2004 Dodge Ram 2500 - Family Matters

Mike got into his first diesel pickup back in October of 2003. His '04 Ram 2500 4x4 was supposed to be just a work truck for running an oil field company based in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. But then he tapped into a gusher of power adders. After initially encountering some trouble keeping a lid on things, he went from running through the quarter-mile in the 13s to consistently finishing in the mid-to-low 10s.

Ultimately, with some help from Barry Voltner at NADP (North American Diesel Performance, www.nadp.ca), he broke into the 9s (with a personal best of 9.23 seconds at 143 mph). It was the first Dodge common-rail diesel to do so, he says, and that was without having to lighten the sheetmetal with fiberglass panels.

Along the way, something else unusual began to happen. Mike's wife, Charr, and daughter, Karleigh, grew to share his enjoyment of oil-burners. And the family of diesels grew as well-the Drevers now also have an '06 Ram 3500, an '06 Chevy, and an '09 Harley-Davidson Edition F-450.

"That was the first time I competed in an event of that magnitude," she relates. (It included drag racing, fuel economy, dyno testing, sled pulling, and towing a 12,000-pound trailer balls-out on the eighth-mile).

Prior to that initial outing, the extent of her racing and competing had been minimal. "I'm either chasing our five-year-old daughter, Karleigh, in the pits or shadowing Mike down the dragstrip with a video camera and grabbing time slips!"

Even so, her best time in the quarter-mile was 12.24 seconds at 102 mph, and on that run, the engine blew a head gasket. Not exactly how she had hoped to finish the first event, yet they were able to get the truck back together, and she forged ahead-despite some apprehensions.

After all, hauling a 12,000-pound trailer through the eighth-mile is way more intense than towing their boat or fifth-wheel around. On the dyno, the truck made 1,062 hp and maxed out the dyno program with 1,800 lb-ft of torque (which actually calculated out to 1,891 lb-ft) earning her First Place in the dyno event.

Next, the mileage test was a drive in the country-literally! For 146 miles, Charr averaged 18.20 mpg (at home, on the flat prairies of Alberta, she normally gets closer to 23 mpg).

The final event is where daughter Karleigh fits into this family function. She has been around racetracks since she was eight months old and now has a track family that has watched her grow up. Karleigh loves to see the trucks fly down the dragstrip, and she's the one cheering the loudest for her mama when she's sled pulling.

So, it's no surprise that sled pulling is now a favorite event for Charr. "It's a different kind of thrill from drag racing. I placed First in the sled pull as well, with a pull of 279 feet." At the end of the competition, she took Third overall-not a bad result for a first-timer.

Even more amazing is that the only changes to her pickup from street to competition are a change of tires and a tweak of the program. Otherwise, it's an everyday rig, getting her through those snowy winters in the Great White north on her appointed rounds.

"I love my Mega Cab," she smiles. "One day I'm running my daughter to school and dance class, and the next I'm sitting at a dragstrip or sled pulling track. You will never see this mom with a minivan! (We figure there are now probably a whole bunch of single guys with diesels out there wondering if she has a sister who's available!)

How about the Drever's '05 Chevy? "This truck is like a neglected cousin, with most of our attention going to our two Dodges," Mike confesses. "We have blown the motor a total of five times. It now has a built motor consisting of all SoCal Diesel parts. We're still trying to get the truck dialed in among other things-it's a work in progress."

"Since doing these upgrades, we've found it to be a great tow rig for the race trucks and for pulling our 21,000-pound toy hauler through the mountains of British Columbia and Idaho," Mike notes. "We're dedicated to diesel trucks. Each brand has its pros, cons, and purpose. We've been able to gain some insight into those by having one of each in the barn."

So what's the next mountain to conquer? Mike's ultimate goal is to push his '04 Dodge, mentioned at the outset, to a 9-second-flat run or maybe scratch an 8. "After five years, my hopes are high and my expectations for this truck are even higher," he enthuses. "I do realize there will come a time when I have pushed my truck as far as it will go, but I know I am not there yet."

As a family, DFR (Drever Family Racing) obviously loves diesel motorsports and works hard to support and promote it. And it seems to have drawn them together as well.

And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Anybody who asks Karleigh what she wants to drive when she gets big enough will get the answer: "A diesel truck like Mama's!"

"Karleigh is with us at every event we attend and sometimes she's recognized as much as the race truck is!" Mike laughs. "My wife and I think she was born with the speed gene-one of her first sentences was: "Go faster!!"

All told, the Drever family feels a real sense of accomplishment and responsibility in showing people that these diesels and this sport can be a ton of fun for anybody-even their baby girl, who will be doing this one day, too!