open class can include aftermarket turbos, modified fuel-delivery systems, and injectors. Wide Open gets into major engine modifications, dual turbos, and alternative fuels such as methanol, nitrous oxide, and propane.

Even a couple of years ago, it seems like quarter-miles in the 14-to 15-second range were normal, with top speeds in the 80s. Today, with technology provided by companies like Edge Products, E.T.s of 11 and 12 seconds are common, with many top speeds well over 100 mph.

There are always some great-looking trucks, and some ingenious engineering to increase performance. What makes it particularly interesting is that there is no "right way" to modify an engine. It's all up to the individual owners and their pocketbooks.

An exciting local favorite was the '97 Ford F-350 built by Wide Open Performance in Sandy, Utah, driven by Jerred Mattingley. This impressive 7.3L Power Stroke is an example of amazing engineering. With two monster Bell power turbos pumping through a 5-inch stack, NOS two-stage injection boosts rear wheel horsepower to around 900 and torque to 1,450 lb-ft. This is the world's quickest Power Stroke, with a record of 124 mph, doing the quarter-mile in 10.83 seconds! This year it turned in the quickest time of the day, with an E.T. of 11.42 and a speed of 122 mph! When we visited the Wide Open Performance shop a couple of years ago, a stack of cracked 7.3 heads in the corner attested to the learning curve.

This event is not just about dollars, power, and speed. We saw many daily drivers with minor modifications compete successfully in the Modified class. Weekend on the Edge is an interesting type of drag competition called bracket racing. During initial warm-up and qualifying runs, drivers decide the fastest elapsed time they think they can duplicate. For example, Jerred Mattingley knew his Ford was capable of 10.83, but given the conditions of the track and the day, his best time was 11.42. He entered a dial-in time of 11.00 seconds, which was written on his windshield. During competition, he would try to duplicate that time, but not any faster. The closer he could come to that 11-second time without going under it, the better his chances to win. If he ran faster than 11.00, like maybe a 10.9, that would be "breaking out," resulting in an automatic loss. So you can see, speed is important, but driver skill wins.