Buckeye Diesel Blast—Diesel Drags And Pulls In Ohio

Buckeye Diesel Blast: Diesel Drags And Pulls In Ohio

Lavon Miller in his Firepunk Dodge took second place in the Unlimited class. Still, he turned in a respectable 128.56 mph and a 10.81 elapsed time.

While the National Association of Diesel Motorsports (NADM) has held events in Ohio for the past seven years, 2014 was the first year they were based at MCIR, the Marion County International Raceway. This racing facility is just about an hour north of Columbus, Ohio. This puts the track in almost the exact middle of the state. It’s for sure in the middle of farm country with corn and bean fields as far as the eye can see on a clear day.

“On the racing front, Diesel Motorsports had three classes of drag racing along with a couple of exhibition runs in a top diesel (Duramax Rail Dragster).”

Bruce Block was the top dog in the Unlimited class for drag racing. He turned in a 10.17 ET at 135.04 mph.

Jim “Lucky Dog” Layden placed second in the Quick Diesel class with his bright red Dodge. He turned in a 12.51 ET at 115.37 mph.

Some would say the Buckeye Diesel Blast diesel event started on a perfect fall day, with clear skies and cool temperatures in the 70s. The cool air made it a perfect day for making power, with diesel truck drag racing, pulling and dyno competitions to take place in the middle of Ohio. However, as with any competition, some would take home the trophy and others would just take home the memories.

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The 2014 Buckeye Diesel Blast saw more than 50 trucks racing, 55 trucks pulling, 15 in the Show-N-Shine and 12 in the dyno competition. This was a full contingent of racers, ready to entertain the more than 1,700 fans attendance. The action kicked off at 9 a.m. and the racers and pullers stuck it out till the finish at around 7 p.m. The fans enjoyed watching the diesel events throughout the day, as well as the other activities. The parking lot was full of attendees’ trucks as well as some of the competitors’ rigs, and the dyno was running all day too. Between the breaks in the diesel action, folks enjoyed some good food and took the chance to look at the manufacturers’ displays.

Firepunk Diesel, a local shop, was on hand. They, and the other vendors, such as Fuelab and Action Exhaust (a Flowmaster Master dealer) were among the many there for the diesel fans. They were all busy most of the day, answering questions about their diesel performance parts.

Shane Kellogg won top honors in the Modified Pulling cvlass. His “Trump Truck” pulled all the way to first place.

Doug Brarens placed first in the Quick Diesel 12.0 index. His top speed was 102.26 mph with a 12.24 ET.

On the racing front, Diesel Motorsports had three classes of drag racing along with a couple of exhibition runs in a Top Diesel (Duramax rail dragster). There were also six classes of diesels competing in the pulling. These included Work Stock (street trucks), 2.5, 2.6, 3.0, Modified and Semi trucks.

No motorsport event is ever competing without a Show-N-Shine. The Buckeye Blast had the Meguiar’s Show-N-Shine, with 12 trucks competing. Awards were handed out for Best Dodge, Best Duramax and Best Ford diesel trucks. There were also some pretty unusual trucks such as Doug Brarens’ “Cabover Hauler” made from seven different vehicles.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a class for this type of rig… yet. Who know what can happen if the fans demand it loudly enough?

Every competitor left with a check in hand for their part of competing, along with decals and literature in a goody bag given to them at registration. Thanks to the Diesel Motorsports staff and the crew at the MCIR track, the 2014 Buckeye Diesel Blast was the best ever. Shout-outs also go to the sponsors who supported the event, especially Flowmaster Performance Exhaust.

Dan Toops won the Show-N-Shine in his “American Dodge.” It was built in dedication and remembrance to all armed and civilian service people and his son who was a young leader in the diesel industry.

Vendors row is a good place to look for new products and ask questions of the manufacturers’ reps. The crowds come and go, depending on how hot the track action is at the moment.

This event concluded the Diesel Motorsports’ 2014 regular event season. However, the 2015 season will soon be reaching its peak. More information on Diesel Motorsports events can be found on their website—www.DieselMotorsports.us—and monthly newsletter, as well as on Diesel World’s new Diesel Events Calendar page elsewhere in this issue. The 2015 Buckeye Diesel Blast will be held on September 26 in LaRue, Ohio, so head on down for some diesel action. DW