Nick Morris’ Ultra-Consistent, Double-Classing 7.70 Duramax

In modern diesel drag racing, there is no shallow end in the talent pool. From bracket and index classes to the Pro Dragster and Pro Mod categories, the list of competent drivers runs deep. Nick Morris is one such competitor. If you’ve been to an ODSS race over the past handful of years, chances are good you’ve seen Nick’s black Duramax in action—a truck he obtained from HSP Diesel after the Michigan-based company had performed a complete, frame-off restoration on the classic body Bow Tie. He and his double-classing ’05 Silverado 2500 HD are often in the hunt in the final rounds of both ET Bracket and 7.70 Index competition. Long story short, if you find Nick’s extended cab Silverado in the staging lanes on race day, you’re going to be seeing a lot of this truck.

Campaigning an engine that can take a lick and keep on asking for more is an important part of competitive drag racing. And that’s exactly why the Duramax in Nick Morris’s ’05 Silverado sports a rotating assembly from SoCal Diesel. An externally-balanced crank is secured via SoCal’s main cap girdle and ARP main studs, the rods are forged Carrillo units, the pistons are Mahle cast-aluminum, and an alternative firing order camshaft from SoCal makes life easier for the crankshaft. Up top, a pair of ported stock heads are anchored to the factory block by way of ARP 2000 head studs. The lifeblood of Nick’s race program revolves around the use of 20W-50 Adrenaline R5 engine oil from Hot Shot’s Secret.

Back in 2021, Nick won the 7.70 Index class points race within the Outlaw Diesel Super Series. In 2022 he was within striking distance of doing it again, but the unfortunate cancelation of the final race of the year ended any chance of pulling off a repeat. Across the staging lanes in the ET Bracket category, Nick tied for Sixth Place in the points chase last year—a class with 68 entries listed for the 2022 race season. So what makes Nick’s Chevy so competitive? It starts with a Duramax packing all the right parts from names like SoCal Diesel, S&S Diesel Motorsport, Danville Performance, Goerend Transmission, and with Full Spool Diesel Performance lending a helping hand.

Proven Parts

Overbuilding breeds longevity—which is exactly why Nick’s Duramax is yet to break a sweat in the 7.70 Index class. A balanced rotating assembly from SoCal Diesel consists of a stock crankshaft anchored in place via the company’s main cap girdle and ARP main studs, Carrillo rods, and Mahle cast-aluminum pistons. SoCal’s alternative firing order cam limits the abuse the externally balanced crankshaft sees. The factory cast-aluminum heads have been CNC ported, which essentially allows the Duramax to make more horsepower while simultaneously running less boost. The ported heads fasten to the factory block via ARP 2000 head studs.

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Thanks to an HSP Diesel S300/S400 arrangement, compound turbos fill the well-built Duramax V-8’s lungs. An S400 atmosphere charger with a 75mm compressor wheel, a 96mm turbine wheel, and a T6 1.32 A/R exhaust housing is linked with an S300 in the valley that measures 64/73/.91. Nick tells us that the two-stage system comes to life in roughly three seconds during staging, and that it produces 60-psi of boost at full tilt. Boost flows through a Mishimoto intercooler before entering the CNC ported heads.

Twins And 100-Percent Overs

A well-spec’d set of compound turbos help Nick stage the truck quickly, with an S364 in the valley getting things started. At full song, an S475 atmosphere charger contributes its fair share of boost to the combined 60-psi that enters the engine. The S300/S400 arrangement is a product of HSP Diesel, with a Mishimoto intercooler along for the ride to help manage EGT. On the fuel front, a 165-gph AirDog II-4G lift pump system feeds a 12mm CP3 from S&S Diesel Motorsport. The stroker pump maintains rail for eight 100-percent over injectors to use.

With a healthy common-rail system to feed, things get started with an AirDog II-4G lift pump. The 165-gph system pulls full from the factory tank and sends it to a 12mm S&S Diesel Motorsport CP3 that sits in the factory location. Downwind of the stroker high-pressure fuel pump is a set of 100-percent over injectors.

Battle-Hardened Allison

Before the Nitto drag radials ever get a chance to plant it, horsepower travels through an Allison 1000 from Goerend Transmission. Impressively, the same transmission has been along for the ride (and gone untouched) for more than five years now. It all starts with a 2,400-rpm stall, triple disc converter, which helps Nick bring the quick-spooling compounds up to speed in a timely manner on the starting line. Dual, remote-mount Setrab auxiliary transmission coolers positioned in the bed keep ATF temperature in check whether Nick’s racing in 100-degree ambient temps or having to hot-lap the truck when racing in both ET Bracket and 7.70 Index.

Under the truck for more than five years now, and with 50-to-75 passes put on it per season, is a Goerend-built Allison 1000. For half a decade, the automatic hasn’t skipped a beat, which speaks both to the quality of the kind of Allison Goerend builds but also the conservative racing method Nick employs. Instead of leaving in second gear (what most Allison owners opt to do), Nick leaves in first. But on top that, he only builds 10-psi of boost prior to takeoff—which is achieved effortlessly thanks to the 2,400-rpm stall, triple-disc Goerend converter and the aforementioned quick-spooling compound arrangement.

Steering And Traction Aids

While the rear AAM 1150 and leaf spring suspension remains factory other than blue powder coating (on the leafs), a set of HSP Diesel traction bars keep axle wrap and leaf spring twist from occurring. Up front, significant upgrades have been performed on the AAM 9.25 IFS to ensure it survives all of those boosted, four-wheel drive launches. Among the list of reinforcements is a full Kryptonite ultimate front-end package that includes Death Grip tie-rods, a solid center link, and a pitman arm, idler arm, and idler support. To limit front suspension travel and preserve the life of the upper control arm ball joints, Nylon straps are in place as well.

Instances of toe-in and toe-out are non-existent thanks to the addition of Kryptonite Death Grip tie-rods, a Death Grip idler arm and idler support, a Death Grip pitman arm, and a solid center link. Nylon straps are also in place to limit suspension travel. The rest of the factory AAM 9.25 IFS front-end is factory.

Making It Look Easy

Surprisingly to some, Nick’s setup—while powerful and capable of 1,100 hp—is tailored more to longevity than anything else. After all, consistency is key when you’re trying to run the number repeatably at the track. Thanks to the 2,400-rpm stall converter, the quick-lighting compound arrangement, and knowing his truck inside and out, Nick is able to leave the same exact way on each and every pass. And by running the same 7.70 dial-in in ET Bracket, he’s essentially able to get additional 7.70 Index practice while also collecting ET Bracket points. With a rock-solid reliable powertrain, proven skills behind the wheel, and a championship under his belt, look for Nick and his bad-in-black Duramax to be competitive in both 7.70 Index and ET Bracket for years to come.